Chapter 23
Colin took Hernán to the Immigration Initiative’s offices with him the next morning. He walked gingerly because Hernán had done a number on him the night before.
Hernán raised his head from Colin’s glistening cock, one hand still wrapped around the base. “How’s that?” he asked, and smiled at Colin’s groan. “It feels good in my mouth. And the taste! I had no idea why everyone always raved about blowjobs but I love doing this to you.”
Colin tried to raise his head from the pillow but failed. “Ah, chupame. Suck me, please. I was almost there.”
“Nuh huh, bello. I’ve got other plans for you.” Hernán rummaged in the drawer that contained secret desires. With a dirty grin, he began working Colin’s ass with Bluebeard to pry him open. After a few minutes he switched out that toy for Jesse, a thicker, red dildo with small bumps down its eight-inch length.
Abashed at first, Colin soon relaxed as Hernán whispered filthy stories in his ear about the “man” between his legs. When Hernán pulled Paul Bunyan out of the drawer, he held Colin’s gaze while he licked the huge thing up and down and tried to fit it into his mouth.
He couldn’t take even the first inch so he murmured, “Have you really had this monster inside you?” Colin nodded nervously, his face warm, but Hernán ran it across his belly. “I can’t wait to see Paul disappear inside you.” He brought the toy to Colin’s lips. “Work him up. Show me how much you want Paul inside you.”
Mortification warred with arousal as Colin let Hernán run the giant dildo over his lips. He opened his mouth wider and took the head inside. “Such a good cocksucker,” Hernán praised. “That’s it. Make Paul wet. He wants to fuck you.”
Colin closed his eyes and took the thing deeper. He could manage no more than a few inches but having Hernán feed him the silicone dick made his own ache. And then, Hernán slid down the bed to lube up the thing and press it to his hole…
Oh God, Colin was sprouting wood on the sidewalk. He shifted his gait until he was a few steps behind Hernán, hiding his arousal as best he could and grateful for the thigh-length coat he’d put on that morning. Hernán gave him a big smile over his shoulder, clearly aware of what Colin was doing.
“Did I go too hard on you last night?” Hernán asked innocently, though a devilish glint in his eye showed he already knew the answer.
Colin shook his head. “You did everything just right.”
“Mmm. Surely there’s room for improvement,” he teased.
After a quick look to make sure no one was in hearing range, Colin hissed, “The only way it can get better is if you give me the real thing again.”
When Hernán looked forward and didn’t answer, Colin’s heartbeat stuttered badly. He’d said the wrong thing, like an idiot. His semi-erection deflated and he hustled to take Hernán’s hand and walk beside him. “I’m not pushing—”
“I know, corazón.” Hernán cut him off with a smile, and Colin’s heart rate slowed back to normal. “After last night, I think I might be ready to go further. If we’re careful.”
“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” Colin groaned. “How am I going to get any work done today with that bouncing in my head?”
“Aw, I’m sorry,” Hernán said smugly. “I thought two orgasms last night would’ve taken the edge off for you.”
“You know damn well it didn’t,” Colin answered, pouting. “The more I get of you, the more I want. I’m greedy that way.”
“My greedy blanquito. I don’t know if I can compare with all your other men like Jesse and Paul.”
“What bullshit. You know exactly what you do to me.”
Hernán gave him a sideways look. “Yes, I do,” he admitted. “You do it to me as well.”
Colin squeezed his hand. Tightly.
They stopped for egg sandwiches and coffee at a diner on the street level of the building that housed the Immigration Initiative not-for-profit center. When Colin led the way out of the elevator and through a set of glass doors, he said to Hernán in an aside, “Don’t get flustered by Maryanne. She may embarrass you a little but she’ll really be trying to get under my skin.”
He guided Hernán down the hall to Maryanne’s office and rapped on the door frame. Her black hair glinted in the light streaming through her window. She stood up when she saw Colin had someone with him.
“Maryanne Rhee, I’d like you to meet Hernán Portillo. He’s joining us today as a volunteer and he’s agreed to give us about thirty hours a week.”
Her practiced, welcoming smile quickly turned into something wicked and mischievous. As he’d feared, Maryanne remembered the name Hernán. Colin groaned inwardly.
She extended her small, plump hand with its bright red fingernail polish. “Hernán, it’s a pleasure to have you.” She flashed a twinkling look at Colin. “And how did you come to hear about us?”
“Colin mentioned that you need Spanish speakers, and I’m interested in teaching.”
“That Colin. He’s something else, isn’t he?” Maryanne cooed, and Hernán nodded uncertainly. “Such a darling. And so handsome, don’t you think?”
“Uh…”
“My gosh, he’ll do anything. Even give the shirt off his back.”
