Evening Gentleman (6 page)

NATHAN

I see you found it with no problem.

O’KEEFE

It was easy to get to. Plus I live in the apartments four blocks away.

NATHAN (walking into my office)

Great. I see you changed clothes.

O’KEEFE

Yeah. I wanted to appear more professional even though it’s after hours.

NATHAN (seductively)

The best time to do an application. No interruptions.

O’KEEFE
This is true.

NATHAN
So how much were you looking to borrow?

O’KEEFE

Five thousand will get me started.

             
I looked at him and wondered why so much? I was writing down his answers as I took the application. The important questions were how he was going to pay the loan back and what was he going to use for collateral. His responses were very shallow. He was a student in college and his only income was work-study.

             
I made sure that I explained how loans worked.

O’KEEFE

So basically you are saying that I probably will not be approved.

NATHAN
That’s a chance. I won’t know for sure until I pull your credit report.

             
O’Keefe looked deeply into my eyes so that I could see every thought he had of how he could repay the loan. I walked from behind my desk until I was standing in front of O’Keefe. O’Keefe licked his lips and at that moment I knew that it was game time.

             
O’Keefe stood up and began to unbutton his shirt. Soon I could see his muscular chest that stood out like two boulders. His nipples were erect like missiles. He walked up to me and began to kiss me. He cupped the back of my head and tilted it to the side. I wasn’t use to someone else taking control in this manner.              

             
I started to undress. When we both were fully naked he turned me around and tried to bend me over on my desk. I quickly stopped him.

O’KEEFE

What’s wrong?

NATHAN
That’s for exit only.

O’KEEFE

Man I usually do the fucking. No one has ever penetrated me.

NATHAN
Have you ever gotten a loan before?

O’KEEFE

Ummm…no.

NATHAN
First time for everything.

             
I grabbed him by his arm and threw him on my desk.

             
When I got in my car to head back to Aiden’s house I notice the time on my clock flashed eight forty-five. Damn, I thought to myself. I knew that dinner was ready. I pulled up at the house and walked to the house. I stuck my key in the door and opened it. I walked into the kitchen where I met Aiden standing at the sink.

AIDEN
Was everything okay?

NATHAN
Yeah. All clear.

AIDEN
I guess your dick is all clear too.

NATHAN
What are you talking about?

AIDEN
Nathan don’t give me that. There is no way that you were at your job to check on an alarm and it took you two hours. Birmingham is not that big.

NATHAN

I stopped by Terry’s for a minute.

AIDEN

Man whatever.

             
Aiden tried to walk away from me. I snatched him to me.

NATHAN
Don’t do this.

AIDEN
Please leave and go home or wherever you came from.

NATHAN
You can’t put me out of my house.

AIDEN
This is the very reason that I didn’t want you to buy this house for me.

NATHAN
I didn’t mean it like that. I feel that this is our house.

AIDEN

Yeah sure. You will drop in, eat, we will have sex and then you will make up some cockamamie excuse as to why you have to leave. I have played this scene so many times with you. I am ready to turn the page or read a new book.

NATHAN
What are you saying? Do you want to leave me? Fine! Fine! I will go to my house and get my things and move in here with you. Is that what you want from me? You want me a to move in here with you?

AIDEN
No I don’t.

NATHAN
Well that’s the way it sounds. Or maybe you don’t want me to move in so that you can have your other man in here.

AIDEN
Why are you trying to turn this around? You make yourself sound guilty.

             
I walked to the table and sat down. I put my head in my hands and took a deep breath. I told Aiden to come to me. As soon as he walked over I put my head in his stomach.

NATHAN
You know that I can’t move in here. I will feel like we are married. You know that I don’t believe in same sex marriages.

AIDEN
Who said anything about marriage?

NATHAN
Aiden I need you in my life. I can’t live knowing that you want to be with someone else. Please forgive me. I am sorry for stopping by a friend’s house and being late. I don’t like it when we have junk between us. We have bumped heads before over worse things. Neither one of us walked away. I have been thinking about this long and hard. I just never told you. But I am going to stop being a nuisance and wearing out my welcome. I won’t text or call. I have always feared losing you to someone else. I will step away. I am going to give you some breathing room. 

AIDEN
Nathan stop. You know that I am not going anywhere. I don’t want to lose you.

NATHAN
Have you talked to Demarcus?

AIDEN

No.

