NEVER
TEMPTATION
Sleep With A Porcupine
Walt was in a hurry. He swept into the lecture hall and quickly mounted the stage. He preferred to be there before the students started filling the arena seats. This time he was late and knew it. The hall was already full and humming with the low murmurs of conversations which gradually grew hushed as he stood at the podium, demanding attention by his very presence.
He scanned the assembled students, noted a few assistants, associates and one senior faculty member plus ten students who had been involved in his planning sessions. They so far had been at every lecture. He liked to have a few familiar faces with which he could make eye contact. He knew much of the appeal of his presentation mode was that, however he did it, almost everyone attending left feeling that Walt had not given a lecture but held a conversation with him or her alone. Part of that came from his use of eye contact points throughout the audience.
Halfway into his presentation he paused to take a sip of water. A striking figure wearing all white, standing at the top of the central isle directly in front of him caught his eye. The next time he deliberately looked across the back of the lecture hall the figure was no longer there.
Although only glimpsed for a moment he knew what he had seen was a slim muscular male in white pants, a white tank top and an open white dress shirt worn like a jacket with sleeves rolled, shoved up on forearms, shirttails hanging. A non-traditional U of V student with straw blond hair, eyes that from even that far away were clearly cobalt blue and full pouty, almost feminine, lips.
Reaching where the concluding point of his lecture was to be made Walt noted that the figure was back, now standing almost at the bottom of the isle along the west wall. Without missing a beat he brought the lecture to its end, paused for the applause and then called for questions.
There was the usual flurry: the relevant mixed with with inane and ridiculous. He treated each with equal importance. Finishing with the last waving hand he asked if there were any more questions. From the west wall came a clear related question with a potential double meaning. The voice was a softly penetrating Brooklyn twang. Walt's answer was accurate yet pointedly nonresponsive to the secondary meaning.
He looked directly into the deep blue eyes as he spoke. Contact was broken and he faced center and thanked his audience for their attendance and attendance. Half the seats emptied forward pouring their student bodies out the doors on each side of the stage front. In the crush the white clad figure melted away.
During his next two visits to Charlottesville, Walt spotted the same guy lost in the middle or drifting across the back of his audiences. He was a ghost, appearing and vanishing in his trademark white. It wasn't always the exact same clothes, but always, white . . . tennis shorts, a V neck sweater with tennis shoes . . . tee, sailor pants, loafers.
It had been a long time but Walt found disturbing images flickering in his mind. He was impacted by the appearances of this ghost and caught by the riveting cobalt blue eyes a number of times during each lecture.
Driving home from the last lecture for the year Walt faced the fact that he had been tempted to find out about this apparition that was haunting his lectures, and him. Considering the healthy nature of his sex live with Nita and the years that had passed since he had last engaged in any sexual act with a man, he was stupefied to have the old interest arise again. Nothing had actually happened. He had avoided responding to each provocative thrust with clean crisp parries. No doubt this student would find others to annoy, might not even be around again.
Summer was coming. It would be a long time before he was back at the university. It was time to relax and let this set of incidents fade from memory.
Pounding across the sand Walt glistened in the glow of the early morning sun off the waters of the bay. He was driving himself as he rounded the north end of the island, then put on a burst of speed as he crossed in front of the cabin. His headband kept the sweat from his eyes but the rest of his body was wringing wet. This was his forth circuit of the island. His morning workout involved a quick set of bed side exercises to warm up, ten laps around the island and a more leisurely in bed set of cooling down exercises with Nita before they cooled off together in the shower.
Julia, with a perfect understanding of the need Walt and Nita had to be alone together, got Kyle up each morning, fed him and had him out playing by the time Walt finished his run.
It was a summer of well deserved relaxation and family fun. The beach cabin on their own private island, the larger more challenging sail boat, the island itself all provided the setting for weeks of shared joys between Walt and Nita and between them and Kyle who was growing like a weed. Julia was always there, unobtrusive and helpful.
