The Summer of 2022 was not looking promising to me on June 15th. As I pulled into the parking lot at work, I saw the owner of the book store I managed had situated his oversized pickup truck straddling the usual two parking spots. His presence always meant undesirable news.
The changes he announced weren't totally unexpected. With a recent corporate takeover came redundancy in functions and I was informed that I was no longer needed as our new partner store was too close to mine and was more successful. The severance was generous and would take me close enough to 62 that my wife and I would be fine financially along with her income.
I spent my first few days being lazy. After my wife left for work, I would partake in my favorite hobby, edging to a nice, satisfying orgasm. My avenue to that pleasure usually involves checking out some porn of various flavors...or watching live action cams on a site I found...or visiting my favorite site, Literotica, for erotic stories and hot chat. Lately, chatting with other guys was a turn-on.
My interest in guys had simmered since my teen years when, for a brief time, I was able to suck myself off. Those were the days...I was never attracted to men, but I have always fantasized about sucking a cock. I've been complimented on the shape of mine, so I fear that I was spoiled during those fleeting teen years.
A few years ago, my wife began to lose interest in sex. It's normal, or so I have read and been told. But it's also normal that my sex drive has continued strong! I love my wife dearly and I would never sleep with another woman. But I have convinced myself that getting together with a guy to get each other off is more on the level of two guys enjoying a hobby. Golf... fishing...blow jobs. Why not?
I eventually followed through on the urge a couple of times and it was with guys whose interest was in getting me off. I tried sucking one of them but ED got the best of him. Oh how I still wanted a nice hard cock to suck! But it's a pleasure that had eluded me to that point in my life.
Ahhhh, I digress. After a couple of days of decompression from the shock of joblessness, I decided to sign up to be a driver for one of those ride hailing apps. It would get me out of the house and bring in some spare change now and then. A long process but I eventually received approval to drive for RISE - an acronym for Ride Independent Share Enterprise.
I spent a few days figuring out the app, finding that I could actually pick requested rides and claim them. Primarily I was ferrying teenagers who overslept to school mid-morning, doing transports to doctor appointments, or airport pickups and dropoffs. I liked the ability to choose times and places to drive, though, and could plan my days.
One early Monday morning I had an airport dropoff that required me to travel to one of the upscale sections of San Antonio. It was a beautiful house on a cul de sac, set off against a ridge with the other homes built about an acre away - a byproduct of the geology, I guess! Trees planted at the foot of the ridge afforded privacy and shade - a valuable commodity in San Antonio.
The rider, Gary, was in the driveway waiting. His appearance was casual but upscale - wearing a white short sleeved cotton shirt and tan linen pants, carrying a small shoulder bag and a suitcase. He was about my height, 5 feet 10 inches, maybe a bit shy of my 220 pounds, with deep blue eyes and a sandy brown week's worth of facial hair as well as just a bit around the sides of his head. I would have the same hairline if I didn't shave my head, I thought, as I hopped from my car, slipped his luggage into my back seat, and offered him the front seat.
As I slid back into the driver's seat, I clicked on the app to indicate the pickup was successful and prepared to head for the airport. Gary was checking his phone, apparently texting. I noticed that he wore a wedding ring on his left hand and a class ring on his right. I had high hopes that he was the type of rider that I prefer, an intelligent conversationalist and a big tipper!
Gary broke the silence with a "thank you" in a pleasant, soft voice accompanied by a smile. "You are early. I appreciate that!"Â I answered that it's what I would want if I was flying. "Better to get through security and relax" I added.
We chatted about our respective careers all the way to the Departures dropoff. He was traveling for work, was consulting on a project, contracted to help a work team of home decorators to embrace corporate changes. I had been in a "people leadership" training role at one point and was experienced in change management.
Gary had shared that he would be arriving back in San Antonio mid morning on Friday. He even suggested that I watch for his ride request because he enjoyed my company more than his past drivers. I offered to bring coffee if I was able to claim his ride, which he appreciatively accepted, providing his coffee preferences. Just as quickly as the ride began, it was over and I was off to a scheduled pickup.
I was fortunate to claim Gary's return flight on Friday morning and met him around 9 am at Arrivals with his chosen coffee, an iced mocha latte, waiting in the cup holder next to my salted caramel iced latte.
