Labor Day, 1967
On Sunday night, Garrett woke just after one A.M. Hot and sticky, he peeled himself from Eron’s back. He gave the sash a good shove to get the window open, his grunt stirred Eron. The cool air invading the room was worth it.
He grabbed his cigarettes and sat in the chair by the open window. Eron rolled back over on his stomach, mooning Garrett in the process. He didn’t mind. He didn’t want to do anything with Eron’s ass, but it was sure nice to look at.
The stuffy room wasn’t the only reason Garrett had woke. They had spent the last sixty hours in pure bliss, and now in just a few more, they would head back to reality. Garrett inhaled deeply. It did little to comfort him.
After their dance at the bar, they finished their drinks and returned to the room for the night. They had played another round of golf by themselves and went to the beach, but skipped out on the Sunday afternoon tea and other activities. The unspoken dread of returning home started to linger between them.
Garrett shifted in the chair. His ass ached with so much use, and at the same time, itched for more. He continued to admire Eron’s exposed ass and smiled to himself. It had been a long time since happiness had invaded Garrett to his core like it had this weekend. In the fantasy world of Provincetown, they were free to be themselves. Eron coached him on the golf course, they made out on the beach, and they danced at the bar.
“What’s wrong?”
Eron’s voice stirred him from his reverie.
“Nothing. It got a little warm, so I opened the window.”
“Come back to bed and keep me warm.”
Garrett chuckled and put the cigarette out. He climbed back into bed and Eron laid his head on Garrett’s chest as Garrett leaned against the headboard.
“Love you.” Eron’s words vibrated against his chest.
“I love you, too.”
“Don’t be sad about tomorrow.”
Garrett rolled his eyes and chided himself. Am I that transparent?
“I’m not.”
“I am.”
Garrett chuckled. “What about this place makes you so open?”
Eron pushed himself off Garrett’s chest and turned on the lamp beside the bed. He fumbled for his cigarettes. After lighting one, he leaned back into Garrett’s armpit.
“Because I know now what’s been missing in my life.”
“You mean, being queer?”
“No, I mean being with you.”
“Me?”
Eron slapped Garrett’s thigh playfully. “Quit questioning what I’m telling you. Yes, you are what makes me so happy.”
Garrett’s chest tightened with sadness. “Are you saying I’m the reason you’re this way?”
“No, silly. You’re not the reason I’m like this, just like I’m not the reason you are. That’s been a part of both us since we were born.”
Eron’s wisdom put Garrett at ease. He jumped to conclusions when his apprehension and self-doubt got the best of him. Eron hadn’t blamed Garrett for being gay. It was what he had heard.
“So now what?” Garrett reached over and massaged Eron’s nipple.
As Eron sat up, he pushed Garrett over on his side and snuggled behind him. With Eron’s half-hard cock resting in the cleft of Garrett’s ass and his breath on the back of his neck, Garrett again fell into bliss.
“Let’s just cuddle.”
* * * *
Eron delayed the departure as long as he could. Garrett wanted to get up and start heading back. Normally, Eron was the same way, but he wanted Labor Day to last as long as he could make it.
While Eron drove, Garrett stared out the window. He searched for a radio station and found one. Garrett didn’t move to change the channel once they were out of range.
“Whatcha thinking about?” Eron turned the dial trying to tune in to another station.
“Returning to reality.”
Eron reached, patted Garrett’s thigh, and then rested his hand there. “I’m trying not to think about it.”
“This weekend has been wonderful.”
“It has.”
Garrett reached down and intertwined his fingers with Eron’s. Garrett’s touch helped ease his own depression as each mile ticked on the odometer.
“How are you thinking this might work?”
“The first thing, for me, at least, is going to have a long talk with Mary Ellen.”
“You would do that for me?”
“Of course. Even though I can’t proclaim our relationship, it’s still not fair to you to continue the situation.”
“That means a lot.”
“If I was in love with Mary Ellen, I would not carry on a friendship with another woman. That wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Even though the impending doom of returning home was still heavy in the car, hearing himself say those words lifted some of the anxiety. For him, it was a step in the right direction.
“I already did that.”
