Beaches

Note: This is a story about connections. I hope you've all been able to find love, support, and community during these times of social and physical isolation. I wish you the best <3

*******

By the middle of July, the two men were spending nearly every Saturday at the beach. They would lie on their towels and talk about what they considered to be nothing: television programs, politics, work, whatever. The sun would rest heavily on them, and they would bask in its warmth. Finally summer. Finally heat.

Kirk would often meet men while they were there. It was a nude beach, of course, and a gay one as well. As they lounged while naked in the sun's glow, Hugh would watch Kirk as he scanned the men that walked by. Kirk had an eye for the available. He had a sense for the ready.

"There," Kirk said one day as they rested side by side. The sky was clear and blue. The water was glistening and blue, too. The sand was coarse and warm. Men's bodies displayed themselves at every glance in every direction.

"Another one?" Hugh asked. He propped himself up on his elbows and followed Kirk's gaze towards the water. There was a man in the river looking their way. He was alone.

They're

always

alone,

Hugh thought.

The man in the river was attractive. Probably mid-thirties, like Kirk. He was white. He was tan. He had black hair and a hairy body. He had a look on his face, like,

Who? Me?

"Yes, you," Kirk said in response.

Hugh looked over at Kirk. The man next to him was attractive as well. He had thinning brown hair and fur on his body that matched the man's wading in the river. Hugh's eyes fell down to Kirk's cock, which was still plump and glistening with lube from his last encounter. It had been less than an hour since Kirk had reemerged from the wilderness behind the beach. He had ventured in there with a companion. He had come out alone.

Kirk took a drink from his water bottle, then stood from his towel. A cool breeze swept through, pushing back his hair.

"I'm off," he said.

"Don't hurt yourself," Hugh replied as Kirk walked down the beach. They were words that Hugh immediately regretted, fearing that they sounded fatherly. Hugh watched as Kirk waded into the river until the water was midway up his thighs, and he continued watching as Kirk spoke with this unknown man that had entered their lives. The two men chatted, smiling casually and gesturing expressively with their bodies. Hugh didn't know what they were talking about, but he knew where things were headed.

He saw Kirk nod discreetly towards the wilderness. The other man glanced around them, before looking directly at Hugh. They were still talking. Kirk looked towards Hugh too, and Hugh didn't try to appear as though he hadn't been staring.

After a conversation that lasted a few minutes, Kirk and the stranger made their way from the river to the beach. They walked up the sloped hill of sand and out to where sand met forest, before disappearing into the trees.

With nothing left to watch, Hugh lay down on his back. After a minute of lounging, he gazed over at the vacant towel laid next to him.

He might as well have come alone.

*******

Typically, Hugh never saw Kirk's conquests again. It was as though, after Kirk had done whatever he did with them, they disappeared.

Poof. Vanished.

Gone.

This lay was different, however. The man with the black hair and furry torso appeared again the next Saturday. Hugh and Kirk were resting in their usual spot, enjoying the sun and each other's company, when he approached them.

"Hot today," he said. Hugh looked to Kirk, who was smiling in a lazy way, as though he had been expecting this encounter all day. He looked happy to see the man. Hugh wasn't sure what to think.

"Been hot all summer," Kirk replied.

The two men were connecting, it seemed. Hugh couldn't articulate what it was, but, as he glanced back and forth between them, he noted the hunger in their eyes, and the casualness of their demeanor. The two of them talked about the weather, and Hugh sat there and listened. The benignity of the conversation's topic seemed to mask what they were really expressing, as though they were communicating in a secret code.

"This is Hugh, by the way," Kirk finally said. For the first time, the stranger acknowledged Hugh by meeting his eyes.

"Sam," he said. The pair shook hands.

So the man had a name. This unsettled Hugh, as Kirk's lovers had never had names. They were remembered only by their sexual characteristics—if they were remembered at all.

"Wanna walk?" Sam asked Kirk.

Kirk shrugged, as if he didn't care one way or the other, but then he quickly stood. The two of them left Hugh with no words of goodbye, and Hugh watched, like he had the week before, as the pair made their way up the beach and to the tree line. Once they had disappeared into the woods, Hugh lay on his stomach on his towel.

The image of Kirk's firm ass walking away replayed in Hugh's mind, and his cock grew hard between his stomach and the ground.

