Second Wind

Chapter Two

Joey

As important as food is to Italians, lunch is usually pretty much of an informal thing at the nursery. We order from a local deli but rarely do any of us eat together. The business is open and there's always work to do. Anthony and Vinnie usually eat their sandwiches while working in one of the greenhouses. Pop eats up front by the checkout but now and then comes back to the office. I'm usually working in the office so that's where I eat.

One day Pop brought his lunch back to the office and joined me. He and I never seemed to have much to say to each other. It's not that we didn't get along. Actually, it was probably because we were too similar. We were both quiet, introspective types. My brothers were outgoing, almost to the point of being rowdy. They were able to draw Pop out and he was one of the guys when he was around them. I was more outgoing when I was with them as well, but put me and Pop together alone in a room and you got a lot of silence. When he ate in the office it was usually because he had paperwork to do, not because he wanted my company, so he surprised me by talking.

"How are you doing, Joe? Everything all right?"

"I'm pretty good, Pop. Can't complain." Like I said, we didn't open up to each other.

"Your mother says she's been running into Angie Carrino around town all summer. Have you seen her?"

"Jeez, not you too, Pop. I expect meddling from Mom, but not you. I told Mom I'm not ready to start dating."

"I don’t mean to meddle, son. I just don’t like to see you so unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy, Pop. Well, okay, I am, but it's not so bad. I'm getting by."

"I know it's hard, Joe. Maybe you don’t want to date. That's okay, I understand. But you've got to get out more. We've got a huge wonderful family, but you need more than that in your life."

"I do get out, Pop. I'm joining the bowling league with the guys in the fall."

"Bowling with your brothers isn't exactly what I meant but it's a start, I guess. I know how much you loved Jenny and what a tragedy it was. I guess I just want you to know that I love you and want you to be happy."

I couldn't remember the last time he'd told me he loved me. I actually got a little choked up.

"Thanks, Pop. I love you, too."

And that was the end of our magic moment. Like I said, Pop and I didn't talk much. We finished our lunch in silence and Pop went back out front. I sat and thought about my life for a bit after he left. It was true that I didn't have any interest in trying to date. Only part of that was my memory of Jenny. Yeah, I would always love her but I knew that she would want me to be happy, to move on. The problem was, what was I to move on to? Aside from Jenny, I'd never really wanted to be with anyone in my life. I had never had the kind of attractions and desires most guys seemed to have. When other guys pointed out girls they thought were hot, I understood that they were beautiful or sexy, but I didn't actually feel anything. I hadn't really felt anything for Jenny except love, until we started making love, that is. Then I realized how great sex could be. Now and then in high school in the locker room I'd felt a vague physical attraction for one of the guys, but that confused me more than anything else. The only clear strong feeling I'd ever had was for Jenny. Aside from her, I'd always accepted the fact that I was pretty much asexual. Now I always would be.

Ben

The alarm went off and I instinctively reached over and slammed my fist down on the snooze button. In doing so I glanced at the time. Fuck! How many times must I have hit that button already? I jumped out of bed and shivered as the cool air hit my naked body. I threw my robe on and ran down the hall to the kitchen, pressed the button on the coffeemaker to get it started, then went back for my shower. The hot water felt so good as it ran down my body. I wished I could stay in the shower all day but unfortunately I was running late. I quickly washed my hair and scrubbed my body, then shut off the water and grabbed a towel as the cool morning air hit me again, making me shiver. I wrapped up in my robe and went to the kitchen for some coffee to warm me up. I put a couple of Pop-Tarts in the toaster, poured a mug of coffee and looked at the clock. Deciding that I was going be late no matter what so there was no point in hurrying. I picked up the phone and called the office, telling them I'd be there when I got there. When the toaster was done cooking my breakfast, I sat on a stool at the counter and nibbled on the Pop-Tarts, sipping my coffee.

Lula came wandering down the hall from the bedroom, stopped to make sure I hadn't put anything good in her bowl and then went over and scratched on the back door. I grabbed her leash, hooked her up and went out with her. While she was sniffing around for the perfect spot to do her business, I looked around the yard. The grass was getting unmanageably high. What happened to that landscaper I called? When we went back inside I looked through the drawer for the slip of paper my neighbor had given me a few weeks earlier, right after I moved it. After pouring a second cup of coffee, I called the number.

