When John felt Dave's hands on his shoulders, he was at first puzzled. Then he figured that Dave was toying with him and he smiled. It was good to see Dave loosening up when it came to trying new things for sex. The guy was way too rigid in the ways things were done and John had been hopeful that Dave would get adventuresome with him. After all, Dave was the guy who took him on a dance floor, surrounded by lots of other men, without thinking twice about it, and John kept hoping Dave would regain that spontaneity and sense of adventure. So, he would encourage him. "Hmm. That feels good. You've got great hands, Dave."
Dave nodded happily. "Yep, all the guys say that." Wellll it was really only a couple of them, but Dave did know he gave good back-rubs -- Sammy and Jimbo both enjoyed them. Dave returned to the centre of Carter's back, and to running his fingers up and down Carter's spine fast -- and then slowly down but with ever increasing pressure.
"Well, if you give back rubs like this after every game and practice then I might be tempted to take up...ah, that's good...the game of hockey," John replied. He fought the urge to arch his back into Dave's hands and instead focused on the feelings those hands were creating within him. His cock was brushing up against the side of the couch whenever Dave touched him hard enough to make his body move, and while the friction felt damn good, John wanted more. He wanted Dave's hand to massage THAT particular muscle and he wanted Dave inside him, massaging an important and sensitive internal organ.
"Nah. Only when the guys get hurt or sore or anything." Dave moved his attention to the ribs, moving sideways along them, probing the muscle between them, counting off each one in his head, knowing which organs were under each one.
"Lucky them. I should have hired you last year. The guy at physical therapy kept trying to kill me...hey, watch it...that tickles!" John jerked his body away from Dave's hands. "Go easy on the ribs, okay?"
If it tickled then it obviously needed more pressure. Dave reapplied himself to the ribs. "Yokay." When he came to the end of them for the second time, he reached for Carter's hips and began kneading the flesh around them. This was going to be good, Carter's back was going to stop hurting.
John moaned loudly when Dave began to massage his hips. So close to what he needed...so very close. God, he didn't know if he could hold out against that kind of torment and teasing.
Dave smiled hearing the groan. It was obviously a very happy groan -- he was doing things right. Dave began to work his way up Carter's sides, duplicating the kneading movement all the way up. "Good huh? We're getting there." All the guys did during the good bits was grunt a bit -- but Dave supposed it was a bit different if it wasn't someone you were on a team with -- and it was satisfying hearing Carter's pleased groans. Very satisfying.
"God, Dave, quit teasing and just fuck me already," John gasped out. He was ready for Dave, more than ready for Dave, he thought as he pushed his hips out and spread his knees apart to give Dave room. "Please?"
Dave stepped back abruptly, and suddenly found himself sitting on the coffee table. "What?"?
Dave's hands suddenly went away and John prepared himself for the feel of some kind of cool lubricant. But nothing happened and then he heard Dave's question. John looked back over his shoulder at him. "You've got me more than ready for you, there's no need to keep teasing me, no need for more foreplay. I want you in me, Dave. Now." John tried to not sound demanding even as he demanded Dave's attentions.
Dave looked down. He wasn't even hard, not really. A little firm maybe, but..."What? I wasn't teasing. That was a *backrub* Carter." He didn't get hard when he gave backrubs -- not to the team, not because one of his friends was hurting. Sure he enjoyed giving them, but..."I'm not some kinda sadist, Carter."
John felt his cheeks rapidly growing warm as he realized that he had misunderstood Dave's intentions. "Oh." John suddenly felt very self-conscious that he was naked and Dave wasn't and embarrassed over thinking that Dave had wanted him when he didn't. He quickly got to his feet and started to head for the bathroom. "Sorry. I'd better get dressed."
Dave looked at Carter's retreating back and butt. Somehow things had just gone wrong. He called out, "Carter...Is it, um, feeling better?"
John didn't want to face Dave, not after messing up so badly in misinterpreting what Dave had meant. But he stopped and nodded. "Yeah, you were doing a great job with the back rub, even though you hadn't yet reached the part that..." John trailed off, not wanting to admit to Dave that he was hurting.
Dave shrugged hopelessly. "Could go on." He paused for a second then continued a thought struck him. "But ya couldn't have thought that. I mean I told ya I did the whole team!"
