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Part 4, Jeans and Genes
From Part 3:
Eric was in a deep sleep when he became aware of two things: an
incredibly nice man lying next to him with whom he had shared an exquisite,
intimate experience and the telephone ringing. He opened one eye and saw the
digital clock reading 6:33 a.m. ‘Fuck,’ he thought, ‘who would be calling at
this ungodly hour?’
“Mmmm,” Brian audibly sighed, as he rolled over on his back.
The phone rang again. Eric, free of his bed companion, leaned over
to check the called I.D. number. ‘804. Where the hell is that area code?’ he
wondered. On the fourth ring, it dawned on him that it was Richmond, Virginia.
‘Must be Brenda?’
He reached over and grabbed the telephone receiver. “Hello?”
~~~ “Hello. Is this Eric Michael Flynn?”
“Yes, that’s my full name. Who’s this?” Eric was now fully awake
and attentive.
~~~ “This is Mrs. Tulliver from the Henrico County Child
Protective Services in Richmond, Virginia. Sorry to be calling at such an early
hour out there in California, but I’m urgently trying to track down the father
of a 12 year old boy by the name of Mike Summers.”
“Um, I’m the father of a 12 year old boy that was baptized Eric
Michael Flynn, Junior. Summers is the maiden name of my ex-wife, Brenda
Summers. She must have changed the boy’s name. She cut off all communication
several years ago.”
~~~ “That’s what we figured. We need to talk to you about your
child.”
~~~~~~~~
“Just a minute.” Eric glanced over to
see a barely-awake Brian yawning and scratching his balls. His glorious morning
wood touched the tip of his navel and a sleepy smile of contentment was
plastered on Brian’s face.
“Babe, I’ve got this call that’s
important. I’m going out to the kitchen. Join me when you’re ready,” Eric said,
after covering the telephone receiver mouthpiece.
“Yeah, a morning whiz is in order,”
Brian answered softly.
“Use whatever you need.” Eric winked and
walked out of the bedroom with his cordless phone.
“Sorry for the interruption. Is Eric,
err Mike, in some kind of trouble?” Eric asked, as he entered the kitchen.
~~~ “No. But he’s going to need your
help, I’m afraid.” Brian automatically grabbed the coffee canister and measured
out enough Dark Sumatra blend for the two of them into the Mr. Coffee machine.
“How can I help? As much as I wanted to,
Brenda basically has not let me be a part of his life.”
~~~ “The boy’s mother, now using her
married name of Brenda Tanner, died yesterday of an apparent suicide. Your son
found her when he returned from school.” Eric almost dropped the pot he had
been filling with water.
“Ah, Mrs. Tulliver, this is…er, uh…a
complete shock.” He sat down the pot to consider the news and stared at the
floor. “How did you track me down?”
~~~ “Mrs. Tanner left a note. She was
very distraught, because her husband left her and moved out of the state. She
mentioned your name in her note, that you were the biological father and wrote
down your phone number. I can’t read everything in the note, yet, because of
the police investigation. But I will tell you that she wanted to make sure that
you knew, and I quote, she ‘made a mess of things and hoped you’d take care of
Mike’. She also left a pile of letters, dating back six years ago, written by
you to your son.” Eric shakily poured the water into the machine and turned it
on.
“Well, this is a hell of a way to wake
up. I’ll do anything I can for my son. Where is he, by the way?” He sat down on
a chair; the cold, vinyl surface made him aware for the first time that he was
butt-naked.
~~~ “He’s in the outer-office. I thought
we should have some private time, first. I know this is all very sudden, Mr.
Flynn. May I ask what you are prepared to do for the child? He’s been
temporarily assigned to live in a county childcare center.”
“Be a father…better late than ever. I
guess try to figure out how to get to Richmond ASAP, take care of any paperwork
that’s required and bring the boy back to California. I’m not even sure if he
remembers me?”
~~~ “He vaguely remembers you. Mrs.
Tanner also left some pictures of the three of you with the letters.”
“Does he hate me? I mean, disappearing
from a boy’s life must make him think I don’t care for him.”
~~~ “Mike is in a state of confusion.
From what I gather, Mr. Tanner was not a very loving stepfather. With his
mother gone, I think he’ll welcome the safety of being with his real dad.”
“You better give me all the various
addresses and telephone numbers I need. Also any documents I need to bring. I
may not be able to be there until tomorrow evening.”
