Food Frenzy Read online

  Are you okay? It was from his mother.

  He replied, Perfect. Don’t wait up. PLEASE!

  He put his phone deep into his shoulder bag and muted it so he would not be distracted. He was positive if there was an emergency, his mother would call the hotel directly.

  Jeremiah came out fresh, clean, and hair still damp. They kissed, and Ethan took his turn in washing off and preparing for more. Jeremiah noted that Ethan had laid out both lube and condoms on the bed. Jeremiah’s cock jumped just at the random thought of fucking Ethan.

  He was bothered by how fast this had all been. There was no awkwardness between them, just wonderful and fulfilling sex. It was as if they had been together for a long time. The sex was both exciting and familiar. It would be hard leaving, Jeremiah noted with some surprise. He wouldn’t focus on that just yet. He was here for a few days, and he was sure they would be together as much as possible during his time in town.

  Ethan stepped out of the bathroom, and Jeremiah was all but breathless again as this young man—a stranger not many hours ago—made his stomach tighten and cock thicken. Jeremiah saw Ethan’s erect cock as he came toward Jeremiah. Ethan straddled Jeremiah and the desk chair he was sitting on sitting, facing Jeremiah and kissing his neck.

  “Oh, God, this is just about perfect.”

  Ethan pulled back and smiled. “Just about perfect?”

  “Let me fuck you and show you perfection.”

  Ethan laughed and crawled back on the bed, taking the bottle of lube in hand. He slathered his hole, legs raised and pulled back. Jeremiah grabbed the condoms and tore open one. In a single motion, he was sheathed and crawling toward the heat of Ethan’s exposed ass.

  Jeremiah was hard when he put on the condom and only felt it get harder, if that was even possible, throbbing as he approached Ethan’ inviting ass. He lubed his finger and slowly inserted the one digit into the heat. Ethan moaned, and Jeremiah saw the smile and encouraging look from Ethan as he added the second finger and stretched the hole just a little more.

  It had been some time since Jeremiah had fucked. There had been some touch and tickle and hurried sucking in semi-public places, but to have the time to prepare and slide into someone—it had been awhile. He just hadn’t met anyone he wanted to be this intimate with, and fucking someone was supremely intimate.

  His cock pressed up against Ethan’s puckered hole, which opened with the slightest of pressure. Jeremiah slid in and was once again taken with the feeling of being someplace familiar and good. He pushed in all the way, and Ethan’s sharp intake of breath caused him to pause briefly. Their gazes locked, and Jeremiah could see the need and want in those eyes. He began gently moving in and out, building a rhythm.

  Ethan’s muscles tightened around Jeremiah in a comfortable and hot experience. Jeremiah leaned in and over and kissed Ethan as he continued to build that steady drumbeat of sex. Ethan swallowed Jeremiah’s tongue readily and with passion and moaned with the pleasure of someone being serviced well.

  Jeremiah paused and teased Ethan’s lips with small bites as Ethan bucked his hips, signaling Jeremiah to keep going. He smiled and gazed into the contented eyes of the young man under him. Fucking someone wasn’t just intimate. It was almost possessing that person. It was special and not to be taken for granted. Jeremiah understood the trust Ethan gave him, and it only excited him more.

  “Could this be any more perfect?” Ethan thought.

  He was appreciative of the tenderness Jeremiah showed easing into him. The tight feeling of engulfing Jeremiah was overwhelming at first, and Ethan pressed down on the cock inside him and started to move with Jeremiah complementing the strokes. Ethan wanted him to go faster and harder, and Jeremiah understood the desire.

  Kissing while being fucked always sent Ethan over the top. While he liked and enjoyed the fervor of being fucked doggy-style, the face-to-face and kissing was the height of intimacy to Ethan. He relished in the feelings and the responsiveness of his body to Jeremiah.

  Ethan reached down and started stroking his own cock, which was already semi-hard. His hand went at it faster than Jeremiah’s rhythm to reach that same plateau he felt building in his ass. He wanted to cum close, if not at the same time, as Jeremiah. He wanted to share in that feeling only the release of sperm could give a man. It was powerful and meaningful with that special person. And more and more, Ethan knew this was special.

