The 10 Year Plan (7 page)

“Well, that went predictably bad.” Myles said.

“I'll give you that,” Brody answered, resigned to their crash and burn for the evening.

Myles tried to refuse the drink, but Brody put it in his hand anyway.

“I've got a big meeting tomorrow, Brody. Gotta be at my best.”

“Jesus, Myles. Just relax for a bit. No need to rush home to Jeff Stryker,” he teased. There was no way he was going to let Myles slip out on joining him for a nightcap. Brody loved to toast when having a drink, and he was determined to have a drink with his bestie to finish off the evening. Besides, he thought, it was early, and Myles had nowhere to go. The next day's meeting was just an excuse to get away and brood.

“Who is Jeff Stryker?” Myles asked and then obviously remembered. “Oh, the dildo.”

Brody smiled. Myles' naiveté was adorable, he thought. Which was yet another thing Brody loved about him.

Myles noticed a glass with a chicken bone in it on the floor near the couch. He bent down and picked it up. Actually, it was resting in one of the Waterford crystal whiskey glasses Myles had given Brody for Christmas years ago. “You know I can send over my cleaning lady. She's only $75 a visit. She'll even bring her own napalm.” He shook his head in obvious disbelief and slight disgust. “You need someone to take care of you.”

Brody laughed. Myles was a total neat freak! And he was the opposite. If his place was a little messy, so what? Well, okay, a lot messy—not quite the city dump, but close. “No. I just need to hire a maid.” He had no intention in engaging in this line of conversation. This was exactly why he never had Myles come to his home. He knew Myles would have something to say about the way he kept his place, and for Brody, there are just too many other things he'd rather be doing with his time than cleaning.

“Like the old song says,” Myles answered, “everyone needs someone, at least sometimes. Even you. What are you afraid of?”

“Being nagged to death about being single. Speaking of... we still need to get you a man!” Myles' criticism reminded him about their ten-year plan and how important it was to find Myles a man before their arrangement became due in just a few weeks. Drastic times demanded drastic measures! He had only one more trick up his sleeve. “Take off your shirt,” he told Myles.

If nothing else he'd get him on Grindr where he was sure to meet a lot of hot men. Maybe he'd click with one of them. At least he would be distracted for a bit by how many men were available to him. It was a long shot… but better than nothing. And it was all he had left.

“What?” Myles was alarmed by the sudden request.

“Give me your phone and take off your shirt.” Grindr was Brody's way out of this predicament. Why hadn't he thought of it sooner?

Myles frowned. “No way,” he fired back. “You're not putting half-naked pictures of me up on ‘The Internet'.”

“It's not ‘The Internet'!” Brody stood facing him. “It's just an app, and everyone does it. Come on; try something new for a change!” Sometimes Myles could be stubborn as hell.

“No.” His expression was one of determination. He shook his head. “Tell me, how do you do it?”

Brody couldn't resist a silly answer to an obvious question. “Very well, and often on all fours!” Myles rolled his eyes while Brody laughed at himself. Myles had no idea how easy it really was. And for a guy as handsome as Myles it certainly shouldn't be that hard. Brody felt that this would be the perfect way to keep Myles occupied until their arrangement had clearly come and gone.

“Come on. Trust me. It's better than being alone.”

“Well….” It seemed that Myles was staring to yield, at least a little. “I'm really not comfortable with this.”

Ah ha, Brody thought, the cause wasn't lost, after all. “Come on,
do it.
Off with the shirt! Show off the goods! It's all advertising.” He laughed. “Want to catch a fish? You gotta show them your worm!”

Myles looked aghast. “No one—and I mean no one—is seeing my ‘worm', and the shirt's staying on! Non-negotiable.”

“Fine. Keep the shirt on.” Brody laughed as he demanded Myles give him his phone. Myles complied and Brody took a photo for the profile he was about to make for him. “Say ‘I'm a dirty little boy looking for a hot daddy'.”

“Cheese,” Myles said dryly.

“Cheese will do.”

Myles rolled his eyes but then posed for the photo. Brody snapped his picture.
Not ideal,
he thought. It was complete with shirt and awkward smile that somehow Myles still managed to make seem endearing. Not the best bait to catch a man, but it would have to do. He knew it was the only photo he was going to get from Myles tonight.