Afternoons Walt took Kyle exploring on the beach, having inventoried new arrivals during his morning run. Their collection of shells and gnarled driftwood gradually swamped the cabin's back porch.
Infrequently the outside world intruded into their hideaway. Walt had a phone installed when they purchased the island. The power and phone lines ran overhead along the single lane roadway that cut through the fields to the open bridge connecting the island to the shore. In the small fourth bedroom that he converted to a den a chattering teletype, like the one in his office back at the main house, allowed him to keep in instant communication with the agency and for the agency to intrude, when necessary.
Walt was leaner, bronze and peacefully contented with his life as the new school year started. His work sessions to confirm the year's lecture topics and iron out any problems with his requirements for presentation materials went without a hitch at both campuses. The first lecture at Old Dominion was a rousing success with a larger crowd than for any session last year and a full hour and a half of eager articulate questioning at the end. Walt was enjoying himself and the enthusiasm he was encountering.
As Walt started his first U of V lecture there was a disturbance at the back of the hall. The blond in white made a late appearance and seemingly apologetically ambled down the center isle to an open seat in the second row. Again the eye contact burned Walt as he commented curtly on the interruption. A twangy apology and a shrug came in reply. From then on when their eyes locked a smile curled the white phantom's lips for just a second then rapt attention returned to his face.
Walt almost got to confront this mysterious student that day but was caught as he left the stage by a circle of eager questioning students. He answered with little concentration on what was being asked. Walt's eyes followed the white jeans as they moved back up the isle slowly. The blond never turned to see if Walt was watching, stopped at the top and then turned, gave a small wave of his hand and disappeared.
The bothersome young gentleman in white was sitting right in the front row as Walt entered the hall for his next session. If he had arrived just a few minutes sooner he could have taken the time to speak with the student and start to clear up the mystery. There was no extra time. Students were quickly filling the room. Walt gave the lecture ignoring the wall of faces in front of him. He spent almost every moment talking directly to the blue eyed responsive face that stared up at him.
Quickly disposing of post lecture questions Walt almost vaulted off the stage. The object of his attention hadn't even moved from his seat. Head bowed he was busy writing -- notes on the lecture? Walt stopped. He stood directly in front deliberately intruding into the personal space of the young man.
"I think it's about time we formally met. You know who I am," said Walt.
The face lifted, their eyes locked again. "I know you very well, Teach."
The voice was soft with the faint touch of Brooklyn Walt had noticed earlier. He rose standing up into that private space Walt had invaded. He brushed by and moved into the open isle between the front row and the lip of the stage. The brief contact made tingles like static. Walt closed his eyes and shivered.
Determined to control the situation he turned and faced the blond Adonis. "So? Who are you? You seem extremely interested in my field. Are you a business major?" He stopped himself before he started babbling.
The young man introduced himself. "Eddie, Edward Alexander Lutz eye eye eye. That's the third." He presented his hand for Walt to shake. "Glad to finally meet you, formally, as you put it. No, I'm not from the business college. My interest in being here has been purely personal, you know."
Walt ignored the potential implications of that remark and asked, "Well then, what are you doing in Charlottesville?"
"To pay the bills I'm an assistant in Humanities. I Teach art -- painting and art history." He went on to explain his real reason for being on campus was the experimental ballet, now part of the School of Music which was being run by an artist in resident. Eddie mentioned a name that Walt remembered from New York City. The small talk continued briefly then a pregnant pause filled the air. Walt suddenly realized he was still holding Eddie's hand and dropped it without comment.
"You're uncomfortable being close? Right, Teach?"
Walt again ignored a leading comment and instead replied with an announcement the he must go, would be late getting home, had a social obligation in Newport News with his wife that evening. "Glad to have finally met you, Mr. Lutz. Hope to see you again." It was an obvious social parting comment and a bare faced lie on Walt's part. He hoped never to see this disturbing individual again.
