Macho by Jaylen Florian

Author:Jaylen Florian [Florian, Jaylen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: straight and gay, self-discovery journey self-esteem, confident men romance sexuality, masculine masculinity stud hunk handsome, LGBTQ fiction short story novelette, military internship vineyard winery park ranger, unexpected surprise twist ending
Publisher: Jaylen Florian
Published: 2018-08-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

For three consecutive nights, Teddy and I watched late night television together. The later in the evening, the more likely we were to tune into a cable channel featuring shows with nudity, innuendo, and sexual tension. The camaraderie between the two of us advanced naturally. I hoped he would never leave.

On the fourth night, he mentioned he would be departing in the morning. After my evening jog, Teddy invited me to take a walk by the river. It was twilight and for the most part the roads alongside the river did not have lights. Darkness smothered us and Teddy wanted to know more about my internship, my supervisors, and how I handled assignments from them. It seemed to me, at first, like he was exploring how strong of a work ethic I might have. Then, it occurred to me that Teddy might be asking questions because he was considering me for a job position. But by the conclusion of our stroll, I discarded both theories and realized he was just genuinely interested in how I was getting along and how much experience I was gaining from the summer position.

"That's the first time I have walked along the river in years," Teddy said, upon our arrival back at the garage house. "I need to do that more often."

"I'll join you whenever you'd like company," I replied.

"Kieran, I'm impressed by what you've told me."

"Why?" I asked with a smile, wanting to hear his answer while not selling myself short or sounding surprised.

Teddy removed his boots and offered me a whiskey, which I declined, but I did accept his offer for a cigar. "You're taking the path less traveled, as the saying goes. Service is admirable. I've always thought so. Military. Charity. Church. And, in your case, government."

"Thank you."

"There are easier paths you could be taking, like staying in your hometown and trying jobs that would make you more money and be easier to master. But, with financial risk and so on, you're here and reaching for something that will make more of an impact."

I nodded. It was a gesture to express my continued gratitude for his observations. Color rose in my cheeks. Flushing has always been a problem for me. I knew my friendship with Teddy had been building, but his positive assessment of my character was beyond anything I had really expected.

While Teddy showered after dinner, I changed into a pair of sweatpants. The only clean pair I had left was made of a thin synthetic material. It felt good on my skin, but got too hot if I wore underwear. So I chucked my underwear and slipped into the sweatpants, liberated by the freedom of hanging out with another man. A man who likely would not notice my bulge anyway, and if he did, he probably wouldn't care or think anything of it.

I wished someday I would possess more of his carriage and outlook.

Teddy's compliment had me on cloud nine, in a blizzard of euphoria, and so I decided against having beer or any other alcohol when I returned to the downstairs room.

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