"Ridgedale Nursery. This is Joey. How may I help you?"

God, so cheerful so early in the morning. What was wrong with him?

"Hi, this is Ben Donnelly on Roosevelt Avenue in Florham Park. I called a few weeks ago to arrange to have my lawn taken care of but no one ever showed up. The grass is getting really tall and I was wondering if you'd be coming by any time soon."

"Hang on a sec, let me look you up in the computer." He started humming some vaguely familiar tune and I heard him typing in the background. "Gotcha! Hmm, it looks like Sal put all your information in the system but somehow you didn't get on the schedule. Tell you what, I'll send someone over at the end of the day since you say the grass is pretty high and then I'll make sure you're on the regular rotation from now on."

"Thanks, I guess I should have called earlier. The guy I talked to before said someone would be out within a week."

"They should have been. Sorry for the slip-up. Anything else I can do for you?"

My dick had started responding to his warm friendly voice and a few ideas of what he could do for me popped into my head but I behaved.

"No, nothing right now, but thanks."

"Okay, but if you think of anything you need, just give us a call or stop by the nursery."

I finished up my coffee and went into the bedroom to get ready for work. I slipped the robe off and looked at myself in the mirror. Not bad for 32, but not great, either. Light reddish-brown hair, a little longer than was fashionable, green eyes, small nose and mouth. At least the freckles that had plagued me all though high school had finally almost all faded away. Slim, smooth body, not out of shape but not defined either. A few months in the gym could change that. Of course, I'd have to join a gym first. On the short side, 5'9", 145 pounds. Average circumcised dick but nice big balls. I turned a bit. Ah, there it was, my best feature, a nice little bubble butt. Now if only I could find someone to properly appreciate it.

I hadn't seen much action since moving into the house a month before. Part of it was Becky's admonition not to be such a tramp. Part of it was self-control. I was afraid that now that I had my own place I really would become a slut. I didn't want any kind of new relationship but I didn't want to install a revolving door on my bedroom either. The solace each trick brought me lasted such a short time it would be easy to keep going back for more so it was best not to go down that road any more often than necessary.

When I got home from work the landscaper's truck was out in front of the house. Becky's car was in the driveway. I found her in the rec room in the back of the house, martini glass in hand.

"Hey, Beck, how's it going?" I kissed her on the cheek.

"Getting better." She gestured with her glass. "The pitcher's in the kitchen. Pour yourself a drink and come watch the show with me."

I got a drink and rejoined her. She was looking out the window at a half-naked guy trimming around the patio with a weed whacker. He was shirtless and wearing cutoffs and work boots. He looked to be in his early forties and was tall, beefy, somewhat hairy and very Italian-looking.

"Nice of you to provide entertainment for me, Ben. He's just my type. Yours too, pretty much."

"Well, the age, height and body are right up my alley, but you know I have a thing for blonds."

"Yeah, like your Aryan asshole lawyer, Paul."

"I told you, Beck, that name is not permitted in this house. But yeah, he sure was my type, except for the asshole part."

"So why don’t you take care of the yard yourself, Ben? It doesn't look that hard, even for you."

I held out my hands. "Do these hands look like they do manual labor? Besides, you know what I always say, if you want something done right, pay someone to do it. Seriously, I probably could handle it, but I don’t have a lawnmower or any other tools. It's just easier this way." I finished my drink. "I'd better go out and introduce myself. I'll be right back."

"You think you're going out there to talk to that stud without me? No way."

Becky followed me out onto the patio. When the guy saw us he turned off the trimmer and came toward us.

"Hi, I'm Sal D'Annunzio. I talked to you on the phone a few weeks ago."

I introduced myself and Becky, who practically threw her tits in his face.

"I'm sorry I screwed up your order. I'm not used to that damned computer yet. We've got it all straightened out now so we'll be around every week from now on."

"That's great." I looked around. "The lawn looks really good. Thanks."

"We'll keep it looking good for you. Anything else you want, just let me know."

"I'll probably do that. I just bought the place and it needs some work. The bushes out front look like they're dying but I don’t really know what I want to do about them yet."

"Well, if you need advice, just call my brother-in-law, Joey. He does all of our design work. You talked to him this morning."

"Maybe I will. Say, do you guys do fences?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've got a dog and I was thinking of having the backyard fenced in. Do you do that sort of thing?"

