Are You Lonely?

"No, we're wasting enough time as it is..." she said curtly.

She read my contract as I followed behind her.

She suddenly turned, her lips twisted into a sneer of contempt, and asked me, "Are you really living at the Starlite Motel?"

"Well, uh, just for now - I'll be moving as soon as I find an apartment - there wasn't much time for that when I got here," I stammered.

She frowned and shook her head and resumed walking.

**

After work, on the way back to the motel, I stopped for more chips and crackers and another half-gallon of booze. I knew what little liquor I had left in the bottle wouldn't be nearly enough to calm my frazzled nerves.

Talk about a bad first day at work - OH-MY-GOD...

It took three tumblers-full of bourbon for my hands to stop shaking and my mind to finally relax. When I was able to snap out of my catatonic state I knew it was dark outside because I could hear the laughter and loud chattering of the hookers.

The piano riff from my cell phone startled me. My mother was calling.

I took a gulp of bourbon and a deep breath then answered the phone as cheerfully as I could.

"Hi, mom," I said.

"Honey, how are you? How was your first day at work?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, it went fine," I lied.

"Are you going to like it there?" she asked.

I don't know why such a simple question threw me off guard.

"Well, uh...yeah, sure...I'll get used to it," I stammered.

"Oh my," she said softly. "Remember, dear, it was only your first day."

"I know, mom...things are a little different down here...I won't be making what I made up north..."

"I know, dear, the laws are different down here...can your father and I help you out?"

"Oh no, mom, I saved a lot of money in the last year...that won't be a problem."

"You sound funny, sweetheart...are you drinking tonight?"

Damn! How does she always figure that out?

"I had a couple when I got home, mom - I'm okay."

"Honey, if you're not happy you know you can always come here and live with us."

"Mom, you and dad have a one-bedroom condo in a senior citizen community."

"We have a convertible sofa, dear..."

"I'll be fine, mom..."

"John, remember you are always welcome - and if you need help with anything at all - we are here for you, okay?"

"Okay, mom, thanks."

"We love you very much, dear."

"I love you guys, too, mom."

When the call ended I felt so lonely tears came to my eyes.

I poured another drink and collapsed into the uncomfortable chair next to the bed.

Suddenly, I heard a booming male voice thru the wall of the adjacent room shout, "Oh yeah, baby, that's it - suck it - suck it good!"

**

I was tired and depressed and didn't want to dwell on the negative anymore. I thought about Jennifer.

We shared a cubicle and she was my team leader. She's gorgeous, has a great body, but best of all, she was nice to me today. She was the only one nice to me today.

She greeted me warmly with a beautiful smile that calmed me down and helped soothe my bruised psyche. She wore a stylish dress, and she towered over me, but I saw she had on two-inch heels.

It seemed like all the female employees were dressed like they were going to the theater or the symphony. They all wore dresses or skirts. I liked it.

Jennifer and I talked a few minutes then she instructed me on the project we would be working on together. I was immediately impressed with her knowledge and no-nonsense attitude.

She quickly brought me up to speed and we pretty much worked in silence until she announced it was time for lunch.

When I had walked thru the office earlier, I couldn't see the faces of my co-workers in their cubicles. In the break room now, I became acutely aware of the unpleasant glares most of them gave me as I followed Jennifer. Some of them were openly pointing and frowning when we walked by them which set my nerves on edge.

The break room had four vending machines: one with sandwiches; another with an assortment of chips; one with all candy bars; and finally a soda machine.

Jennifer had brought her own lunch. I went to the machines and purchased a sandwich, chips and a bottle water. The prices were reasonable.

I joined her at a table away from everyone else. I could still feel hostile glares from my new co-workers. I figured it was because of my casual attire.

Suddenly, I heard the man in the next room begin shouting again.

"Oh yeah - here it comes - SWALLOW IT BITCH - SWALLOW IT BITCH - SWALLOW IT BITCH..."

I don't know why, but I sprung a boner. I concentrated on the sounds I was hearing from the next room.

I squeezed my hard-on thru the jeans then massaged it back and forth with the palm of my hand.

I couldn't help myself. I stripped to my string, bikini briefs and flopped down on my back on the bed. I slid a hand inside the briefs and slowly stroked my prick.

