Dark Secret: My best friend's son

I couldn't stop myself. Even when I thought we might get caught.

Since reconnecting with an old high school buddy, Lawrence, my life has been full of pub trivia nights, bowling, and just hanging out watching sports.

It's great to have my best friend back in my life.

In early summer, I'm invited to a barbeque at Lawrence's. He's invited many friends we have made together recently. I'm particularly excited to meet Lawrence's son, Daniel, who has been away at college.

I am not expecting my body's reaction to my first glimpse of Daniel.

He's gorgeous and so incredibly hot. What I thought was my purely straight sexuality gets flipped on its head.

I have to have him. The resurgence of my friendship be damned.

---

We reconnected quite by accident. My best friend from high school, Lawrence, had been phoning around construction companies looking to arrange quotes for his kitchen renovation.

As luck would have it, my company was the one he contacted.

I recognized his name on the appointment sheet and gave him a call back. We spent the next forty-five minutes attempting to catch up.

That was four years ago.

We slipped back into being best friends. Nights out at the pub for trivia night or bowling. Watching sports at his place or mine. Meeting for a quick lunch on busy days at work. It was like old times.

It was like we'd never had the twenty-five-year gap. Not sure why we parted ways. Probably because we went to colleges on the opposite sides of the country. We'd texted for a while, but new friends and experiences took over. And the addition of women in our lives took precedence.

Four years after graduating college with a business degree, I married the woman who had come into my life like a tidal wave. Left the same way, too. Quickly receding waters.

Nora and I had been separated for two years. After a year, I'd dipped my toe in the dating app pool and discovered it wasn't for me. I needed to meet someone organically or not at all.

My ex-wife and I had two kids together, both now launching into careers after college. Suri was a registered nurse and so was her brother, Sarson. I was immensely proud of them both.

I checked the time on my phone. I was meant to be at Lawrence's for a backyard barbeque at three. Spring was making way into summer, and the weather was nice enough to dine outdoors.

He was having quite a few people over. People from work and people whom we met through our many nights down at the pub. Guys and women we'd formed trivia teams with.

Lawrence had been excited to tell me his son, Daniel, would be home for a few weeks. He was taking a break before starting his summer job. He was currently in medical school to become a surgeon—specialty not yet decided. His dad couldn't speak highly enough about him.

I was looking forward to meeting him.

Pulling up to his house, I arrived early enough to secure space on his driveway. It was potluck and I had spent the time making potato salad. I thought it looked pretty good. Lots of eggs for texture and slices of radishes for color. Even a few capers to make it look fancy.

I let myself in and headed for the kitchen. I wasn't sure if we were sticking stuff in the fridge for now or what the plan was. There was a young man with his back turned to me as he sliced up tomatoes on a cutting board on the counter. He heard me come in and turned around.

Jeezus—fuck.

I almost dropped my bowl of potato salad. Instead, pretty sure I stood there looking crazily stunned, ready to stutter. Never in my life had I encountered anyone that beautiful in the wild.

Sure, in fashion magazines and Hollywood … but in real life—never.

He was speaking to me, but I was too busy staring. I'd gone an entire lifetime without uncovering any attraction toward men. But this young man … he was exquisite far beyond gender.

His wild wavy hair was the color of rich dark chocolate, his skin tanned to perfection, crystal blue eyes surrounded by thick lashes, and the poutiest pink lips I had ever been in the presence of.

Stunning. Absolutely fucking stunning.

I was startled when someone pounded me on the back.

"I see you've met my son, Daniel."

I swallowed slowly to clear a lump in my throat as Lawrence went over to his son and threw an arm around his shoulders. "I'm keeping him busy in the kitchen, so the women leave him alone." He laughed. "The poor boy was getting swarmed out there he's so damned personable."

Daniel smiled. "Dad, stop." He tipped his head to one side then stepped forward and extended his hand. "I'm guessing you're Dad's friend from high school, Warren."

I cleared my throat, hoping my voice still worked. "That would be me."

His warm and firm hand shook mine. "It's nice to finally meet you. Dad's been giving me the running commentary on your antics since you've reconnected."

"It's been great getting back together," Lawrence said. "Hasn't it."

I nodded as I threw Lawrence a glance. "It has, Lawry."

"Okay, I'm just here to grab some drinks." Lawrence yanked open the fridge and collected a few bottles of beer, completely oblivious to the fact I was having an existential crisis.

