When I was 19 or so I hung around with a wide variety of interesting individuals. Some were prior school friends and others were acquaintances, friends of friends so to speak, who would show up in various venues. One group of guys was a bit older and rougher than some of the others and included a few who were graduates of reform school, "juvey" I guess it would be called now. These fellows were not real troublemakers, nothing like some of the gang members of the late 20
th
and early 21
st
century but they had run afoul of the law at one point in their short lives and paid the price.
One of my friends had an older brother, Wally, that fit this category but who was really a nice guy, someone mixed up with the wrong people at the wrong time, and who was away in the reformatory for about six months. He had three friends from that period of his life that he kept in touch with when he was sent home and if you met them, they would come across as quiet and respectful. The one striking feature of all three was their muscular builds; they were weightlifters and had bodybuilder physiques. Quiet, respectful but clearly not to be messed with from the looks of them.
Sometimes, mainly weekday evenings in the summer, we would get together, buy a couple of six-packs of beer, and ride around in someone's car, checking the different hangouts and socializing. These were simple times and we were prone to simple pleasures. It was on one of these quiet socializing rides that things became a little different for me and the direction of my life was altered.
There were five of us in the car that evening, my friend's brother Wally and one other guy in the back, and I sat in the middle of the bench seat in the front between Gary, the driver, and Jimmy riding shotgun. I felt insignificant between these two big guys but definitely well protected. Jimmy had his left arm on the seatback and his right arm on door with the window rolled down.
As we drove around Jimmy's hand came down from the seatback onto my shoulder and remained there; I didn't mind or object. It was not long before I felt slight pressure pulling me closer to him and also felt the strong muscles in his hand and forearm. It was a strange feeling; an alpha male seemingly claiming his prize and holding it close. I didn't know if I should be flattered or frightened, but one thing was obvious, I wasn't about to push his arm away.
At one of our stops we decided to get out of the car and walk around a bit. As we walked Jimmy stayed close to me and we talked about general nonsensical things and had some laughs. He was a nice guy, sociable and knew a lot of people. It seemed that Jimmy was enjoying the evening and while I was not sure what to make of the attention, it was a pleasant feeling and good fun all the same.
As we headed back to the car Jimmy put his arm around my shoulders making it obvious to anyone looking that we were together. If I accepted this gesture without objection I would have to acknowledge that I was open to his intentions; I could not be seen walking with him like this in public and then try to push him away in private. News of something like that would get around, serve to embarrass him and would be unfair as well. If I accepted his advances what would that say about me? I had a decision to make and not much time to make it. I was certainly intimidated by him but would I allow this intimidation to dictate my action, or lack of action, in the future or perhaps this was what I wanted all along? He was a nice guy and I liked the attention and the feelings that came with it, and also enjoyed being one of the crowd, so I went along without protest.
We were about to take our usual positions in the car and Jimmy asked Gary if he and I could have the back seat on the ride back since we were in the front coming here and we would like a little more room for the return trip. No one objected so we climbed in the back, Jimmy by the door and me in the center position. As we left Jimmy put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me towards him. As I leaned in he took my head in his other hand and kissed me. His lips were soft but his kiss was deliberate. His tongue parted my lips, searching for my tongue in return, and I hesitatingly opened my mouth to give him entry. I felt like I was caught in a vise; I was unable to move, my lips separated to allow another man's tongue to lick mine. This was shear animal power and I was experiencing it for the first time. It was now undeniable that he wanted me and nothing was going to stop him from having me once he made up his mind. I could object, protest this invasion, but would it matter? Would it stop him? Was this what I unconsciously wanted from him? We kissed for most of the ride back home and I didn't resist, becoming more excited and aroused as the ride progressed. I felt myself becoming softer and more pliable, more submissive in my actions as I reacted to Jimmy's unspoken instructions.
The ride was over in what seemed like a short time and before I knew it, I was being dropped off. As Jimmy let me out of the car he told me that he would call in the next couple of days and perhaps we could get together one evening. I said that that sounded nice but as I walked to the house I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Kissing a guy was one thing; it was adventurous, a forbidden pleasure, an experience of adolescence, but what comes next? This evening made me feel differently about so many things and I wanted to immerse myself in these feelings, these pleasures to see where they would take me. There was a subtle change taking place and I wanted to embrace it, encourage it.