When the pressure in my balls became unbearable, I pushed the briefs to just above my knees and feverishly stroked my hard-on while I formed a mental image of what was taking place next door.

I closed my eyes and pictured the woman on her knees between the man's open legs with his exploding cock in her mouth; her head moving rapidly up-and-down as she frantically tried to gulp down everything the man's balls gave her.

I groaned and had to stifle a scream as my back arched off the bed and ropes of sperm and semen shot in the air and landed on my belly and thighs.

I awoke the next morning with my briefs near my knees and my soft, sticky penis still in my hand.

**

I walked into the break room twenty-minutes before work. Jennifer said she had coffee every morning there. I saw her at a table with four other people. They were quietly talking and laughing.

Remembering the chilly reception I'd gotten the day before, I screwed on a smile and when I was close enough cheerfully said, "Good morning."

Jennifer smiled and said, "Good morning, John."

The others quit talking and the smiles disappeared from their faces. When I sat beside Jennifer, one-by-one the others got up and silently left the table.

When we were alone, I asked Jennifer, "I'm not very popular here, am I? What did I do wrong?"

She said, "Oh, don't worry about it...we're all protective of our own here. I'm sure they'll warm up to you once they get to know you."

Jennifer changed the subject. "Like I said I would yesterday, I got a hold of all my friends who live in apartments to see if there were vacancies in their buildings...so far no luck...I'm still waiting to hear from a couple of them."

"I appreciate it," I replied.

"What's it like at the Starlite Motel at night?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Oh, just what you'd expect," I said. "It gets kind of noisy sometimes."

"I'll bet you hear some interesting things from the rooms around you," she said smiling again.

"Yeah, the walls are pretty thin," I replied.

"You sure look nice today," she said.

I blushed and thanked her.

"We didn't get to talk much yesterday, tell me a little about yourself, okay?" she said.

"Well, what do you want to know?" I asked her.

"For starters, I was wondering why a little cutie like you would move way down here...didn't your girlfriend object?" she asked.

"Oh, I haven't had a steady girlfriend for awhile," I said.

"Really? I find that hard to believe...you have a nice sense of humor, and so far you've been fun to talk with...maybe I'll set you up with one of the younger girls in accounting," she said.

I blushed and replied, "Oh, don't go out of your way...I'm not in any hurry."

She frowned and said, "Oh, cutie, don't tell me you're a queerboy, is that it?"

I blushed furiously and protested, "No, no, not at all."

"I guess some girl just broke your heart..." she said.

"Yes, I guess you can say that..." I said.

**

We had been working in silence a couple hours when my phone blasted the piano riff. It seemed to echo throughout the office.

Darn, I forgot to switch it to airplane mode. I silenced the phone then went to 'Settings' and corrected the problem.

When I looked up our boss, Miss Pruneface, as I thought of her, was glaring down at me.

"Didn't you read our policy and procedure manual concerning cell phones?" she asked icily.

"Uh, yes, sorry, I forgot to turn it off," I stammered.

"I'll have to give you a write-up for violating the policy," she said.

"Oh, uh, sure," I replied.

"I should write you up for your shoes, but I'll just give you a verbal warning on those...when you come to work tomorrow make sure they're properly polished, understand?" she said.

"Oh, uh, yes, thanks," I replied.

When she left I looked at my shoes. They didn't look that bad to me. Since I wore sneakers to my last job, I hadn't worn my dress shoes in a couple years. I still didn't think they looked that bad. Oh well...

**

On Wednesday, Jennifer and I went for drinks after work. The bar was crowded and I felt a strange pride walking beside such a beautiful woman even though she was eight-years older than me.

I tried my best to control my drinking, but she had no problem knocking them back so it came to feel like a competition. I didn't want her thinking I was some kind of a wuss so I was determined to out drink her...and I sure did.

When she left the bar I stayed and had a few more then managed to safely get back to the motel.

The next morning at work I was working intently on the computer when Jennifer came to me and gave me a roll of breath mints.

"You need to eat some of these, I can smell you from my desk!" she said.

I blushed and stammered, "Oh, uh, thank you."

At lunch, Jennifer checked the messages on her phone.

"Oh goodie," she said excitedly, "David says there's an efficiency open right across the hall from him...should I tell him you're interested?"