  Jeremiah stepped up the pace, and Ethan could hear the slap of skin on skin and feel the penetration deep into him. Ethan’s balls tightened, and he took the all but frenzied nature of the fucking as Jeremiah was obviously close himself.

  “Oh, God! This is almost a religious experience.”

  The scattered thought raced through Jeremiah’s brain as he let loose and pounded Ethan harder and harder and deeper and deeper. He was encouraged by the rumbling moans and groans coming out of Ethan. He was also encouraged by the pace Ethan set with the stroking of his own cock. Jeremiah understood Ethan was trying for a simultaneous cum, and he wanted it, too.

  The tickling at the base of his neck was always a good sign his own orgasm was near. Jeremiah continued to drive into Ethan with a passion and a fervor he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Whatever this was, it was indeed more than he had expected out of their meeting earlier in the day.

  Ethan arched his back, and his release sprayed them both with that luscious creamy cum. Jeremiah plunged deep into Ethan and felt his own glorious release into the condom. He collapsed onto Ethan’s chest, exhilarated and exhausted at the same time. His mind went blank momentarily as his body responded to the sexual spasms finally calming down.

  Jeremiah carefully rolled off of Ethan, removed the condom, and deposited it into the trash can he had placed in anticipation of this event. Ethan pulled Jeremiah closer and kissed him sweetly. They looked into each other’s eyes, the contentment and completeness of the experience clear.

  They lay there in each other’s arms, silent. Just noting the breathing and the touch of the other. What more needed to be said? Everything that needed to be expressed had been done in action and embrace. Words were meaningless right now as they both fell into a deep and satisfying sleep.

  Chapter 5

  Somewhere in the recesses of his brain, Ethan heard his phone alarm. Did he want to wake up and deal with it? Not really, but there was this nagging thing in his head that kept him from going fully back to sleep. Opening one eye, he saw Jeremiah still sound asleep. He snored a bit, but the muffled sound of the alarm was even more pronounced. Apparently muting did not eliminate the preset alarm Ethan used instead of an alarm clock.

  Ethan moved, trying not to wake Jeremiah, and tried to reach for his bag on the floor. Jeremiah roused and smiled at Ethan. He smiled back and kissed Jeremiah’s cheek as he fully removed his arm from under Jeremiah. Grabbing his bag and propping himself up on the stack of pillows, he rummaged through his bag and took out the offending phone.

  “Oh, that was your phone?’ Jeremiah asked, still partially asleep.

  “Yeah, sorry.” Ethan looked at the phone. It was 5:30 A.M. Ethan usually set the alarm so he could be at work shortly after they opened for the morning. He would take his turn at the grill until Tamara arrived to take over at nine, and he’d move to the front and host and wait on customers at the counter.

  Work. That meant facing his mother and explaining why he didn’t come home last night. He was also aware of the multitude of texts from Zoe as well. If he took a shower here, he’d have just enough time to stop in at home and get a change of clothes and then head into work. It wouldn’t be good for anyone if he came into the restaurant with rumpled clothing from being strewn everywhere.

  He kissed Jeremiah awake and explained things as they stood. Ethan got out of bed and hurried through a shower, making sure the caked and dried cum washed away. He saw the amused look on Jeremiah’s face as he hurriedly dressed, stuffed the socks into the shoulder bag, and slid his shoes onto bare feet.

  “I’ll be in
for the lunch period since I saw breakfast yesterday,” stated Jeremiah. “I guess talking to Zoe is kinda out?”

  “After me not coming home last night, I’ll ask Papa to come over and talk to you. Maybe he can soften her up for later.”

  A quick kiss, and Ethan was gone.

  Jeremiah lay back on the bed that still smelled of sex and Ethan. He noticed he was smiling like a fool over what—Ethan? Zoe’s reaction? No. He was smiling because he felt content and happy. Usually, he wished the guy would go right about now, but here he was, wishing Ethan could have stayed.

  He reached for the phone on the nightstand and asked for a wake-up call at ten. Five hours of sleep should be enough to face the music at Fergies.

