The Coffee Shop IV: Sex, Lies & Duct Tape.
Disclaimer. The following story, is a work of fiction. The characters portrayed within are a work of fiction as well, and any resemblance to any person, living or dead is a coincidence and unintentional.
Copyright 2001. This story is the property of the author, Canadian Cowboy (formerly known as Animal360). Any duplication, in whole or in part, is forbidden without the express written consent of the author, Canadian Cowboy.
Author's Note. Since each succeeding story in this series builds upon the events that occurred in the previous stories in this series, I strongly urge you to read the other stories that comprise this series. These stories, in the proper sequence, are:
The Coffee Shop,
The Coffee Shop II: Cowboys and Tuxedos,
The Coffee Shop III: The Good, The Bad, And The Hypnotized .
Chapter 1. Comes the Dawn.
Sunday mornings I usually like to sleep in, but not this morning. I was awaken before my alarm clock went off, by the soft warm breath from someone breathing on my face. I kept my eyes closed and explored the room with my other senses. It was quiet and dark. (With my eyes closed that was a forgone conclusion.) I was warm and snug under the covers, while the room was chilled from the coolness of the morning. Winter was still hanging on with a stubborn determination. A big warm arm was draped up and across my chest as I lay on my back. Someone was snuggled up close beside me with his head nestled on my right shoulder. It was a heavy, warm and pleasant feeling. I took a few deep breaths and caught the wonderful masculine aroma of a body that needs a morning shower. It was not a stink or an offensive body odour, but the simple natural smell of a male body when all the scents and perfumes from the deodorant and body washes have worn off. Nature's perfume would be the best way to describe it, I suppose. If you've ever caught that aroma, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, well I feel sorry for you.
I listened carefully and could make out the slow rhythmic sound of someone next to me breathing. I did not need to open my eyes to know it was Andy who lay curled up beside me. Andy, the man my heart had longed for all these many years. It was hard to believe that we had been seeing each other for nearly four months now. It seemed like a much shorter time, which was understandable since we could not arrange to meet very often. Both of us being 'in the closet' and his being a cop (an RCMP constable no less), made it difficult to arrange for time together. But the time we managed to spend together was more than worth it. I let the minutes drift by as I lay there next to Andy, savouring every second we spent together.
After a few minutes, I cracked open my eyes, and carefully turned my head to the left searching for the clock radio. I blinked my eyes several times as I tried to bring the glowing numbers into focus. Finally, after what seemed like a tremendous effort, I managed to read the time, 6:17 AM. The alarm was set to go off at 7:30 AM, so I was just a tad early. I lay there with my eyes open, staring at the ceiling, or what I could make out of the ceiling, since the room was pitch black. Like phantoms from beyond the grave, old and troubling thoughts started to creep into my mind, and to roll around in my head. There was no question in my mind that I cared for Andy deeply. Hell, I loved him pure and simple. Just seeing him smile at me was enough to brighten my day, and make all the troubles in my life seem small and insignificant by comparison. (Boy, was I EVER in love! I had it bad, believe you me!) Still, I could not help but be troubled by doubts.
Did Andy care for me as much as I did for him? What type of a future did we have together? Where was this relationship going? Although we were very physical in our touching, cuddling, snuggling and kissing, the physical contact had never gone beyond that stage. I wasn't really concerned about that. I had never broached the subject with Andy, and he'd never raised the subject with me. I was lying to myself, I suddenly realized. If I didn't have concerns, I would not be lying here thinking about it in the first place. The problem was, that I wasn't sure what to do about it. I was more than just a little bit scared that if I did raise the subject with Andy, he'd think I was pushing too hard. To be honest, I was afraid that I might push him away from me. Yet, at the same time, I knew that we couldn't leave the situation as it was. What I wanted, was some kind of a sign that Andy was truly committed to me, and that he saw a future in our relationship. I knew that I wanted the relationship to continue, but I also wanted it to grow and mature. A flower can't remain a bud forever, after all. (Would someone PLEASE tell me WHY it is that such thoughts always pop into your mind either late at night when you are trying to fall asleep, or early in the morning when you just get up?)
I thought about Andy some more. (Thinking about Andy was a great way to pass the time, by the way. Picturing him in and out of uniform was something that I was sure I would never grow tired of doing.) I absently noted that the sun had finally risen, and the morning light was filling the bedroom. I looked down at the sleeping form of Andy lying next to me. He was nothing but a collection of lumps and curves under the bedcovers, with a handsome head poking out. A handsome head that was still lying on the right side of my chest. I thought about the many nights we had slept together in bed, holding onto each other, lost in each others eyes. (Okay, so that was a corny and sappy way to describe it. It also happened to be true.) I had never seen such openness, trust, and caring in another man's eyes before. I listened to Andy when he talked about his troubles, problems, and worries. I did my best to hold and comfort him. He did likewise. I have never had someone listen to me so intently, and seriously. He never offered advice, unless I asked for it. (That's something which I was still learning to doοΌknowing when to keep my big mouth shut.) When I'd had a really bad day, he did his best to show me that no matter what, he was always there for me. I didn't want to lose that. On the other hand though, I could not just let things stay the way they were. What was I to do?
"If you keep that up, you'll put worry lines on your face," said an all too familiar warm sexy tenor voice. "What's wrong, love?" Andy asked as he moved his head about.
I slowly turned my head to the right, and discovered that Andy had craned his head up to look at me. My gaze fell upon those soft doe brown eyes of Andy's that I'd come to know and love so well. My heart skipped a beat. Even first thing in the morning he was gorgeously handsome. I swallowed the lump in my throat, as I gazed upon the face of the man that I'd come to love much more than I'd ever thought possible, over the past four months.
"I've been thinking, is all," I answered. I smiled a half smile at Andy.