Christopher, Craig & Co.
Part 47: Marty’s Secret Identity.
Several things happened over the course of the next few days. A blizzard struck, causing the college to cancel classes, and me to stay around the house. The best news was I was physically healing. But there was other good news.
After talking to Daniel I had restored David’s ability to read and write, and begun a crash course in dog-training for him. Luckily David was far enough along in his conditioning that he learned quickly. While he would probably need a follow-up session or two to finalize his training and customize his behavior to living in a long-term situation with Daniel, he was out of my hair and out of my house for the time being. One concern Daniel had raised was their obvious age difference. He was worried that David would be unable to fend for himself should he outlive Daniel considerably. I decided in the grand tradition of Scarlett O’Hara to worry about that tomorrow.
Lee would be arriving first thing tomorrow to pick up the boy I had supposedly trained for an appearance on Faking It. To that end I was expecting Nick and Marty promptly at seven tonight.
I sat at my desk in the den and opened my inbox, scanning the addresses on the new email. I instinctively smiled when I saw Scott’s name.
Chris,Hey you. Hope you’re doing well today. I’m working late but if you’re up around 2 call me.
There’s a coffee shop near the college doing an open mic night next week. I was thinking maybe this was a good time to try singing again. You said you had some ideas for relaxation techniques. IDK about the hypnosis thing but I figured I’d ask. Catch you later,
Scotty
I grinned. He always signed his notes ‘Scotty’. I missed him. But the rest of the letter was troubling. How was I going to respond to this? I began typing.
Scott,You may see me before you see this email. I was glad to hear from you today; you were on my mind. Any free time coming up this weekend?
I think you should definitely sing at the open mic. I’d like to come and support you, unless you’d rather I wasn’t there. Any knowledge I have of relaxation I’m happy to share with you. But I would rather not hypnotize you. Our relationship is off to a nice start and I don’t want to complicate—
I stopped typing and deleted that last sentence. I wasn’t sure I wanted to call this a relationship yet. And I was certain I didn’t want to explain why I thought hypnotizing him might shift the balance in the flirtation we were sharing and ruin whatever was burgeoning. Hypnosis had eventually led to the undoing of every relationship of my adult life. I was going to try something new with Scott. We were going in as equals.
But I would rather not hypnotize you. You don’t need that kind of help. You just need a bit of confidence. You should try looking at yourself through my eyes. Then you’d realize just how top-class you are!
C~
I hit send and waded through the rest of my mail. Soon the doorbell rang. Marty and Nick were waiting on my doorstep. Marty was in full-on leather drag. But rather than looking costumed, he exuded a quiet confidence that made him look sexy. His hair was trimmed into a bit of a shag, with long sideburns. Now cleanshaven, he looked a bit like a fantasy Master.
Nick removed his sneakers and coat when he entered then dropped to his knees and untied Marty’s boots. Once they were both in their socks I invited them into the den. I noticed with some satisfaction that Marty was now dressed in head to toe black, socks included. He was developing the image he wanted to portray based on his fantasy. This was the best kind of hypnosis—Marty was growing into himself, not having something thrust on him.
“Follow me, Nick,” Marty instructed. Nick obediently obeyed. Once Marty sat on the couch Nick sat crosslegged at his feet.
I sat in my chair and watched their interaction with interest. Nick seemed to be a willing submissive. And Marty had become a dominant leather man.
“Beach Boy, Frat Boy, I want you both to relax.”
Both boys slipped under. “Beach Boy, lie down.”
He stretched out on the floor. “Until I address you again you will lie there and stroke yourself. You will not cum. You will concentrate solely on stroking your cock. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Frat Boy, how are you feeling?”
“Awesome.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Tell me, have you ever read comic books?”
“Yes.”
“Which was your favorite?”
“Daredevil.”
Good. “Did you see the movie?”
“Yes. It sucked.”
I chuckled. “Do you recall how when Matt was dressed in regular clothes he led an average life, but when he put on his leathers he became Daredevil?”
“Yes.”
