The Man Next Door
 by: Hankster

© 2012 by the author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 2

During that week, Frankie experienced the feeling of connection that Jesse had so eloquently described.  They made love as often as Jesse’s forty-eight-year old body permitted.  He tried hard to keep up with eighteen year old Frankie.  Their love making was passionate and hard.  They were reluctant to break camp, but they knew there would be many opportunities before Frankie left for State U.

In spite of the pleasure they gave each other, Frankie was inherently straight.  His relationship with Jesse was a private anomaly.  As soon as he got home, he continued to date (and screw) girls.  Jesse was not resentful.  He would prefer that Frankie lead a mainstream life, and he encouraged him to date women.  As for Jesse, he knew in his heart that he had switched teams.  He continued to see his former coworker, Jack Kramer, whenever they could.

Jesse got a new job within six months of being laid off from the job he had labored at for over twenty years.  The pay was less, but it was enough for him, and he was busy again.   After Jack divorced his wife, he and Jesse often double dated with Frankie and his girl friend Jane, whom he later married.  She disapproved of Jesse’s relationship with Jack, but she knew that Jesse was like a father to Frankie, so she kept her feelings to herself, and was tolerant of their relationship.  It was fortunate that she did, because in time she learned to love them both, and she became blind to their sexual orientation.

Over the years, Jesse became Frankie’s shoulder to cry on, his beacon in the night.  Whenever Frankie had either joyful or bad news, a problem, tension at work, a fight with his wife, a period of depression, he sought Jesse’s bed to share his joy or to be comforted.  Jesse was always there for him.

In spite of obtaining a degree in education, with a minor in social studies, Frankie became a firefighter.  The incident with his kid brother triggered in him a great desire to help others.  His job was very stressful, and more often than not he sought solace in Jesse’s bed.

When Frankie was twenty-nine and Jesse was fifty-nine, Jesse told him that Jack was moving in with him and that he couldn’t just drop in anymore.  He told Frankie that Jack was aware of their relationship, and if he wanted to come over, Jack would make himself scarce in the guest room, but they would require some warning.

The years passed quickly, and Frankie and Jesse continued their strange but loving liaison.  Frankie even named his third child Jesse.  Jack knew and approved of his lover’s relationship, but Jane never suspected.  Frankie and Jesse had loving and fulfilling lives, both together and apart.  In spite of that, there was an element in Frankie’s life that needed closure, and that was his relationship with his real father.

One day, at Jane’s suggestion, Frankie started a search for his father.  Before doing so, however, he asked his mother if she would approve.  She said she would, as long as she never had to see him again.  She had happily remarried during Frankie’s college years, and she still lived next door to Jesse and Jack.  Frankie and Jane lived just a few streets away.

Frankie knew that his father had remained in this city.  Although he abandoned his wife and son, he did have a good job, and he intended to keep it.  Frankie’s mother foolishly had never sought alimony or child support.  She was content just to have him out of her life, and to keep Frankie far away from John’s vitriolic accusations.

Frankie located John quickly enough through Google and the local telephone directory.  His father had remarried about the time he left for college, and Frankie was shocked to learn that he had two half brothers.  He thought long and hard about whether or not it would be a good thing or a bad thing to have them in his life.  Finally he dismissed the whole thing as irrelevant.  It was his father he wanted to reconnect with, or not.

He screwed up his courage, and one evening after Jane went to play Bridge with her girlfriends, he went into his den and shut the door.  He then dialed his father’s number.  A teen aged boy’s voice answered the phone.  Frankie asked if his dad was home.

“Yes, who shall I say is calling?”

“Please tell him it’s Frankie.”

“Hold on, please.”

Frankie waited for what seemed an eternity, but was probably less than a minute.  Then a hesitant voice said, “Hello.”

“Hello Dad.  This is Frankie.” 

There was unbearable silence on the other end of the phone.  Frankie thought he heard sobbing.

“I’m sorry,” a gasping voice said.  The voice could hardly speak.  “I never meant to hurt you.  I was just unable to think straight in the days after Jimmy died.  I’m so sorry.” 

Before he called, Frankie imagined himself reaming his father out, and hanging up on him before the bastard could scream back.  He felt he had to tell him off to end that chapter of his life.  He was unprepared for this sobbing, contrite voice.

“It’s OK Dad.  Mom and I forgave you a long time ago,” he lied.

“Your mom?  How is she?”

“She’s good.  She remarried also.  He’s a nice guy, and my kids adore him.  They call him Grandpa.”  Frankie wasn’t sure that was the right thing to say especially when John began to cry again.

“Do you think I could ever meet your kids, Frankie?”

“Sure Dad.  And I want to meet my brothers.  Can we get together soon?”

John did not hesitate.  “Would Sunday be too soon?  Would you come over here with your family?  That will give me time to prepare everybody.  My boys have no idea that I was married before, and that I have another son.”

“That’s good, Dad.  It will also give me time to prepare my kids for an entirely new family.”

“Please come about noon for lunch.  We’ll be home from church by then.  Is that OK?”

“Perfect!  We’ll see you then.”

Frankie hung up and he was shaking.  He called Jesse and told him that he absolutely had to see him.  As soon as he hung up, Jesse told Jack that Frankie needed to come over.  Jack quickly retired to the den.  He was aware of Jesse’s very unusual sexual arrangement with Frankie, and he had no intention of interfering after all these years.  It was more like a father giving comfort to his son rather than a carnal act, and so he was never jealous.

As always, when something good or bad happened, Jesse and Frankie got undressed and went straight to bed.  In bed Frankie told Jesse about his phone call, and they celebrated by Jesse giving Frankie a long and sensuous blow job, and by Frankie reciprocating.   Frankie’s adrenalin level was soaring above the charts, and he needed more, so Jesse encouraged Frankie to fuck him.  When Frankie came inside Jesse, the physical connection they both felt for each other, was surpassed by the spiritual connection between them, which grew stronger every year.  When they were finally satisfied, they got dressed and pulled Jack out of the den.  Jack made three cocktails and they drank to Frankie’s reunion. 

He got home a few minutes before Jane, so he didn’t even have to mention his visit to Jesse and Jack.  She was thrilled when he told her about the upcoming reunion on Sunday.  Frankie couldn’t wait to tell his daughter and two sons that they had another grandfather, grandmother, and two new uncles.  His life had just improved a thousand fold, but there would always be stress and joy, sorrow and depression, and there would always be Jesse to help him through it.

To be continued...

Posted: 02/03/12