The Apprentice

by and © N Fourbois

Chapter 10

As they dodged their way though the revolving doors into the main part of the mall, Eric commented

"I'm surprised you wear boxers, Kieran."

"It's because all the other kids at school do, I suppose, and because I always have done since the beginning of secondary school."

"They're utter pants." Kieran laughed, not because Eric had made a feeble attempt at a joke, but at the involuntary and inept choice of words. Kieran sniffed and said drily

"I suppose they are now you come to mention it."

"Okay then, naff," snapped Eric, annoyed with himself rather than with his nephew. "Don't you get trouble with unwanted erections?"

"Yeah, but it never occurred to me that briefs would help. It's not the sort of thing you discuss with your mother when she's buying underwear for you. And after my first experience with another boy I no longer got embarrassed about it anyway. When we were in Year 9, we even made a game out of spotting who had a hard on, I seem to remember. It was certainly more exciting than the Year 8 game of deciding who had farted, and if anyone made a great song and dance about me having a stiffie, I used to ask them if they wanted a feel. That used to call their bluff and scared most of them off, but occasionally I made a new friend, so to speak. That Headmaster would have a coronary, if he knew there was quite an active group of us gayboys in his school." Kieran chuckled to himself. 'Hmm, and I might just tell him if I get into the College,' he mused.

They made straight for House of Fraser.

"They'll probably have the best selection," advised Eric. They browsed in the men's underwear department. They had all the designer names there: Diesel, CK, Hom, Sloggi, Boss, but no AussieBum and no TH.

"What's this 2^(x)ist?"

"No idea," said Eric. "I've never come across it before." They carried on with their browsing when suddenly Eric said in loud whisper "Hey, Kieran, come here a minute. Quick." He moved across and stood by Eric who was peering over the display stand. "Look over there in the suit department. There's a salesman and a mother battling to try and break a most beautiful colt of a boy into a suit. Can you see?"

"My, he's gorgeous. Just look at the way that mane of hair of his flows, and his body flows with it. I'd love to be able to hear what they're saying. Do you think we can get any closer?"

"Keep by me. It's less suspicious if there are two of us." Kieran followed Eric through to the shirt display, close enough to hear his mother imploring him.

"Rufus, you simply cannot go to your cousin's wedding in a tee shirt and jeans, and you don't realise how handsome you look in that suit. You'll have everyone falling over themselves to admire you." It was navy blue and well cut.

"With a pale pink shirt, a lighter blue tie set off with a matching silk handkerchief, he would approach perfection," whispered Eric.

"Rufus," said Kieran. "The fair hair with black streaks doesn't go with the name, but otherwise he is a perfect Rufus. You know, Eric, I wish I were as well organised as Orlando, then I'd have a card with my name and mobile number on it and I could slip it into the pocket of his jeans while he was trying on the trousers. How old do you think he is?"

"About your age I would guess. Sixteen or seventeen. Come on. I think the mannequin show is over. Buy your underwear and we'd better start making our way home. I don't think you are going to find a better selection elsewhere. What size are we looking for?"

"Eight inches," was the immediate reply.

"No, Kieran. Underwear is sold by waist size and stop trying to bullshit me. I've seen you, remember?" Kieran laughed and answered

"Twenty-eight inches." He picked up three pairs of white CK slips and a CK thong and took them across to the till.

"Is there anything else you need?"

"There is. A couple of pairs of shorts and a new pair of sweats, but I can get them in the morning. And if I'm going to join the gym, I'll need some decent kit for that."

"You won't get that in town. You'll either have to find a specialist store, which could be anywhere, or buy it on line. Either way you won't have it for Monday."

They made their way back to the car, uncle and nephew.

"It's a bit too late to start cooking now. We'd better get a takeaway," said Eric.

"Twice in a week? That's getting to be a habit."

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the old fogey here, not you. You're the one that's supposed to be ruining your body by eating and drinking all the wrong things. We've had Chinese and pizza already. That leaves Indian or fish and chips. There's a Harry Ramsden's just round the corner."

"Sounds like fish and chips," said Kieran. "I've heard of this Harry Ramsden's, but I've never had any of theirs."

Arriving at Kieran's house just after eight, they hurriedly carried in and stowed away the shopping. Kieran warmed a couple of plates and he and Eric could finally enjoy their fish and chips, and they really did. After clearing away Kieran showed his uncle the 'blue' guest room. He then showed him his own room and although nothing was said, he could see from his face that it didn't meet his uncle's full approval.

"Something wrong, Eric?"

"Hmm." It took him a couple of moments before he decided to answer the question. "Just a minor point, and of course it's your room and I'm sure it has your parents' full approval or they wouldn't have paid out the money, but..." By this time Kieran was on tenterhooks, wondering what indiscretion his uncle was going to bring up.

"What?"

