Chapter 6 #3
The night goes on in a foggy state of bliss.
Clothes are shed, lights are dimmed, and Linda lies down on her back.
With Gene on top of her, he sheathes himself in a condom before he enters.
And damn—the word breathtaking is an understatement.
He’d never felt anything this pleasurable in his entire life.
His own hand doesn’t even compare. Thrust after thrust, he chases the incomparable high, until both of them are crying out their releases in ecstasy.
Ray pulls out the motel key from his pocket and opens the door.
It was a good idea to hang out with Pat and Stefan tonight, as per Gene’s suggestion.
They all had a wonderful meal. Pat in particular said she was very excited to see the Dusty Brooms reach new heights, and when conversation got flowing, she loved to joke and complain about her old band, the Drivers, making Ray laugh.
Stefan kept a plain face, but Ray could tell he was still enjoying himself.
The lights are off inside the motel room, except for a small lamp next to the unoccupied bed. Gene sleeps peacefully in the other one, shirtless or perhaps naked, Ray can’t tell which with how the blanket covers his bottom half.
He shuts the door and locks it behind himself. Where’s Santi? How come he’s not here with Gene? However, his questions are answered when he spots a handwritten note on the dresser. After he kicks off his shoes, he picks up the note and reads it.
“Hey Ray,
I’m out right now, escorting a few lovely ladies back home. I’ll be back in time in the morning, so don’t worry about me. Gene just had a wonderful night with a lady of his own, so let him get some much needed rest, okay? I’ll see you all soon.
Santi.”
Next to his name is a simply drawn winky face.
Ray looks over to Gene again, snoozing away without a care.
He… had a wonderful night—with a lady of his own?
The lady isn’t here anymore, but either way, something peculiar stirs up in Ray’s gut.
Something he can’t quite place, and he walks over to the unoccupied bed, sitting down on the edge of it as he stares at Gene’s sleeping face.
He looks so calm and peaceful, so content, that Ray can’t help but feel like…
he missed out on something. All this time, he’d known Gene as a virgin, and yet now apparently he’s not.
It strikes a green fire in Ray’s chest, something strange, like jealousy—jealous of the girl who’d finally gotten to sleep with Gene.
The girl who’d gotten to witness Gene coming undone.
He can sort of see it now in Gene’s tousled hair, the pinkish hue in his cheeks—to imagine him in the midst of the act, sweat dripping down his face, skin hot, muscles taut, moaning with that gorgeous voice…
Ray quickly turns around and drops face-first onto the bed, burrowing his nose into the sheets.
What the hell? I can’t be thinking of Gene like that.
I’m not gay. Besides, he’s my best friend!
I sound like a fucking hypocrite—why should I even be jealous?
It’s not like I don’t have a girlfriend.
I’ve got Harriet waiting for me at home.
I should be happy for Gene, for finally taking the plunge.
He sighs into the sheets. There’s a tingling pressure between his legs, but he chooses to ignore it.
Instead, he gets up, takes a quick shower, and changes into his pajamas.
Gene keeps snoozing away, blissfully unaware that Ray is even there.
Usually during their motel stays away from home, Ray shares a bed with Gene.
Will Gene mind if I still hop into bed with him?
Probably not. Ray wants to do it anyway.
And so, Ray lies down on the bed, trying not to disturb his friend.
As he slips under the covers, he doesn’t mean to, but his leg brushes against Gene’s hips, noticing that he’s not naked—he’d put on some underwear.
A subtle flutter sparks in Ray’s chest. Gene shuffles a little, flipping over to face Ray, eyes still closed in a peaceful slumber.
Ray can’t deny how handsome Gene is. Whoever the girl was that he slept with, she was very lucky indeed. As Ray tries to get comfortable, his thigh brushes against Gene’s—and that pressure down between his legs flares up again. His cheeks feel hot, his heart beats faster…
No, no, just try to go to sleep, damn it.
Ray rolls to his other side, facing away from Gene. This is how they normally sleep anyway when they share a bed. Santiago will be back sometime later and likely occupy the other bed. It’ll all be fine. Just like usual.
Eventually, he falls asleep. But he keeps looking into a certain familiar pair of hazel eyes in his dreams.
The next morning, Gene wakes up to the familiar back of someone’s head. Dusty blond curls greet his eyes. It’s Ray. Ray slept here, in bed with me.
But thinking of it that way reminds him of who else he slept with last night: Linda.
He actually lost his virginity. It wasn’t a dream.
He really, truly, had sex with someone, and he enjoyed it.
She enjoyed herself, too, and once they were done, she left and Santiago escorted her home.
Gene had a great time—he’s glad it happened—but to be honest, he isn’t raring to go at it again with a girl anytime soon. It was simply nice for what it was.
And now Ray is here with him. His mind is still jumbled, pleased by the experience with Linda, yet pulsing from a slight hangover—the blonde from last night mixing with the blond in front of him. Lying on the bed, close to him, breathing so softly. She had the same blue eyes as him, too.
But before his brain thinks up any more strange ideas, he pulls himself out of bed. He uses the bathroom, brushes his teeth, and hops in the shower, just like an average day. He’s not a virgin anymore, and that’s the only thing that’s changed.