*******

The next Saturday, Hugh went to the beach alone. Kirk had made other plans with other people, which was something that Hugh never did. At least, not on their beach days.

So Hugh went to the beach by himself, and he sat in their usual spot, and he enjoyed being out in the sun. He brought a novel to read—a popular book he'd seen in the supermarket checkout aisle—but he didn't touch it. Instead, he gazed at the many men around him, his eyes hidden behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses. As he stared at their chests and asses and cocks, he pretended like he was Kirk.

What would Kirk be doing at this very moment?

He wondered. Probably catching the eye of some younger man flittering by in the sand. Probably touching his cock casually, just enough to appear plump and heavy for anyone who might be interested. Hugh, himself wanting to embody that spirit, and wanting to know what it would feel like to lie on Kirk's towel, did the same. He began touching himself.

Not vulgarly, in any sense. Just a brush of his fingertips along the ridge of his head. A light tug of his shaft. He repeated this often enough to keep the blood flowing to his cock, but not so often as to draw attention to himself. After he began this, he smiled to himself. It felt strange to be partaking in this practice that he'd often witnessed Kirk do. It was as though his gestures were a cue, or a beacon, signaling to the surrounding men that he was available for more than lounging around in the heat of the sun.

The movements were slight, but they were telling.

It didn't take long for the bait to attract a target. A man walked by Hugh and stood in his vicinity, glancing towards him every once in a while, pacing in the area. The man was older than Hugh's age of forty-four, probably in his early sixties. He had a full head of gray hair, and a paunchy body. Hugh looked towards this man, and he knew what he was after.

Hugh imagined that this was what it was like for Kirk. Stealing glances at strangers. Having them gawk at you in return. It was a silent, discreet dance, in which neither party revealed their intentions until it was obvious that they would achieve a union. It was that tipping point that Hugh was waiting for with his current gazing partner. That tipping point that Hugh had never achieved for himself.

The older man stood and looked out towards the river, but Hugh knew that the man's attention was solely on him. Did Kirk feel the same way when he was sitting next to Hugh? Could he feel Hugh's eyes on his body? Looking down his torso. Resting on his cock.

What would Kirk do?

Hugh thought to himself again.

Approach the man. Make conversation.

Fuck him senseless.

Hugh had never done that before at the river. Yes, the beach was a known cruising spot. Yes, he had witnessed other men playing during the summers. However, Hugh had always been reserved with his body. He thought himself to be a one-man guy. A romantic. Fucking strangers in the woods didn't mesh with that.

This day at the beach was different, though. Hugh wasn't Hugh. He was Kirk. The pretending made him feel closer to his friend than he ever had before, and he stood, ready to act as Kirk would. Ready to approach the gentleman he'd been silently gazing at for the past fifteen minutes.

Hugh began making his way to the stranger when another naked man appeared in his view. Down the beach. Coming towards him.

Sam.

Hugh stood at a standstill and watched Sam approach him. The stranger seemed to notice Sam coming as well, and he walked away, ending his silent courtship of Hugh. Hugh didn't really care though, because, after all, he wasn't Hugh. He was Kirk. And Kirk would have left any man for another meeting with Sam. Instinctively, Hugh knew that to be true.

"Hey man," Sam said as he approached Hugh.

"Hiya," Hugh replied. Sam seemed to find Hugh's greeting odd by the curious expression he made. Hugh wasn't phased. Kirk wouldn't be.

"Where's your friend?" Sam asked, as if he didn't know Kirk's name.

"Not here," Hugh said. Sam seemed to like that response as he smiled in return. There was a period of silence where neither Sam nor Hugh seemed to know what to say.

"Can I join you?" Sam asked.

Sam's question surprised Hugh. The last time they'd met, Sam had shown no interest in Hugh. He had barely even acknowledged that Hugh was there. Now, he wanted to share Hugh's company. This was a shift, and Hugh thought that maybe Sam could sense a bit of Kirk coming through him. Maybe Hugh's pretending was making him more attractive.

"Sure," Hugh replied, and the two of them sat down on the beach. Hugh was on his towel, while Sam rested on the bare sand. There, the two men lounged for quite some time. They didn't talk. They didn't move from their spots. Instead, they stayed silently in each other's company.

After a while, Sam looked to Hugh. "So do you two ever play together?" he asked.

"Kirk and me?"