“You will begin to feel that way about your leathers, Marty. When you wear them you will be the leather man from your fantasies. You will be the strong sexual being who goes out and makes things happen for himself. You will have the confidence to handle yourself and be in control of your life. You will BE the Leatherman you have dreamed of becoming. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You will be Leatherman when you wear your leathers. But there is a rule, Marty. You may only wear your leathers at night. During the day you will dress in your jeans and sneakers and civilian clothes and lead your life as Marty Jones, college student. At night you will don your leathers and go out to the clubs. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“When can you wear your leathers?”
“At night.”
“Right. During the day you will keep the secret of what you do at night. You will have to protect your secret identity, much like your favorite Superhero, Daredevil. Do you understand what it is that you must do?”
“Yes.”
“You will be the normal, average college student you were before you met Professor Edwards again. You will attend classes, do your homework, hang out, and all the things a normal college boy does. Once the sun sets you may go out as Leatherman. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a good boy, Marty. As a bonus, I have arranged for you to be on television. You’d like to be on TV, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I thought so. The show will be doing a story on you. You will not let them know anything about your secret identity. You will be Marty Jones. They will try to teach you to be a Leatherman. You will go along with them because you cannot let them know that you already have your leathers. You cannot let them discover your secret. The final night of the show you will go out in your leathers, not letting anyone know that you are Marty. You will be Leatherman. Do you understand what you must do?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Tomorrow you will come here at 10 am with a suitcase packed for a week’s vacation. You will meet a friend of mine and go with him to the television taping. You will be Marty by day and Leatherman by night.”
I could tell by the enormous bulge in his leather pants that the idea of himself as a superhero had completely aroused Marty. I supposed I should help him with that.
“Frat boy, until I address you again you will sit there and stroke yourself. You will not cum. You will simply concentrate on stroking yourself, picturing yourself as Leatherman. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Beach boy, how are you doing?”
This was the first attention I had paid to him since starting with Marty. Nick’s face was red; he was sweating. If I had to guess he’d probably be willing to do anything to cum at that point.
“Good, sir,” he grunted.
“You may stop stroking now, Nick. There has been a change of plans. You are no longer going to be on Faking It. You are going back to school. You are going to return to classes beginning Monday. You will meet with each of your professors, apologize for missing the first week of class, explain that you have been sick, and then do whatever work is necessary to catch up. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I understand that before you met Professor Edwards you were a relatively intelligent and well-adjusted young man. It’s time to get you back to that. Well, with a few modifications.” I sighed. “I’ve been looking back over Professor Edwards’ notes about his work with you. He didn’t create your interest in spandex, he simply took it too far. Tomorrow, once Marty leaves, you will be granted the freedom to come and go as you please and no longer have to follow his instructions. You will be a free man again, Nick. You will no longer be Marty’s slave. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You will work your hardest to do well in all of your classes this semester, Nick. You want to graduate college with top marks, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You also will want to begin dating, but we’ll get to that some other time. Since you were a virgin before meeting the Professor I’m not certain if you were originally going to be heterosexual or homosexual. He attempted to make you some sort of omnisexual being where you would fuck anything, including spandex. I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I think you’d probably make a good bottom boy. We’ll see. With all that stretching your ass has been taking I’m sure you’d enjoy having a lover inside you. Think about that Nick before the next time you come here. Would you like to sleep with men or women?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I suspect you’d like to be fucked by a hot daddy. Think about that. See what you think. We’ll discuss it the next time you’re here. But tomorrow after Marty has left you will drive your car to a sporting goods store and you will purchase a wrestling singlet. You will not wear it. You will bring it with you the next time you come here. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
I understood about fetishes. If Nick’s was spandex, who was I to stop him completely from enjoying it? After all, he was currently wearing a pair of white crew socks because of my own preferences. I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to pursue with him tonight. My original plan had been to send him to the television show, but he wasn’t trained enough for it, and Marty was in the perfect position to go out and make his debut. If it all worked out I had a few more ideas for Marty. I glanced at him. His face was twisted with the pleasure and pain of being so close to climax and unable to get release.
“Okay, Nick. You may now bend over and suck your own cock.”
I watched as he contorted his body and began to perform autofellatio. Once he found a rhythm he began to sweat again.
“Are you ready, Nick?”
He panted an answer.
“Cum!”
I watched as he shot a load into his own mouth, licking and swallowing his own cum greedily.
“Good boy, Nick. When you are done, fasten your pants and sit up.” I turned to Marty, whose own hand was furiously moving over the bulge in his leather pants.
