We spent most of an hour cuddling and gently exploring, I introduced Chase to the oral experience and he seemed appreciative. After a rest Chase asked if he could try it out on me. I couldn't refuse him and although there was the occasional nip and gag here and there it was a very nice experience and Chase seemed to feel proud of his ability to bring me pleasure.
"I really liked doing that, thanks for warning me it was going to happen. I'm sorry I didn't warn you but I was so… I don't know how to say it. I felt paralyzed by the way it felt."
"No need to apologize Chase, it was wonderful. You were very good for a first time. Just watch the teeth if you decide to do it again, okay?"
"Oh I'm definitely doing this again; I love the way you taste and the way you feel and smell, and feeling the throbs and twitches with my tongue. I didn't know it would be so much fun to do this for someone."
"I like the way you squirmed, almost like you were trying to get away while I was sucking you, I'm so glad we had this afternoon together, and if you want, we can do it some more later but we should probably cook something for dinner."
"That sounds good, I'm kind of hungry, Umm, Jem… I think we need to wash our faces. You've got some of mine on your chin and I have yours on my face and neck," Chase smiled sweetly.
Once we were washed up and dressed we decided to make burritos. When I had been in Seattle before, none of the markets carried corn or flour tortillas and I had developed a taste for them in Arizona where I worked with Vaqueros on a ranch a hundred years ago. That's the way it is for us, we pick up things in each life we spend. For instance my love of licorice comes from being a little girl in Denmark centuries ago. Time moves on but for us it was just yesterday.
The sound of rain on the roof prompted me to set a fire in the small fireplace in the corner of the living room. We left the TV off and just sat together cuddling and talking about lots of things, as the fire died to embers. Chase decided it was time we go to bed although not necessarily to sleep.
I woke fairly early, probably out of habit. I buried my nose in Chase's fine brown hair and inhaled. He smelled wonderful. Seneca detected my slight movement and announced that he would like to be fed… Now!
I grabbed my robe and slipped on my house shoes. They weren't really slippers; they were a proper slip on shoe with vicuna lining from the 1930's. They were still a bit loose so I would be able to wear them a while longer but they felt wonderful. I visited the toilet and then saw to Seneca's morning meal. As was his habit he took three bites and walked away. Cats do things on their schedule, not ours.
I slipped back in bed and nuzzled the sleeping boy as he lay there between sleep and wakefulness. I teased and caressed until he lay on his back and I dove under the sheet and treated myself to a snack.
"You're making it very difficult for me to stay asleep, but now I have to get up and pee before I drown us both," Chase giggled. I watched as he walked to the bathroom and noted the finger marks on his cheeks, I must have been squeezing his bottom harder than I thought.
Chase rushed back into the bedroom and dove under the covers shivering, I enjoyed holding him close and warming him up. He snuggled tightly and asked if we had to get up right now.
"No reason I can think of, but when you're ready I'll make breakfast. Um… Chase, did I hurt your bottom, I noticed finger marks when you walked to the toilet?"
"No, I don't think so. It felt good when you squeezed me. I'll let you know if you do something that hurts or I don't like. I know I'm new at this but I know stuff that happens in the dorms at our school. I just never had anyone to do those things with, at least that I trusted. I need more privacy anyway, some of the boys at school are less than careful about what they do in the sleeping bays."
"I know what you mean, I might be boarding occasionally, if Art is traveling and Dad has to travel, Mom usually goes with him, especially if it's out of the country. That's how I got to see the British Isles and Ireland. I boarded sometimes when they travelled during school term."
"I thought your dad was an engineer, why does he need to travel?"
"He designs modifications and upgrades for military aircraft and has to consult with the client and inspect the aircraft. He talks to pilots and crew about what would work best for them. He explained it but he used some terms I didn't know and I've forgotten some of it, but you get the idea I'm sure."
"Sure, Dad took Carter and I to France to visit a client and get a feel for what they really wanted since the specs they gave for the building were so general. They sent rough sketches and prints of the building site. Dad was able to see that there was a protected sanctuary for waterfowl next to the site. Then he consulted with a French lawyer who knew zoning and he was able to come up with a design for the building that met all the regulations the first time instead of constantly redrawing for each planning problem. That's usually when I board and Carter stays with Augie's family. I miss him so much when that happens."
"You are such a great brother; Art and I were never that close. We got along well but you are like a second dad for Carter."