Sam nodded. Hugh shook his head no. Sam lay on his stomach, and Hugh had a prime view of his furry butt and legs. He wondered if Kirk was topping him, or vice versa.

"Why not?" Sam asked.

Hugh pondered the answer for a moment. Why not?

Why don't you ask Kirk?

he thought.

"We're just friends," Hugh said.

"Just friends," Sam said with a chuckle.

"You think we're not?"

Sam sat up on his knees, and there was sand dispersed in the hair on his chest. "I think there's more to the story." He paused, then added, "Yes, I think you're more than just friends."

"And why do you think that?"

Sam was quiet for a moment, and the look on his face implied that he knew something that Hugh didn't. He looked away from Hugh like he had a secret. Had Kirk said something? About Hugh? About the two of them?

Sam stood up and dusted the sand from his body. "You wanna go for a walk?" he asked.

Hugh didn't know what to say. Was Sam really asking him what Hugh knew he was asking him?

Hugh shook his head no. Kirk was gone. He was Hugh again.

"See ya around?" Sam replied.

"Probably," Hugh said, and Sam went on his way. Down the beach. Onto the next man.

*******

The next week came, and Kirk was back on the beach. He and Hugh lay next to each other, both sweating. It was the afternoon, and the day's temperature had risen to near record highs. Not even the umbrella that Hugh had brought to give them shade was protecting them from the heat.

It was hot out. The pair was feeling it.

"I saw Sam last week," Hugh said. He ran his hands along his torso and felt the slickness of his perspiration on his palms.

"Did you now?" Kirk replied, a smile coming to his face.

"I did," Hugh said. Then he was silent for a moment. "He asked me to go for a walk?"

Kirk sat up and looked at Hugh. After a second of wordless staring, he asked, "And did you?"

Hugh looked into Kirk's eyes. "No."

Kirk seemed to think for a moment. He then lay flat on his back again. "Too bad," he said. "You should have."

*******

When Hugh and Kirk first started frequenting the beach, they were strangers to each other. Hugh found Kirk through an online ad, in which Kirk described how he was looking for someone to accompany him to the river. No sex, just tanning and conversation. Hugh read this like he read all the other ads: intrigued and afraid. For Hugh, reading the descriptions in the ads of what the various men were hunting for was almost enough to satisfy him. Almost as though he was experiencing the situations through the words alone. Almost as though he was connecting with the writers through the witnessing of their desires.

However, Kirk's ad differed from the other men's. He had included a picture, and it wasn't of his cock. It wasn't of his ass. Instead, it showed him out on a beach, with a carefree smile and a comfortable demeanor. Seeing this, Hugh thought,

Well that would be nice.

Nice to get out of his apartment, in which he lived alone. Nice to interact with someone outside of his job as a bank teller. Hugh looked around his bedroom, in which he sat at his desk. It was dark, and it was lonely. So Hugh did something that he had never done before.

He replied to an online personal ad.

Kirk responded within the next couple of days and requested that Hugh send a picture of himself. Hugh did so, and Kirk was absent for over a week. In this time, Hugh would look in the mirror and question whether he was past his prime. He wondered if his looks were the reason for Kirk's lack of promptness. He wondered if he would continue to be alone.

When Kirk finally responded, he was excitable and friendly, and the pair began emailing regularly. Kirk would use emoticons often in his correspondence. A smiley face would punctuate a compliment, and a wink would accompany a personal indulgence. Hugh wasn't sure if this was normal, or flirtatious, or just friendly.

It was shortly after they began messaging one another that they met. Hugh had never been to the river before, and had never been to a gay beach before, and had never been to a nude beach before. He was nervous, and, as he laid his towel down on the sand, he felt like eyes were on him. It was as though everyone by the river that day could tell he didn't belong. He had the thought that it probably didn't help his cause that he was one of the few people wearing a swimming suit.

Hugh took a seat on his towel, and it wasn't long before he saw Kirk approaching him from down the beach. Kirk waved when he noticed Hugh and began jogging towards him. Kirk was already naked, and both his cock and the beach bag he carried bounced about as he moved. Hugh felt a beat of attraction in his chest.

"How's it going?" Kirk asked once he'd made it to Hugh.

"Fine," Hugh replied. "How are you?"

Kirk smiled like he was glad to be there. "Good," he said. "Happy to be naked."

