Vincent woke up in the morning with a smile on his face for three straight days. He couldn’t remember that happening at any time in the past eighteen months. He still thought about Dana every day and missed her gentle presence, but he woke up thinking about being snuggled up next to Andrew with his face nestled on Andrew’s shoulder.

While making smiley face pancakes for breakfast, Vincent asked Mandy, “Would you like to go shopping with Mr. McCall to look for furnishings for the new house?”

Mandy set the table with plates, silverware, and glasses for orange juice. She asked, “What type of furnishings, Dad?”

Vincent said, “He told me that he’s wanting to go looking for things like lamps, side tables, and maybe vases and little knick knacks for decoration.”

She said, “That sounds like fun. Has Mr. McCall started working in the kitchen yet?”

“I don’t think they are quite there yet,” said Vincent, “But I’m sure you will be asked to help when they get started on that part of the project.”

“Dad, can I tell you something?”

Vincent flipped the last pancake out of the pan and turned the heat off on the stove. He joined Mandy by the table and pulled her close while she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Of course you can tell me anything. What’s on your mind?”

Mandy said, “I told Wendy Phillips about the house. She thought it sounded great until she asked where it was. Then she said, ‘But you won’t be going to school with us anymore.’ I said, ‘That’s right, but I’ll just be across the city. We can still hang out together, and we can go to movies on the weekend.’”

“What did she say?” asked Vincent.

She said, “It won’t be the same.”

“What do you think?” asked Vincent. He slipped his fingers underneath her chin and lifted it up gently to look into Mandy’s eyes.

“It won’t be the same,” said Mandy. “How can it be the same?”

“I agree,” said Vincent, “And is that okay to you?”

“I want to go somewhere different for school, Dad. Everybody at school knows about Mom, and I think sometimes they treat me different. They try to be extra nice or they get quiet when I come around.”

“That still happens?” asked Vincent.

Mandy said, “It does. I feel kind of bad, too. Sometimes it feels like I want to run away from Mom, but that’s not what I’m trying to do. I want to be somewhere that I’m just the same as the other kids again.”

Vincent held Mandy tight and swayed back and forth. He said, “I don’t think you’re running away. What I hear you saying is you want to remember your mom in your own way and not have everybody else remind you about it every minute of the day.”

Mandy said, “I love you Dad,” and buried her face in his side. She began to sob gently.

Vincent said, “We both love her, and she’ll be with us wherever we go. Don’t you worry about that. Now let’s have some breakfast. Then let me know how you feel about going to school.”

“I’ll go,” whispered Mandy. “It’s okay. I just needed to let you know, Dad.”

---

“I can’t believe we’re doing this again,” said Vincent as he followed Andrew through the front door. He carved out another two-hour block in his work afternoon to have private time one-on-one with Andrew. “This makes me feel like I’m in my 20s again.”

Andrew said, “Well, that’s okay for you. I think I’m a lot better than I was in my 20s. Unless you’re counting this as a do-over.”

Vincent pulled on Andrew’s upper arm. Andrew turned around, and they wrapped each other in a hug followed by a sweet, passionate kiss. He said, “I’m not sure how often we can do this. Our co-workers might get a little frustrated. What did you tell Jeffrey and Doug?”

Andrew laughed and said, “They told me that I’d owe them an afternoon off. Then Doug said, ‘Jeffrey, can we go to your house and talk about plans?’ He drew the word out long and with a drawl. They are teasing me, but they think we make a good couple, too. How about your secretary?”

Vincent grinned and said, “I think she’s starting to get a little bit suspicious. She asked, ‘Another meeting about the house?’ I said that I thought they wouldn’t continue for too much longer. Then she said, ‘If you spend all your time meeting, then you’ll never get the work done.’”

“That sounds like the words of a mom. Does your secretary have kids?”

“Two,” said Vincent. He added, “Sometime I’ll come over, and you can give me the proper tour of this house, but so far I only have time here for you. Can we go upstairs?”

“Lead the way,” laughed Andrew.

They both bounded up the stairs. Vincent wasn’t completely sure what would happen in the bedroom, but he felt much more comfortable and relaxed than the time before. He opened the door to Andrew’s bedroom and tugged Andrew’s hand to pull him close.

“Do you want to go further than last time?” asked Andrew.

Vincent inhaled deeply and said, “Yes, but I still want you to lead.”

Andrew reached out to unbutton Vincent’s shirt while leaning forward and kissing his lips lightly. He said, “I can do that.”

Vincent reached out for Andrew’s shirt and fumbled with the buttons. He was undressing a man for the first time, and he couldn’t wait to slip his hands inside the shirt and feel Andrew’s body again.

When Andrew’s shirt fell to the floor, Vincent reached one hand downward to cup Andrew’s swollen package. His mouth began to water again remembering their last time in bed together. Andrew whispered, “I want you naked, and then I want you to climb onto the bed.”

Vincent was already shirtless, and he quickly kicked off his shoes and pulled off his jeans. He climbed onto the bed and lay back waiting for Andrew’s lead.

Andrew asked, “Do you see the nightstand there by the bed?”

Vincent turned his head and said, “Yes.”

“Condom and lube in the nightstand. Let’s start with the lube first.”

Vincent reached for the drawer in the nightstand, and then he hesitated. He glanced back at Andrew to see a nod yes. Vincent’s hands shook as he retrieved a small bottle of lube and handed it to Andrew.

