Kindness of Strangers Ch. 03

"Noooooo," he wailed, "...I don't want anyone to see me like this!"

"Benji, if it comes down to it, no one will see the pictures except lawyers," I assured him. "We NEED photos to prove what happened to you!"

He finally relented, but pouted and frowned the whole time I snapped away on my cell phone. His sad and pathetic expressions served to make him appear even worse-off than he actually was.

As Benji's ribs and other bruises healed, the hardest part was keeping him in the apartment. Over-and-over I stressed the danger he was facing, but he is stubborn, and thought I was being overly protective.

"Jesus, Johnny, you are such a drama queen! You make it seem like we're in mortal fear for our lives...we're prisoners here---c'mon, it's not that bad---let's go out and have some fun!" he pleaded with me at least a couple times a day, but I steadfastly held my ground.

Five-days into our forced hibernation we were running out of food. I went online and searched for the closest grocery store AWAY from the one where we normally shopped.

I was going to have Benji stay home while I went shopping, but thought better of it. I was sure once I was gone, he would bolt from the apartment...maybe even go to 'The Crooked Arrow'...so I brought him with me so I could watch out for him.

Our sex life slowed down considerably, too. No phone calls or visits from Daddy...and even the always-horny Mr. Toole didn't stop by for a blowjob. If I'd thought about it, I would have suspected something wasn't quite right about their absences.

Benji and I were content with cuddling and stroking each others cocks three-times a day. I felt guilty when his bruised ribs and chest caused him to groan in agony every time he climaxed, but true to his nature, he claimed the pain gave him the best orgasms of his life...I could only shake my head in wonderment...

Another ten-days went by without seeing or hearing from Daddy. Mr. Toole didn't visit us either, and the couple times I saw him in the hallway he simply nodded at me.

I was sure something was very wrong...both men suddenly disappearing from our lives was too unusual to ignore. At night, alone with my computer, I began researching different towns and cities---just in case a sudden move became necessary...I always say everyone should have a 'Plan B'...

I had begun to take Benji places I believed would be safe; far away movie theaters and restaurants, and some straight bars, at least the ones that would accept his fake id.

You would have thought us constantly being together would have brought us closer, but, no...it only served to highlight the flaws we found in each other.

Yes, we were friends...we could still talk the night away, but we both knew our romantic interests were elsewhere. Benji was re-thinking his life, and wanted a serious relationship as much as I did.

One day at home, when Benji emerged naked from the bathroom, I commented on how all his bruises had finally disappeared.

He smiled and cheerfully said, "I hate those pictures you took of me when I was all black and blue---why don't you take some of me like I am NOW?"

I liked the idea. We went into the bedroom and I snapped photos of him in different positions nude on the bed then he wanted me to take pictures of him in various stages of undress wearing his panties, garter belts, stockings, and his babydoll nighties.

OH MY GOD---an hour went by and we were both so horny we couldn't keep our hands off one another---it was like old times! We fell into a maddeningly wild and passionate sixty-nine then he goaded me into using the leather belt on his creamy white buttocks until they were an angry, dark red.

I fucked him until we were exhausted and needed sleep...it was the most wonderful day we'd had together in a long, long time.

The next morning we were famished. Instead of cooking breakfast, I decided to treat Benji at our favorite restaurant.

When we opened the building door it was a glorious, sun-drenched day...the air smelled fresh with birds merrily chirping away. We talked and laughed and smiled at one another.

Something caught my eye...the car didn't look right...when we got close enough we stopped dead in our footsteps and gawked open-mouthed at what we saw:

The windshield was smashed in pieces---the headlights broken---the tires flat and we saw one word spray-painted on both sides of the body----'FAGGOTS.'

Benji shrieked and the pain in my chest was so great I truly thought I was having a heart attack. It was a good ten-seconds we stood staring at the damage before I regained my wits and hustled Benji back into the apartment.

We stared at each other in stunned silence. I knew then and there this was the beginning of the end of my stay in Houston, additionally, I felt a heavy obligation to keep Benji safe and get him out of the city, too.