"I can't help it; I love him and he's so sweet and open that it makes him vulnerable. I can't let anything happen to him like Lyddy."
"Oh Chase, don't cry, you did all you could for your sister. You were beaten unconscious, there was nothing more anyone could have done. Have you talked to anyone about this? I mean like a professional?
"Yes, I see a counselor twice a month. I know I couldn't have saved her but I still feel responsible somehow."
"I'm here whenever you need me, no appointment needed," I smiled.
Chase smiled and I kissed his wet eye lids and held him tight.
"Enough of this!" Chase barked. I'm not going to let those memories ruin this day. Let's get some breakfast going. Do you have oatmeal?"
"Yes we do, I think you'll like the way I make it. I use brown sugar and top it with pecans and blueberries, " I said tantalizingly.
"That sounds great, we don't do much of anything fancy for breakfast usually."
"Since Art went out and bought stuff to cook with and some groceries yesterday, we have a pretty good selection. Is oatmeal enough or would you like eggs and bacon or something?"
"Maybe some toast but I think oatmeal will do it for me. Do you like to cook?" Chase inquired.
"Yes and so does Art, but he couldn't cook on the boat or didn't want to. Now that he's here he decided to get set up to use the kitchen. I stayed on board with him while the workmen were still messing around with the plumbing and then we had to wait for the movers to show up with his stuff. Anyway the galley on the boat was tiny and the stove was hard to use."
"I guess that makes sense, so no more take out for breakfast?"
"No, Mom will be here Friday because Art has to go to D.C. for a job."
"That sounds cool, does he travel a lot?"
"Yes, he goes to the Smithsonian and the L.O.C. quite a bit and then there's Harvard's special collection. He says it's all messed up and he suspects fraud or theft is going on."
"What's L.O.C. I mean what does that mean?" Chase asked.
"Oh sorry, Library of Congress, he restores and authenticates books for them. He's very good at his job."
"He seems pretty focused, um… what can I do to help?
"You could set the table, the plates and bowls are behind you on the left and the spoons and such are in the drawers on the right," I instructed.
"Okay got it, um… napkins?"
"The roll of paper towels will have to do; Art doesn't have any napkins yet."
With the oatmeal served, a bowl of pecans and one of blueberries, we sat down to eat. "Oops, I forgot the brown sugar," I retrieved it from another cupboard and we sat down to eat.
"This is the best oatmeal I ever had; I mean Janisse's is good but this is way better."
"Let's not tell her that, she might be hurt," I suggested. But maybe we can work a trade for her savory peach chicken recipe."
"Carter won't be home from day camp for quite a while, is there anything you want to do?"
"Why don't you show me the rest of Lincoln Park? Time kind of got away from us last time with Ben's situation and stuff."
"That sounds good, let me help you clear up and then I need the toilet," Chase suggested.
As I sat waiting for Chase to finish, a Messenger appeared across the table from me.
"Hello Traveler, are you well?"
"Yes, quite thank you; how are you?"
"I'm doing well also, I have news for you concerning the boy Ben that you helped. He is with the Traveler I mentioned earlier and they are bonding very nicely. Sometimes it takes a broken soul to help a broken soul."
"That's wonderful news, I was certain that he wasn't really an evil soul. He was just suffering and lashing out."
"I must ask you if you would welcome the idea of a small boy coming to live with your family? He is being neglected and is in need of a good home. I think he would blend well with your family and Chase's younger brother."
"I have no objections and I support the idea; my parents will need someone to distract their grief when I have fulfilled my task."
"I hope it doesn't come to that, there is no guarantee that your intercession will be fatal for you, I know it is the habit of Travelers to take the pessimistic view, but nothing is set in stone. As the date draws closer the details become clearer and there may be an alternative to sacrificing this existence."
"I can't allow myself to hope, my attachment might cause me to hesitate and all would be lost."
"Spoken like a Traveler, I shall hold out hope on your behalf. Your young friend is about to return so I will speak with you soon. Farewell for now, Traveler."
And suddenly the chair was empty and Chase was walking through the door.
"Were you talking to someone?" Chase asked.
"Just thinking out loud, nothing sinister."
"Are you ready?"
"I want to change shoes and then brush my teeth, but I won't be long."
"May I look at Art's books, I won't touch anything I just wanted to see what he has on his shelves?"