John turned around, his face burning with his embarrassment and his out of control cock finally back under control. "I thought you were joking around or something. You don't have to finish the back rub. It doesn't matter...I'm okay."
Dave didn't know what to do next. He really didn't. His back rubs didn't usually misfire, and definitely not like this. "Okay. You're okay." He shrugged. "So?"
"So, I'll get dressed and do up the dishes." John started to turn around, but he hesitated. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed..."
Dave shrugged. "It's cool." He didn't want to argue, and a backrub seemed a stupid thing to argue about. Pity it had ended like this though. Dave snabbled one of the remaining pancakes from the plate, and took a bite out of it, then picked up a second and frisbeed it to Carter. "Here."
John grabbed the pancake and made a face. "Sticky." He tossed it back to Dave and headed to get dressed for the day. His embarrassment firmly in mind, John closed the bathroom door, washed his hands and quickly dressed in a pair of trousers and a button up cotton shirt over a T-shirt.
Okay, so giving Carter food hadn't done any good. Dave shrugged, and looked about him, then began to pick up the breakfast debris. Eating alone didn't usually create quite this mess. There was the pancakes, and syrup and honey and jam and butter, and - ugh -- a split glass of milk. Dave gathered the first armload, and headed to the kitchen for a cloth to wipe up the mess.
After brushing his teeth again, John went to the kitchen. "Where's the dish detergent?"
"By the sink. It's the green stuff." Dave grabbed a couple of cloths then set to work sorting out the milk. Spillages like this were a time when wooden floors became an advantage. He aimed to spend as little time cleaning as possible.
John started the water to get it hot and for the detergent. He soon had a sink full of hot suds and he started to whistle as he did up the dishes. He didn't mind cleaning kitchens as long as he didn't have to cook in them.
Milk wiped up, Dave waved his cloth in a desultory manner over the rest of the table. Dusting or wiping or something like that. Then, as washing up sounds were still coming from the kitchen, he started to straighten the blanket on the sofa. His yesterday's clothes were lying strewn over the room. Dave picked up the T-shirt and found a remote under it. He flipped it on in a reflex action, and saw an old black & white movie flip to life in front of his eyes. "Duck Soup". He smiled, then yelled. "Carter. 'Duck Soup'."
John finished rinsing the last thing, which was the frying pan Dave had used, when he heard Dave hollering something about soup. He pulled the plug and grabbed the hand towel, then walked to the doorway. "What about soup?"
Dave repeated. "Duck Soup." Then sat down on the sofa, and gestured toward the TV.
John was still wiping his hands as he walked over to the couch, then he grinned when he saw what was on TV. "I love the Marx Brothers," he said, sitting down a respectable distance from Dave. He didn't want Dave to think he was after sex again.
Dave nodded. "They're great." He brought his legs up onto the sofa too, and after a seconds indecision, laid them across Carter's knees. He didn't understand how the stuff before had turned out wrong, but that Carter was sitting here, not far away and somewhere else, was a good sign. Maybe. A good sign about what Dave wasn't too sure though - he veered away from that thought. Being here and fed and watching TV on a cold morning was enough.
*******************************************
At the rink, John climbed up the bleachers on the Wombat side so he could use the wall as a back-stop. And from up there he could watch Dave all he wanted without it being obvious that he was only watching one person. He had his phone with him, but the ringer was off, so there were no worries about interruptions. Pager set to vibrate. As Dave whizzed around the rink, John saw him stop and talk to other guys in the same Wombat uniform, obviously happy and in his element. John grinned as he watched Dave interact with the team and then it was time for the game to start. John settled back, ready to cheer for his favorite player.
It unnerved Dave having someone in the stands there for him. Most of the other guys brought their girlfriends along regularly, but Carter was the first person who'd come along in Chicago just for him. Way back as a kid he'd had Mike or Father Frank or sometimes his mother -- but not since then. It felt strange. It felt good. It was also scary -- he kept on searching the stands for Carter instead of keeping his eyes in the rink -- and in a fast hard game that was dangerous. Dave abruptly returned his eyes to the rink, and discovered he should have been half the rink away a second ago. Shit.