"Well, we don’t sell them but we work with a fence company. If you buy something from them we can install it. Stop by the nursery sometime and take a look at the catalogue."

"I will. Thanks."

Becky and I went back in the house and poured ourselves another round of drinks.

"Don't tell me you didn't think he was hot, even with dark hair."

"He's okay, Beck. He seems like a nice guy, too."

"Well, don't get your hopes up. I saw the way he was looking me over. I'm pretty sure he plays for my team."

"Oh, I'm sure he does. You obviously didn't notice his wedding ring." Her face fell.

"I guess we'll both have to keep looking."

Joey

We were having one of our usual summer Sunday cookouts at the house. Sometimes one of my brothers hosted it but Mom preferred it to be where she was in control. She and the other women were in the kitchen getting all of the food ready. Pop was at the grill, about to start cooking the meat. The kids were all over the place. My brothers and older nephews were playing basketball in the driveway. I was being lazy, lying in a hammock in the shade, holding Connor on my stomach, watching everyone.

I sometimes thought that Mom and Pop's genes had started losing strength by the time I was conceived. My brothers were all over six feet tall and big, really built guys. I was only 5'8" and on the small side. I had plenty of muscle but I still wasn't big. Also, they all had thick hair on their chests and stomachs and I had none. Aside from a dusting on my arms and legs and a barely noticeable black trail from my navel down to my pubes, I was smooth. The guy in the basketball game I looked most like was my fifteen year-old nephew, James.

Mom and Donna Marie started bringing trays of food out to the patio and I was about to get up to help when I saw her coming around the corner of the house, carrying a large casserole dish-Angie Carrino. Shit! Mom had to be behind this. She just wouldn't take no for an answer. I decided to just ignore Angie and act like I had no idea why she was there. I closed my eyes and pretended to be napping.

It didn't work. A few minutes later I sensed the presence of someone nearby and opened my eyes. Angie was standing a few feet away, holding a glass of wine, staring at me and Connor.

"Hey Joey, how ya doin'?"

"Pretty good, Angie, you?"

"Not bad. He's adorable, Joey. He looks just like you."

"He's a pretty good mix of Jenny and me, I think. You'll see that when he wakes up and you get a look at his eyes." Just then, as if on cue, Connor started to stretch and wiggle on me. He opened his eyes, looked at Angie and let out a little cry.

"Oh, I think I startled him. Maybe he doesn’t like strangers."

"Actually, with this family he's pretty used to being around lots of people. I think it's something else." I felt his bottom. "Yep, time to change his diaper. If you'll excuse me…"

I was silently thanking Connor for giving me an excuse to get away from Angie when she spoke up.

"No problem. I'll come with you. Maybe I can help."

I got up and carried Connor into the house with Angie following close behind. I noticed Mom watching us, nodding her head and smiling. I glared at her. I took Connor up to my room and laid him on the bed. After undressing him, removing his pampers and cleaning him, I got him all powdered up before starting to put his clothes back together. Angie sat on the edge of the bed and watched, sipping her wine.

"Damn, are all baby boys that well hung or is this something genetic?" I looked up at her and she winked at me.

"I really couldn't say, Angie. All of my nephews looked pretty much the same, though they are obviously all connected genetically." I ignored her innuendo and concentrated on getting Connor dressed again. "So how are your parents?"

"Okay, I guess. They're happy I'm home. They never did like Ethan. He wasn't Italian, you know."

I picked up Connor and took him back downstairs. As soon as we stepped outside Anthony's wife Gina grabbed Connor from me.

"Let me take that beautiful boy for a while, Joey. Why don’t you and Angie get some food and talk?" The whole family was apparently in on the conspiracy.

Angie and I each filled plates with food and found two chairs together. I picked at my food in silence while she talked, mostly about this guy Ethan and why they broke up. I wasn't really paying attention. All of a sudden, I realized she wasn't talking any more. I looked up from my plate.

"What's the matter, Joey? Are you mad at me or something? You're not usually like this, all quiet and distant."

"I'm sorry, Angie. It's not you. It's just that Mom has been pushing me to start dating recently and I'm just not ready for that. She's mentioned your name a few times and when I didn't pick up on her hints I guess she took it on herself to invite you today. I'm a little annoyed with her but that's no excuse for being rude to you. I'm sorry."

