Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
I thanked him, and he crushed me in a hug as he exclaimed, “Good luck, Manny! And again, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me.” He meant well, but there was no way on Earth I was going to call one of my son’s friends with sex questions.
Once I was back in my truck, curiosity got the better of me, so I emptied the tote bag’s contents onto the passenger seat. There was a huge amount of stuff, including several pamphlets, dozens of condoms and lube packets, stickers, buttons, a T-shirt, a pair of smiling plush eggplant toys, and a little Pride flag. I grinned and muttered, “It’s like, welcome to bisexuality. Here’s your starter kit.”
The T-shirt featured an extremely happy cartoon condom marching along beneath the slogan, “Don’t be silly, wrap your willy.” Were there people bold enough to wear something like that in public?
I picked up a pamphlet entitled, “A beginner’s guide to anal sex: the truth, the HOLE truth, and nothing BUTT the truth.” The cover was decorated with a random pattern of emojis, including peaches, eggplants, water droplets, and some I didn’t even recognize. It looked like it had been designed for someone much younger than me… or maybe I was just hopelessly behind the times.
I opened the pamphlet and scanned the subject headings. Obviously, I understood the basics. This reminded me I had a lot to learn though, especially because all my bi fantasies involved bottoming.
After I read the paragraph on douching, I returned the pamphlet to the pile with a sigh. It would have been one thing if I was trying to figure all of this out in my teens or twenties. Back then, my partner and I would have been equally clumsy and inexperienced. But a man as handsome and smooth as Tory had probably been with dozens of men. Maybe hundreds. If I tried to have sex with him, I’d only embarrass myself.
Then again, if I chickened out now, when was I ever going to make my fantasies a reality?
The answer to that was probably never.
I knew I was hesitating because I was scared. I wasn’t someone who took chances, acted spontaneously, or sought out new experiences. Just the opposite. I rarely strayed outside of my comfort zone, but part of me wanted more.
For once, I wanted to live a little.
And I really wanted to go out with Tory. He was gorgeous and interesting, and if I didn’t give this a shot, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.
But still, fear made me try to stall. I told myself I had to make sure I wasn’t needed at work before I did anything.
I knew they wouldn’t need me, though… and I was struggling with that. Last year, after my son-in-law invested in the diner, I’d finally been able to hire more staff and promote my friend Javier from cook to assistant manager. That should have taken a lot of weight off my shoulders. But even with more help, I’d kept working opening to closing, seven days a week. I had a hard time delegating, or maybe letting go, so this weekend was the first time I’d taken a few days off and left Javier in charge.
I was supposed to be back at work first thing tomorrow morning, so I called Javier and asked if he’d mind covering for me while I took an extra day off. His response was, “Take all the time you need, bro! In fact, take all of next week off if you want to. I promise I’ve got everything under control.” He was obviously enjoying getting to run the show for a change.
While that was great, I couldn’t help but feel a bit obsolete. My son was all grown up and married now, and he didn’t really need me anymore. To be fair, he hadn’t needed me in a long time. But now the diner didn’t really need me, either.
I couldn’t keep hiding behind excuses, or claiming to be too busy. It was time to start living my life.
Once I ended the call with Javier, I clicked on the text message I’d received that morning. It said: This is Salvatore. I really hope I get to see you again.
My palms felt sweaty, and my heart started to race as I sent a reply: I decided to stay an extra day, so are you free for dinner tonight?
3
Salvatore
When we pulled up in front of my great aunt’s house, the cab driver muttered, “What the hell?”
My thoughts exactly. The stately Victorian was painted top to bottom in a shimmering, semi-translucent rainbow, and a huge Pride flag was flying high. Pulsating disco music was playing, and the small front yard was crammed with dancing go-go boys. Meanwhile, five people in huge, inflatable dick costumes cavorted on the sidewalk. Since we were in an otherwise quiet residential neighborhood on a Sunday morning, all of this was baffling.