Stay: And, I Will Understand You

Stay, part 1

The doorbell rattled Todd's nerves as he tensed: He's finally here. His heart raced as he rushed to avoid another moment of anxious waiting. He pulled the door open to reveal the unfamiliar visitor: there stood Eric.

As it usually goes while transitioning from online to face-to-face interaction, each man looked the other over from head to toe. Todd could see Eric had described himself accurately. He was wearing the exact clothing he said he would be: white sneakers, blue denim, and a red polo shirt. If he had been evasive about anything, it was that he failed to mention how well built he was. Eric's shirt pulled over his shoulders like a tightly upholstered chair yet hung loosely from his torso. This suggested a shapely frame.

Like an assembly line worker assessing for quality control, Todd had evaluated enough men over the years to know when a substantial body strained beneath clothing. Eric had spoken demurely about his body. He described it as an average build, but Todd could see it was decidedly more than average. This pleased him.

Eric had been equally honest about the rest of his stats, and Todd did not know why he had failed to mention his skin tone. It was easy on the eyes and inviting to the hand. Todd tried to name its color, which reminded him of caramel.

"Todd?"

"Yeah, that's me, thanks for coming over." Todd extended his hand and gestured into the apartment with the other: "Come in, would you like a drink?"

"Sure."

Once Todd closed the door, the usual moment of awkward silence hung between the two men as they stood facing one another with nervous anticipation. Despite his frequent experience with them, Todd was never at ease with online hookups. Finding relief in the role of host, he used this confidence to break the silence: "Want a beer? The kitchen's this way."

Leading the way, Todd felt self-conscious, for he had surrendered his backside to Eric's unrestricted gaze. Turning to face Eric as soon as he entered the kitchen, Todd reestablished eye contact: "An amber ale okay?"

"Sure, sounds good."

Todd popped the beers open and handed one to Eric, who stood leaning against the counter. He almost smiled as he once again admired the suggestive hang of Eric's clothes. His cock stirred in anticipation of exploring the body beneath.

Eric returned the feasting gaze, which made Todd blush. When, where, and how would their sex be initiated? And, who would make the first move? This part made him nervous, but he also found these moments stimulated his sexual appetite. It was the not-knowing that made him want more.

Wanting to savor this feeling before it faded into last night's experience, Todd asked, "Did you have any trouble finding my place?"

"No, I hooked up with a guy who lived around here once. He was just a couple of buildings down."

Todd did not know more than two people living in his own building much less a couple down. Urban environments create close yet distant neighbors. Eric's hooking up with someone a couple buildings away felt too close for comfort. This tweaked Todd's discomfort with online encounters. Eric could easily live just a couple of buildings down.

The awkwardness of tricking with someone that close always crossed his mind when he was cruising online, and the world of social-sexual apps only made such more probable. He did not want to worry about the possibility of running into a trick each time he walked out of his apartment building.

Then again, a sexual acquaintance that close could be convenient. He mused how a fuck buddy that close would spare him the hours spent with the uncertainty of online cruising. Yes, this might be a convenience worth the price of anonymity.

Eric read the discussion playing out behind Todd's eyes: "Don't get too excited; he has a wife and kids. He only gets to hook up about once a year or so he claims."

Feeling caught, Todd responded with a heavy-handed flirtation. "I wasn't thinking about him. I was thinking about you."

"Liar," joked Eric as he stepped toward Todd.

The sex was about to begin.

Mature audiences only past this point, please.

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If you like "Tracks," try reading "Flakes"  here on Wattpad.

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