My fear was turning into anger. While Benji cooked breakfast, I found Mr. Toole home in his apartment.

"Yeah, your car is a mess---looks like it's totaled!" he said when he opened the door; not surprised at seeing me.

"Who did this? How can this happen here?" I asked; my voice rising one octave in pitch.

"Earl's in the hospital---he's in bad shape---cancer---he could go at any time!" he said.

His announcement had nothing at all to do with my question; I stared at him thru blinking eyes trying to digest his words.

He added: "Someones out to get you two---you boys better lay-low for awhile!"

My brain was on sensory overload trying to process his two, distinctively different statements.

"You might start looking for another place to live---don't worry, I'll give you as much time as you need...but from the looks of your car---these guys want to seriously hurt you!"

I stood dumbfounded; not knowing what to do or say.

He ominously added, "If you're thinking about going to the hospital to see Earl---forget it---he's not conscious, and you'd only bring yourselves more trouble!"

I walked away from his apartment shaking my head with confusion...

"What are we going to do?" Benji asked in a small, trembling voice as we ate breakfast.

"We're going to be fine," I said patting his thigh. "I've been thinking of a plan for a week...if it works out, we won't have to worry about anything for the rest of our lives!"

There was a gargantuan IF to the plan I had in mind, but my first goal was to calm and reassure Benji everything would be okay.

"We need to get out of Houston," I said casually; wanting to see how he'd react.

Then I added "Not forever, just enough time for things to settle down," knowing it was a lie.

"I'd hate to leave here, but yeah, that might be a good idea," he said sadly.

After breakfast, I went to the computer and carefully composed two emails. One to my mother asking if it would be alright if a friend and I moved in with her temporarily until we found a place of our own.

I then ordered movies for Benji and I to while away some time, and get our minds off our problems.

Later in the day, three sharp knocks on the front door made us cringe and almost leap out of our skin. Thru the peephole, I saw Mr. Toole.

"Earl's dead," he said bluntly when I opened the door. "He passed away an hour ago!"

"That was fast..." I said, not sure what I was feeling.

Mr. Toole shifted and swayed, never making eye contact with me.

From the way he acted, doubt crept into my head...was this some elaborate hoax Daddy and Mr. Toole thought up to get Benji and I out of their lives?

"Since he won't be paying your rent anymore, I'm going to need you boys to get out of here by the end of the month!"

"But that's less than a week away!" I protested; then immediately added: "That's okay, I can afford the rent!"

I saw the surprise register on his face.

"Well, uh, the fact is I promised this place to someone else----be out of here by the thirtieth!" he said coldly then walked away.

A bit stunned and shaken, I returned to Benji on the sofa, he was engrossed in the movie, and apparently hadn't heard our conversation.

"What did Mr. Toole say?" he finally asked me.

I decided to wait until the morning to tell Benji about Daddy's death, and Mr. Toole's ultimatum for us to move.

"Everything's good," I lied while smiling at him.

The next morning I received an email from my mom---she would be "delighted" to have houseguests---she "couldn't wait!"

I had been 100% certain that would be her response. Now I waited on pins and needles for a response to my other email...I had never been so nervous in my entire life!

A day later I received an enthusiastic 'Yes' to my second email...the wheels were in motion...I was thrilled and excited beyond anything I'd ever experienced...I went on the internet and immediately made plane reservations...my fingers were trembling, I was simply giddy with happiness.

I also made reservations at a nice restaurant for that evening. Benji loves the Beef Wellington and Oysters Rockefeller there.

During our candlelight dinner, I will discuss our plans for the future. I am hoping, no, praying he will say 'Yes' and we'll be leaving Houston forever.

EPILOGUE

It is hard to believe just six-months earlier our lives were on the brink of ruin; and now against all odds and probabilities, we are the happiest couple on the planet.

We decided to honeymoon in San Francisco. The wedding ceremony was wonderful, with about a dozen friends we'd made in Carmel in attendance. My mother walked me down the aisle. She was simply radiant, and beaming from ear-to-ear...of course, that could have come from the bottle of champagne she consumed all by herself.