             
I hugged Aiden around his waist. I stood and led him to the bedroom.

Don’t Let It Be

              As Aiden was walking to his car after work he heard someone calling out his name. When he turned he saw that Leslie was running up to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder when she reached him. She grabbed her pearls as she tried to slow her breathing down.

LESLIE
I need to get back into the gym. Quick, fast, and in a hurry.

AIDEN
I feel you.

LESLIE

Look, you have been quiet all day. What’s wrong?

AIDEN

Nothing. I just have a lot on my mind.

LESLIE

Come on talk to me.

AIDEN
It’s my friend. She is just getting a little controlling and I don’t like it.

LESLIE
Do you feel like she is emasculating you?

AIDEN

I guess that you can put it that way. You know my apartment burned down a few days ago.

LESLIE
I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me? Where are you staying?

AIDEN
I am good. I purchased a house which she helped my buy.

LESLIE
Oh wow. That’s good. She loves you enough to co-sign for a house. You should marry her.

AIDEN
I don’t want to get married and she didn’t co-sign. She made a huge down payment.

LESLIE

I don’t know what to say.

AIDEN
I wasn’t asking for any advice. I just need to vent.

LESLIE

Look…I am hosting my annual Christmas party at the Oak Mountain Lodge. I want you and her to come. Maybe this will bring you two closer together. Get into the Christmas spirit.

             
Leslie tried to cheer Aiden up. She pretended to dance with him in the parking lot. He did force a smile. After a few more minutes of persuasion he agreed to attend.

Merry Christmas Baby – You Sure Did Treat Me Right

NATHAN

I didn’t know how.

AIDEN
Maybe “Aiden before we start this I need to tell you something. I am married!”

NATHAN
Lower your voice. Come to the back with me.

             
I escorted Aiden to the second partition of the building. I took a sip of my wine before speaking.

NATHAN
I know that you are mad.

AIDEN
More like pissed. I have been with your ass for two years and it never came up that you are married.

NATHAN
Look I love you.

AIDEN
Don’t give me that.

NATHAN
I love you Aiden. Please don’t hold this against me.

AIDEN
So you own your own finance company. You lied and said that you worked at a bank.

NATHAN
Technically I do work for a bank. But my name just happens to be on the deed.

AIDEN
So I am paying you every month. No wonder you were so quick to buy the house for me. I don’t know what to think.

NATHAN

So now what?

AIDEN
How can I look at Leslie everyday now at work knowing that I am fucking her husband?

NATHAN
Don’t think about it.

AIDEN
You insensitive bastard.

NATHAN
That’s not being insensitive.

AIDEN
You, it’s men like you that piss me off. Wait a minute. Who else are you seeing?

If you are doing this to her I know that you are cheating on me. What about when you went to Charlotte a few weeks ago.

              I could not lie. I took a sip of my wine and shook my head.

AIDEN
What the hell does that mean? You have a mouth…TALK!

             
I sat the glass on the ledge. I grabbed Aiden by his face and kissed him hard. He resisted at first but soon gave in. After a few minutes of tasting each other’s tongue I just looked him deep in his eyes.

             
I saw the tears forming in his eyes.

NATHAN
Don’t cry baby. Whatever you do please don’t cry.

AIDEN
I gave you the best of me.
It breaks my heart; it makes me sad to think of all the times we had. You made me laugh and you made me cry. And all that I can do is sigh and wonder why.

NATHAN
So what do you want me to do? Are you going to leave me?

AIDEN
I am going home. I can’t be here any longer.

NATHAN

Don’t leave. What will I tell Leslie if she ask where are you?

AIDEN
I am quite sure that you can come up with something. You have been doing it for two years.

NATHAN

Just come back in and stay a little while longer.

             
Aiden followed me into the lodge. I walked to the bar and told the bartender to fix me a double Irish Trash Can. I had to explain to him that that was rum, peach schnapps, light rum, triple sex, red bull with ice and topped with gin.

             
I didn’t know what to think. Would Aiden tell Leslie everything? Would he leave me? The bartender handed me my cocktail. I grabbed it and took it to the head. I needed to get out of myself for the night. This was nothing that I was expecting.

             
Aiden walked over to me and told me that he was getting ready to leave. He didn’t want to be at the party anymore. Neither did I. I wanted to leave with him but I knew that would not be possible.

