Chapter 26
Oh my lord … what have I done?
Swiftly making a beeline to her bedroom, Victoria entered inside and slung her purse on top of the desk … before unsnapping its latch and removing the two banded bundles of cash she had taken from the black marketeer.
“Uh. Oh,” she exclaimed upon counting it. “There’s two thousand dollars here. Not the nineteen hundred Federico and I had agreed on. … Wow. Not only is he going to be upset about the unethical way I nabbed this, he’s going to be positively furious about the extra hundred I accidentally took.”
Victoria then turned toward her desktop mirror and released a sigh. Since this morning, a few lines had developed across her forehead.
“This always happens whenever I get worried,” she informed her reflection, although the thought provided very little comfort. “The question is, what possibly can I do? There’s no way I can return the extra. Señor Diego would have me shot the moment I was spotted - no questions asked. Yet, if I don’t find a way to fix this mess, most likely within the few days, I’ll end up dead. Or even worse, he and his men may decide to take their vengeance upon Gaines, Lisa or Donna.”
Victoria lowered her head and was about to place it inside her cupped hands when she noticed Maria’s picture - the one she always she kept on the corner of her desktop. Not only did her youngest seem to be glancing at her, it almost looked as she was trying to boost her mother’s spirits with a “Let’s-cheer-up” smile.
“Maria!” Victoria gasped. “I had totally forgotten about her. Since Gonzales undoubtedly knows my last name, I’d make an even bet she’s also in danger. … I definitely wouldn’t put it past Federico to go after her, instead of driving twenty miles to Broward country. … Ah-h-h. I must warn her!”
Dashing into the living room like an Olympian in her twenties, instead of the fifty-year-old business owner she was, Victoria ran to the end table located next to Gaines’ lounge chair and picked up the phone and began to dial.
Hmm. There’s no answer, Victoria thought upon hearing the tenth ring. I wonder where Maria might be? … It is a Friday evening. Could she possibly be out on a date? Or could it already be too late?
Amazing. … It’s a Friday night. I’m done with my schoolwork. This shower’s hot and steamy. Chad’s already left for his date with Maria, and they're about to show a hot football game inside the Student Lounge … Life couldn’t get much better.
“Hello?” an unexpected voiced suddenly yelled, accompanied by a few knocks coming from the dorm room door. “Are you home, Chad?”
Mike deliberately stayed quiet, just to see if his roommate’s friend would holler again.
“Hey Chad. It’s me, Eric. I really need to see you if you’re in there.”
“Sorry, Eric,” Mike said, turning off the water. “Your boyfriend isn’t here. He’s gone out with Maria tonight. They supposedly were planning on grabbing a Mickey D’s takeout and heading for the beach.”
“The beach?” Eric repeated. “Which one? Do you know?”
Mike paused for a moment before he answered, so he could grab a bath towel and hurriedly wipe himself down. He then wrapped it around his midsection. “I think Biscayne Bay,” he said, opening the door a crack.
Eric automatically eyed his boyfriend’s roommate - from his sandy brown hair all the way down to his hairy little toes - and a grin, similar to a four-year-olds upon discovering a new toy under the Christmas tree, rapidly displayed upon his lips.
Now I understand why Chad never wanted to change dorm rooms.
“Did you say Biscayne Bay, Mike?”
“Yeah. And why are you staring at me like that? Are you lusting over my bod or something?”
Eric's cheeks turned a multi-shade of pink. “Well ... ah-h. Do I really have to answer?”
Mike exhaled and glanced upward toward the ceiling. “No. I guess not,” he said, looking into Eric’s light blue eyes. “But your doing that does make me feel a bit uncomfortable.”
“It does?” Eric pretended to look contrite.
“Yeah, it does. It almost makes me feel as if I was nothing but a piece of meat.”
“I’m sorry. But at least for me … in a way, you are ... a hundred percent pure filet mignon,” Eric said, becoming more serious. “And is what I just did any worse than the way you scope out girls? And think before you answer that, Chad’s told me all about you.”
Mike opened his dorm room door and motioned for Eric to step inside.