I couldn't keep my eyes off my soon-to-be husband...he looked so strong and handsome in his powder-blue tuxedo it brought tears of joy to my eyes...my heart throbbed as I stared at Yoshi---he has been my pillar of strength ever since we left Japan, and settled into our mansion, high on a bluff, over-looking the Pacific Ocean just south of Carmel.

Yoshi has been my calming influence---my lover---but most of all my best friend. If it wasn't for him I think my head would have exploded over the dizzying-fast course of events the past few months.

My only regret was that Benji couldn't be at the ceremony to help celebrate all of our new and vastly different lives. He is in Singapore with his Matusa, Mr. Binnaka. He did, however, call us last night to congratulate us...he sounded just as happy as he did his first day in Tokyo.

Benji was, and will always be, very special to Yoshi and me. If he hadn't agreed to become Mr. Binnaka's 'whore' none of this could have happened.

So we always listen when he regales us with his stories. Of course, his tales of sexual servitude, and bondage and discipline, tend to make me shrink and cringe, but he tells them with such glee and enthusiasm, you almost envy him---almost...he lives a life few could or would even want, but it is a life he chose, and he says he's never been happier.

When I'd sent that email to Mr. Binnaka, it was a long-shot at best that he would accept my offer to exchange Yoshi for Benji...but I guess, when he saw the nude photos I'd taken of Benji, well...hahaha, according to Yoshi, that night in bed Matusa was an absolute animal.

The three of us all lay claim to be the luckiest person on earth.

Yes, we are three lucky guys, but I am the luckiest of all: on our way to the airport, in the back seat of the taxi, I saw the post office where Benji had his box, and casually mentioned to him he may want to check it one last time---in his box was a letter from Daddy addressed to me---if I hadn't seen the post office we would never have stopped and life would probably be very different.

In the envelope was a simple note written in Daddy's hand-writing:

Dearest Johnny,

I am so,so sorry for the way I mistreated you after you made the courageous decision to move to Houston to be close to me.

This is no excuse, but I believe my hideous disease had already taken hold of me, and clouded my judgment and thinking...I could not come to accept my love for you---in my world, loving another man is tantamount to murder or treason---one simply does not admit to these feelings...I am so, so sorry!

Please take the contracts in the strong box to the attorney on the enclosed business card. You can trust him to do his best for you.

My only hope for you is you find a man to settle down with, and live a long and wonderful life...the money you will be receiving will at least afford you the time and opportunity to find the love of your life.

I love you,

Daddy

I HAVE found the love of my life, and YES---the money has realized a fantasy come true few people would ever experience. Additionally, the property in California allowed Yoshi and I to move to an area a bit more tolerant of our lifestyle than Houston.

The ugliness of my previous life has all but disappeared.

Freddy the Asshole was set-up by my mother and her friends and he will be in prison a long, long time. My mother has a room in the south wing of our house where she stays a couple weeks a month.

Benji's step-father is fighting a battle with the hospital over the bill we stuck him with for Benji's stay; and Houston police have targeted him as 'a person-of-interest' in several gay-bashings, and sexual assaults of young men.

Last night in our suite at a quaint hotel on the Embarcadero, across from Pier 45, I used a liberal dollop of green paste and gave my husband the night of his life...when he passed-out after his final orgasm, I used 'The Terminator' and filled my sheer, white panties with every drop of sperm and semen my swollen balls could produce.

It is now late in the second day of our honeymoon. Yoshi and I finished our Margarita's and meals at our favorite Mexican eatery in the courtyard next to the hotel; we are strolling casually down the sidewalk to Pier 43...we are quiet, soaking in the sights and sounds of Fisherman's Wharf...I suddenly feel his hand grasp mine---he wants to hold hands in public---OH MY GOD---the rush of warmth to my heart brings tears to my eyes...I take his hand and hold on for dear life---I will never let go of him...it is like a fairytale as we walk hand-in-hand beside San Francisco Bay with the sun setting over our shoulders.