  Ethan pulled into the driveway and was relieved his mother’s car was gone. Grabbing his bag, he ran up the front stairs, let himself in, and was halfway up the hall staircase when he heard his grandfather from the kitchen.

  “I have coffee made. Talk to me before you go to the restaurant.”

  “Sure, Papa.” Oh, man. What now?

  Ethan took several deep breaths and grabbed a clean Fergies T-shirt and pulled on the ubiquitous black slacks and running shoes. He bounded down the back stairs to the kitchen where Fergie was waiting for him. There was a steaming cup of coffee across the table from his grandfather, who motioned him to sit.

  “I called your mother and told her you’d be a bit late, that I wanted to talk to you.”

  Ethan gulped and took a long drink of the strong coffee.

  “First, I want you to know I love you.”

  “I know that.”

  “Then why not tell me yourself you’re gay?” Fergie spoke softly, and Ethan was struck that he sounded hurt. “I’ll give your mom credit. She didn’t fly off the handle in front of you. No, she saved that for me after you had gone back to college.” The old man laughed his cigar and bourbon-induced laugh. “I told her to relax. You were a smart kid and needed some space to experiment and grow into the person you are today.”

  Tears welled up in Ethan’s eyes as Fergie continued.

  “When your dad died and you guys moved in here with me, I couldn’t have been more thrilled to see you grow up. I couldn’t have loved you more. Of all the grandkids—and I’ll deny I ever fucking said this—you were the stand-out. You were smart and kind, and when you used to throw your arms around my neck and say you loved me—I was in heaven. You are my favorite. I love my kids equally, but not the grandkids. Some of them are just assholes. But not you. Never you.”

  The tears flowed freely as Ethan tried to find the words that were in his heart. “I barely remember my dad. You were the adult presence who made me this person in front of you. I understand it took Mom a long time to come to grips with Dad’s death. But you were the one there for me. You took me to school. You coached baseball and soccer. You taught me to cook and appreciate the people who came into the restaurant. But when Mom confronted me about being gay, I just didn’t want to disappoint you. I could see the disappointment in her eyes. I couldn’t have stood that from you.”

  “Disappointed? Oh, Hell, your mom was just thrown. The reason she confronted you was I told her I thought you were gay when she was going on and on about why you never dated. I couldn’t be disappointed in you ever.”

  Ethan looked shocked. He knew? “You figured it out?”

  “Not for sure, but it seemed reasonable when you took Gina to the prom. A straight guy would have been afraid people would’ve thought he was the father. You cared for her and knew she wanted to go to that damn dance.”

  “Some people still think Danny is mine. Sometimes, I wish he was,” Ethan mused.

  “He’s a good kid, and I take him on play dates once in a while. But I knew your heart was in the right place, and it seemed reasonable you were gay and needed time and space. God, too many people know us in this town—Hell, this county—for us to really have a private life. I’m sure the talk is all over you being at the hotel with that young man.”

  “He is coming in for lunch to observe that portion of our day. He wants to talk to you since I don’t think Mom—”

  “No. Don’t approach her about it today. But you’re right. The article will help us expand our brand into some mail order or something to compliment the restaurant.” Fergie took hold of Ethan’s hand. “But don’t you think you could disappoint me. I love you with every part of my being, young man. I will always love you.”

  Ethan stood and went to hug his grandfather. They both let the tears flow a bit until Fergie slapped him on the back.

  “Now get to work. It’s Tuesday, and City Chicken is popular.”

  They smiled at each other, and Ethan went onto the restaurant to face whatever was there.

  Chapter 6

  What he got was a cold shoulder from his mother as he entered from the back. She was at the counter, where he should be by now.

  Tamara was at the grill and smiled. “She’s on the warpath this morning.”

  “Sorry. It’s because of me,” Ethan said.

  “I know. We all know. Don’t worry about it. Everyone deserves a life, even in this town.”

  Ethan picked up his receipt pad and a couple of pens and headed out to face the music. But Zoe just looked up, nodded, and brushed past him, headed for the kitchen door in the back. He shook his head. Somehow, the cold shoulder routine was worse than the screaming that would come later. The silent treatment could go on for days; the screaming was usually over in a couple of minutes.

