Red Cherries
by Benjamin J. Conner
Chapter 17 "The truth"
The rest of the museum visit was mostly boring and we decided to ask if we could leave. Unfortunately we didn't have our envelopes with us, so my dad forbade it. If we get lost we would have no chance to get back. He could have given us a new one, but since he expressly said that we should always carry them with us, we had to accept the refusal.
Another hour later, we all left with the car and stopped at the Trattoria Alla Vecchia Cantina which was located 200 feet from the hotel. It was a wonderful yummy lunch that we had together, even if we boys ate up all the bread that had been served as an appetizer, before the dishes arrived.
On our way back to the hotel, Josh bought a postcard which he wanted to send home to his mom. He more and more missed her from what I could see in his eyes. I offered to write what he dictated, but his idea was to be on his own for some time and write it for himself. So we decided that he would go upstairs and I would be waiting for him downstairs. Thirty minutes was a long time for a thirteen year old. So I thought of going out and wandering along the street while Josh wrote some lines to Marie letting her know, how he was and how much he missed her.
Mom and dad went upstairs to the roof for a little nap by the pool. So I was on my own for the first time in Italy. Even if I didn't have my emergency envelope with me, the will to explore the world forced through.
Several streets, corners and shops later I was reminded of the time and turned around walking back to the hotel.
"Ciao Sam!" (Hello Sam) An accentual voice was heard from somewhere in front of me which I recognized as Pietro's.
"PIETRO?"
"Si!"
"Where are you?"
"Here....UP!" You have to remember, that Pietro's English was anything but good, but at least he could understand most of the words. I looked up and saw him waving out of a second floor's window. I waved back.
"Aspetta un attimo!" (Hang on!)
"What?" I didn't understand, but thought it was a good idea to wait.
A minute later Pietro opened the heavy wooden front door of a large yellow painted house and greeted me.
"Volere giocare il calcio dopo su?" (Want to play soccer later on?)
"Sorry, I don't understand."
"You....football, leter?"
"You want to play soccer later?"
"Si."
"Yeah sure great, I'll ask Josh, but I guess he's ok with it."
"Bene." (Good)
We smiled at each other and I thought everything was said, so I pointed to my watch to inform him, that I had to go. Pietro leaned in and gave me a friendly hug. Ok, I didn't expect that, but since he was really good looking it didn't feel awkward, so I hugged him back and said good bye.
It took me less than five minutes to return to the hotel, where I greeted the receptionist and walked directly towards the lift to take me up to the roof where I expected to meet Josh and my parents.
"Hey!"
"Hi Sam, where's Josh?" My mom asked.
"I thought he was with you."
"No, haven't seen him since lunch. Guess he's in your room."
"Ok, I'll look for him, see you!"
Standing in front of our hotel room, I remembered that we only had one digital key card so I knocked for Josh to let me in. No answer. Another knock at the door didn't change anything.
"JOSH?!"
'Perhaps he's in the lobby.' I thought and took the stairs to the main floor. Wherever I looked for him, he wasn't there. Becoming a bit worried, I asked the receptionist, if he had seen my friend.
"Si Signore, he left the hotel twenty minutes ago."
That was crazy. 'Why would he leave on his own?' Went through my head. I decided to go out and look for him - he couldn't be far away.
Unsuccessfully searching the near premises, I returned to the hotel to ask if he already came back, which was denied. Now I was really worried and went upstairs to our room again. The receptionist followed me to open our door after I told him, that we miss Joshua. Being afraid to find him hurt in our hotel room, I got faster and faster in running up the stairs.
*Klick* The room door opened as Eliano, the receptionist, put his general key card into the lock.
Did you ever experience the feeling, when you need to do something, but you are afraid of the outcome so you would rather run away from it? This feeling took over control and I didn't want to find Josh lying on the floor, possibly bleeding or something, but I had to look for him.
Nothing. He wasn't in there. 'Where the fuck is he?'
"Thank you Eliano. Can you please call us, when Joshua comes back?"
"Si Signore, naturalmente." (Yes Sir, of course.)
I had to inform mom and dad.
"MOOM, DAAD!" I shouted finding them relaxing on top of the hotel.
"Sam? What's wrong?" My mother immediately heard in my voice, that something happened.
