ODDS OF LOVE SEASON TWELVE

Episode 87

Ethan sat up and laughed huskily. Which Zipp didn't know was a good or bad sign. After all his only sexual experience in his forty three years was having sex with Flower twice to conceive their precious little Diamond Marie. What he knew about sex could probably be put on a matchbook cover. Was he laughing because they hadn't? Or because they had......and it was that amusing to him ? Zipp actually could feel himself turning as red as a tomato in his Spiderman boxer shorts and Wolverine undershirt. Especially as he gazed wistfully at Ethan's tall lean toned body in his own plaid boxer shorts. The more he looked at Ethan the less certain he became that anything had happened between them. Why would Ethan Stone, of all people in the world, possibly ever desire him ? Zipp might be the darling of the video game and technical world but he was a nobody when it came to sexual appeal. On the rare few occasions he had been to Club Zest he had literally been furniture. Nobody noticed him or talked to him or danced him with him. Nothing. He was just not special. Not in that way. He was like the Rodney Spill character in the Crusaders game he created. Just a loser who was destined to die unless the player saved him in various ways. And, the treasure of course.

Ethan looked at his friend fondly. " I know you don't remember. Of course you don't. As much as you were drinking when I stopped by to check on you? Of course you don't remember. "

" I was drinking....."

" Yes. Too much. Zennis , you shouldn't do that. You've never been the type to handle alcohol. You don't even smoke for heaven sake. You get tipsy off too much cold medicine! Remember that one time in senior year when you took the four allergy pills and it literally knocked you out for hours ? "

Zipp did and he reddened even more in embarrassment. He remembered. He remembered that Richard had been mildly concerned about him and Claire had just laughed. And that Ethan had seemed to care the most. Ethan had stayed with him that whole night in his room at the apartment he had shared with him and Richard back then.

" So I was drunk.... and ...... nothing happened? "

Ethan shook his head and got up from the bed , heading to the bathroom. " Except for you in the hotel lounge trying to sing karaoke off key and irritating people. Except for you dancing, or trying to dance, on the table down there. You were actually attempting to moonwalk ! So , of course, I got you upstairs to bed. I stayed because.... well , I was worried you would leave the room and get into trouble. Hurt yourself. I'm going to get a shower. Order up some breakfast from room service why don't you? Well , coffee for you and food for me. I am starving for some reason. It's going to be a big day for me. Jeremiah wants to brainstorm with us all at the firm over this Claire business. I'm not worried about Claire. She can't control who the clients choose to go with. "

As he went to the bathroom Zipp sighed and collapsed back onto the pillows on the bed. Of course. He was still a technical virgin when it came to sexual contact with men. He had not made love with Ethan.

Suddenly he felt even more depressed than he had when he found out about his daughter.