“I…”
Oh don’t mind me, Hernán. I know he’s taken. In fact, I seem to recall him mentioning that he was quite smitten—”
“I never said smitten,” Colin interrupted. “Dammit. Yes, this is that Hernán.”
She laughed brightly and the sound made Hernán visibly relax. “Well, it’s nice to have you here no matter what persuasion Colin had to use. Sit, please. Let’s chat.”
She gestured to her visitor chairs and they spent the next twenty minutes talking about the center. Maryanne volunteered, “I got involved with immigration work because of the way I’ve been treated my whole life. I’m hapa. Mixed race, quite literally. My moms are Korean and Angolan. They wanted a baby that looked like them, so they used Eomma’s egg—that’s the Korean part—and found a black sperm donor for Meme.”
She winked at Hernán. “I’m pretty sure they picked the donor out of a catalog instead of going all the way back to Angola. I have a baby brother, too. They reversed things for him and used Meme’s egg and a Korean sperm donor.”
Hernán was so red by that time Colin feared momentarily that he’d have a stroke. He reached for Hernán’s hand, and got a grateful flash of wide eyes in return. Hernán cleared his throat and said, “That’s, uh… Your mothers make a lovely mix of features in your face.”
Maryanne slapped her desk lightly and rolled her eyes at Colin. “See? That’s how you give a compliment.” To Hernán, she said, “Numbnuts here ignored me and asked to see a picture of my brother.”
“I did not,” Colin protested in vain.
Maryanne went to work on Hernán in earnest then. Colin was in awe of the speed with which she made Hernán comfortable, drew him in, and then recruited him for a slate of volunteer activities more extensive than anything Colin had imagined.
They quickly settled on daily ESL classes for Spanish speakers, and then some ad hoc sessions to help people with job-hunting skills. In addition, Maryanne talked Hernán into signing up as a French translator. “We don’t get many Nahuatl speakers,” she told him, “but your Arabic might come in handy.”
“I’m not very good at it yet,” Hernán protested, but she waved it away.
“Whatever you can speak is more than anyone else on staff here. We’ve seen an increase in the number of Egyptians, Iraqis and Lebanese immigrating and needing help. Even rudimentary communication will go a long way to making them feel comfortable and welcome.” Hernán nodded reluctantly.
When Maryanne apparently felt she’d extracted every drop of commitment possible, she released Hernán with an engaging smile. “You’re going to be a tremendous help to us. I’m very excited to have you.” She grinned toothily and said in a suggestive tone, “I’m sure Colin is excited to have you as well.”
“That’s it,” Colin huffed. “I’m updating the sexual harassment file and sending out my résumé this afternoon.”
“No, you’re not. You love it here. But okay, enough teasing. For now.” Maryanne laughed again. “Colin, will you introduce Hernán to Vonda so she can get everything set up?”
She rose and extended her hand to Hernán. “Seriously, welcome. My door is always open if you need anything.”
Hernán looked dazed and wrung out already. He muttered something polite to Maryanne before Colin led him to the volunteer coordinator’s cubicle.
“Vonda, this is Hernán Portillo,” Colin told the young woman who tracked the various educational programs. He explained about what Hernán had agreed to do. Then he said to Hernán, “You’re in good hands. My office is just down there.” He pointed with his chin. “Come find me when you’re ready for some lunch.”
Settling down to his own work, Colin felt a surge of enthusiasm for the organization. Watching Maryanne at work on a volunteer or donor, and hearing the passion she had when she spoke about their efforts, reignited his own commitment. He hoped Hernán would grow to feel the same fire for their work. He’d never before had anyone to share it with.
Fantasies about what it might be like to have a man in his life who understood the important role the center played unspooled in his head. He started going through his emails, and snorted when a one-word message popped up from Maryanne:
Wow.
Colin typed back:
Hands off!
She ended the exchange with a smiley face.
Chuckling, he began to focus on the details for the upcoming Hill visits. Great progress had been made in expanding the applicability of asylum in recent years to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Many of those gains were under attack by the new administration and by xenophobic legislators who ran on a platform that equated immigration with crime and terrorism.
His team would be lobbying members of two Congressional committees against a bill recently introduced by a consortium from Arizona, Texas and Florida. Their bill would reduce the available paths to lawful immigration, including a severe curtailment of asylum.
His enthusiasm became eclipsed by his nerves. He trusted Maryanne but he couldn’t agree he was the best person for the important assignment. Stomach in knots, he read through the draft agenda and the team background.
He knew all the steps required, the protocol for the Hill meetings, the “elevator speech” he needed to have ready for any member of Congress he could corner for a few minutes…but he didn’t want to do it. He liked being in the background, where he could work with the lobbying teams on refining their message and stay behind as a resource.