"Josh, I can't find him anywhere. Mom, we have to look for him. He's not that type of person who leaves the hotel alone. Perhaps he's hurt or something."
"Calm down Sam, did you have a fight or so?"
"NO!"
"We'll find him. Did you look in your room, the lobby, toilets and...."
"Yes mom, I did, please......moooom I'm afraid something happened to him." The look on my face changed from relaxed to stressed and frightened.
"Don't worry son, we'll find him. You wait in your room!" Dad threw in.
"No, I'm not staying here, I want to search for him too. I can't just sit there and wait!!"
"Ok, Rebecca you look in our room and then in the lounge - try his mobile!"
"He didn't take it with him, it's in our room." I said.
"Sam, you go and check the sauna, the pool table and the garage and wait at the reception after wards! I'll check the outside of the hotel. And take your mobiles with you!"
I didn't find him at the places dad assigned to me, sat down on the stairs in the garage, blamed myself for letting him alone and prayed, dropping a tear of fear.
My dad searched everywhere in the near surroundings but also didn't find him. He noticed, that he didn't even have a picture of my friend to show to the people and returned to the hotel to see if he already got back.
No sight of Josh anywhere. My mother decided to call the police while my dad went upstairs to get the camera and let a photograph be printed out by the hotel staff.
Once again, I checked our hotel room and lay down on our bed, immersing into the wonderful scent he had left on our pillows.
That somehow refreshed my mind and I sat up searching for anything that might give me an idea of where Josh could be. The only thing I found was the pen he used for writing. 'Where's the postcard?' I asked myself. 'He probably went out to put it into a postbox.' I jumped up and ran downstairs.
Leaving the hotel after telling my mom about my idea, I crossed the street in front of the hotel and ran to the red postbox I had seen close to the fishing boats. Talking about fishing boats I remembered that Josh wanted to take a ride on one as we arrived here. It was a mystery but somehow I knew he would be there - as if god had told me. However, I was still worried; excited in some ways and didn't know why.
Reaching the postbox I looked around, but he wasn't seen anywhere.
"GOD DAMN IT!" I shouted and stamped with my right foot, feeling a tingling heat creeping up my body before I sat down on a cold stone and started to cry for the one I loved.
The sun set and the sky slowly become darker and darker. With a mix of red, orange and brown colors, horizon melted with the water far away from me. It provided a warm atmosphere, though I felt cold, left alone...as if my heart had been ripped out of my chest; it was stifling. I felt so awful that I still can't find the right words to describe it today.
The flashing blue lights from the police car that was standing in front of the hotel didn't help me feeling better either.
I turned my head to the sea side again, away from the hotel and prayed to god that he would send the boyfriend of mine back into my arms.
Out of nowhere, Josh stood there about 80 feet away at the end of the pier watching me, but didn't say anything. I felt weird, somehow uncomfortable with the situation, stood up and walked towards him getting faster and faster until I ran.
"Josh?!" I shouted.
No answer.
"Josh?!"
It was him, standing there with a strained expression on his face - he obviously had been crying for what I could see. All I wanted at that moment, was to feel him in my arms again and convince myself, that this wasn't only a dream.
Opening my arms I got closer, breathing faster and shorter due to the happiness that came up inside of my body.
"JOSH, where the fuck have you been, I was scared as hell."
As I was only some feet away he stopped me and began to talk with a strict voice.
"Don't you touch me!"
"What? Josh? What's wrong?" I asked taking one step towards him.
"I said, DON'T TOUCH ME!"
"What....Why....I don't understand."
"Are you happy now?"
"Happy with what? Josh, please tell me, what happened to you. Why have you been crying?"
"You really think I've no idea?!"
"NO IDEA OF WHAT?"
"You and your Italian boyfriend?!"
"What Italian boyfriend? What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I SAW YOU!" He took one step towards me and yelled with tears running down his face.
I had no idea what was going on. What did he see, what did I do, to make him so dismissive.
"I SAW YOU AND THAT PIETRO FUCKER. YOU WERE HUGGING EACH OTHER....YOU PROMISED IT......why did you do that to me?"
"But Josh, there was nothing. He hugged me, I didn't do anything."
"You hugged him back, I SAW IT. Your arms around him, and his arms around you.....why Sam, why?"