             
I tried to tell him that I would be over later this evening. He made it known that he didn’t want to see me. His words cut me deeply. I watched him walk out of the building leaving me there in sorrow. My heart dropped to the bottom of my shoes.

LESLIE
(walking up to me)

Where is Aiden going?

NATHAN
He said that he had an early morning.

LESLIE
Did you two talk business?

NATHAN
Something like that.

LESLIE
He just purchased a house. Maybe you can help him with that.

             
I looked down at Leslie and nodded my head. I wanted to run after him but I couldn’t.

             
I lay in the bed pondering about what Aiden was doing. I wanted to get out of bed and go over to his house. I felt the bed shift when Leslie laid down.

NATHAN
What time does the clock have on it?

LESLIE

2:35 why?

NATHAN
I think that I am about to go to the gym.

LESLIE
Nathan why are you going to the gym this late at night?

NATHAN
I am tensed. I need to work off some things.

LESLIE

Nathan you have been drinking. You don’t need to be driving. Just go to sleep.

             
I turned over and hugged my wife. I gave her a few kisses and wanted to make love. I needed to release. Leslie rubbed my chest.

LESLIE

Baby is something bothering you?

NATHAN

No I just need to feel you. I need to make love to you.

             
I began to explore Leslie’s body.

LESLIE
Hang on…let me ask, can you help Aiden?

NATHAN (snapping)

Why are you going to ruin the mood talking about another man?

LESLIE
I’m sorry. I just wanted to know if you could help my friend.

NATHAN

I want to make love to you. I have a lot on my mind right now. I need to release, and I don’t want to talk about a co-worker.

             
Leslie laid her head in my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and played in her hair.

NATHAN

Leslie how would you feel if…what would you think…you know like…

LESLIE

What is it baby?

NATHAN
Maybe I am not the man that you think I am…you know. The man you want me to be.

LESLIE

Maybe I am not always the woman you want me to be.

NATHAN
Come here. Look at me. No matter what happens – you know that I love you, right?

LESLIE

I think that your alcohol is talking. But what’s wrong?

NATHAN

No. No. Nothing’s wrong. Maybe it is the drinks.

LESLIE
I love you Nathan.

NATHAN
I love you more.

             
I turned over and closed my eyes. Thoughts of Aiden and others ran through my head.

Let It Be

DEMARCUS

Slow down man. Slow down. You are going to strain yourself.

             
Aiden was lifting weights as if his life depended on it. He finally placed the bar in the holder. He laid there with his eyes closed. Demarcus was spotting him.

DEMARCUS

Man what is wrong with you?

AIDEN
I just have a few things on my mind.

             
Demarcus walked around and patted Aiden on the shoulder for him to sit up. Demarcus flung his towel over his shoulder.

DEMARCUS
Care to talk?

AIDEN
Have you ever loved someone so much that you gave them your all? Your time, your energy, your spirit. Not looking at anyone else, not sleeping with anyone else. That person was your life.

DEMARCUS
I tried that once but he was about games.

             
Aiden turned in surprise that Demarcus said “he”.

DEMARCUS
Don’t act like you didn’t know that I was gay. I am not the sterotypically gay man but I am gay.

AIDEN

Well, I am also.

DEMARCUS
I know. Family knows family.

AIDEN
I gave him everything. I wanted to be with him but it was always something. He could never spend the night. He was always out of town. A few times I can say that I did go with him. So I am a hopeless romantic. I love the company, the comfort, the relationship.

DEMARCUS
Do you have to have someone there or can you make it on your own?

AIDEN
I can make it on my own. I found out the other night at a Christmas party that he is married. That hurt me so bad.

DEMARCUS
You didn’t know?

AIDEN

No. In two years I never gave it a thought. I never had a reason too.

DEMARCUS
Did you confront him?

AIDEN
Actually his wife and I work together. She introduced me to him at the party.

DEMARCUS
Man, get the fuck out of here.

AIDEN
I wish I was lying.

DEMARCUS
How did you handle it?

AIDEN
We went out to talk. There was nothing that he could explain. He lied to me.

DEMARCUS
How do you feel right now?

AIDEN

Hurt and betrayed?

DEMARCUS

You know secrets have a way of coming between two people in a relationship. On the contrary, sharing secret have a way of bringing two people closer together. Do you think that you two will continue the relationship?

             
Aiden heard his phone buzzing in his bag. He goes over to get it. It was a call from Leslie.

AIDEN (hesitantly)

Hello.