Brody hit the genetic jackpot when he was born. Hazel eyes, sandy brown hair, a long lean muscular build, and a face to match all his other physical perfections. High school, sports, girls and friends ordinarily come easy to someone with Brody's looks, but none of it really mattered to him.

Brody was born the middle child to the parents of a lower income family originally from New York but had settled in the Valley. His father left his mother when he was young with no child support to care for his younger brother and sister. He was a latchkey kid who knew only one thing: he had to be the man of the family.

When Brody was a child, his father cheated on his mother, and he was the one to shield his brother and sister from his mother's long nights of crying. When Brody's father finally left, it was a welcome relief for the family; however, it meant Brody had to grow up fast. His mother worked in a diner as a waitress. Long, late hours that took their toll. Although she did her best to provide for her family, she was barely able to make ends meet.

High school was especially tough. Brody loved sports but couldn't participate due to his family obligations. He grew to resent the students who had the privilege of being on the teams and took them for granted. He wanted to be on the inside, but he always felt on the outside of what was going on.

Being handsome was a double-edged sword. The attention, the desire, the peer pressure, not only from the girls, who loved him, but also from the guys to be a stud, was unbearable. Brody only ever wanted to be loved, to have a stable family, and to be financially comfortable. All the things he didn't have in his life growing up. He was determined to have them as an adult.

Brody loved people and had tons of friends, but as he grew older, the pressure to have a girlfriend was unbearable. His family and friends were always asking him “How's it going with the ladies?” His buddies always introduced him to girls, who shamelessly flirted with him. Brody wanted to desire the opposite sex, but he didn't. He didn't desire anything. There was something very wrong with him, he thought, but he wasn't able to speak about it to anyone. Besides, who could he talk to? His mother had her problems, and he was essentially the father for his younger brother and older sister. Whatever his problems, he had to deal with them himself.

When Brody turned sixteen, his life changed. He met Wayne at a high school science fair. Brody had finished working out in the high school gym and noticed that something other than sports was going on in the auditorium that day. The large room was buzzing with students from other districts in Los Angeles, which were much wealthier than the one where Brody lived. The students assembled different displays and contraptions. Brody decided to take a look, which is where he first fell in love.

Wayne was in the same grade as Brody but from a rival high school. He was meticulous, organized, sharp, and good-looking in an unconventional way. He was a hot nerd. Something drew Brody to Wayne's area. But it wasn't the display; it was Wayne himself. In fact, after that day Brody couldn't for the life of him even remember what Wayne had entered into the competition. Brody tried to pretend he was interested in the entry, but it was the sexy young man who drew his interest. Brody felt things he'd never felt with a girl.

Wayne was not only handsome, but he was smart, and, unlike everyone else, the only one who seemed to know Brody was gay. The two young men stood talking as Brody did his best to pretend he knew what Wayne was talking about until finally Wayne couldn't take it anymore. The chemistry between them was palpable. Eventually, Wayne asked, “Want to hang out sometime? Maybe come to my part of town?”

Brody didn't know what to make of it at first. Was he asking him out on a date? Was this just an invitation from a guy to just be friends? Brody was confused by the whole thing but knew one thing for sure. He definitely wanted to spend time with Wayne. So his answer was a definite yes.

***

Brody fell quickly for Wayne, a person who was confident and comfortable with who he was. And he'd opened up a whole new world for Brody. Coming out of the closet was never an issue for Wayne because he had never been “in the closet” to begin with. Brody, on the other hand, had had a very different experience. Wayne was not only Brody's first love, but he was the first person of either sex he had ever been with sexually. Brody had tried to make it with girls, but he knew it wouldn't happen. But instead of recognizing what the problem was, he always dismissed them as not being his type.

Wayne encouraged Brody to be his own man on his own terms. They both shared a mutual love for being an underdog, and neither could stand injustice or others being mistreated. They often spoke about how they could help make the world a better place. Wayne had his sights set on law school. He was determined to be an environmental attorney and work for organizations such as Greenpeace or the National Wildlife Defense Fund. Brody didn't have money for college.

He joked that when they eventually got married, Wayne could save the whales and Brody could save the people. Brody knew that with the resources available to him, his best opportunity was to become a police officer. So when Wayne went to college, Brody would go to the academy.