“Frat boy, are you picturing Leatherman?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Cum!”
Marty’s entire body convulsed and spasmed as he rode out his orgasm. Something told me sex was going to be a whole new experience for him from here on out.
“Okay, boys, when I count three you will both awaken. You will go home and follow the instructions you have received. Marty, you will pack a bag and return here tomorrow morning. Nick, you will go shopping tomorrow and I will see you tomorrow night. Do either of you have any questions?”
“No/No, sir.”
“1…2…3.”
Marty seemed to realize he had cum, but it didn’t appear to overly concern him. Nick wiped his mouth on his sleeve. They both stood to leave.
“Glad you boys dropped in,” I said. “We should do this again soon.”
They each donned their shoes and coats at the front door. Marty sent Nick out to start the car. He shook my hand. “See you tomorrow.”
To be continued in Part 48….
Christopher, Craig & Co.
Part 48: Richard
After Marty and Nick departed I looked over some notes I had made for my next class. I turned on the television. I turned off the television. I played on the internet. I listened to the radio. I made a couple of phone calls. I wandered around the house.
Aw, the hell with it.
I went upstairs, shaved, showered, and dressed up a bit. Soon I was parking my car down the block from Kampas. I reached for the door handle and paused to look around at who was on the street. It was a cold night and there didn’t seem to be anyone around. Still, it didn’t hurt to be careful.
I got out of the car and straightened up. My side didn’t hurt anywhere near as much as it had right after the attack. This I could live with. With long sleeves I could hide most of the bruises. Unfortunately the black eye hadn’t faded enough yet. It wasn’t so swollen, but I still looked like I had been on the losing end of a fight.
I reached Kampas, opened the door, and made my way through the crowd to the bar. The place was really packed tonight. The tables were all full. A group over near the pool tables appeared to be having an awfully good time, laughing and cheering each others’ shots.
I managed to find a space to stand at the bar. Wade and Scott were both busily waiting on customers. Wade was filling mugs from the tap while Scott mixed drinks. Probably my coming down here was a mistake. Both of the guys were going to be too busy to chat. But I had been bored and lonely at home, so even if I ended up nursing a drink by myself at least I was out, rather than home drinking alone.
That’s when I finally caught Scott’s eye. And he broke out into his amazing grin. He held up one finger. I nodded.
The door opened and a small group entered the bar. They fought their way through the crowd. I don’t know what happened to most of them, but two of the group ended up beside me at the bar teasing each other and goofing off.
“I think we’re going to cut out early. Carrie’s hot to trot,” the taller one was saying.
“You wish,” his companion kidded.
Tall guy reached over to give him a playful smack in the head. Shorty ducked, elbowing me in the ribs.
I hissed, sucking in air.
“Sorry, man,” the kid said.
I was taking slow deep breaths. I should have never come here tonight.
“Chris, you okay?” It was Scott’s voice, right behind me, full of concern.
I turned back to the bar and forced a smile. “Hey, Scott.” I was holding my side.
“It was just an accident,” shorty said.
“Really, it’s fine,” I assured him.
Scott frowned at the two guys next to me. “Be more careful, huh fellas?” He focused his attention on me. “What can I get you?”
“Go ahead and help them first.”
“Thanks, man,” the taller one said. He ordered a handful of beers and a shot. They paid Scott and wandered off, leaving a dollar tip.
He gave me a facial shrug and slid the dollar into his pocket.
“I didn’t expect to see you here tonight,” Scott said, “but it’s a nice surprise. What’ll it be?”
“I think I better stick to something not too strong. It looks like I’m going to need medicine still.”
“He bumped you hard, didn’t he?”
“It was an accident.”
Scott smiled. “Well, your eye looks a lot better. A couple more days and all of this can just be a lousy memory.” He grabbed a glass and some ice, filling it was Bailey’s. He set it in front of me. “Here.”
I sipped it. “Thanks. Maybe I should just run a tab for now?”
“Good, you’re sticking around…”
Wade draped an arm over Scott’s shoulders. “You still work here?” Then he noticed me. “Ohhhhhhh,” he singsonged. “Hi, Chris!”
“I’ll be back,” Scott said, and moved down the bar.
