Only in His Dreams

Chapter 5-1

Chapter 5

“This is a great little condo,” Travis said, looking around Darrell’s townhome. It was a one-level two bedroom with a pretty decent sized kitchen with granite counters.

“Yeah,” Darrell said, taking a bottle of chardonnay out of the fridge and pouring two glasses. “The little part is the problem. Someday I intend to get a house with a nice yard. One big enough for a garden maybe.”

“That sounds cool. How many rooms?” Travis took a sip of the dry wine. He sat at the bar counter looking into the kitchen.

Darrell reached into a cabinet and took out a portable grill. “I’d want at least three. This place has two bedrooms and even though I live by myself I always find I could use another. Family visiting, that sort of thing. I’d like to be able to turn one into an exercise room.”

“You work out?” Travis wasn’t surprised. Beneath the pressed dress shirt Darrell always wore to work lurked muscular arms he itched to caress.

Darrell nodded. “When I have the time. I have a gym membership. I also play a bit of basketball and golf. But if I had my own equipment I could save the membership fees and have access to it more often. I’d like to keep a room open for the occasional overnight guest which is why I’d prefer to have three bedrooms. Plus, someday I’d like to find someone to share the house with me.”

“I’ve got a four bedroom house myself and let me tell you with just me the place gets damn lonely.” Travis sighed. He had a feeling he sounded as pathetic as he felt.

“Mind doing the salad?” Darrell asked, taking out a bag of mixed greens from the fridge as well as tomatoes and dressing.

“Nope, give it here.”

“So why the big house? I’m really kind of surprised to hear you don’t have a significant other, actually.”

Travis smiled. “Really? Why?”

The other man shrugged. “A great looking guy like you with a successful career and a nice house? Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to be with you?”

Travis felt the heat in his cheeks and knew he was both blushing and warmed by Darrell’s words. It was clear enough now Darrell did have an interest in him.

“Well, it’s been a while but I did have a live-in boyfriend a few years ago.” He tossed the cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and salad dressing in the big wooden bowl Darrell had handed to him.

“What happened?”

“Alan died in a car accident.”

Darrell gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. It’s been close to five years now. It’s still hard not to think about him, though, you know? How about you? I’d say the same about you, Darrell. How come you aren’t seeing anyone?”

“I’ve had a few casual relationships,” Darrell admitted, flipping the fish on the grill. “Nothing really serious, though. As tough as it is to be a gay man, being a gay black man is sometimes harder. All my relationships, whatever they’ve been, have always been with other African Americans. A lot of them were still in the closet.”

“You’ve never dated anyone of another race?”

Darrell shook his head and plated the grilled fish. He smiled a little. “Not so far. I’m a little shy, to be honest. It’s kind of hard for me to go outside my comfort zone.”

Not knowing what to say to that, or if he even needed to say anything, Travis kept quiet. He wasn’t really sure if inviting him over was totally a casual, let’s-be- friends-kind-of-thing, or if Darrell wanted something more interesting. He used to be more aggressive before he’d mellowed in his relationship with Alan, but now he was completely out of practice.

“Let’s go eat in the dining room.” Darrell led the way to the table where they ate their fish in companionable silence for a while. After taking a couple of sips of wine, Darrell finally spoke. “What about you? Do you work out?”

Travis chuckled. “Nah. I was gifted with a naturally fast metabolism. Which is pretty fortunate because I never seem to have the time for going to a gym. I’ve had memberships but I never used them so I stopped wasting my money.”

“You are lucky,” Darrell agreed. “And I can see that you’re in pretty fine shape.” He looked away quickly as though embarrassed he’d said too much.

“Thanks,” Travis said softly. “I guess I’m okay for a guy who just turned thirty-five.”

Darrell’s gaze flew back to his. “You did? When?”

Now he felt foolish for mentioning it. He was not a child pouting because no one cared about his birthday. “Oh, pretty recently,” he said evasively.

The other man would have none of it. “When?”

“Yesterday.” He knew by the heat radiating from his damn fair cheeks he was blushing furiously.

Darrell dropped his fork. “Why didn’t you say so?”

He shrugged. “I’m a little old to make a big deal out of my birthday, don’t you think?”

“No. What about your family and friends? They didn’t celebrate with you?”

“I lost my family some years ago when I was a teen.” There was just no way he was going to say he had no friends. He took a large swallow of wine.

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that as well. Tomorrow is Saturday. What do you want to do?”

“You don’t have to.”

Darrell smiled. “I know. What do you like to do? Do you golf?”

“Um, not really.”

“Hmm. How about the ocean? You like the beach?”

Travis nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay, great. How about a harbor cruise then? I’ve got an old friend from high school. Runs one of those three hour cruises out of Ventura. We’ll go there.”

“A three hour tour? Am I Gilligan or the Skipper?” Travis chuckled.

Darrell grinned. “I’d be the professor. Maybe you should be Mr. Howell.”

“Figures you’d choose the old guy as me.” He shook his head, feeling immensely better and suddenly looking forward to tomorrow. “Okay, what time should I come get you?”

“Why don’t you stay here? I’ve got the spare room. You can stay there. We can watch a movie tonight. I’ve got some action flicks or some other movies. You can pick.”

Travis couldn’t help but note Darrell suggested he stay in the spare room. A subtle signal nothing would happen that night between them. But that was all right with Travis. He didn’t want to push anything. There was a slight problem though.

“I don’t have a change of clothes.”

Darrell stood and cleared their now empty plates. “I’ve got several pairs of shorts and some shirts that would fit you. Or we can just stop by your place on the way to the harbor and you can change then.”

Seemed like Darrell had an answer for any argument he had to give. “Great, sounds like a plan.”