Eric busily wrote down all the contact
information, list of documents and mentally tried to figure out some logistics
to his trip. ‘Probably need to beef up the hostess staff to help at the front
door while I’m away,’ he considered.
Brian, now back in his black briefs,
entered the kitchen. Eric nodded and directed his eyes to the coffee maker. He
indicated, by pointing, where the cups were located and that Brian should pour
two cups.
“Can I talk to Mike?” Eric felt his
stomach churn slightly and felt perspiration on his upper lip and brow.
~~~ “Yes, definitely. Just remember, Mr.
Flynn, that he has gone through a huge shock, and it may take a while for him
to warm up to you.”
“I understand.” Eric accepted the coffee
and nodded for Brian to sit. “This is wild, Brian,” he said, cupping his hand
over the phone. “Seems that my ex passed away last night, and I’m officially in
the dad business. I…”
~~~ “Mr. Flynn, here’s your son.” Eric
heard some voices in the background and shuffling. “Um, Sir?” said a voice in a
boy’s pubescent, cracking, changing register.
“Mike, hi. It’s been too long a time. I
won’t ask you to call me dad, if you don’t want to. How about calling me Eric?”
He took a sip of coffee and raised his eyebrows to Brian.
~~~ “Oh, gee…um, I can call you Dad, I
guess. Everything is so confusing. Why did Mom do that?” Mike started sniffling
before he revved up to full sobs.
“Son, you don’t know how much I want to
be there, right now. Take a few deep breaths,” Eric said before pausing.
“Okay?” Eric felt Brian’s strong hands on his back.
~~~ “Yes, Sir.” Only heavy breathing was
audible.
“Sounds like your mother was having a
lot of problems. I’m really sorry that she could only deal with them in this
way.” Eric was determined not to use the “S” word. ‘Suicide was a difficult
situation, at best, for a 12-year old,’ he reasoned.’
~~~ “Things…ah, have been tough…umm,
err, Dad.” Mike said, haltingly.
“We’re going to talk this out when I get to Richmond. I’ll be
there tomorrow.” ‘I gotta get there tomorrow morning, somehow,’ Eric decided.
~~~ For sure?” squeaked an unsteady
voice.
“Absolutely, for sure. I’m your father, and I love you. Not seeing
you was not my idea. I understand that she left you a box of letters I wrote
you several years ago?”
~~~ “Um, yeah. That’s what they told
me.”
“When you feel better, I’d like for you
to read them. You were only five and six at the time. I’m going to bring with
me more letters that were returned.”
~~~ “I’d like that. Oh, Dad…please
hurry. I…need you.” Eric could hear sniffling again.
“Buddy, I’ll see you tomorrow, for sure.
Just remember one thing, I love you…always have, always will.”
~~~ “Err, I…lo…Dad, hurry. Please?” Eric
could understand the hesitancy in his son making any commitment.
“I will. Now please let me talk with
Mrs. Tulliver.”
“This sounds pretty heavy duty,” Brian
said. Eric nodded and they both sipped coffee in silence.
~~~ “Mr. Flynn, you seemed to have had a
calming effect on the boy. He’s gone with his guardian. Just so you know, he’ll
be staying in a county-sponsored house for pre-teen adolescents who are
temporarily without care. I assure you that it’s a safe environment.”
“Thank you. I will contact you when I
get a flight and a hotel reservation. The more I think of it, I’m going to take
a ‘redeye’ flight tonight. Have Brenda’s parents been notified?” Eric grimaced
at the thought of his bible thumping, right wing, former in-laws. He thought
they were still living in Yuma, Arizona.
~~~ “They apparently passed away a
couple of years ago.”
“Well, um, I’ll take care of funeral and
other arrangements. She had a few aunts and uncles. Frankly, I don’t have any
idea where they live.”
~~~ “I’ll help arrange the paperwork
with the city morgue for release of the remains. Once you’re legally Mike’s
guardian, everything will fall into place.”
“Do I need a lawyer to handle her will
or estate?” Eric knew that Brenda didn’t have much; he figured that maybe she
had even less at the end.
~~~ “I think that she left very
little…except for this precious boy. He seems to be very bright, is handsome
and very well mannered. I might add, from the pictures I saw, that he looks
like his dad,” she said with a chuckle.
“I’m anxious to see him. Mrs. Tulliver,
thank you for your assistance. I’ll call you tomorrow when I arrive. One favor.
Would you make sure he gets the letters and pictures?”
