Introduction
John Slater and Thomas Johnson sat on the patio of the Northwest Country Club watching the rain fall from the sky in sheets. It rolled off the roof in torrents, splattering noisily onto the exposed section of the cement patio. The sound almost drowned out the grumbling golfers who were crying into their beers.
The two friends had barely gotten in five holes when the heavens opened. Now, they waited, hoping that somehow the weather would clear in the next few minutes. Saturday was their golf day and their one morning to relax.
Both men were avid golfers. Thomas, who was big and strong, could hit the ball a mile. John couldn't hit it near as far; however, he was much better around the greens. Consequently, they were pretty much equal when they calculated their handicaps. That made them very competitive, but always in a friendly sort of way.
The relationship between the two men began in college. They had met at a fraternity party, and though they were very different, their friendship had lasted for more than 12 years.
John majored in engineering and Thomas, girls and sports.
Thomas was a star running back for the football team, setting several school records. While he was no dummy, his size and athletic ability had provided him a means to obtain an education; one that he couldn't have otherwise afforded. He was tall, at six-three with two hundred and twenty pounds of sheer muscle. The combination of his strength and intelligence gave him a competitive edge in sports as well as other aspects of his personal life.
After college, the two friends split up. However, several years later, fate brought them back together when Thomas took a job in the city where John had settled.
Thomas went to work for a firm that worked out multi-million dollar contracts for professional athletes with advertising firms. He had been quite successful and had become a full partner in just a few years. The fact that Thomas was black and had come from a poor family never stood in his way. In fact, it motivated him. He had made it in a cutthroat world that wasn't always fair. However, his strength was that he carried no chip on his shoulder. He accepted life as it was and felt that if you were the best at what you do, it would be recognized and rewarded. Besides being a successful businessman, Thomas had used his success to help others; he was on several charitable boards that supported underprivileged kids and fed the hungry. He was as passionate about his charitable work as he was his golf game.
John was nonetheless successful, having made his mark in aeronautical engineering. While he was smaller than Thomas in stature, at 5'11" and 170 pounds, he could compete physically with almost anyone. He had become an expert in martial arts and worked hard to keep his body in shape. He occasionally thought that if he and Thomas ever got into a fight, it would be a good match-his skill against Thomas's size and strength.
The friendship between the two was forged in mutual respect. John admired Thomas; he knew that he had come from the school of "hard knocks" and grown stronger for his experiences. On the other hand, Thomas liked John's easygoing attitude and the fact that they could be friends as well as fierce competitors.
The two men had gone through a lot together. When Thomas had married and then subsequently divorced, John had been there for him. When John's wife Amy had a miscarriage, Thomas was there, spending the entire night in the hospital and taking vacation to stay with them when she came home. Though their skin color and background were different, they were more like brothers than friends. However, their relationship was about to change in a way that neither could have possibly imagined.
Chapter 1
"Damn, this rain doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon," John said as he took a drink of his third beer.
"Yeah, and I was whipping your butt," Thomas joked.
"Sure, one stroke ahead after five holes. If that's what you call 'whipping' my butt then I guess I annihilated you last week."
"We won't talk about that," Thomas said. They both laughed. The warmth they felt for each other was apparent in their good-natured ribbing.
"So how's my sexy girl?" Thomas asked, referring to Amy. Thomas was fond of Amy. Okay, maybe a little more than fond. He had a special feeling for Amy since the first day John had introduced them. She was sexy and pretty, with fair skin, blue eyes and shoulder length blond hair.
"She's okay," John answered, his face turning serious.
"What's the matter?" Thomas asked when he saw the look on John's face.
"Oh nothing."
"Come on man. What's going on?" Thomas knew John's emotions as well as he knew his own and he could tell something was bothering him.
John sat silent for a minute, absently staring into his beer. Finally, he looked up with a pained expression on his face. "Oh, I don't know Thomas. Ever since the miscarriage, things haven't been the same between Amy and I. I understand the reasons, but Amy's been depressed for far too long now. She acts okay on the outside but anytime I try to get a little 'close', if you know what I mean, she freezes up."
"Ah, she just needs a little time. Losing a baby is pretty traumatic."
"I know, it was my baby too," John said, a little too harshly. "Sorry man, I don't mean to unload on you. But, it's been almost a year and I don't see much improvement."
"I understand. I thought she went to see a doctor?"
"Yeah, but he hasn't been able to help."
"Maybe she just needs a little tender loving care from somebody like me," Thomas joked, trying to change John's now morose mood. He knew he could get away with the comment as they often jabbed each other about sports, women, and sex. Sometimes, like now, it was very personal.
"Not even you could break through the ice block," John answered, looking at his fiend with a sardonic smile. John knew that Thomas liked Amy. They had talked about it plenty of times. As far as John knew, Amy was not aware of Thomas's fascination with her or at least she showed no sign that she was aware. Fortunately, John wasn't the jealous type, especially where Thomas was concerned. They had been friends far too long and had, in fact, dated some of the same girls in college. In better times, John had watched Amy and Thomas romp around, teasing each other in a good-natured and sexy way. Sometimes, she would sit on his lap in an attempt to make John jealous. It never worked. Some men would have been furious. However, John actually liked to watch them and in fact got a strange little thrill when the two would get frisky.
"Just give me the chance," Thomas said with a smile. "I could melt the 'ice queen.'"
"You know," John continued as if Thomas hadn't spoken, "she's only given me a blowjob about ten times in seven years."