"Uh, yeah, okay, I can go see it after work," I told her.

A short while later she said, "He wants us to meet him at the bar after work."

"Oh, yeah, okay," I agreed; secretly happy I'd be able to get rid of my headache with a drink.

A pretty girl stopped by the table and said to me, "Hi, we haven't met - I'm Julia."

I shook her hand and introduced myself.

When Julia left us I said to Jennifer, "She seems nice..."

"I should probably tell you she's the reason why everyone here has it out for you...she was supposed to get promoted to your position, but when you transferred here, H.R. had to follow company policy and give you the position instead of her," she said.

"Oh...sorry about that...she still seems nice though," I said.

Jennifer lowered her voice and said, "She's not - look out for her!"

**

I was surprised to discover Jennifer's friend, David, was so much older than her. He must have been in his forties.

He had close-cropped gray hair and appeared to be quite physically fit. He wore a tight-fitting shirt that accentuated his sculpted chest. He was darn good-looking for an older guy.

Jennifer introduced us and he said in a thick southern accent, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Joan."

It sounded like he called me 'Joan'. I blushed and said, "No, uh, my name is 'John'."

His handshake lingered. He smiled and said, "That's what I said...'Joan'..."

It sure sounded more like 'Joan' to me than 'John', but I decided it didn't matter so I gave up on correcting him. Since moving here I could generally understand what people were saying. There were a few times though their southern accents befuddled me.

"Jennifer was right," he said smiling, "you ARE cute as a bug!" which caused my face to flush a deep red.

He was very pleasant. He seemed genuinely interested in me. I answered a few questions and after two drinks Jennifer excused herself and went home leaving me alone with David.

I found him a very interesting man. He was a photographer and had done a lot of traveling. He regaled me with stories of Europe and the Middle East, of all places.

He was also very adept at subtly extracting bits and pieces of my life history. I am an introvert but at one point I dominated the conversation for about fifteen minutes straight.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me," I said, "I usually don't talk this much."

He smiled a beautiful smile showing perfect teeth and said, "You are an interesting boy...I can tell you're smart, and you have the kind of sense of humor I like...I hope you move into my building..."

He then winked at me and added: "I simply adore boys like you."

Huh? What does that mean?

I agreed to meet him Friday after work at his place. We had one more drink together before he had to leave.

"Joanie, you sure do have a remarkable tolerance for alcohol," he said. "I have some liquor at home you might enjoy."

"Oh, okay," I replied.

He was about to slide out of the booth when he stopped, placed a strong hand on my back, and gently massaged my shoulders.

"Joanie..." he said softly.

I had to lean in close to hear him. I could not resist staring into his big brown eyes.

"I have a feeling you and I are going to become very close friends," he said in a whisper.

The way he said it took my breath away. I felt my body grow warm all over.

I decided to have one more drink after he left. Of course, that turned into four more. I managed to make it back safely to the motel.

The next morning I stopped for breath mints on my way to work.

**

I followed Jennifer's driving directions and arrived at the Bay Ridge Apartments in twenty-minutes.

From the parking lot I could see it was an older building and when I went inside there was a familiar, but slightly odd aroma that I couldn't identify. It was also quite warm.

I pressed the button to apartment 204 and was buzzed through the security door. Yes, it was an old building, but it was clean and seemed to be well maintained.

As I climbed the stairs to the second floor it grew warmer and warmer. By the time I knocked on door 204 I was lightly perspiring.

I was startled when David opened the door wearing nothing but boxer shorts. He saw the surprise on my face and chuckled.

"Air conditioner isn't working," he explained.

When he closed the door behind me he stared at my face then his eyes slowly lowered to take in the rest of my body then he was looking me in the eyes again.

I blushed and had to avert my eyes from the intensity of his gaze.

"I had a wonderful time last night, Joanie, I am very happy to see you again...would you care for something to drink? Water, lemonade, maybe something stronger?" he asked me.

I am not accustomed to such effusive compliments. I turned red.

"Uh, I had fun too, David, uh maybe some water would be nice," I stammered.

He motioned for me to sit on the sofa and said, "Water it is..."

The aroma of meat cooking filled the apartment. It smelled so good my stomach rumbled. I hadn't been eating much lately.