Eddie's eyes locked with his again as he started to turn and leave. Walt stood riveted in the hypnotic stare. "Oh, you'll see me, Teach. You can't avoid seeing me. I don't think you want to avoid that, Teach. Not really." He reached out and squeezed Walt's arm. "See ya." He turned and walked out the door.
At the next lecture Eddie was far up in the crowd. He made it to the front of the hall before Walt departed. Eddie invited Walt and his wife to attend the next performance of the experimental ballet troupe. Walt had told Nita about Eddie after his last visit to Charlottesville -- about meeting him, little else.
They attended because Walt wanted to and Nita loved the ballet. After the performance they went backstage to offer their congratulations and for Walt to introduce his wife. Somehow he had to convince Eddie, or maybe himself, that there was and could be nothing between them. He was in love with his wife. Eddie got them into the post performance cast party. Walt was reluctant to attend based upon his perception of the type of males that were involved in ballet. They had all looked too appealing on the stage and he didn't need the hassle. To his surprise Eddie and most of the male members of the cast spent their time lavishing attention on Nita and seemed to ignore him. None of the other sleek muscled and seemingly effeminate dancers were drawn to Walt.
Eddie met Walt at the parking lot when Walt arrived for his next lecture. He invited Walt to lunch. "We've got time before you have to make your appearance."
Walt started to reject the offer and then decided 'what the hell, he's not asking me up to his apartment.' The talk over soup and sandwiches was light. Eddie made a few innuendos which Walt bounced right back, giving as good as he got. Walking to the lecture hall Eddie frequently touched Walt's arm to emphasize points in the animated discussion.
As he started the lecture Walt did not see Eddie in the audience. They had parted outside. He had assumed Eddie would be in attendance. Eventually he spotted the white figure, again lounging at the back of the hall. He had vanished by the end. Walt didn't see him anywhere as he left the room, walked out of the building across to the parking lot and drove away. He felt as if there was something incomplete about the day. Had he said something during lunch or the walk to the hall that had offended? Damn, I'm letting that little shit get to me. The more he thought about it as he cruised across the state the more he became upset with himself. No more, he vowed.
The invitation to the next performance of the ballet troupe arrived at Walt's home. It was addressed to them both. Nita wanted to go. They went. Eddie was dazzling on stage that night. Afterwards he seemed preoccupied. Walt and Nita ended up just giving him their congratulations and leaving.
Walt caught Eddie at the end of the next lecture before he pulled his usual vanishing act. Walt was upset with Eddie's attitude after the ballet performance. "Why did you invite us if you didn't want to see us?"
Eddie gave an appealing apology. "I lost myself in my dance that night. I was flying and didn't want to come down to earth. You must know how that can be, Teach."
Walt was startled at Eddie's intuition about him. "It happens sometimes still when I run."
"Please forgive me. Come to the final performance, please. It happens to be the same day as your last lecture. You could stay over. We could have dinner afterwards." Eddie was trying to be as persuasive as possible.
Walt accepted for himself and Nita. Eddie had emphasized a singular invitation, but voiced no objection to Walt's turning it plural.
Arriving home with his news about the final ballet performance. Walt found Nita could not arrange her plans to attend with him. She would be busy all that day including a late night session of museum volunteers.
"Nita, I may stay over instead of driving across state alone at night," Walt found himself saying. He had started to recommend he just give Eddie their apologies but that thought got lost on its way out. What the hell had he said.
"Let's just plan it that way. Then I won't worry, darling," Nita suggested.
In the year's concluding performance Eddie was the bright and shining star. He was sensually alive and brilliantly breathtaking in his performance. Walt couldn't stop passing compliments when he got to the dressing room. They drove out into the country to a late night spot where Eddie had made reservations for after the show. Only once during dinner did Walt feel uncomfortable when Eddie reached across the table to cover his hand. Eddie didn't seem to notice Walt's discomfort.
On the drive back to town Eddie invited Walt to his studio for a nightcap. "You've never seen my place or any of my art. After the way you carried on it's obvious you appreciate the art of dance. I'd like your opinions on my other skills." Eddie was almost purring as he ended this speech.
