Edgar Aeternum, Book 1: Tales of Aeternal Love (5 page)

"Pleasure to meet you, Maddi," Edgar said,
extending his hand.

Maddi looked as though he couldn't believe
what was happening. He reached out and shook Edgar's hand briefly.
"Th-thanks! You, too. A p-pleasure, I mean. I, uh, you..." he shook
his head and took a deep breath. "Thanks," he finished.

"You're welcome, Maddi," Edgar replied,
surprised at the difficulty this beautiful boy was having speaking
to him. He was about to say something to the boy to, hopefully, put
him at ease when Maddi spoke.

"Y-you were pretty h-hot too, Ed-Edgar," he
choked out. "I, uh, I couldn't help m-myself; I, um, had to w-watch
you. Y-you're just s-so..." he looked at a loss for words. "I
m-mean, you're g-gorgeous and all. Y-you could be a mod-model," he
finished.

"Thanks again," Edgar replied. "Too much more
and you'll give me a big head," he meant it as a joke, but
apparently Maddi didn't catch it that way.

"Oh. Uh, you're, um, we-welcome," he said and
turned away for a final rinse. Edgar was thinking of what he could
say next that wouldn't further discomfit the boy, when without
another word, Maddi left the shower. He stopped at the entrance and
Edgar soaked in the sight of his gorgeous ass again. "I, um,
sorry," he croaked. "H-hope to see you, ah, um, soo... again,
sometime." With that, he was gone.

Reliving the memory, Edgar's hand was flying
up and down his hard cock, stroking to the sight of that sweet ass
bouncing away and the look on Maddi's face as he came, the daddy
pumping him hard. The image sent Edgar over the edge, convulsing as
he shot a huge load of hot cum all over his chest.

Edgar sat, breathing
heavily, as the after-effects of his orgasm slowly wound down. He
downed the last of his coffee, grabbed some tissues and wiped his
copious load off his chest. He washed up further in the bathroom,
stopping to refill his mug on the way back to his desk.

So, Maddi, huh? He was fun; nice guy and
fantastic bottom. Maybe I should give him a call. I am gonna have
to have a word with Wiz, though. Dammit, personal contact info is
s'posed to be confidential at these parties and I sure as hell
didn't hand mine out to anyone. Knowing Wiz though, he was probably
high out his head and thought Maddi would be good for me. Damn
Mother Hen. Good intentions, though. He just doesn't know that
romantic involvements are complicated for me.

It doesn't look all that great when your
mate looks like a prune and you're still as young as the day you
met. Tends to raise unpleasant questions I'd rather not answer.
Gotta admit, I miss it sometimes. Anti-aging science is kick-ass,
but the best it does is extend life to about a hundred forty.
Problem is, by then you look like you're in your forties. I look
like I'm twenty-six and will always look like I'm twenty-six; too
many questions.

There's always faking my own death when
things get too suspicious. It's not like I haven't done it before,
but never as part of a couple. Shit, it sucks to do it to friends;
I really don't wanna pull that trick on a mate! Talk about a dick
move! Still… He looks about nineteen, but that's no guarantee. He's
damn shy for anyone older than that. What the fuck am I thinking?!
Edgar, dude, you're contemplating something that could seriously
mess up your life. Then again, he might just want another fuck…
Screw it! I'm calling. First, the news.

Edgar always made it a point to keep abreast
of current events. Not only was it the best way to avoid tipping
his immortal hand, there was always the chance that science could
further life-extension. Human vanity being what it was there was a
good chance they wouldn't quit until they found a way to live
forever.

Edgar touched the pad on his desk, bringing
the screen to life. He tapped the News icon and his pre-programmed
feeds popped up. He favored
Quark
for science news,
Polzine
for politics,
Fin-News
for finance,
HappyFunTime
for entertainment and
Sssss!
for current
events.
Sssss!
was published by an eccentric ninety-year old
who believed that snakes would ultimately evolve into a superior
race. Aside from stories related to that particular world view,
Sssss!
was considered the
crème-de-la-crème
of
current events sources.