"I doubt he'd mind, just don't disturb his desk and don't let Seneca follow you in please."
"Oh yeah, you wouldn't want him to get trapped in there or jump up on something fragile."
Although he raised his head and stared in the direction of Art's office when he heard the door, Seneca made no attempt to enter but remained on his window seat enjoying the view with regal majesty.
The park was quite lovely, the temperature was still fairly low and we took part in a soccer game with several other kids. Chase knew many of the boys and a couple of the girls.
One boy named Jeremy mentioned Ben in a callous manor and I felt Chase tense.
"Did you hear about Benny? He was taking it in the ass from his stepbrother. I would never have guessed that he was gay," Jeremy cackled.
"He was being raped constantly and beaten by his stepfather and abused by his own mother. Would you like people to jump to conclusions about you if something like that happened? I know he gave people a bad time but he asked me to tell people he was sorry for how he acted. You really shouldn't shoot your mouth off like that Jeremy, unless you know what the facts are."
There was a long silence and then Jeremy spoke. "I'm sorry Chase, you're right. I shouldn't, if you 're sticking up for him than there must be something to what you say. He gave you a really rough time so if you forgive him then so do I, and I'm sorry, really."
"It's cool Jeremy, he's somewhere safe now. Away from those horrible people and waiting for a better home."
Chase and I moved on after that, we walked towards the big swimming complex where there was a heated saltwater pool as well as a conventional freshwater pool.
"Are you okay now Chase, I know Jeremy was crude but he doesn't know the situation like you do and he's nowhere near as emotionally mature as you?"
"I know, and I guess I'm okay. It's just heartless the way people spread a story about someone without taking the time to learn the facts."
"It's one of the great failings of the human race or so my dad says, Chase. I think Jeremy rethought his words and agreed that he had been talking out his butt."
That made Chase giggle and his smile shone radiantly once again.
"Let's head back towards home and stop by that Lowman Beach park, it looks interesting and it looked like they had food carts and I'm getting hungry, how about you?" I proclaimed.
"That sounds good, it's usually hopping on Saturday so we should go there then. People come out and play music and there are jugglers and other cool things going on then," Chase supplied.
"We'll have to do that, I guess it depends on when the movers show up. My mom will be in tomorrow and you can meet her, she's pretty cool."
"That will be nice Jem, I look forward to it."
"Let's stop by the restrooms and then check out the food carts, okay?"
"Sure Jem, they're not going anywhere and I need to go too."
The food carts were no disappointment, I found a vendor who sold English style fish and chips, complete with malted vinegar, coarse salt and mushy peas. Chase had never had them and quickly became a convert. After lunch we walked back past "The Mooks" and on to my house. I was surprised to see another vehicle parked behind Art's truck and hurried up the steps to the apartment. I opened the door and was greeted by my mother who wrapped me in her arms and kissed me nearly to death.
"Mom! I've missed you so much," I nearly shouted. I was truly overcome with emotion. I wiped my eyes and grabbed Chase's hand and pulled him forward. "Mom, this is Chase, he's a new friend and we've been spending a lot of time together. Chase, this is my mother, Valerie," I explained.
"Nice to meet you Ma'am, Jem has said a lot of nice things about you and his dad."
"Jem is it? You must be special. Most people don't get to use that name until he's known them for quite a while. Are you Carter's big brother?"
"Yes Ma'am, he'll be home from day camp soon so I'll have to get going."
"I understand Chase but please call me Minnie. Minerva is my middle name and I prefer it over Valerie and once you're comfortable you can just call me Mom like all of Jem's friends in California."
"Okay Minnie, I'll try. Sir and Ma'am are pretty well hardwired but I will make an effort."
"Jem tells me you also attend Rainier Academy is that true?"
"Yes Ma… er, Minnie, it's a very nice school."
"I'm so glad he's got such a nice friend to show him around; would you object if I asked the Dean of admissions to appoint you as his guide?"
"No Minnie, I would really like that."
Chase's phone chirped with a message that Carter would arrive soon and he informed us that he needed to be home to see to Carter. I suggested we go and retrieve his clothes and I would walk over with him to say hello to Janisse and Carter. Chase smiled so sweetly I wanted to kiss him in front of Mom but I refrained. She knows my feelings towards other boys although I had a girlfriend for a while. She turned out to be less than candid about her motives for dating me. Sometimes being able to read people has its downside.