Maryanne kept insisting that he take on a bigger role with the Initiative, though. She didn’t understand his reluctance to take the lead, and he couldn’t really explain it either. He just believed that he’d let everyone down, sooner or later. Colin sighed past his reluctance and returned to the matter at hand.
Around eleven his phone rang, and the name “Brandon” flashed up. They hadn’t had much chance to talk since his friend returned from the honeymoon, just enough that Colin had gushed about Hernán and their growing closeness.
When Colin picked up, Brandon drawled, “We still need that conversation you wanted when I was in Paris. Should we meet for a drink tonight before dinner or somethin’?”
“No, I got past that crisis. Honestly, this thing with Hernán is evolving so naturally and quickly that I almost worry it’s too easy.”
“I hear ya. Just communicate a lot and make sure you’re both on the same page. That’s the best advice I’d have anyway.” Brandon paused, and Colin could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke again. “You sound really happy. Hey, am I allowed to do the thing tonight where I grill your boyfriend about his intentions?”
“Don’t you dare,” Colin sputtered. “He’ll be nervous enough.”
“Okay, I guess I can leave it be for now. But you know it’s my responsibility as your friend to put the fear of God into him if he hurts you. If not tonight, soon!”
“Shouldn’t you go beat up a client for shirking their physical therapy exercises while you were gone?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. We’ll see you boys at seven-thirty.”
A little after noon, Hernán peeked into his office. Colin was on the phone, but he waved toward his visitor chair. Hernán parked there until Colin was free. When he hung up, he leaned his elbows on the desk to lean toward Hernán. Excitedly, he demanded, “Tell me about your first morning.”
“Sure, but can we bring lunch back here? I’m slotted to teach an English class already this afternoon at two and I want to go over the materials. I thought we could buy something nearby and come back.”
They returned to the diner to get food—a roast beef and Swiss sandwich for Colin and a Caesar salad with turkey for Hernán—before heading to Colin’s office again. Hernán filled him in on the morning’s introductory activities and confessed his nerves over the class he’d be handling that afternoon. Yet Hernán’s eyes sparkled, and his cheeks grew flushed. He suddenly had a purpose and something to offer, and that awareness made him glow.
Hernán had never looked more compelling to Colin than when he described how he was planning to break the ice with his first group of students and then dive into the English lesson.
“The textbook you use here is great,” Hernán said as he poked a plastic fork into his salad. “We used it in my school. It has dialogues to help the student feel confident in trying some basic conversation outside of class.” He caught Colin’s rapt gaze. “Do I have lettuce in my teeth?”
“No. It just thrills me to see how much you’re enjoying this.”
Hernán winked at him. “Let’s see how I feel after my first class. They may boo me out of there.”
“Are you kidding?” Colin snorted. “One look at you and we’ll probably end up with fifty new students who want to be teacher’s pet.” Hernán’s face shuttered for a moment. Colin got it. Being admired for his looks was something Hernán associated with unwanted attention and abuse.
He tried to change the subject quickly. “Do you think you’ll be done in time that we can still go see David and Brandon for dinner? Brandon’s looking forward to meeting you.”
“I guess we didn’t really meet, did we? I saw him sitting with you that time at Veranda but we never spoke. Rudy likes him.”
“Oh, Brandon’s great. He’s really easy to talk to.”
Hernán closed up his salad container and tossed it in the trash. “My class ends at four so I’ll have some downtime to prepare for tomorrow’s session before we go to dinner. When do we need to leave home?”
Home. Colin’s heart skipped a beat and he looked away to hide his no-doubt goofy grin. “It’s about a fifteen-minute walk. If we leave at seven we can stop to pick up a bottle of wine on the way.”
“That should work. Come get me when you’re ready to leave for the day, okay?” Hernán came around the desk and leaned toward Colin. He hovered with his lips inches from Colin’s, and said softly, “Thank you for suggesting this. I didn’t know how much I needed it but already I feel different. Charged up.”
He closed the gap between them and gave Colin a deep kiss that promised more. When Colin opened his eyes again, Hernán was studying his face. “I really love you, cariño.”
Colin’s throat felt tight. “I love you too. Now go kick some ass, maestro!”
Walking back to the condo at the end of the day, he listened eagerly while Hernán talked about his first class. “I was so nervous but you were right. They settled down as soon as I started. We did that ice-breaking exercise I mentioned and it went really well. It’s going to take some time to sort through who is at what level because some of them have a better grasp of English already. Maybe we could break things up into a beginning and advanced group?”