The studio was two former second floor apartments that had been opened up into one giant room. A street front door between a book store and a currently empty store front opened onto a flight of stairs. They mounted the stairs and came out in the middle of the room. A startling large charcoal portrait sketch of Walt at the podium lecturing dominated one wall. Surrounding it were pencil and water color scenes of the backstage bustle of the ballet, figure studies of a number of members of the corps de ballet and a scattering of nude studies, mostly male figures, but not to the exclusion of the female form.
There was a strong, heavy, sensual atmosphere in the room. The rumpled bed against the wall with the art seemed almost a part of the display. The eye contact held longer and longer each time they delayed ending the evening and sipped their drinks. Eddie let his hand linger on Walt's each time he took the glass to refill it or handed it back.
Walt finally made his excuses and stood up ready to depart. Eddie seemed reluctant to let him go but agreed he should be on his way. Walt couldn't admit he was only going to a local motel for the night. As he left the only actual commitment that had been made between them to any future was for next year's lecture and ballet performances.
Over the summer thoughts of Eddie retreated farther and farther back in Walt's mind and gradually disappeared. He and the family had a wonderful time at the cabin. Only two emergencies at the agency took him away for a total of eight days that summer. The Williamsburg job provided just the needed challenges to keep his talents fine tuned and usually took a maximum of three mornings a week.
Returning to U of V to start his new series Walt was apprehensive when he considered the way things had been left with Eddie. At the first lecture there he was again, on the front row. Walt avoided eye contact with that one point in the lecture hall.
Eddie accosted him afterward. "Why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not," stated Walt.
"Then you must be mad at yourself, Teach. Quit fighting it. There's only one way to get me out of your system. You might not even want to if you just turned loose one time."
Walt felt all his old fears building. He knew he couldn't control this like he had thought. He had to get away. Very rudely he talked down to Eddie like to a cooed with a crush on the Teacher without admitting the sexual nature of the attraction.
Walt canceled his next lecture in Charlottesville. He couldn't face Eddie. Not that soon. He needed more time to plan how to kill this malignancy that threatened his life again.
Eddie called the house in Williamsburg. He was worried. He had heard Walt was ill. Nita handled the call as she had also accepted Walt's fake illness.
"He's just a little under the weather. He'll be back entertaining and educating the students soon, I'm sure. Thanks for calling, Eddie. By the way, I'm sorry I missed the final ballet last year."
Walt's next lecture was at Old Dominion. In Richmond his presentations were made in a smaller auditorium with side doors on stage allowing the lecturer to suddenly appear, stepping through the center of the stage curtains. Looking up from the podium Walt was startled to see Eddie in the front row.
Again he ignored his shadow, breaking eye contact the first time they met, refusing to look at Eddie again. Right at the end though he found himself transfixed, impaled by the blue brilliance of those eyes. He went blank and stumbled through the last pages of his notes.
Although he tried to avoid him, Eddie caught him as he left the building, inviting him for a quick beer. Walt wanted to, tried to refuse. Instead he found himself sitting across a small table in a gloomy neighborhood bar near the campus, eyes unable to break away from Eddie's.
Eddie was apologizing. "I know we can't keep meeting like this," he said, as if something was occurring between them. "But, I can't keep away from a room in which you are performing, Teach. You put on such a fine act pulling everyone into your world, making everything you say seem so damn fucking important. Your voice. You know you could raise an army out of a crowd. Just letting it roll over me makes me want to stand up and salute ready to attack at your direction."
Walt let his fingers run up and down the sweating bottle absent mindedly. "I'm not performing, Eddie. I believe in my subject matter. Selling with words is a challenge. The images used have to support the message even if it's indirect and implies more than is being said. You do understand?"
"Teach, I understand everything about you. I think you understand me, too. Don't you?"
"So maybe we do understand each other. It's always good to know someone, deep down, not just superficially." What the hell was he saying. He wanted to shut up and leave, but he didn't.