It was Wayne who showed him how different life could be and ultimately, in college, the one who again managed to turn Brody's world upside down.

Myles lay in bed, naked from the waist up, holding his phone and looking at his goofy photo on Grindr.
No way,
he thought.
I can't go through with this.
It had been a mistake to let Brody talk him into posing for the photo. Well, he didn't have to keep it there, he thought. He could delete it. Brody would be upset, but he'd get over it.

Just as he was about to press delete, there was a chat sound. Okay, he thought, might as well look and see who was sending him a message. What could it hurt?

And there it was: a picture of a very hot man named Hunter. “Wow! Okay then,” he said aloud. Maybe Brody's idea wasn't so bad after all. Quickly, Myles typed a response. He wondered what to say, how to be clever. Myles quickly decided on: “Hi. I'm Myles.”
Nailed it,
he thought sarcastically.

“Hey, Myles,” the man said. “Want to come over?”

An invitation to meet up with just the exchange of a few simple words and a photo? Is he kidding? Myles couldn't believe that such a simple and short exchange could lead to a man like this inviting him over. He didn't even know him! No nerves, no awkwardness, just an invitation he could accept or reject.

How strange and oddly intriguing this was, he thought. Hunter was sexy. No doubt about it. The kind of guy Myles never would consider dating. A rocker with tattoos? How out of the box for him. Now that he had entered Brody's world, he was fascinated. This seemed so alien to him that he couldn't turn away.
How do I know he's not going to kill me?
Myles thought.
A sexy strange man inviting me over in the middle of the night. This could only end badly! Or great…

Brody had suggested he try Grindr, so it couldn't be that bad, could it? he asked himself. Myles trusted Brody. Although his judgment was questionable from time to time, one thing was certain: Brody would never do anything to put Myles in harm's way. Brody practically lived on Grindr and this was exactly what Myles needed in his life. A break from the ordinary. A little adventure. Something new.

This was really hot, Myles thought, as a thrill surged through his gut. “Come over? You mean right now?” He looked at his watch and weighed his choices.

Brody kept telling him it was this easy, but he'd never believed him. Well, okay, now that he knew he'd give it his best shot. Make up for all the fun he'd lost out on by not listening to his best friend sooner. Hurriedly, he dressed and rushed outside to his car. His fingers actually shook as he tried to insert the key in the ignition. Myles was excited and turned on. This was going to be a night to remember.

***

Myles stood outside Hunter's apartment, terrified. He lived in a red brick building, decades old, with a profusion of flowers blooming in the small space in front.
What was he doing here?
Myles asked himself. Why had he let Brody talk him into something like this? No, he couldn't blame Brody. He had to own this one. He didn't have to pose for the photo. He almost didn't, but he'd given in. And even after Brody snapped the picture, Myles didn't have to let him post it. And, of course, he could have deleted it as soon as he got home. And most of all, he didn't have to respond to Hunter's message or drive across town to see him in the middle of the night.

Here he was, so he might as well see what would happen. He hesitated for a moment and then pushed the bell. The photo hadn't lied because in a minute a hot rocker type, who appeared to be in his early thirties, answered the door.

As usual, Myles had dressed conservatively, while Hunter appeared in a leather vest and wife beater. Was this really happening? Myles thought. It felt like a surreal dream. Myles did not go out with guys like Hunter!

“Cute,” Hunter said, his voice a low and sexy timber. “I like the ‘Abercrombie meets Log-Cabin-Republican' thing you've got going on.”

Myles was a little taken aback. He wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or a criticism. He looked into Hunter's eyes but couldn't read him. No clue there, so he chose to consider it a compliment and stay the course of his new adventure. He took a deep breath. “I just need to tell you that I've never done this kind of thing before.”

“And what kind of thing is that?” The other man's tone was slightly teasing.

“Meet up with a guy I don't know in the middle of the night.” He was buzzing, a weird combination of excitement and a little terror.
A little?
he asked himself. How could a person be a “little” terrified? You either were or you weren't.

Hunter opened the door a little wider, the tacit invitation there. “And what do you think so far?”