“Yeah. I guess you’re right. I’m not any better than you. … It’s no wonder I’ve never been able to land a date.”
Eric took a seat near the end of his boyfriend’s bed. “In getting back to Chad's whereabouts, are you sure he’s gone to Biscayne Bay?
“No. I’m not positive,” Mike answered, turning toward the dresser, so he could grab a pair of undershorts. “But if this is like an emergency or something where you really need to see him, I’d be willing to take you there and see if we can find him.”
Eric smiled. “Thanks. I appreciate the offer. But it’s not really all that important. By the way, I never knew you own a car.”
“A car?” Mike looked at Chad’s boyfriend as if the boy had lost a marble or two. “Who said anything about owning a car?”
“I thought you did,” Eric replied. “Didn’t you just offer to take me to Biscayne Bay?”
“Yes. … But that doesn’t mean I own a car. I always buzz around town on my scooter. It’s a Vespa one-fifty cc that can get up to fifty miles-per-hour.”
“Oh?” Eric's eyes widened upon realizing Mike had dropped his bath towel, thus leaving himself exposed.
“Oops. Sorry,” Mike said, gazing downward upon realizing what he had unconsciously done. "I didn’t mean to tease you like that. It’s just that … well … I’m so used to dressing and undressing in front of Chad ... I didn’t give it a second thought.”
Eric glanced upward and gave Mike a huge smile, then resumed staring at Chad’s roommate’s well-endowed manhood. “You actually undress in front of him like this, Mike? Wow. I sure wish you were my roommate instead of his.”
Mike blushed. “Really? You actually think that physically I look that good?”
“There’s positively no doubt about it,” Eric said, unable to contain his excitement. “Not only are you smart and friendly, physically you’re nothing short of being a Greek god.”
Mike glanced downward and chuckled. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
Eric vigorously shook his head. “Definitely not. If you were a Burger King Whopper right now, I swear Mike, I’d chomp you down in a heartbeat.”
Mike turned toward to where his friend was sitting and laughed. “Wow. I never had the slightest idea that you cared that much about me.”
Eric grinned. “Well I do. And since I’ve finally got up the nerve to say it. Would you mind if I asked you something really personal?” he asked as Mike was about to slip on a pair of briefs. “Have you ever … you know … ever done it with anyone?”
“Done what?” Mike asked, sliding his naked buttocks onto the edge of his bed. "Go on a date“?”
“No. I’m sure you’ve done that before … probably quite a few times, even though I never heard you admit it. … I’m talking about S..”
“No,” Mike said, slipping into his Fruit of the Looms. “And neither have I ever been a real date … unless you want to count taking your cousin to the high school prom?”
“No.” Eric’s replied as his mouth dropped open. “Wow. It’s obvious then that you don’t have even any the slightest idea of what’s you’re missing in life, do you my friend? … Not only did I start dating a heck of a long time ago back when I was only thirteen. I began “doing it” way back then as well. And believe me, it’s true heaven.”
Mike stopped and gazed at Eric, as if he might be confused. “Are you trying to tell me that it’s actually that good - even if you’re with another guy?”
Eric loudly laughed. “Of course it is. What difference would who you’re involved with possibly make? If the person you’re with really cares about you and your bod’s experiencing total ecstasy, do you really think it cares if your partner's male or female?”
Mike's eyes narrowed, and he paused to think. “No. I guess it wouldn’t.”
Eric smiled and motioned for Mike to stand up for a moment.
“I got an idea, Mike. If you don’t object, my still a virgin friend, how about letting me drop your drawers and let’s try a small experiment - just to prove my point, Okay?”
Mike hesitated as a virtual meteor of judgment instantly flashed through his psychic universe.
Are you sure this is something you really want to be doing, bro? A stern voice between his ears loudly asked. You know this is something which has always been strictly forbidden.
That’s true, Mike mentally replied. But, if it really does feel as good as he says … then …
Eric’s touch was exceptionally gentle … and not only was Mike’s bod eager to experience its years long waited for sexual awakening, when Chad’s boyfriend eventually finished – Mike could not help but wonder why he never allowed anything like this before.