“You did? The entire time I’ve know you, seems like you always follow my lead.”
“It’s been hard enough to sneak around with you. That was just another pressure to deal with.” Garrett paused.
“I didn’t realize you were ready to take that step.”
“It’s one of those things I think about in my head and intend to tell you, but never do. When…when are we going to get together again?”
Eron squeezed Garrett’s hand. “How about next weekend? Why don’t you come over and I’ll make dinner?”
“What about your housekeeper?”
“Maybe I’ll give her the weekend off. You want to plan to stay over?”
“That sounds good. Will that be our weekends? Quiet dinners in?”
Eron glanced over at Garrett and gave him a playfully annoying grin. “We could work on your golf game?”
“Or you could come and help out at the flea market.”
“You’d want me there?”
“I can always use the extra muscle to load furniture.” Garrett squeezed his flexed bicep.
“We could spend a day at the flea market and a day on the golf course in the warm weather, then dinner at one or the other’s place.”
“Maybe every once in a while we can go venture into the city?”
“Or just somewhere else?”
“Perfect.”
“Will it really be?”
Eron took a deep breath. Garrett asked the question that hung in the air.
“We will make it as perfect as we can. It won’t be easy, but, for now, I think we can make it work.”
“That means a lot to me.”
“You mean a lot to me. I don’t want anything to come between us again.”
* * * *
Garrett’s tension subsided. They commented on the things they saw along the way, houses, farm animals, the towns. He tried not to let their approaching destination ruin his mood.
After a while, Eron asked, “What did you think of the inn?”
“It was great!”
“Is that the kind of place you dream of?”
Garrett warmed when Eron mentioned his dream. It had been a while since they talked about it, but Eron always remembered.
“Yes. Although, I think I’d rather have the living quarters on the top floor instead of in a dark, dingy basement.”
“That’d be a bit better. Tell me about your typical day, if you ran your own inn?”
At first, Garrett thought it silly to be talking about pipe dreams, but Eron’s smile goaded him on.
“I’d get up, make breakfast, clean up the kitchen, then clean the rooms. I supposed I’d have a break for a bit in the afternoon before the next round of guests started checking in. Then go to bed and start the day over again.”
“What would you want me to do?”
“You?”
Eron squeezed Garrett’s thigh again. “Sure. We’re just talking, right?”
“It’s weird to even talk this way. Growing up, I always got into trouble for talking about such nonsense.”
“I guess I’ve always lived inside my head. It’s nice to have someone to talk so openly with. It’s fun, it makes the time pass. After you drop me off, I won’t see you until next weekend.”
“Well, what would you want to do?” Garrett asked.
“Believe it or not, I do know my way around the kitchen.”
“Really?”
“Yup. When I lived on my own, before my parents died, I did all my cooking. I only hired Helen because she needed the work and I had that big house to keep clean.”
Since Eron prodded into the capricious discussion, Garrett immersed himself in the fantasy. “So you’d get up and start breakfast and I could get up later and help serve.”
“Sure, as long as you come to bed when I do.”
“But one of us would need to stay up in case one of the guests needed anything.”
“If you think I’m going to bed without you, you’re nuts! I’ve worked too hard to get us into that dream. I’m not sleeping without you.”
“Even for just a few minutes?”
“Even for just a few seconds.”
Garrett rested his hand on top of Eron’s and bathed in the happiness that talking about running an inn brought. Although highly improbable, it was still fun to think about it.
The entire weekend had opened Garrett’s eyes to the possibilities between them. Not only had they met Bob and Dennis who had been together for years, but James and Todd who had only met a year ago, just like them.
It wouldn’t be easy, but they would be together. Their life wouldn’t be like “Life With Father” or “Leave it to Beaver,” coming home to a doting wife and kids. Their lives would be more like “Hogan’s Heroes,” keeping up appearances with the world while secretly sleeping with each other in their bedrooms. He had never really liked that show and the mockery it made of millions of POWs that served during the war, but he did appreciate the escape the humorous show afforded him from time to time.
Maybe living a “Hogan’s Heroes” life wouldn’t be so bad after all, especially since it would include Eron.
* * * *