Page 16 of Party Animal
Lee went on as if he hadn’t heard me.“Uncle Bob started taking me to his house where he had a home studio set up.Sometimes I stayed overnight.He taught me everything about photography.We started by taking portraits of each other, then nude photos.Then he sucked my cock.”
I was stunned.Of course, I knew that kind of thing went on, but I’d never imagined it happening to Lee.“I’m sorry.I didn’t know.Did you tell anyone?”
“No.He convinced me it was part of the learning process and my parents would never understand.If anyone found out, he’d have to go away and I’d never see him again.My father made me feel inferior.I didn’t want to lose the one person who made me feel competent at something.”
“You were just a kid.How long did it go on?”
“When I was eleven he died of a heart attack.He left me his equipment.I never found the nude photos of us.He must have destroyed them, because they never surfaced.”Lee offered a wry smile.“So you see, my experience goes back a long ways.”
“That’s horrible.I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“I guess we all go through some bad shit at one time or another.”
“For sure.”I found myself telling him about my childhood.How my parents had forbidden me to be gay, how they regretted having two such imperfect children.
Lee sighed.“Some parents have unrealistic expectations.It doesn’t have to ruin our lives.”Lee walked over to the computer.“Come look at these photos, Casey.”
The first shots were okay, but I looked stiff.Gradually they changed, became warmer, for want of a better word.Then Lee came to one that stirred my emotions.“Stop.”
Lee put a hand on my back.“That’s the one.That’s the real Casey.”
“How?”
“You have a face you show the world, the Casey who is handsome, seductive, cocky, and confident.That’s the Casey you portray on social media, but as a photographer, and a man, I wanted to reveal more.I needed to peel away the layers, to have you drop your guard and stop pretending to be someone you’re not.I thought it would easier for you to open your inner soul to me, if I opened up first.”
“This is amazing.You’re one hell of a photographer, but I can’t put these in my portfolio.”
“These are for me.”Lee brushed his lips over mine.“I always knew you were more than a big dick.”
“Leave the jokes to me.”I paused for a moment.“I’m really glad we let our insecurities and neuroses out of the bag.I always felt there was something standing between us, something keeping us from becoming real friends.Maybe now we can put it to rest.”
“A lot of that was my fault.I was struggling with past baggage.I had to prove something to myself.”
“What?”
“That you weren’t like my ex.He’s a porn actor, too.We met when I started filming him.It progressed from going out to moving in together.Eric played a lot of parts in his films, but I thought when he came home to me, I got the real Eric.”
“But?”
“But I found out that Eric was the same on and off the screen.”
“And what’s the real Eric?”
“A player with a big dick.A man that can’t be trusted.He was cheating on me all along.”
“And you know I’m not like that just by looking at this picture?”
“That’s part of it.I’ve been watching you for a long time and when I saw you with Julie I knew you were one of the good guys.Julie sees the real Casey and she loves him.That’s good enough for me.”
“I’ve been watching you, too.”
“I know.”
The sizzling sexual tension between us was unbearable.I wanted to touch him so badly.I had to restrain myself from ripping Lee’s clothes off.“Are we going to do more than take pictures tonight?”
“One more question.Are you sure I’m not just a challenge?I know you’re not used to having a man turn you down.”
“Maybe in the beginning, but I’ve learned a few things about myself.”