Walt poured the last of his drink down his throat. Eddie raised his bottle to his lips. They stared into each other's eyes. Eddie's lips opened and he let the bottle's neck slowly ease into his mouth and then pushed it out with his tongue. Walt deliberately imitated Eddie's action and then set the empty down firmly on the table.
"Got to go. See you in Charlottesville, right?" Walt asked. Starting to rise he found he had become aroused. To hide it he draped his coat over his arm as he stood and worked his way to the door.
Eddie moved beside him. Crowding out the door he let his hand seem to accidentally brush across the back of Walt's pants. "Say hello to your little soldier for me, Teach." He chuckled.
Walt was sure he wasn't referring to Kyle but avoided making a reply as they parted.
Making excuses about needing to do preparatory work to catch up on the lecture he had missed Walt appeared on campus in Charlottesville a day early for the next session. He stopped at Eddie's studio. It was open. Eddie was out. Walt waited. Took Eddie to lunch. "We've got unfinished business that I think had better be taken care of," he told Eddie as they finished the meal.
"You really want to work on this now, Teach? Thought you were one that would rather sell the sizzle and fan the flame than actually pick up the hot dog and eat it." Eddie had a twinkling smirk on his face.
"Usually, Eddie, but some things can't be avoided. Like you said, I need to get you and what you feel you represent to me out of my system."
Walt had decided that maybe this was what he needed to do, give in once, drop his fears and force Eddie to move from innuendo to action. He was sure he could control things regardless of how far Eddie was willing to go now that he had made a decision. Walt figured he might even turn loose and scare the shit out of the young tease. He'd sure deserve it.
They were silent all the way back to the studio. Eddie phoned in to cancel his two afternoon classes and then turned to face Walt. "I need music." 'Bolero' soon pulsed softly across the studio filling the tense space with its savage building sound.
Now that something was actually going to happen Eddies brashness faded. He approached Walt like the dancer he was, lightly touching, circling him with his arms outstretched, his hands feathering over Walt's chest, and arm coming to rest across his back. He paused and lifted a hand under Walt's chin.
Walt took the hand, turned it over, bent his head and kissed it firmly. His tongue then traced down and he sucked the middle finger into his mouth.
Working quickly they soon found themselves naked, tangled in each other's arms, rolling and thrashing on the bed. Their lips searched and stilled each time they met. Each time a soft cry of ecstatic glee bubbled from Eddie. He eagerly sought the pleasure places on the firm, still tan, body he held against him.
Walt found he couldn't control things as closely as he had planned. There was an eagerness to please displayed by Eddie that made it impossible not to reciprocate. There were no games of teasing or shyness involved. Eddie quickly sensed Walt's desire and rolled onto his stomach. Lifting his backside he let Walt take him, moaning and thrusting back with each stroke of Walt's penetration. It was quickly over. Walt grasped Eddie's hips and slammed into him repeatedly at his body shook with release and small shouts of forgotten joy matched each spurt that warmly ejaculated out.
Walt's final act triggered an equally shuddering orgasm that gripped Eddie. His own cum soaked the bed and with a start he felt his bladder empty out as if his sexual release had removed a cork from a bottle. Rolling away from the dampness they rested in each other's arms. Walt gently stroked Eddie's side and down his belly.
"Don't leave."
"Not now. I've got to get you totally out of my system. This can't happen again, ever." Walt's hand continued to trace over Eddie's form and they fell into a semi-slumber.
Walt awoke to find his hand firmly grasping Eddie's fully erect cock. He seemed to remember dreaming, or maybe not. Eddie was softly snoring but with little thrusting hip movements making his organ move in Walt's hand. Giving a firm squeeze Walt snuggled in and slowly humped himself against Eddie's hip, bringing himself quickly to a matching state of excitement.
Awake, Eddie turned and whispered in Walt's ear as he kissed and licked on it. "Let me change the bedding, Teach. That was you, right? You are too fierce. You are still here. I must be dreaming."
- o o o -
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