~~~ “He has them now. Talk with you
tomorrow. Bye.”
Eric said his farewell, punched off the
phone and looked at his houseguest. He moved his hand over to Brian’s shoulder
and pulled him close. The two men studied each other, silently, before Eric
leaned in and kissed Brian lightly. More of a ‘good morning’ peck than anything
else.
“Sounds like life for Eric Flynn just
got a little more complicated?” The softness of Brian’s voice lulled Eric into
a moment of comfort.
Eric gave Brian a complete rundown of
the news and his tentative plans that were still formulating in his head.
“Jeez, first I run into this wonderful
man, and now I’m going to be a full-fledged dad. Talk about the difference 24
hours makes.”
“Tell me about the dad part. I think I’m
starting to understand the other thing,” Brian said. “By the way, I could get
used to morning coffee with my bare-assed buddy.” He chuckled and playfully
jerked Eric’s soft dick.
“Oh, shit. I need to get pulled
together,” Eric replied with fake mortification. “Got lots to do.” They both
rose, and Brian followed Eric back to the bedroom. They passed the small
bedroom and ended up in the master.
“So this is where the big people sleep?”
Brian asked with a grin.
“This big ’un does.”
“Will I get a chance to try this bed
out?” Brian asked with a leer.
“That could be arranged with a rain
check,” Eric replied, swatting his friend’s butt. “Listen, babe, let’s take a
shower…a real shower…and go down to Denny’s for a little breakfast and
conversation. It’s only seven, and I’ve got several calls to make in about an
hour.” Eric turned and aggressively grabbed Brian, pulling him into a clinging
hug. ‘Is it possible that we’ll be boyfriends?’ he wondered.
“Yeah, I could definitely get used to
this,” Brian said, before he passionately attacked Eric’s lips with a
full-blown tongue probe. They stayed glued together, as both aggressively
orally escalated the moment.
Eric knew that this was a man he wanted
to know much better. “Let’s go into my shower and get cleaned up? As much as
I’d like to jump on your bones, I’ve got to get moving.”
“There’s only one bone I’m interested
in.” Brian could not take his eyes off Eric’s aroused penis. He looked up and
saw Eric’s expression of good-natured impatience. “Okay, okay, I’ll be good…for
now.”
A smiling Eric dashed into the master
bathroom, started the shower water and took a long-overdue pee. Brian followed
and watched from the door.
“If you can be good to your word, jump
in with me. This is going to be a real fast spritz,” Eric said, as he opened
the shower door and stepped in. Brian pulled off his briefs, eagerly joined
him, and within moments each man was washing the other. Except for a few
necessary passes at the genital and anal area, neither pursued the natural
course of fondling action available to two gay men attracted to each other.
“That was the fastest shower on record,”
Brian remarked as they toweled off their bodies.
“Rather than a ‘rain check’, how about a
shower check?” ‘And a fuck check, too,’ Eric thought.
“You got it, daddy.” Both guys erupted
with laughter.
“Son, you get your clothes from the
other room and get dressed. I’m putting on some fresh duds here.”
“Okay, babe. Meet you in the kitchen in
five.” Brian put on his briefs and trotted out of the master.
Eric smiled as he watched Brian. ‘Wow,’
he considered. ‘I think that I’m really falling for this guy.” He also thought
that the room that they had ‘christened’ last night would probably now be his
son’s room.
*****
The Wrangler and Cherokee were parked
side by side in front of Denny’s, and Eric and Brian were parked next to each
other in a corner, round booth in the filled restaurant. They both ordered
‘Grand Slam’ breakfasts and quietly sat, observing the beehive of activity.
“So what’s the game plan?” Brian asked,
breaking the silence. Eric was weighing all the ramifications of the changes in
his life and accepted the question as a kick-start back to reality.
“Oh, sorry I phased out on you,” Eric
answered with a melancholy smile. “Just prioritizing stuff. Getting away from
work, airline and hotel reservations, and what I’m going to find back east.
I’ve got to get everything handled and get back here with Mike by Sunday.” Eric
was now thinking of his son as Mike, and he was contemplating the pending
tourist season.
“Anything I can do to help?”
“Naw, I’m covered on this. Probably next
week will be time for some major support. I gotta figure out how to handle this
father-son shit. Right now, I want to talk about what happened last night between
you and me…if ya don’t mind?” Eric resisted the urge to grab Brian’s hand and
hold it tightly.