“That’s possible,” Colin said. “You should talk to Vonda about it. We haven’t tried it before because of a lack of instructors, but if you’re willing to commit the time—”
“I am,” Hernán interrupted forcefully. “I didn’t know for sure I was going to like teaching so much. After months of washing dishes in Provincetown, I feel like I have a direction again. Like the education I started in El Salvador really prepared me for something.”
Hernán had just changed his clothes for dinner and joined Colin in the living room when Hernán’s cell phone rang. He glanced at the display and said in surprise, “It’s Sofia.” He answered the call in speaker mode. “Hola, Sofia. Buenos días.”
“Hola, Hernán. Listen, I have some news for you and I couldn’t wait any longer. I’ve got something to tell you. Something I hope you’ll be happy about.”
Hernán crooked his head, a puzzled grin stretching his mouth. “What?” he asked.
Sofia sounded nervous. “I hope you won’t think I overstepped. I was very careful, though. Very explicit to the investigator I used about no contact.”
“Just tell me,” Hernán said with a small chuckle.
“I found Albert and Andrea. They’re in the States and they’re fine.”
Hernán’s mouth dropped open and he gasped. His eyes glistened with sudden tears, as his lower lip trembled.
Sofia continued. “Yes, I’m sure. I hired an investigator the firm uses sometimes. He found them in Midland, Texas. They moved there almost as soon as the children came over the border. I have an address and phone number for you.”
She read off the information but Hernán was trembling so much he couldn’t write anything down. Colin grabbed some paper and a pen and had Sofia repeat the information.
Hernán burst out, “Can I—?” He choked and had to start over. Tears running down his cheeks, he said in a thick voice, “Can I call them?”
Sofia replied, “As I said, the investigator made no contact, but I don’t see why not. You aren’t mad at me?”
“No, of course not,” Hernán choked out. “I’m going to call right now.”
“Let me know how it goes,” she said and disconnected.
Hernán’s hands shook badly as he tried to peer from the paper to his phone.
“Here, let me,” Colin said. He took the phone and dialed the number he’d written. “It’s ringing,” he said softly, and placed the phone back in Hernán’s trembling hands before standing to leave Hernán in privacy.
Hernán shot out a hand to pull Colin back down on to the sofa next to him. His eyes flared when the call connected. Colin heard a woman’s voice say, “Hello?”
“Is this…?” Hernán cleared his throat and tried again. “Is this Miranda López? My name is Hernán. Do you remember who I am?”
From the excited, loud voice, Colin knew that she did. Hernán put the phone on speaker, and then set it on the coffee table. He took Colin’s hand in both of his as Miranda called out in the background, <<Albert, Andrea. Come, quickly.>>
The sound of running feet and a boy asking, <<What is it, mamá?>> made Hernán almost sob. Eyes fixed on Colin’s, he said shakily, “That’s Albert.”
Miranda seemed to have put her phone on speaker as well. <<Babies, do you know who is on this phone?>> The children exclaimed and fussed, asking who who who?
Hernán spoke. <<Andrea. Albert. Do you remember me?>>
A hushed, shocked silence broke into loud, joyful cries. A girl’s voice asked, “Hernán, is it you?”
“Yes,” he said, nodding though the children couldn’t see him. Colin brushed tears from Hernán’s cheeks. “Are you well, niños? I’m so happy to hear your voices.”
Albert and Andrea chattered and interrupted each other, filling the space between DC and Texas with their happy voices.
“…And there was a snake, Hernán, right when we came out of the car,” Albert said.
“No, the snake was when we were coming out of the basement,” Andrea corrected.
World War III almost erupted as they squabbled. Hernán spoke over their argument. “I’m glad the snake didn’t get you, no matter where you were. Are you in school?”
The diversion worked beautifully, as the children told him about their classes and their teachers. After ten minutes, Miranda came back on the line. “I’m sorry to end this, but my husband is due home from work soon and I have to finish dinner.”
“Of course, Miranda,” Hernán said. He hesitated, and then asked in a shaky voice “Were…were they all right when they got to you? Did the drugs harm them?”
“They slept a long time and they were very hungry. But nothing else. The children talk about you and Isela all the time. Thank you for keeping them safe.”
“Would it be all right if I call again sometime? Or can I write?”
“Claro. I’m so happy you found us.”
They ended with a plan to speak again in a week. When Hernán disconnected, he threw his arms around Colin to sob onto his shoulder.
“Sometimes they were in my nightmares. Giving them the pills so the handlers wouldn’t force them—that was the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve dreamed for months that they died from the drugs, and their ghosts blamed me for betraying them.”
“But you didn’t betray them. It was their mother’s decision and you made it as easy as you could on them. Now they’re okay,” Colin murmured into his hair. “Albert and Andrea are safe. It’s time to forgive yourself.”
Hernán nodded and squeezed harder. “I’ll try.”