He looked full of energy and happy as he approached my vehicle. Gary was wearing a pastel green V-necked collarless jersey and white cargo shorts. As I bent down to pick up his small suitcase I found myself at eye level with his groin. I thought I could actually see the outline of a thick cock resting beneath the thin fabric of his shorts. The image was fleeting and my attention quickly returned to my task at hand but I saw enough to wonder about his choice of underwear.
He was totally surprised by the iced coffee, having forgotten my promise, and thanked me with a pat on the leg as he enjoyed his drink. "I can still pick up something to drink for your wife, so you could surprise her as you got home, " I said, realizing I had failed to offer on Monday.
"Oh, it would be for my husband," Gary interrupted. "And first of all, he's on his way to Germany for a two week work assignment. Plus he's a tea drinker." Gary smirked and rolled his eyes, indicating amusement with anyone who drinks tea.
So now I knew that Gary preferred men. And I confess, I felt a little tingle in my balls when I processed that thought. I also perceived that by sharing this info, Gary had felt a little closer to me. I dared to be comfortable enough to get a little more personal.
"Must be difficult for you both, constantly traveling in different directions, coming back to an empty house!" I said. Hinting at the type of welcome I used to get, I added, "When I traveled, my wife was always waiting with a warm hug and lots of pillow talk, back in the days when we couldn't get enough of each other."
Gary chuckled and sighed a little. "We're less into the physical aspect these days. Tim is an intense, focused guy but we find our marriage is more on an intellectual level," Gary said pausing as he fumbled with his phone. "I've learned to put the physical aspect to the side."
We had ventured into a very personal area and I felt that it was bringing Gary down. I decided to change the subject. "I certainly identify with that...but I hope your time away was productive. Feeling like you made a difference?"
Another pause from Gary as it seemed like his brain was shifting gears. He turned, his eyes a little moist, betraying his true feelings, as he forced a smile. "Yes! It was fantastic!" He let the memories of the past week flush away the sadness that had begun to fill him. "The team there has been great, I'm only wishing it wasn't going to end after next week!"
"That's a super feeling!" I answered, recalling high moments like that from my career. "I don't miss the work but I do miss that kind of social interaction and camaraderie!"
Suddenly, Gary turned to me, exclaiming, "Jack, I'm starving! How about we grab some breakfast tacos and have breakfast on my patio! That is, if your wife's not waiting for you?"
"That sounds great, and no, she's not waiting for me. She's working, probably not home till after 8 tonight." I answered, and added, "We're like you and Tim - best friends mostly, although she occasionally throws a bone to this old dog!"
"You're not such an old dog! Just a little scratch behind your ears and your tail would be a-waggin'!" Gary said with an exaggerated Texan drawl. "Turn into this drive thru, they have the best breakfast tacos," motioning to a small Mexican restaurant on our right.
With a full bag of bacon-egg-potato and cheese soft tacos, we pulled into Gary's driveway. Carrying the drinks and tacos, I followed him through the front door as I checked out his ass, unsuccessful in my efforts to discern his type of underwear.
As I entered the foyer, I was immediately impressed. The front hallway led to an open floor plan downstairs on the left with a stairway to the second floor on my right. The hallway was adorned with pictures of Gary and Tim - or so I assumed, based on the quantity of photos. All had been taken in foreign lands, it appeared.
The kitchen, dining area, and living room were decorated in Southwest style and colors. Those areas encompassed the whole left side of the house. Huge skylite windows shed light into the space from the sloping ceiling above.
"Go on through to the kitchen on your left, Jack, I'm going to drop my bags in my bedroom," Gary said as he turned into a room on the right side of the hallway. "Make yourself at home, grab us some plates from the cabinet over the counter!"
I plated the tacos, three for each of us, dropped salsa on the plates, and grabbed paper napkins from a holder on the counter, folding them in half triangle shapes. As I finished my weak attempt at adding panache to the San Antonio delicacies, I turned and saw Gary pad barefoot into the kitchen.
"Come, let's take our yummy food and lattes out on the patio!" He called over his shoulder, after grabbing our drinks and heading to what looked like a wall of vertical blinds.
He flipped a switch on the wall and the blinds parted, disclosing white double sets of French doors that opened to an outdoor living space that could have been featured in Home Fashions Monthly. And beyond the bar height wicker and linen patio furniture, there was a kidney shaped pool with a sail cloth awning above it, providing areas of sun and shade to the sparkling water.