“What happened was two guys meeting,
feeling a mutual physical attraction and discovering later that the attraction
was much deeper than just sex,” Brian said with a steady gaze into Eric’s eyes.
“By the way, the sex was great.” They both grinned at the memories.
“That’s what’s going through my mind,
too. How’d you end up so handsome and smart?” Eric said with a wink.
“Great minds think alike. It’s way too
early to be planning our next step, and you’re tied up with some pretty
heavy-duty responsibilities. But I’m putting my bid in right now to explore
what we might have together as boyfriends. Is that okay?” Brian moved a little
closer to Eric in the curved booth.
“I can get into the boyfriend concept.
That’s a first step,” Eric answered, as he also scooted closer. They were now
almost shoulder-to-shoulder. The hot food arrived, and the waitress smiled. She
raised her eyebrow slightly but said nothing.
“Well, maybe the second step. I’ve got a
raw behind as a reminder of the first one.” They both laughed and almost spit
out their coffee.
“Touché.” Eric poured syrup over his
pancakes, and Brian did the same. They dug into the plates of food with energy,
taking bites from each food grouping. ‘Next time is my turn,’ Eric considered
as he visualized Brian’s dick of death.
“Maybe we can get our combined tribes
together for dinner as a welcoming party for Mike? I know my sister would love
to meet you and your son, and show off my two nephews.”
“Great idea. Why don’t I make some
dinner – maybe spaghetti and garlic bread – and have everyone up to my place
next week? God knows I’ve got enough space for everyone. Would her boys like
that?”
“Yeah, just make sure you use bite size
pasta, or the four-year old will create a real mess. They both love tomato
sauce. By the way, your home seems to be very large.”
“Dad bought it real cheap forty years
ago. It’s actually got four bedrooms, but I only use the master. I’ve kept my
childhood room intact for sentimental reasons. I guess Mike will take that
room. And I’ve kept the option open of finding the right guy to share my heart
and home.” Eric felt warm and tingly verbalizing this admission.
“Does Mike know you’re gay?” Brian
asked. Eric was a little relieved that Brian changed the subject.
“I can only guess what Brenda has said
about me, and I may have some de-programming to do. However we split so long
ago that maybe her bitterness softened? I was surprised about her admission in
the note she left. Mike and I will have a real heart-to-heart talk when we get
back here. For sure.”
They both continued eating and talking
between bites. Schools, church, the ‘Y’, and the other activities that a
12-year old boy would need and enjoy were discussed. Knowing his ex-wife’s
prudishness, Eric thought that a frank conversation about sex knowledge would
be at the top of the list.
Brian sprang for the check, and Eric
promised to call with his schedule.
*****
Eric took a long, overdue shower in the
bathroom of the airport Hampton Inn on the outskirts of Richmond. Two stops and
ten overnight hours later, he set his plan into motion from the hotel room. He
reserved connecting rooms and had every intention of being with his son that night.
He had contacted Mrs. Tulliver at child
services as soon as he checked into the hotel at 9:30 a.m. It was agreed that
he would meet her at eleven, do some necessary paperwork and continue to the
childcare facility to meet Mike. At her request, he brought the birth
certificates for both him and his son. She said that Mike could probably be
released into Eric’s care later in the day.
He also planned on feeling out Mike
concerning returning to the house to collect his belongings and any of Brenda’s
effects that Mike wanted. Also for discussion was the decision on dealing with
the body. Eric remembered Brenda’s wishes when they were first married; she
wanted to be cremated and have her ashes taken out to the Pacific Ocean off
Point Loma in San Diego. That was the location of Eric and Brenda’s first
intimate moment. ‘Best leave that detail unsaid,’ he thought with a bitter
smile.
At the appointed hour, Eric presented
himself to the receptionist at the Henrico County Child Protective Services
office and asked for Mrs. Tulliver. Moments later, a striking, older African
American woman came out of the office and welcomed Eric to Richmond.
“Mr. Flynn, please join me in my
office,” she said with a warm smile.
“Yes, M’am. I think I’ve got everything
you requested.” They walked down a dingy, institutional hallway and entered a
small, well-organized office. Eric was amazed at the number of files in her
suspension rack.
“Okay, here’s the file. I don’t think
the mother ever officially changed Mike’s name. Therefore, he’s Eric Michael
Flynn, Junior, in the county’s eyes,” she said, as they both sat down.