“I'm nervous.” About as nervous as he'd ever been, he thought, except maybe when he took the bar exam and then passed with flying colors. First and only time too, unlike many of his classmates. Why in the hell was he thinking of that?

“How adorable.”

Again, Hunter was hard to read. Was this sarcasm or a compliment? More like sarcasm, Myles thought. He could still turn around and leave.

“Want to come in?” Direct this time, Hunter stepped back so Myles could enter.

Myles laughed nervously. “You're not going to kill me, are you?”

Hunter smiled. “Do you really think that someone who's planning on killing you is going to answer that question with a yes?”

Myles shook his head. Stupid question, he thought. Obvious answer. The guy looked okay. Not threatening or anything. But this was a big step for Myles. Usually, he met a new man at a restaurant or other neutral spot. Not in the person's home!

“So… feel like taking your chances?”

“I wasn't planning on revealing I was this neurotic until much later,” Myles kidded.

“Cat's out of the bag now.” Hunter gave Myles the ultimate of sexy smiles and motioned for him to enter. “Offer still stands...”

He stood at the threshold. It was a yes or no move. Enter or leave. Hunter was hot. Just the kind of guy that intrigued Myles. He was everything that Myles had never had before. Maybe this was just the kind of thing he needed. Everything else he'd tried had failed. Drastic times take drastic measures, he told himself. Besides, his bedroom eyes were not something Myles could turn away from. Well, okay. He had come this far, and besides, Hunter seemed sweet enough.
Everyone does this,
he told himself,
and now it's time to have my share of fun.

“Drink? I've got beer, whiskey, and vodka.”

The living room was bathed in light, which reflected off the red walls in an orangish sort of color. It was a retro and funky. Not Myles' choice of décor but not that bad either with red accents here and there—a guitar, a pillow and a candle on a round glass coffee table. Maybe a little overcrowded but neat. Not like Brody's place. The thought made Myles feel disloyal. “Water, please.”

Hunter headed for the kitchen as Myles sat in a stuffed chair standing at right angles to a matching, patterned couch. Before Myles had a chance to change his mind about what he was doing Hunter returned with a bottle of water, which he held out to Myles and then sat on the couch. He motioned for Myles to sit beside him.

Myles was hesitant. Was he ready for this? He wasn't at all sure. Oh, what the hell? He sat next to Hunter.

Hunter picked up a bong from the coffee table that Myles had managed to overlook. “Hit?” Hunter asked.

“I'm good.”
Drugs?
Myles thought with a quick panic.
I could be a cop!

Hunter took a hit. “You sure?”

Myles nodded. “So, what happens now?” He glanced around again, as if checking out the best evacuation route.

Hunter shrugged. “Whatever you want.” He took off his shirt; a leather necklace and a chain hung from his neck perfectly framing his muscular well-defined pecs. For a rocker, he was certainly well groomed with the perfect amount of trimmed chest hair and a very sexy treasure trail leading down from his navel. He glanced at Myles. “I don't bite... very hard at first.”

Myles was clearly turned on and snared in this hot stud's web. He started to panic. What had ever possessed him to do this? He didn't know what was expected. Well, strike that. Of course, he knew what was expected. But he didn't know if he wanted to follow through.

“Sure I can't change your mind about that drink?”

Myles felt quivers in his stomach and took a leap of faith. “Make it a double.”

Hunter stood and went to the kitchen. In the meantime Myles decided to give Brody a quick call to tell him what was happening. Maybe Brody could help quell the nervousness and maybe make him a tad jealous in the process.

“What's up?” Brody asked, after just a moment.

Myles hoped Hunter would take at least a couple of minutes to fix the drink, so he could tell Brody what he'd done. He glanced toward the kitchen. So far, so good.

“I took your advice. Check it out.” He panned the iPhone's camera around the room.

“Wait, hold it! Where are you?” Brody sounded really concerned.

“Some seriously hot guy's house.”

“Don't even say you did it, because I won't believe it.” Myles could hear the disbelief in Brody's voice.

He leaned back, a little more relaxed, deciding to enjoy what was happening and to prove to Brody he wasn't the prude his best friend always accused him of being. “This is so hot!”

“Where are you?” It wasn't disbelief in Brody's tone anymore but something that sounded just short of panic.