Angie looked me in the eyes for a minute and gave me a bit of a sad smile.

"I understand, Joey. I know how special what you and Jenny had was. And I know how Italian parents can be. I'm not exactly interested in jumping into another relationship right away either but my parents keep pushing me, too. But if you ever need someone to talk to, give me a call. I can be a pretty good listener and friend."

"Thanks for understanding, Angie."

Ben

By the middle of August the house was in pretty good shape. All of the furniture had been delivered and Mother had finished her decorating. She understood me pretty well so I felt comfortable and at home with all of her choices. About the only personal touches I added were a couple of Tom of Finland prints for my bedroom walls. Mother disapproved of the extremely erotic nature of them but then she wasn't the one who would be lying in bed looking at those obscenely large dicks every night.

Although everything was looking good indoors, the property was looking terrible. Sal and his crew were doing a good job keeping the lawn cut and trimmed, but the evergreens were turning into everbrowns and what the previous owners had started as a vegetable garden out back was an overgrown mess of weeds and vines. And I was tired of taking Lula out on a leash a dozen times a day. It was time for a fence. I called the nursery and made an appointment for their design guy to come over and give me some advice. I was surprised when he suggested Saturday at nine. He said that they were open seven days a week although he was usually off Sundays.

I hadn't been going out much since I bought the house but Friday night Becky insisted we go out dancing. We got to the club around eleven, got a couple of drinks and then started dancing. After a while we left the dance floor and went into the front bar for our second round of cosmos and a little rest.

"I'm so glad I finally got you out of that house, Ben. I know I told you to stop being a slut but I didn't mean you had to become a nun. There is something in between, you know."

"Yeah, I know. That whoring around was just a reaction to my breakup. Don't get me wrong, some of the sex was great but it was all so empty. I need so much more but I'm not willing to take the chance of getting hurt again."

"You still aren't over him, are you?"

"I guess not. I mean, I don’t think I'm in love with him anymore, but it still hurts every time I think about it."

"Then don't think about it. He's not worth it, Ben."

We got another round of drinks and headed back toward the dance floor. We'd just walked through the doorway when Becky stopped short in front of me. I bumped into her and spilled a few drops of my drink. She was staring at the dance floor and I followed her gaze. Fuck! There was Paul, dancing with a hot, shirtless twink. Within seconds Paul looked in our direction, spotted me and waved. He stopped dancing, grabbed the twink by the arm and came over toward us. The kid was maybe my size, had short black hair and blue eyes. His body, though slim, was pretty amazingly defined. He had to spend hours a week in the gym.

"Hey Ben, Rebecca, good to see you. This is Chad. Chad, this is Ben and his friend Rebecca."

"Hi Ben, I've heard so much about you." The twink gave me a grin that was almost a smirk.

"I haven't heard very much about you but what I have heard was enough." He was definitely smirking now.

"Now boys, play nice."

"I'm always nice, Rebecca." He gave her a charming smile.

I turned to Paul.

"I'm surprised to see you here. You always hated clubs and dancing. I could never get you to go out."

"Yeah, well, Chad has been showing me a new side of life." He put his arm around the kid and kissed him on the cheek. Paul had also always hated shows of affection. I felt like throwing up. Instead, I downed the rest of my drink.

"Well, I think I need another drink. Nice meeting you, Chad. Nice seeing you, Paul."

I took Becky's hand and dragged her back to the bar. After another round of drinks my heart was starting to feel back to normal but I was still shook up. I noticed Paul and Chad leave not too long after that but it was too late for me. I was downing the drinks fast and furious by then. I was totally out of it by the time Becky dragged me out to the car. I assumed she drove home because the next thing I knew it was morning and I was on my bathroom floor heaving my guts into the toilet. Becky was bent over me mopping my forehead with a cool wet towel. My head was pounding. Finally, I felt like I was empty and Becky helped me back to bed. Just as I lay down the doorbell rang. Becky looked at me.

"Who could that be at this ungodly hour? No one who knows you, that's for sure."

"Oh fuck! The landscaping guy. I forgot all about him. You handle him, Beck. I don't even have enough strength to sit up. You know what I want and have better taste than me."

"Okay. I hope he's as hot as the other guy. If he is, I claim him."