The HC screened articles from all these
sources, following a specific set of parameters Edgar programmed.
He spent the next half hour scanning the articles, reading a few
short ones and drinking another mug of hot, creamy coffee. Once he
finished the news, he grabbed a glass of water and settled into the
comfort of the sofa. "Call Jace," he said to the HC. The computer
chimed, letting him know the call was being placed. Moments later,
Jace's voice answered.

"Hey, Edgar! Finally awake, I see," the
Spaniard's deep voice filled the room, followed by a chuckle.

"Good morning to you, too Jace!" Edgar said
with a smile. "What's up?"

"I'm heading to Maxi's tonight at about ten.
Care to join me?"

Edgar thought of Maddi, but decided that he'd
reserve time for him tomorrow. "Sure," he said to Jace. "First
round's on me. Wanna grab a meal, first?"

"Sorry, my friend; I'm having dinner with my
sister tonight. Hence the strong desire for a drink afterward.

"My condolences," Edgar laughed. He knew Jace
loved his sister, but she was a bit much to take sober. Some things
never changed, and she was the 2-4's definition of the perfect
know-it-all. The trouble was she didn't. Sadly, she couldn't be
convinced of this, no matter what facts were presented. He wouldn't
tell Jace, but Edgar never went to the – thankfully rare – events
at which Anice was present without first getting a really good
high.

"Thanks. Hey, if you don't have plans…" Jace
said.

"I appreciate the kind invitation, Jace, but
I just remembered I do have plans," Edgar said

"Sure, sure. Cleaning the house, I suppose?"
Jace chuckled, knowing that Anice wasn't Edgar's favorite. "Don't
worry, I get it. She has something important to tell me, so I
wasn't seriously asking anyway. Just plan on the first two rounds
being on you, though."

"You got it," Edgar said. "You're gonna need
it, I suspect. Did she give you any hints as to what's so
important?"

"Not a clue," said Jace. "Knowing her, she's
found a new field of expertise and just wants to show it off." This
was the closest Jace ever came to outright criticism of his younger
sibling.

Edgar caught the cue and changed the subject.
"Well, I'm looking forward to seeing you at Maxi's tonight. I'll be
there at ten."

"It's a plan," said Jace. Then, to his own
HC, he said "End call." Edgar's HC chimed signifying the call was
over. Edgar sat for a moment, pondering Anice's big news. He
refilled his glass and, on impulse, said, "Call Wizzer." He walked
to the sofa as his friend's HC announced that Wiz wasn't
available.

"Leave a message, please," Edgar told Wiz'
HC.

"Please speak at the tone," the HC
responded.

"Wizzer! It's Edgar. I need a word, please. I
got an interesting call from a guy named Maddox; I met him at your
place the 9th of last month. I know I didn't give him my call code;
I was wondering if you did. I'm also considering calling him. Now,
wipe that matchmaking smile off your face and call me back," this
last was said with a smile in Edgar's voice that he knew Wiz would
recognize. "End message," he instructed his HC. The familiar chime
sounded and Edgar stood, intending to stretch for his run.

"Temperature outside," he asked the HC as he
began his routine.

"The temperature outside is 72 degrees
Fahrenheit," the unit responded.

Edgar smiled. Hundreds of years had passed
and the U.S. still hadn't converted to the metric system.
"Perfect," he replied. "Prep an SPF spray."

"The SPF spray is ready," the HC announced a
moment later.

Edgar took another ten minutes to complete
his stretches before heading for the shower. The SPF spray was an
absolute necessity for any extended outdoor activity, especially
one involving little clothing. Regardless of the great advancements
in environmental technology and remediation, the damage done up
through the late twenty-second century left a much-depleted ozone
layer over most of the planet. Granted, curing melanoma was as easy
as a week-long course of pills, but Edgar liked to avoid doctors as
much as possible. He didn't know if his unique situation was
discoverable by any medical scan and he didn't want to find
out.

Instead, he used the spray; a concentrated
SPF with a 100 rating. Delivered by the shower system, the mist
went on fast and dried even faster. Edgar stepped into the shower,
the sandy-colored tile cool against his feet, and asked the HC to
begin the spray. He stood spread-eagle, eyes closed as the shower
jets coated him with the fine mist. The spray process took all of
twenty seconds and ten seconds after that, the SPF coating was dry.
Edgar still marveled at how easy it was compared to twen-cen
sunblock. It even coated his scalp, specifically designed to pass
quickly through the thickest hair and left zero residue. He stepped
out of the shower, heading to the walk-in closet to gear up for his
run.