“Here are the two birth certificates you
requested. I also have a copy of the marriage license, divorce decree and the
joint-custody award from the court until Mike is 18. Funny, I almost threw them
out this spring.”
“I’ll make copies of all the documents.
While I’m gone, you are free to review his case file. The letter that Mrs.
Tanner left has been released and is in the file.” She gave the thin file to
Eric and left the office with the documents.
“Eric quickly scanned the note. Most of
the message focused on self-pity and that her life wasn’t worth ‘a plug
nickel’, as she put it in a shaky scrawl on the notepaper. He came to the part
concerning Mike and Eric’s current telephone number.
Finally, Eric read her instructions for
cremation. ‘Fuck,’ he thought, ‘she did remember what we had discussed years
ago.’ He started again and read, in
detail, how she harshly judged the past six months of her life. Eric wondered how
she could have married such a heel of a man. She had no idea where he was and
was down to her last $100.
“Everything seems to be in order. I’ve
prepared the forms to release Mike to your care. As of 11:13, you are now
officially and legally his father in this county and state. In addition, I’ve
included a copy of the authorization for the city morgue to transfer Mrs.
Tanner’s remains to a mortuary of your choice.”
“Thank you, M’am. I’ll take care of
everything.”
Are you ready to meet your son?”
“Mrs. Tulliver, I’m more than ready. And
please be assured that I’ll try to be a good father.” He took her extended hand
and shook it.
“Of that, I have no doubt. Good
luck…young man.”
Eric left the office with his copy of
all the forms and a map with directions to the childcare facility. Fortunately,
the address was not far away and easy to find.
He parked his rental Ford Fiesta and
slowly approached a well-landscaped, one story building with no signage.
‘Probably the county wanted to blend into the residential surroundings,’ he
thought, as he arrived at the door. Eric pushed the doorbell and waited. He
felt a little lightheaded and queasy.
The door opened and a short, matronly
woman appeared. She looked at him quizzically for a moment before breaking into
a grin.
“Hi. I’m…”
“By just looking at you, I know you’re
Mike’s father. It’s Mr. Flynn. Right?”
“Exactly.” Eric was relieved but curious
about her observation.
“The physical resemblance is uncanny.
Please come in. I’m Ms. Shaw. Mike is in the dayroom reading. He seems to
really enjoy going over those old letters instead of watching TV.” Eric
followed her into the reception room.
“Nice to meet you. Mrs. Tulliver said
that you would need a copy of the release form?” Eric retrieved the form in his
document folder and handed it to her.”
She quickly reviewed the form. “Yes,
everything seems to be in order. I must tell you that Mike has been very polite
but quiet. From what he has experienced, and now with you re-entering his life,
don’t be surprised if he appears withdrawn for a while.”
“I’m prepared for that. Maybe a
get-acquainted lunch will break the ice,” Eric replied with hesitation.
“Probably a good idea. If you’ll wait
here, I’ll get your son.” Mrs. Shaw turned, walked down a short hall and
entered an open doorway.
‘Okay, don’t blow it,’ Eric thought.
‘Just let Mike take his time to adjust.’ His breathing started faster and his
heart began pumping when he saw Mrs. Shaw come back into the hall. Behind her,
was a typical 12-year old with short-cut dark hair, maybe 5’8”, wearing jeans,
T-shirt and sneakers. Upon closer inspection as they walked nearer, Eric
noticed the piercing blue eyes that were doing a quick study on him.
“Mike?” he said. Mrs. Shaw and Mike
approached Eric and stopped. Eric smiled and offered his hand for a shake.
‘Jeez,’ he considered, ‘he does look very similar to me at that age.’ His son
was definitely in the transition from boy to young man, Eric thought, as he
studied Mike’s trim, sturdy physique and large feet that were out of proportion
to the rest of his body. If Flynn genes were in play, he knew that Mike was
primed for a growth spurt.
“You’re my real father?” Mike asked. He
grabbed Eric’s hand and held it very firmly.
“Yes, Mike. I’m your father. Your real
dad.” Eric shook the smaller hand and raised his eyebrows. For a moment, Mike
seemed unsure what to do. They voluntarily released each other’s hands and Eric
gestured with open arms.
“Hi.” Mike walked into Eric’s arms and
wrapped his dad into a crushing hug. He sighed, buried his head into Eric’s
chest and started crying. Eric reached around to balance the hug.
“Hi, Son.”
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TO BE CONTINUED