I almost followed him when he left the kitchen.

But I couldn't. I was fixed in place; Daniel's face was inquisitive as he looked at me.

I may have read too much into it when he winked at me.

"Better get back to this very important tomato cutting." Daniel shifted and turned toward the counter, retaking his spot. I tried … but I couldn't pry my attention away from him.

He was tall and slender, but muscular. Well defined like he worked out every day. His tanned bare shoulders moved with each slicing motion. I'd never appreciated a tank top as much as I did just now. And his tight red shorts. They barely covered his round firm glutes.

I needed to stop staring.

Daniel looked over his shoulder at me. "Liking what you're seeing?"

That snapped me out of it. My ears heated as my face flushed with warmth. I mumbled something, not sure what, and surged toward the fridge and placed my potato salad inside.

I turned quickly after grabbing a beer, needing to get the hell out of that kitchen. For the entirety of my adult life, I had built a stack of sexually straight cards I thought represented who I was inside.

Then within a few short moments, Daniel had come along and knocked the whole structure of carefully placed cards down with four simple words.

Liking what you're seeing?

I did—in fact, I liked it a lot.

I took a sip of my beer. I was in a canoe and suddenly lost my paddle. I was headed toward a bank I'd never visited before. Never had a reason to visit before.

"You feeling all right?" Lawrence stood beside me on the deck, looking out over his landscaped yard, and patted my back.

"Just tired. Didn't sleep well last night." I slept for nine hours. Solid.

Maybe I shouldn't be here.

"Stress?" Lawrence asked.

"Yeah." I rubbed my jaw. "Nora is giving me grief. She wants a divorce."

"That's what you want though, right?"

I shrugged. "Somewhere deep in my mind, I felt like we needed to reconcile for the kids."

"Your kids are fine. They're all grown up. You gotta think about you. And what you want."

My stomach felt as if it flipped right up into my chest.

I couldn't deny it.

I knew what I wanted—who I wanted.

But I couldn't do that to Lawrence. Daniel was his son. Daniel was the same age as my two kids. I shouldn't be thinking what I was thinking. Desiring what I had no right to desire.

I set my beer down on the railing. "I think I'm going to head home. I'm not feeling great."

"No." Lawrence frowned at me. "We're going to miss you. Daniel is playing the guitar and singing for us tonight. Voice of an angel." He smiled. "He hates when I say that."

I nearly groaned. Beautiful and pleasing on the ears. Just my luck. For a brief second, I imagined what he might sound like in the throes of carnality.

Probably perfect.

"I'll catch him another time." A brief shake of Lawrence's hand and I was out of there, absconding through the back gate. I didn't want to go through the kitchen. I didn't want to feel the draw toward someone I could never have. My night was going to be long and sleepless.

---

It took me a few days to calm down and regain some control over my imagination. I felt secure as I pulled into Lawrence's driveway. I had arranged to pick up my dish and watch a bit of football with him. Have a few beers. Return to some normality. Daniel was going to be out of the house for the afternoon. I wouldn't have come over if he was going to be there.

So, you can imagine how my heart dropped when I found Daniel in the family room in a hot pink Speedo on his way to the swimming pool in the backyard.

"Oh … um … didn't know you'd be here," I said.

"Had to stick around for the dogs. Mom and Dad went to the hospital. Gran isn't doing well."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I wandered closer to him. "Is she going to be all right? Should you be there, too? I can watch the dogs so you can be there with your family."

He bit his bottom lip, looking all kinds of sultry, then stepped closer to me, and tugged on the front of my shirt. He set his hand on my chest. "That's so nice of you, Warren, but Gran will be fine. I'll go to see her once she's home again."

He was so close, I found it hard to swallow. His eyes at this distance were mesmerizing.

Fucking hell.

Daniel undulated his body forward until he was clinging to me and breathing softly in my ear. "She had a fall, but nothing serious. The ambulance took her in as a precaution."

He brushed his lips up and down the curl of my ear, making my heart thrum wildly enough to succeed in escaping my chest. The escalation of my pulse made my fingertips tingle.

I closed my eyes and tried to ignore my body's response.

Oh, my god.

My plumping cock had other ideas.

"They'll be gone for hours," he whispered, then kissed my earlobe.

Suddenly Daniel and his body were the only thing that occupied my mind. All arguments disappeared. I should have walked away—but …