He chose a deep blue pair of onion-skin
jogging shorts, loose and comfortable, providing barely enough
covering to be considered decent. As a general rule, the less
clothing he wore the happier Edgar was and, with the protection of
the SPF spray, the only thing stopping him from jogging nude were
the local decency laws. He pulled on a pair of dark blue running
shoes and thumbed the closure. The shoes sealed, fitting Edgar's
feet like a second skin, negating the need for socks. The last
thing he chose was a pair of shades, a simple but classic
design.

Unlike many people, Edgar liked experiencing
his surroundings uninterrupted when jogging so he left his earbuddy
at home. The freedom was exhilarating in itself. The small insert
doubled as a voice-activated phone and a music player and sometimes
it felt good to be unreachable. He took the elevator down and
within moments was out on the street, jogging toward the Park.

Fifteen minutes later, Edgar was enjoying the
feel of his muscles pumping, a sheen of perspiration glistening on
his skin. The mid-day crowd in Gridley Park was on full, providing
an ample supply of eye-candy and Edgar was taking it in like a
starving man at a banquet. Gridley was the site of many mid-day
activities beyond joggers and people lunching outdoors. There was a
yoga group, largely female, but the men more than made up for
smaller numbers with amazing displays of flexibility. He made a
mental note to check out the group someday, purely for the benefits
of yoga, of course.

The sun felt good on his skin and Edgar
couldn't help but smile at the joy of being in motion on such a
beautiful day. He caught more than a few lunchers gazing his way as
he passed and he tossed a quick smile at some of them. One man in a
tai chi group actually stared full-on at Edgar, completely ignoring
the leader of the group. This man got a smile and a wave. There
were few school-aged children in Gridley, today being a class day.
The few children present were infants and toddlers, accompanied by
caregivers, and not too much of a distraction. Edgar wasn't
particularly fond of children, but the unaffected laughter of a
baby occasionally touched even his heart.

Thirty minutes in, Edgar changed paths
heading back to Highland House. He usually ran for about an hour,
making it two hours at least once a week. The benefit of regular
exercise for Edgar was endurance, only because his body seemed
forever frozen in a state of perfection. He always watched what he
ate in public, though privately, he could easily put away a large
double-cheese, double-pepperoni pizza and still have room for a
pie. All without ever gaining an ounce; this, he knew from tracking
his weight for the first hundred years of his life. After that, he
counted tracking as a waste of time, instead counting the blessing
of being able to eat like a hippo and look like a cheetah.

Given Edgar's love of sex, the increased
endurance was well worth the time it took to jog. Of course, he
thoroughly enjoyed jogging, so it was no great sacrifice. The pump
he got from running felt almost as good as the one he got from sex.
Almost. He'd been accused of being a sex addict, back in the day
despite not fitting the definition. He always considered his love
of sex and lack of inhibition to be natural; he'd been raised
without the judgmental attitudes toward sex prevalent in the 1980s.
In fact, his parents were flower children who never really left the
1960s. He never regretted it, even though it occasionally resulted
in flak from schoolmates.

His free-and-easy attitudes fit perfectly in
the 2-4, at least on Earth. Puritanical values had ceased being de
riguer shortly after the majority of humanity abandoned religion.
Some people found this change utterly unbearable and founded the
first lunar colony, un-ironically called Genesis. Edgar visited
once, wanting the experience of actually seeing the Moon; not
surprisingly, he found the social mores stifling, cutting his
two-week trip short by a week.

Other colonies had been started since
Genesis, some thriving while others went extinct. Edgar visited
each of the current fourteen human colonies once they'd become
established civilizations. He learned early on that he had no love
for the rugged wilderness stage of interplanetary colonies. The
colonies' cultures varied, though the general flavor of each
reflected the freedom found on humanity's home planet. Home was
home, though and Edgar always chose to return to Earth. Now, with
Highland House coming into view, his thoughts of home were far more
specific, mainly a shower and a hot breakfast.