I arrived at the airport in Charlotte just before lunch. Eric and Javier both knew that I was in town, but I didn’t tell Chase. I wanted to surprise him with my visit.

At the rental car counter, the man who waited on me looked at my name on my driver’s license and said, “Hey, aren’t you the guy who used to coach for the Yellowjackets?”

I said, “Yes, and I’m coaching in San Antonio now. I flew back for the day to meet a couple of friends.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you got a raw deal here. You’re going to be a manager someday, and I bet you know more about baseball than most of the flunkies on our coaching staff. They should bring you back.”

I laughed softly. “Thank you for the vote of confidence, and I hope they are better than flunkies.”

He grinned and leaned over the desk whispering. “Don’t tell anyone, but I bumped you up to the VIP level, Coach. You have a larger car now, and it’s just around the corner. The keys are in it waiting for you.”

He handed me the rental car contract as I said, “Thank you.”

It was a sporty red car, and I felt a little more conspicuous than I thought would be ideal. I arranged to meet Javier at a small diner in the outskirts of Charlotte. My shiny red car with a Florida license plate stood out from the rest of the pickup trucks and aging domestic cars in the parking lot.

Javier sat alone at a two-person table in a corner. He was finishing up the last french fries on his plate. Javier dressed down in a red plaid shirt and blue jeans. He beamed when he saw me enter the restaurant.

I quickly made my way to the table and sat. I signaled to the server, and she brought a cup and the pot of coffee with her.

“Hun, you look like you need a cup of coffee. We’ve got a pecan pie fresh out of the oven if you want that with your lunch.”

I smiled, “The coffee is perfect. I saw the barbecued pulled pork sandwich on your specials board. How about that for lunch?”

“Chips or fries, hun?”

“Are the chips homemade?”

She shook her head. “Uh uh, but we slice our own potatoes for the fries.”

“I’ll take the fries then.”

“Up in a minute, hun.”

I turned to Javier as she walked back toward the kitchen. Touching his arm, I said, “Good to see you! I miss all of you. It’s lonely out there in Texas.”

Javier beamed again. “I’m happy to see you, Coach.”

I lowered my voice and asked, “What’s this about a recording?”

He slipped a cassette tape under the table to my hand. Javier whispered, “This here.”

“A cassette?”

“Safer than the computer,” said Javier as he nodded. “Don’t ask me how I got the tape.”

A few short minutes later, the server returned with a bun piled high with barbecued pulled pork. It was sliding off the edges of the bun. I needed a fork to eat it. There was no way to pick it up without dumping the saucy mess into my lap.”

Eric let me into Chase’s apartment. The injured right-fielder was propped up on the couch watching TV. He heard the voices first and started to ask, “Eric, who…,” and then he shouted, “Aaron!”

I hugged Eric tight, and then I stepped up to the couch leaning down and kissing Chase on the lips. He reached out with his good left arm and tugged me down to sit beside him. I slipped my tongue between his lips and moaned.

Eric laughed and said, “It looks like you are in good hands.”

I pulled back from the kiss and stared into Chase’s sparkling eyes for a moment before turning my head toward Eric. “It’s so great to see both of you. It looks like you’re taking good care of my man.”

“I do my best,” said Eric. “He can be a little demanding, but I’m sure he’d do the same for me.”

Chase said, “He’s been waiting on me hand and foot. I owe him big time once I’ve recovered. I told him I could hire a home nurse. He insisted on staying here. He doesn’t ask any questions, and he’s never cranky.”

“We’re buddies,” said Eric. “I wouldn’t leave him to a pack of strangers. For now, though, I think I’ll get some fresh air. I’m sure the two of you need a little bit of time alone.”

I said, “I don’t mean to chase you out.”

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours. When do you have to go back to San Antonio?”

“The plane leaves at 7:00 p.m.”

“You’re not even staying overnight?” asked Chase.

