Tales of Akron

[Mike and Dan seem to live a life straight out of a soap opera. Mike found an old buddy and has made a hotel room their private sex nest. Dan, weary after searching for Mike for hours, checked into the same hotel and into the room across from Mike.]

            Mike's friend said, "You have a lover. Why are you here with me? What gives? You should be giving Dan this kind of erotic shower."

            "I know, I know. But, I can't."

            "You can. You simply don't want to. What went wrong?"

            "You did," Mike said. "I never got over you. I loved you from the first moment I saw you. You have no idea how you hurt me when you left. Now that you're here, I'll stay with you."

            "No, you have to go back."

            "I can't."

            "I don't want to hurt you again. I wasn't ready to have a lover. You were. That's why you went with Dan.."

            "I didn't date anyone for a year after you left. Dan came into my life and he has been a good partner. I like him. I wish the best for him. I love you," Mike said.

            The other man stepped from the shower and dried his muscular body. He took another towel and dried Mike. He moved his hands slowly, gently over Mike's body. Mike responded to his light, sexual urgings. Suddenly, something within Mike broke like a dam that had been closed for years. Mike started crying. He sobbed big gut-wrenching sobs. "You don't love me, do you? he cried. "You don't love me."

            "Mike I care for you. I want you to have the best in the world. That best is Dan, not me. I don't have a partner. I don't want one. I've thought about you. We're great together in bed. But, you and I couldn't make it as partners. I'm sorry."

            He dressed quickly and moved toward the door.

            At that moment, across the hall, Dan had dressed and, he too, moved toward the door.

            The man looked back at Mike, who lay on the bed crying.

            Two doors opened at once.

            "Hello, " said Dan. "What are you doing here?"

            "He needs you," the man said, leaving the door open. He walked down the hall and into the elevator.

            Dan looked through the second door and saw Mike. "Oh, Mike, Mike," he murmured. He walked to the bed and touched Mike. He sat on the bed and prepared to take Mike in his arms.

            Mike looked at Dan with the eyes of a terrified deer. This was a deer that knew a train was about to hit him and was frozen. He could not get off the tracks.

            Mike turned his back to Dan. "He left me," Mike said. Sobs punctuated his words. "He left me."

            Dan sat on the edge of the bed. Mike faced away from Dan. Dan slowly reached out and caressed Mike's hair.

            They didn't move for almost an hour.

            "Mike, let's go home."

            Like an old, sick man, Mike crawled out of bed. He put on his clothes without looking at Dan. When Mike was dressed, he opened the door and led Dan to the elevator. They got in the car and drove to their home in Akron, without saying a word.

            At home, Mike went immediately to bed. Dan sat in the living room and stared at the floor.