"It may be highly trendy and absolute chic to have a black sheet, duvet cover and pillow slips, but do you think it is a wise choice for a weekend of homosexual orgies?" Kieran thought for a moment and finally said

"Why?"

"Because black will show up every spit and splash of dried or congealed bodily fluids, particularly semen." Kieran was silent for a moment.

"Oh, spunk stains."

"If you wish. You're not going to tell me that among all the thrashings and paroxysms of two sex crazed bodies exploiting their lust you are going to be able to control the final destination of your combined production of seed?"

"Eric, you make it sound worse than it really is by using those big words, but I see what you mean. I'll risk the first night and see what it's like in the morning. I can always put the stuff through the washer."

"Did you notice what colour my bed linen is?"

"Light fawn."

"Not my favourite colour, but now you know why."

Kieran locked up the house and he and Eric drove back to the flat. They didn't know where the time had gone that evening. Eric looked at his watch and said

"I think if we chill out for a few minutes with a malted bedtime drink, we'll find it'll be time to go to bed, especially as the weekend is going to be quite demanding." They sat in the living room with a mug of Horlicks each.

"So, Eric, what advice can you give me for the weekend?"

"Is this your first date?"

"First proper date where we plan to spend the night together."

"I don't want to be a Jeremiah, but I think there are one or two things I ought to warn you about. I'm not trying to ruin your enjoyment, but think about the situation you are placing yourself in. You're going out with a boy you have met once, on the strength that you fancy him and he evidently fancies you. Apart from that you know nothing about each other. You are assuming he wants to spend the night with you and the only place he is offered is your bed. You don't know his sexual history. You don't even know that he is honest and you are taking him into your parents' home when they're not there. A high risk strategy. On your side is the fact that you invited him, rather than him inviting you."

"Doesn't that apply to all first dates, Eric?"

"You don't have to sleep together on the first date."

"Did you ever have sleepovers when you were a boy?"

"Yees."

"Well, wasn't that sleeping together? And wasn't that without having a proper date?"

"We'd bring sleeping bags."

"And did you always use them?"

"Yes... well, not always."

"And what about school trips?"

"But I knew the boys and it wasn't on my own doorstep, as it were. It was a world away."

"How old were you when you first went to bed with someone?"

"Fourteen or fifteen."

"There you go." Eric winced. "I'm sixteen, nearly seventeen, and all I've done is had the odd grope with a boy. Do you think that if I'd already had a boyfriend and we'd got some decent sex going between us, I'd have been caught having a cheap thrill in the bogs at school and being excluded?" He didn't give Eric time to answer. "I'm desperate. Frustrated if you like. I need this experience. And what's the point of looking at cute boys, if at some stage I can't have my way with them?"

Eric instinctively felt that this was not the right time to fight back. The atmosphere was too highly charged. Kieran's anger over the whole exclusion affair was coming out. Reason wouldn't prevail. The boy needed support. Perhaps on second thoughts reason had prevailed. He'd been wrong footed because he had enjoyed the things in the past that Kieran was fighting for now. He'd lost the moral high ground. Kieran was completely hormone driven. After all there was a saying, wasn't there? A standing dick has no conscience.

There were a few moments of silence.

"Kieran, come and sit with me on the sofa." The lad moved across, his uncle put his arm round him and he snuggled up. "You're really looking forward to this weekend, aren't you?"

"It means a lot to me. I said at the beginning of this apprenticeship thing that if I am going to be gay, I want to be gay properly, do it properly with all my heart and soul. They weren't just glib words. I'd been thinking about it for some time. The incident at school was the catalyst... except that it arrived too soon. I wasn't fully prepared. I don't want to end up a dirty old man wanking over porno mags." Eric coloured up, but Kieran wasn't looking at him. "I want to share my feelings, discover other boys who feel the same as I do, let them share their feelings with me. So many people view homosexuality as an affliction. Perhaps it's me, but I view it as a gift. It allows me to see and appreciate something that over ninety per cent of the population can't or won't see. I want to exploit that. If I and a girl had a crush on the same boy, I'd love to compare notes with her and I bet we'd have entirely different points of view. After several years I've at last got the opportunity. It may go disastrously wrong, but I will be a better homosexual for the experience. On the other hand it may go swingingly right, and I'll still be a better homosexual for the experience."

There was silence. Eric was considering what his nephew had just said. He had no idea that he had been thinking so deeply about his situation. Because of the school incident he'd believed that like any teen the boy was just out for a good time.

"Whatever happens this weekend, and I think I'm prepared for almost anything. I shall no longer be a gay boy. I shall be a gay man. I'm out now. I shall be proud."

Eric kissed Kieran's cheek.

"Come along, my boy. It's time for bed."

"I'll shower in the morning. Make sure I'm out of bed before you go to work. I've lots to do."