I reached out and ruffled his hair. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. At first, I thought I would, but it will be safer to go home tonight. I don’t think management would approve of this visit if they knew.” Turning back to Eric, I said, “Have fun while you’re out, and we’ll have a quick early dinner together before I have to go.”

As Eric disappeared and closed the door behind him, I sat next to Chase on the couch and smiled. I said, “Eric has kept me up to date on the doctor reports. When do you start physical therapy?”

“I’ve already started, but can we talk about that later? Maybe we can discuss it over dinner when Eric is here. I would rather concentrate on other stuff right now.”

“Like what?”

“Like another kiss.”

I grinned and leaned over to share another kiss. Chase reached for the buttons on my shirt while my tongue slipped between his lips. I didn’t expect anything sexual. After all, he was hurt.

Pulling back from the kiss, I asked, “Are you sure this is okay?”

“Just watch out for my shoulder. Otherwise, anything goes. I don’t want to waste this…” He gripped my wrist with his right hand and pressed my hand down between his legs. Chase was hard. I wanted him so badly. We needed to figure out what we could do to ease the intensity.

I helped him finish the buttons on my shirt and then shrugged it off onto the floor. He was wearing an old T-Shirt with the left sleeve removed to accommodate the splint holding his shoulder still. Instead of bothering with removing his shirt, I reached for the cut-off sweatpants he wore. It only took seconds to tug them down to his knees and stare at the outline in his cobalt blue boxer briefs.

He whispered, “Don’t stop there.”

I lowered myself onto my side on the couch right up next to Chase. I only had perhaps an inch of clearance behind me to keep from rolling off onto the floor. Chase chuckled softly, and then he sucked in a ragged breath as I tugged the boxer briefs down freeing his beautiful cock.

I kissed him again and whispered, “I think nothing beats a perfect handjob. Particularly with a few trips to the edge and back.”

Chase mumbled, “Fuck,” and he reached up with his good arm pulling my head down again. We kissed hard while I wrapped my fingers around his cock. It pulsed in my hand, and I slowly began to stroke it. I exhaled deeply into his mouth. I’d missed Chase so badly. I wanted to give him nothing but pleasure. I wanted to share it with him and take us both to the edge.

Releasing his cock for a moment, I shucked off my jeans and underwear. Soon I was lying naked next to Chase with our cocks cradled together in my grip. He mumbled, “That’s so damned sexy.”

Chase slipped his right hand down and began to stroke my cock while I stroked him. My naked body rubbed against his side, and my balls rested against his thigh. Our tongues found each other and twined together. I was in heaven.

While I trailed my kisses down the side of his neck and tongued his collarbone, Chase rolled his head back and let out a low hissing sound before he moaned loudly. He whispered, “I’m close.”

Kissing his hard pec, I whispered back, “Not yet,” and stopped stroking.

“Fuck, don’t stop,” moaned Chase. I started to stroke again, and he arched his hips up into my hand. He stroked me even faster.

“Not too fast. I want to ride the edge with you.”

I heard a little yelp, and Chase mumbled, “So close.” I stopped again. This time he pumped his hips upward trying desperately to start my stroking again.

I whispered, “I love you.”

He growled, “Fuck, I almost came when you said that.”

I started to stroke again and asked, “Does that mean you love me, too?”

“Fuck yeah, I missed you so…oh man…” He was close again, and I was, too. I wanted to edge him more, but I didn’t know if I could. We were both ready to explode.

Chase stroked faster, He whispered, “Cum…,” and it was the moment of no return. I stroked him in unison, and it was my turn to yelp. I exploded in his hand, and my entire body shuddered.

His mouth opened in a wordless howl, and the first ropes of cum shot in an arc over Chase’s abs. “Oh…oh…” His head raised off the pillow, and his eyes shut tight as he pumped more cum over my fingers. Then he suddenly relaxed, and his eyes opened wide.

I whispered, “I love you so much,” and I smothered his breath in another passionate kiss.