"Oh my god...are you telling me that you ran away because you saw us hugging? Josh it was nothing. He invited us to play soccer with them. What do I know, why he hugged me. Perhaps it's usual here...I have no fucking idea. But can you please stop being so silly?"
"SHUT UP!"
"NO, YOU SHUT UP! I love you. And as I told you, I would never ever love anybody besides you or swap you with any Tom, Dick or Harry around the world. I am yours and you're mine, remember that! Nothing can come between us. What you saw was just a simple moment without any meaning. What's gotten into you, that you even THINK of me being with someone else - someone I don't even know or understand?"
"I don't know, I just saw what I saw. And then you rejected me in the museum. That hit me. I can't live without you. Do you have any idea how much I love you, Sam? I wanted to die right away as I saw you with this boy. I didn't know what to do."
"Josh please, believe me. I love you more than anything else in the world. Remember the last weeks. I've never had anybody I trusted so much. I want to be with you forever and wonder everyday what you come up with next. Life has been boring before I met you. I was so worried and scared that something happened to you - why would I cry if I cheated on you?"
"I don't know." He said sobbing. "I....don't know....I thought I'd lost you."
"You'll never lose me and I don't want to lose you! Come here you idiot!"
It was an unbelievable situation. He was crying, I was crying. We embraced each other and never wanted to let go. This very moment showed our true love and affection while we stood there for about ten minutes not moving an inch.
"Never do that to me again Josh, promise!"
"I promise, sorry Sam."
When we returned to the hotel my parents came running towards us, put their arms around our necks and gave each of us a lovingly kiss.
After explaining how this all happened - well, we left out some details - my dad explained it to the police officer and everyone settled down.
Josh and I asked if we could go upstairs and take a rest. Of course we were allowed to; my parents didn't expect to see us before tomorrow. My mom ordered two cups of tea and two sandwiches for our room. After all the excitement they were relieved that this had a good ending and sat down at the hotel bar getting themselves a drink to calm down.
Josh closed the door of our hotel room behind me, locked it and dropped himself on the bed, deeply exhaling from an exhausting day. I went to the bath room, washed my face and returned to my boyfriend with a soft cloth that I had wetted with warm water.
Still wearing clothes, his eyes were closed; tears had left dark trails on his cheeks. I sat down on the bed next to him using the cloth to softly clean his face. While I cared for him another tear left his eyes. It was a tear of happiness and regret for what he had done. I kissed it away and wiped along his forehead removing the wet hair.
With my hands I reached for his pants opened the button and unzipped them. He stopped me and whispered.
"Can you please lie down and stroke me for some time?"
"Of course, but I'll undo your shoes and pants, ok?"
"Okay."
No sooner said than done! After undressing myself to the boxers I lay down beside him, put my left leg on his, pulled up his shirt and let my fingers softly run along his chest to caress the love of my life.
"Good night Josh. Don't worry, we're fine!"
"Night Sam, I love you....sorry that I messed up."
Now and then we heard a signal horn from arriving or departing ships in the harbor. Besides that it was very quiet in our room. The bedside lamp was still on and even if it was very early, we both fell asleep within minutes.
I woke up in the middle of the night, because Josh clung to me with his entire body without saying a word. His right hand reached for the waistband of my boxers and pushed them down. I helped and kicked them away. Josh must have removed the rest of his clothes and had turned off the light before I woke up. We both were naked now and felt the soft skin of the other including the warm fulfilling nearness.
Josh had his eyes closed and breathed contently. We faced each other while I removed some hair from his forehead and stroked along his cheeks.
Our room was dark and warm. Only one or two degrees warmer and we wouldn't have needed a blanket anymore. The moon shone and reflected on Josh's right cheek letting his thin fuzzy facial hair glint in dark brown to white and golden colors. I could feel his chest pushing in on me when he breathed in and tried to inhale the air that left his mouth when he breathed out. His little nose was partly touched by the light of the moon. Just a wonderful view that reminded me how long I haven't been drawing anything or anyone; if there was one person I wanted to draw, it was Josh.
Someday I would ask if I could draw him naked - that would really be exciting.
Speaking of excitement - feeling him so close to me after the last day, gave me one hard thing in the lower department. Josh also had a boner, like nearly every time when we both were together.