When I sat on the sofa the fabric felt so soft and plush I ran my hands over it. I guessed it to be velvet.

He returned with a cold bottle of water for me and he appeared to be drinking lemonade. He settled into a recliner across from me which looked to be the same fabric as the sofa.

They must have come together as a set, I thought, and they definitely are not cheap.

"Glenn, the landlord, is out of town at the moment and he asked me to show you the apartment," said David.

"Oh, okay," I said.

"Keep in my mind the place is an 'efficiency' and it's not very big...but I do believe it will be perfect for a boy like you, Joanie."

Huh? That's the second time he used that phrase.

"I had so much fun with you last night it feels like we're old friends," he said sincerely.

I told him I felt the same way.

"I'm usually not this comfortable with people I've just met," I said.

"Comfortable - yes...that is an excellent description," he said. "And it seems like I know most everything about you...even your trials and tribulations with the opposite sex."

I blushed. I'd forgotten I had told him the most intimate details of my love life and the frustrations I had with the girls in my past.

"No need to be embarrassed with me, Joanie...I understand you completely," he said.

He was so soft spoken and polite, he was extremely easy to talk with.

"Perhaps you were simply going in the wrong direction...moving here might work out to be the smartest decision of your life," he said.

I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but his smile and easy-going manner made me relax.

I drank in his handsome face. His gray hair made him look rather distinguished. His chest was finely sculpted, and his belly was wash-board flat.

He is a very attractive man, I thought.

A second later I scolded myself for thinking that way.

"Come on, I'll show you the apartment," he suddenly announced and I stood and followed him.

We walked across the hallway through the door of apartment 206 and I stood with mouth agape; my head swiveling from side-to-side taking in the smallest apartment I'd ever seen.

This can't be right, I thought. Is this some kind of joke?

It was a crushing disappointment. I was looking forward to living across the hall from David.

On my right there was a small table against the front wall with two chairs; straight ahead I saw the kitchen behind a counter with two bar stools.

"Is the bedroom over there?" I asked pointing where the hallway disappeared.

"No, the bathroom is over there..." he said then walked to the right and opened a closet door.

I saw a bed standing in the closet. He pulled it down to the floor and I could see it was a small twin bed. The 'living room' was also the 'bedroom'...the place was so tiny and cramped I thought it had been an old supply closet that had been converted into an apartment.

I was about to tell him I wasn't interested but he spoke first.

"Isn't this cute? It's a fabulous starter apartment for a boy like you," he said.

There was that phrase again. What does he mean 'a boy like me?'

"Joanie, are you hungry? I have a wonderful roast in the crock pot and it's way too much food for me...it would be my honor and pleasure if you would join me for dinner," he said.

The roast had smelled good, I thought, but how can I eat his food after I decline to rent the tiny, claustrophobic box of an apartment?

Simple, I thought, I'll wait until after dinner to tell him.

We went back into his hot and stuffy apartment and I sat on the velvet sofa. I loved the feel of it.

He checked the roast then called out from the kitchen, "Joanie, will you join me in an aperitif before dinner?"

Oh God, yes, I NEED a drink after seeing that broom-closet-of-an-apartment!

"Yes, David, that would be nice, thank you," I replied.

He returned to the living room and handed me a cocktail glass filled with a sickly green liquid.

"Have you ever had absinthe before?" he asked as I took the glass from him.

"Uh, no, I haven't," I answered.

I took a healthy mouthful and I guess I must have made a face because he chuckled and said, "Yes, it's an acquired taste...sip it slowly."

He sat beside me on the sofa and I became self-conscious about being so close to a nearly naked older man.

"Joanie, it is awfully hot in here - you look terribly uncomfortable..." he said so softly I could barely hear him.

He added: "Joanie, there is nothing wrong with two adults sitting together in their undies..."

Huh? What did he say? I took two healthy mouthfuls of the slightly bitter, licorice flavored drink. I could already feel a pleasant glow in my head. I figured it was because I hadn't eaten much.

"Joanie, you are perspiring, you will feel much better taking off your shirt," he said. "Here, let me help you."

Ohhhh, isn't he nice! So concerned about my comfort. Yes, it IS hot in here. What's the big deal - like he said, we are two adults, and Jennifer had said she trusted him with her life. That was good enough for me.