Hugh sort of chuckled, glancing down at his own covered body. He felt awkward, and he wondered whether it would be stranger if he disrobed right there or if he remained in his swimsuit during the day. Kirk didn't seem to notice Hugh's inner turmoil. He placed his bag on the ground and pulled out a towel, which he laid parallel to Hugh's. Once Kirk was sitting comfortably on the ground, he turned his attention back to Hugh.

"It's good to finally meet you," he said.

Hugh nodded in agreement. He was sweating, and he wiped his forehead with his forearm. Then the two of them talked. The topics were basic, rehashing the things they'd previously discussed in their emails. Hugh talked about his job at the bank. Kirk talked about his job as a carpenter. When Kirk made a sexual joke regarding his working with wood, Hugh felt himself blush with discomfort. Kirk just laughed and patted Hugh's chest.

"Relax, fella," Kirk said. Hugh realized that it had been years since another gay man had touched him so intimately, and the seconds of his contact with Kirk played through his head as they continued talking. It was as though Kirk's hand had left an imprint on Hugh's body. The press of his fingertips lingered. The way his palm grazed Hugh's nipple echoed.

They stayed together on the beach for hours and discussed their lives further. When conversation shifted to sex, Hugh remained coy.

"I'm sort of taking a break from the scene right now," he said.

"A break from the scene?" Kirk replied, perplexed. "You're smack dab in the middle of the scene!"

Hugh looked around them, and he realized that, yes, he was at the epicenter of a gay, sexual oasis. Men everywhere. They were naked and chatting in groups. Naked and casually touching one another (an arm around a shoulder here, a hand cupping an ass there). They were naked and frolicking in the water. And cocks. Cocks everywhere, too. Long and short and fat and thin. Cocks on hard bodies, and cocks on soft bodies. Older and younger. Brown, black, and white.

"They're yours for the taking," Kirk said.

"What?"

"These men," Kirk replied. He leaned closer to Hugh, as if he were about to share a secret. "Half of them are hot and horny and just waiting for someone to make their day." He smirked. "You should take advantage."

Hugh sat, unmoving. He would

not

be making someone's day. Not at his home, and certainly not at a beach.

"I don't think that beaches are the right venue to take advantage," Hugh said.

Kirk made a face of grave shock, and Hugh couldn't tell if the expression was genuine or a comic exaggeration. "What?" Kirk said. He then moved from his towel to Hugh's, crossing his legs and sitting so they were facing one another.

"First of all," Kirk said in a serious tone that was offset by a smile. "Beaches are the perfectplace to take advantage." Hugh must have looked unconvinced, because Kirk continued with his point. "Think about it. Everyone's naked. It's hot out, so people's balls are hanging low and their cocks are swinging. There's plenty of places for seclusion, if you know where to look."

"Do you know where to look?" Hugh asked, though he had an inkling of the answer. Kirk met the question with a blank stare.

"Do I fucking know where to look? Really, Hugh?"

Hugh laughed.

"Second," Kirk continued. "If you're looking to avoid the scene, you made a real shit decision coming here with me."

"You like the scene?" Hugh asked.

"I

am

the scene," Kirk replied. Hugh didn't respond, instead letting Kirk's words hang between them. Kirk stood from Hugh's towel, and his cock and balls were all Hugh could focus on as he did. Hugh's heart fluttered every time they swayed, and his dick twitched when Kirk's hand absentmindedly grazed them.

"Love the beach," Kirk said with a smile, and Hugh wasn't sure if that was a personal revelation on Kirk's part, or a command to Hugh himself. He didn't have time to ask either, as Kirk quickly turned and jogged towards the river, his arms above his head and his voice whooping in a silly manner.

Hugh watched Kirk splash into an oncoming wave, and then he slipped off his swim trunks and walked down the sandy beach and into the water.

*******

The Saturday after Hugh told Kirk about Sam's proposition, Hugh found himself alone at the beach once more. It was even hotter than the week before, and he ventured out into the water to cool down, which was something that was rare for him to do. The river was cool, and he enjoyed the feeling of the refreshing cold on his skin. After a while he went back to his towel and lay out per usual. His skin was dry in minutes.

It was an hour later that he noticed the older, gray-haired man that was cruising him two weeks prior. The man laid a towel near Hugh's, and, soon after he took a seat, Hugh felt the man's eyes on him. Hugh looked in his direction, and the two of them made eye contact. Hugh smiled lightly, and the man nodded in return.