Andrew straddled Vincent on the bed. He squirted a small amount of lube onto his fingers. Then he asked, “Have you ever been touched down there?”

“We experimented a little,” said Vincent.

“Have you ever had anything up inside?”

Vincent took a deep breath and said, “No, not really.”

“Then just relax,” said Andrew. “I’ll take it slow. Keep your eyes open and look at me.”

Vincent fought his impulse to close his eyes and just focus on the sensations. Instead, he stared into Andrew’s eyes while Andrew gripped Vincent’s thighs and rocked his hips back on the bed. Andrew pushed Vincent’s knees wider and then slipped a slick finger between Vincent’s ass cheeks.

Vincent felt his breathing quicken. Andrew said, “Relax.”

The finger touched the rim of Vincent’s hole. A startled, “Oh!” slipped out of his mouth, and then Andrew began to slowly move his fingertips in a lazy circle. Vincent’s hands gripped the bedspread, and he said, “That feels so incredibly good.”

“It’s good?” asked Andrew. “Keep relaxing, and when you feel pressure, try to push out.”

Vincent felt light pressure against his hole, and he pushed out as instructed. “That’s it,” said Andrew. “You’re doing great, Vincent.”

The tip of Andrew’s finger slipped inside, and Vincent bit his lip. The sensation wasn’t painful, but it was different. Then Andrew pushed further inside and began to slide the fingertip forward and back. “It might feel a little uncomfortable…at first,” said Andrew. “Just keep relaxing.”

Vincent closed his eyes and said, “I like it, I think.”

Andrew’s free hand reached for Vincent’s cock. He gave it long slow strokes from base to head adding a slight corkscrew twisting motion at the head.

“Oh…wow,” whispered Vincent. His mouth fell open. He began to gasp for breath.

Andrew slipped the finger deeper inside. He pushed his body up between Vincent’s legs and pushed Vincent’s ankles up over his shoulders. He asked, “Is that comfortable? Are you still flexible enough?”

Vincent mumbled, “Yeah, it’s good. Oh man, it’s so good.”

Andrew slid the finger even further inside until it found the little knob he was trying to reach. Vincent lurched and then began to let out a deep guttural moan. “That’s it,” said Andrew. “You’re doing well.” He stroked the cock a little faster as he began to massage the knob with a gentle motion of his fingertip.

Vincent opened his eyes and asked, “What is that? Oh damn, it feels good.”

“That’s your prostate. Never played with it before?” asked Andrew.

Vincent did his best to shake his head no against the pillow. “And it’s gonna make me cum…”

“I’ll slow it down a little bit,” whispered Andrew. He pulled the fingertip back and concentrated on slow, sensual stroking of the cock. He said, “Look at me.”

Vincent opened his eyes wider and stared at Andrew. “It feels so amazing. Please…do not stop.”

Andrew shook his head and said, “I won’t stop. I just want you to really feel. Relax. Enjoy. You’re so fucking hot, Vincent.”

Vincent moaned, “I feel like I’m gonna explode.”

“Just hold on a little longer.” Andrew slipped the finger forward again to find the knob. He gently massaged and prodded. Vincent closed his eyes again and pushed his head back hard against the pillow.

“Getting close?” asked Andrew.

“Right up on the edge,” moaned Vincent. “I wanna cum. Can I cum? Can I stop holding it?”

Andrew pumped the cock even faster and said, “Cum for me now. Show me how fucking sexy you are, Vincent.”

Vincent’s abs clenched and his hands reached up to the pillow gripping both ends and pushing it tight against his face. He yelled out as his cock shot a long looping arc of cum that landed on his chest. His body convulsed and jerked uncontrollably against the bed. He could feel his ass tighten hard against Andrew’s finger. “Oh, damn! I never…” Vincent’s body convulsed again, and he thrashed against the bedspread.

Andrew said, “You are so incredibly hot. Just wait until I fuck you.”

“I want you to fuck me,” whispered Vincent.

“I never show all my cards at once,” said Andrew.

Vincent’s eyes opened wide, and he pleaded, “Come and lay up here beside me, please. I want to feel your body against me.”

Andrew grinned saying, “You don’t have to ask twice.” He smeared the cum on his fingers across Vincent’s belly before he pushed forward to lay at Vincent’s side. He planted his cheek on Vincent’s chest and licked at the hard nub of a nipple.

Vincent felt a shudder race through his body when the tongue touched the nipple. “You are so incredible,” moaned Vincent. “I don’t ever want to get out of bed.”

Andrew said, “It is a good place. Anywhere with you is a good place, Vincent. Maybe we should go away for a weekend sometime.”

“That might work. Maybe Mandy would stay with Cathy, or she would want to spend the weekend with one of her friends. She has gone up north with families of friends before to spend a weekend in a cabin. She loved that.”

Andrew whispered, “All weekend long. Just you and me. Maybe a fireplace, and we could order in food. I could feed you and fuck you.”

“We could take a bath together,” said Vincent.

“You would like that?” asked Andrew.

“Oh, definitely,” said Vincent. “And cuddle up on a rug by the fireplace with roses and chocolate.”

“I think I got really lucky to find you,” said Andrew.

“The luck was all mine. Being with a man is hot like I thought it might be, but being with you, Andrew, is even better.”