Wade grinned at me. “You gonna hang around?”
I nodded.
“Good. We’re getting slammed right now, but it’ll quiet down.”
I turned to do a little people-watching. Kampas seemed to draw a pretty diverse crowd from the college. It was the start of the semester and it didn’t appear that anyone was wasting time getting out to make the rounds. The bar was loud; the mood light. One of the girls over by the jukebox looked familiar; I considered that she might be in my class.
Wade was back. “Hey, Andrew’s probably not doing anything. Why don’t you call him?”
I considered that. I hadn’t really spent much time with Andrew lately. I pulled my cell out of my pocket and dialed his number. He answered the first ring and sounded excited to get out of the house. He said he’d be down in twenty minutes.
He was, too. Wade slid a beer in front of him on the way by.
“Thanks, babe,” Andrew said.
I looked him up and down. The skater thing wasn’t terrible on him. And I kind of liked the goatee. But I wanted to get him a little more back in line with the Andrew Brooks I had originally met.
He patted my back gently. “Wade says you’re getting better. I’m glad to hear that, Chris.”
“You and me both!” I laughed. “How was your first week of classes?”
“Ehh, not bad. Between that and work I haven’t really gotten to do anything fun. I was reading for class when you called.”
“Well, I didn’t mean to pull you away from your homework.”
“I’m glad you did. How sad is it I was sitting home on Friday night doing homework?”
I leaned over and said into his ear, “Shine your shoes.”
Andrew’s eyes seemed to lose focus.
“Andrew,” I said quietly, “I want you to buy a pair of running shoes this weekend and bring them to the house. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“1…2…3.”
Andrew blinked hard.
“I’m glad you came out tonight. I didn’t really want to be alone either.”
“Kind of sucks dating a bartender, huh? They work nights.”
I returned Andrew’s grin. “Yeah, that is a bit of a problem.”
“It’s nice, though.”
“What is?” I had missed a conversational leap.
“You and Scott. He’s a good friend to Wade. Seems like a stand-up guy.”
The implication, of course, was that he was unlike Craig. Which I couldn’t argue.
Scott wandered over. “Refill?”
I shrugged. “Why not? Another for Andrew, too.”
“I haven’t finished this one yet!”
“You will.”
He laughed.
“I got your email, Scott,” I began.
“I know. I saw your reply.” He must have noticed my quizzical expression. “There’s a computer in the office. I checked on my break.”
I nodded. “You going to sing?”
He was wavering, I could tell.
“I think you should. Ever since you said you’re a singer I’ve wanted to hear you. I won’t go if you don’t want me to, but I’d really like to see you sing.”
Andrew’s curiosity was piqued. “Sing where?”
“There’s an open mic night Wednesday over at that coffee bar off Elm.”
“I drive by there all the time. I saw the sign in the window. You going to do it?”
“I’m hoping he will,” I said. “Because I know he’ll be great.”
Scott set the drinks in front of us. “I’m going to do it.”
“Wonderful! I can’t wait.” I patted his hand on the bar. “And when you get off work I’ll show you how glad I am you decided to try it.”
“Mr. Boldt, you’re trying to seduce me.” Scott was all wide-eyed innocence.
I smiled. “Would you like me to seduce you? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
Scott’s cheeks turned pink. He moved down the bar to take a drink order.
Andrew was shaking his head. “You two are like one of those couples in the movies. All sexual tension and flirting, all the time.”
“And it’s just as much fun as it looks.”
It was Wade’s turn to visit us. “You guys want to get something to eat after we get out of here?”
I glanced at my watch. It was just after twelve. Scott and Wade were both off at two tonight. “Why not?” Tomorrow was Saturday. I could always sleep late.
“Great. It’s a date!” He moved off before I could say anything.
Andrew toasted me with his glass. “Looks like we’re doubling.”
Andrew filled me in on his life of late: classes, work, some gossip from around the mall. He also told me he’d begun looking into some internships for the summer.
I had just started telling him about what I was teaching this semester when Scott returned to us.
“Looks like I can have a few minutes,” he said. “You having a good time?”
“Yeah. It’s nice just sitting here and not having to think about all the crap that went on last week.”
“You’re due some better stuff. Wade says we’re all going to dinner after work?”