Well, Myles certainly wasn't going to answer that and have Brody rushing there like the U.S. Cavalry. “His name is Hunter.”

“Sure it is.”

Myles looked up to see Hunter coming back with two drinks. “Here he comes. I'll call you later!” Myles hung up as Hunter entered with two drinks. Myles hoped he hadn't heard him call Brody.

Myles' phone rang. It was Brody calling back.

“Is that your back up plan?” Myles was afraid he had just insulted him. He knew he had a penchant for always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to a new guy. Did he just make Hunter think that he's not into him and trying to set up someone else for the evening?

“What? Huh. No it's my buddy. He always calls me when he meets a hot guy, and I just called him.” Myles blurted out the truth to try to save him from the awkwardness of the situation.

“I'm flattered.”

The phone continued to ring.

“Sorry.”

“Get it, if you want,” Hunter said as he lounged once more on the couch toying with his necklaces.

“Just one second.” Myles stood and stepped away so Hunter wouldn't hear. He was just the least bit irritated, though he knew Brody had his best interest at heart. “What's up?”

“What are you doing?”

Really!
Myles thought. Was this necessary? “I'm taking your advice.”

“
My
advice?”

“Meet people. Have fun.
Post my picture on Grindr!
I gotta go. I don't want to be rude. Call you later.”

“No, wait!”

“Call you later!”

“Make sure you call me!”

Myles hung up and went back to the couch. He couldn't continue this nonsense. Brody could ruin what promised to be a very hot night with a mysterious stranger. Myles was warming up to the evening and starting to enjoy where this was going. Mostly because he knew that now Brody was home going insane about what he was about to do and who he was about to do it with. “That was ridiculous, wasn't it? Now I'm embarrassed.” And he was. He had to admit that yes, he appreciated Brody's concern, but he also resented his call. After all Myles
was
a fully responsible adult.

“No. Don't be, it's sweet.”

Again, Myles didn't know how to read Hunter. Did he mean what he said or was his tone a little off?

“Well,” Hunter continued, “if there's no one else you'd like to ring up at midnight, are you ready to get to know each other better?” Hunter reached over and put his hand on Myles' leg.

Myles pulled back. Damn, why did he do that? Hunter was sure to think he was a total neurotic—a Woody Allen type, for heaven's sake. Still… who puts his hand on another guy's thigh after meeting him only five minutes earlier? Hunter's intention was clear. Obviously, he wanted to see Myles' reaction. Myles knew that if he gave him a consensual smile, Hunter would slide his hand right up to his crotch! Myles reeled from the surprise that Hunter was ready to start the evening with a casual fuck.

Myles simply couldn't grasp the idea of no conversation first; no discussion on what each of them liked and was into. Hunter didn't even know him and he was happy to jump into bed!

“Mind if we just hang out tonight?” Myles needed time to process what was going on. But oh, man, he was tempted. What was wrong with him? He'd known what to expect in replying to Hunter on Grindr. So why was he turning into a virgin, all at once? He certainly wasn't one. A virgin, that is. Myles took a deep breath and regrouped.

“Oh. Okay. No worries. I'm fine with whatever.”

Could Hunter really mean that? It certainly wasn't the evening Hunter had expected, now was it?

Myles asked him. “You sure?”

“Yeah. I just assumed that's what you wanted.”

“I'm not really like that.” What a stupid thing to say, Myles told himself. Not like what? No, he was far from a virgin… but Hunter probably wouldn't believe that. And by saying what he had, wasn't he implying that he was somehow better than Hunter? Leave it to me, he thought. Able to handle any situation that might arise. Uh huh, sure!

“Me neither,” Hunter answered a little coyly. “I'm actually really just a simple romantic homebody. I'm good with just hanging out tonight.”

Myles relaxed. Maybe things weren't so bad after all. “That's very cool of you. You seem like a really great guy.”

“I do.”

There was an awkward silence. Then suddenly Myles changed his mind. He had obviously misjudged Hunter. He was probably just as nervous and awkward as Myles. Besides, Hunter had just admitted to being a “simple romantic-homebody”. That meant the two men had more in common than Myles had originally thought. Myles felt bad that he had been so quick to judge Hunter. The rock and roll persona was probably just a way to protect the sweet romantic he was inside.