Out of nowhere my boyfriend's face came closer. His hands found their way up to my cheeks while our wet lips met. It was a long and intense kiss. Opening my mouth just a little bit, the invitation was accepted and his soft tongue found its way inside of me. It seemed as if we both moved our hands, legs and tongues faster and faster. Getting more and more excited I nearly lost track of where his or my hands were. He rolled on top of me and stroked me everywhere, slowly rubbing his penis on mine - up and down.
The curves of his shoulders, his back and his buttocks where so erotic my hands where on a never ending journey, again and again. As I reached his neck he grabbed my right arm and guided it to his butt again, where I started to caress and squeeze it. The firm muscles, the perfect shape, the softness....if god was a composer, he created a melody in Josh's body no one could ever resist.
During all that sexual play we kissed furiously and feasted on each others liquids - we nearly melted together. Josh entered a steady rhythm in rubbing himself on me, which also gave me a wonderful feeling. It was more sensual and exciting than doing it with your hands.
Again my lover grabbed my hand and placed it in the middle of his bottom. I wasn't sure if he wanted me to touch his butt hole or if he only liked it when I massaged him down there in general. First I felt awkward going further down - don't ask me why - but when my fingers touched his pulsating hole it was sensational. It seemed to breathe and wait for me. Every time when I rubbed him there, he pushed even more into my body and started to moan in pleasure.
I could barely keep myself from shooting, flexed now and then, joining the rhythm of his movement. We both started to groan and broke our kiss expecting a wonderful orgasm within seconds. But Josh had other plans.
Before I could say a word, he crouched down my legs licking along my chest and kissing my navel. He encompassed my dick with one of his hands or both - I can't tell you because I was overwhelmingly aroused. After freeing my penis from its foreskin he put his lips on my glans and let his wet tongue produce a heavenly feeling inside of me. The heat from his mouth, which was going up and down on my hard rod, made me moan ecstatically. I could also feel how much he was enjoying it while his fingers fondled my ball sack and went further down to softly rub on my butt hole.
I only just recognized why he liked it so much before I stiffened to a tingling feeling that came up in my entire body. Josh slowly shoved his index finger an inch or so inside of me as I exhaled with a loud moan and bursted into his mouth. Uncountable waves went through my body as his tongue and lips continued their job with slurping sounds.
A minute or so later I had recovered from the wonderful experience and reached for Josh. I wanted him back on me to say thank you with a tender kiss. But this shouldn't be the end, because I also wanted to show, how much I loved him. So I rolled my lover off me and positioned myself on his hot and velvety soft body.
Our breathing was still fast and short, but there was no way that I could resist his hard dick.
"Don't move!" I said putting one finger on Josh's lips, jumped up from the bed and fetched the massage oil the hotel provided us with.
After returning, I sat down on his legs, opened the bottle and poured some of it on his belly and in my hands. I can't tell you with words, how it felt to let my fingers draw circles on his body and spread the slippery fluid all over him including his penis which smelled wonderful.
For about five minutes I massaged Josh and didn't leave out one spot, though I focused on the hard thing he had down there. The more I stroked it the bigger it became. God he was huge for his age and the shape was perfectly drawn.
Even if I didn't know how the oil might taste, I engulfed his penis with my entire mouth and took as much as possible. While pleasing him I also mounted a finger to his butt hole and gently pushed it in as he did to me. Due to the oil, it slipped in very easily.
Josh went crazy for the feeling I provided and came within seconds with two or three shots of his precious boy liquid that he spurted into my mouth. It tasted as he smelled - delicious. God it was a fantastic night, and I guess our first real sex we had together.
Several minutes and kisses later our breath returned to normal and we fell asleep with a cozy feeling. Arm in arm the dreams of tomorrows possible challenges led us into slumber land; happily together.
Authors deserve your feedback. It's the only payment they get. If you go to the top of the page you will find the author's name. Click that and you can email the author easily.* Please take a few moments, if you liked the story, to say so.
[For those who use webmail, or whose regular email client opens when they want to use webmail instead: Please right click the author's name. A menu will open in which you can copy the email address (it goes directly to your clipboard without having the courtesy of mentioning that to you) to paste into your webmail system (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo etc). Each browser is subtly different, each Webmail system is different, or we'd give fuller instructions here. We trust you to know how to use your own system. Note: If the email address pastes or arrives with %40 in the middle, replace that weird set of characters with an @ sign.]
* Some browsers may require a right click instead