I nodded. “That is if the hot bartender agrees to go out with me.”
“You’ve got a date.”
I smiled at him over my glass. Suddenly Scott’s smile faded. His eyebrows lowered.
“What?” I asked. “Something wrong?”
He was looking at the door. I turned but couldn’t tell what he was looking at.
“This might be trouble.”
“What is it?”
“You remember you wanted to know if that guy who hassled Wade came back in the bar?”
I was dreading where this was going. “Mm-hm.”
“He just walked in.”
“Damn it!” I said through clenched teeth. “Would you warn Wade?”
Scott nodded.
Andrew’s hand was on my arm. “What’s the matter?”
“Someone I had hoped I’d never see again just walked in.”
“Craig’s here?” he asked.
“Not Craig.”
“Christopher,” a mellifluous voice rang out behind me. “I thought I might run into you here eventually.”
I steeled myself and turned around. Richard had gotten older, grown grayer, but he was still a handsome man. He had always been ruggedly handsome, and he kept his muscles well-toned. Richard had been one of those men who commanded attention wherever he went. He was also a bit obsessive about his appearance. His khaki pants were crisply creased, his cordovan oxfords highly polished, and his cashmere turtleneck hugged his torso.
“Richard,” I attempted to infuse my tone with something resembling happiness at seeing him. It wasn’t working. “I got your messages.” I left it at that. No sense lying that I had planned to return his calls; I hadn’t.
“Who’s your friend?” he asked.
Andrew proffered his hand. “Andrew Brooks.”
“Richard King.”
“What brings you to town, Richard?” Normally that question would sound friendly. It didn’t.
“Sadly, the death of a friend brought me back.”
“I’m sorry,” Andrew said.
“Anyone I might know?” I asked.
“He was a local professor…”
Before he said another word I swear time stopped for a minute. I had a moment of clarity where the secrets of the ages were revealed.
“…Damian Edwards.”
My eyes had reflexively widened. I forced them back to normal.
Andrew looked interested. “Isn’t that the prof you replaced at the college?”
“Yes, it is.” I finished my drink. “But somehow the fact that you two knew each other explains everything.”
“Whatever do you mean, Christopher?”
“Edwards was very much like you.”
“What a compliment,” he said, flashing a smile around. Somehow it looked more like bared fangs.
Two could play at that game. I cocked an eyebrow. “Well, now that we’ve been reunited, Richard, I wish you a safe trip back to wherever it is you’ve been keeping yourself—”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking of staying here for a time. The house has been reopened, and I wouldn’t mind becoming reacquainted with my old friends.”
“Okay, you do that.” I lowered my voice. “But you stay away from me and out of my life. And if I ever hear that you’ve gone near Wade again I promise you as sure as I’m sitting here they will NEVER find your body.” I smiled back at him.
Scott appeared. “Soda this time?”
I nodded without looking at him.
“Christopher, I’m not sure where this hostility is coming from, but it is not attractive.”
“Oh, Richard, you know precisely why I’m hostile. And any attraction between you and I died many years ago. Unfortunately it didn’t take you with it.”
“You should be careful about threatening me, Christopher.”
“Go to hell, Richard.”
His eyes flashed and for the briefest moment I actually thought he was going to strike me.
I stiffened. I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of thinking I’d flinched. In one smooth move I turned and reached for the soda Scott had set in front of me. I should have moved more slowly because my side was really starting to ache. Scott was standing there watching me carefully. I took a sip from the straw, then turned back around. “Stay away from my family, Richard.”
“We used to be family, Christopher. We could be again. Remember all those white socks…?”
I shook my head. “It won’t work anymore.”
“You’re getting stronger, Christopher.”
“You’re getting older, Richard.” If I could have dripped venom I would have.
His hand flew to his throat where he readjusted the neck of his sweater. “You may find that you change your mind. I can be very persuasive. Do I need to remind you of some of the things we did together? Things I taught you…?”
I glanced from him to the full glass of soda in my hand. And I flung the soda in his face. It spilled down the chest of his cashmere sweater.
“You’ll regret that.” Richard reached for a handful of cocktail napkins off the bar and wiped his dripping face.
“I doubt it.”
Richard stalked off toward the door. He turned. “This isn’t over.” And then he left.