  He looked around the restaurant and was aware most people were trying to look inconspicuous. He smiled and wondered what his mother had said, but that knowledge wouldn’t change anything. He put it aside in his head. Ethan’s plans did not include staying here. For the moment, he wasn’t going to dwell on people and what they thought. At least, he told himself that. Papa was good with who he was, and that was more important to him. He only wished his mother…

  Shaking his head, he saw new people coming in. He grabbed coffee mugs and the coffee pot and headed over with menus tucked under his arm. They were regulars and liked their coffee fast and hot.

  One of the gentlemen regarded Ethan and asked, “Have you heard anything yet?”

  “No, not yet. Hopefully, end of this week or next.” He smiled at Bentley Hayes, an elderly lawyer in town and friend to his grandfather. “What can I get you, gentlemen?”

  “The usual,” was the response from them both.

  Fortunately, Ethan knew what that meant. His memory was highly developed from remembering a lot of customers’ usual orders.

  “How many did you apply to again?” would be Bentley’s next question.

  Ethan’s answer was always to be as vague as possible. He kept close to the vest on where he was applying since it would sound pretentious for someone from his hometown to say Columbia or Yale, but he wanted to know he was good enough for something deemed out of his reach. Yes, he applied to smaller and lesser schools, but if he was going to dream, why not dream big? He had used reference letters promised from where he clerked as a student and from Bentley. Who knew?

  Chapter 7

  Jeremiah was surprised to find Fergie, Ethan’s grandfather, in the lobby of the hotel. He didn’t notice the nod from the person behind the front desk, but Fergie rose and approached him. Jeremiah stiffened a bit as the older man smiled what Jeremiah perceived as the supposed disarming, “Ah, shucks,” smile.

  “Hello, I’m Ethan’s grandfather, Fergie.”

  Jeremiah firmly shook Fergie’s hand and was pleased there wasn’t an arm wrestling struggle as was seemingly usual in such matters. Jeremiah waited and smiled.

  “I thought it best to meet before you get to the restaurant, given Ethan’s mother’s reaction to, well, all of this.”

  “And what is your reaction to all of this?” asked Jeremiah, still smiling what he hoped wasn’t an uncomfortable smile.

  “There’s a coffee shop in the pharmacy next door. Let’s go sit down and hash some things ou
t before we go over to my place.”

  Fergie was out the door and halfway across the hotel parking lot before Jeremiah got moving. He laughed at how spry the older gentleman was, given starting the restaurant in 1948 and the extensive family there seemed to be lurking just under the service.

  Jeremiah trotted to at least get in proximity to Fergie’s quick walk toward the pharmacy. Getting closer, Jeremiah saw that a side door with just the sign Coffee Shoppe over it was indeed part of the much larger pharmacy. Again, Jeremiah was struck—as he had been with Fergies the restaurant—by the neatness and comfortable feel in this four-table establishment.

  A young woman came over with a big smile and had a large mug of hot coffee on one of the unoccupied tables as they came in. “Hiya, Grandpa.”

  Jeremiah looked to Fergie with a raised eyebrow.

  “Yeah, my son and oldest grandson are the pharmacists here. They run this for the downtown crowd. Sandwiches, coffee, tea, and soft drinks mostly. This is Sadie, my youngest grandchild. Sadie, this is Jeremiah from Foodie Today magazine. He’s doing a feature on the big restaurant.”

  She gave Jeremiah the once-over, hugging her grandfather and giving what seemed to be an all-knowing, “Ah,” as a response. “What can I get you? We’ve added a soup of the day since Grandpa was in last.”

  “Well, la-dee-da.” Fergie laughed.

  Jeremiah saw the big coffee and espresso machine behind the tiny counter and decided to see how far he could push this. “Café au lait?”

  “No problem. Cookie, anyone?”

  “I shouldn’t.” Fergie grinned.

  Sadie smiled and said, “But you will. I won’t tell Dad or,” stealing a glance at Jeremiah, “Or Ethan’s mom.”

  “Good girl,” said Fergie.

  Off the young woman went to get Jeremiah’s order.