"Haven't seen you here before," a woman asked John. She was seated on the bench just below his and cheering for some guy named Sammy.
"Yeah, my first time. I work with Dave at the hospital and don't get a lot of time off for things like this," he replied, keeping his eyes on Dave. "Go get 'em, Malucci." He yelled out.
The woman laughed. "It's good he has a friend here. Usually we all have to take turns rooting for him. Enjoy the game." She turned back around. "All right, Sammy! Go for it!"
John grinned. It felt good to be there for Dave, even though he felt a little bad for Dave that no one was ever there to just watch him play. Then Dave made a goal and John jumped to his feet with the rest of the fans and friends. "Go, Dave!"
Dave turned around to the stands and pumped his arm triumphantly in response to the yells from his team's supporters, and received a full body bump from Jimbo in celebration. It was good, it was great. Dave turned and faced the rink with renewed concentration, he wanted another goal and another and another. He wanted Carter to yell louder and louder for him -- but not too loud, not louder than anyone else was yelling, but VERY loud all that same. And all he needed to get that to happen was to get another goal -- it should be easy.
As the game ended with the Wombats victorious, the woman turned to John, who was in the process of turning his cell phone back on. "You coming to Sportz Shortz with us? We all go there after the games."
"I'm Dave's ride home, so I guess I had better go." John got to his feet, then helped her get to hers. "It was a good game."
"It was. Dave usually plays better though. But they all did well. By the way, I'm Marie and I'm Sammy's wife." She held out her hand.
John shook it. "John Carter." They were now at the bottom of the stands and John could see Dave still out on the ice. He made his way to the plastic wall that offered some protection from flying hockey pucks. "Great game, Malucci," he shouted, hoping Dave could hear him.
Dave thumped Sammy and Jimbo on their backs and received answering whallops. It had been a good game -- Carter didn't need to be yelling so loud though -- especially now, he gestured toward Carter with his head. "Guy from work." He waved at Carter.
John waved back at Dave, then followed Marie and the others to the lobby of the rink where they had to wait while the guys on the team showered and changed. He frowned though as there was something about one of the players that struck a chord. "Marie, that guy with Sammy and Dave, what's his name?"
"Oh, that's Jimbo. He's a good player, too."
Jimbo. Dave had mentioned Sammy and Jimbo when talking about giving back rubs. Sammy was married, but Jimbo...Jimbo wasn't, John realized with a start where he had seen Jimbo before -- the bar he and Adam used to go to all the time -- The Back Yard. The bar where Dave fucked him in front of everyone. Had Jimbo been there that night? He bit back a groan as he contemplated having to tell Dave about THAT. Dave would blame him, John knew it.
Dave jumped under the shower with enthusiasm -- okay so maybe he was usually quicker to get to where the action was -- but he'd still got a goal or two tonight -- and that wasn't bad by half. And now they'd all go to the bar and get a drink. And sometimes life was good - as long as Carter didn't shoot his mouth off, and he hadn't done that at work. And the water was hot. And there were sweaty friends getting clean either side of him, and when he got out there would be someone to have a towel flicking contest with. Probably Jimbo -- he was a good sort, or Sammy. And life was good. Dave grinned.
John checked his watch. "How long does it take them to shower?" The women around him laughed. "Well, it's been like, twenty minutes."
Marie shook her head. "They've got to shower, dry their hair, dress to impress. It takes men a while to get ready, you know."
"It doesn't take me long," John muttered, and that comment made the women laugh harder.
"This is Dave's friend, John. They work together," Marie said to the rest of them.
John was greeted warmly by the women, all who seemed to be pleased that a friend of Dave's had shown up to watch his game. He heard a few 'bout time' comments, but wasn't quite sure what the women meant by them, so he pretended he hadn't heard them at all.
He checked his watch again. "Shouldn't they be ready by now?" He really didn't like the thought of Dave and that Jimbo guy being in the same locker room, let alone the showers.
Dave stuffed his sweaty gear into his bag, and took his opportunity to give Jimbo one last towel flick on a piece of fast being covered up back before he stowed the towel, too.
"Hey."
"Hurry up then. I'm outta here." Dave grinned at the rest of the room, then joined the steady trickle of guys leaving the room.
"I'll get you."
"In your dreams."
Marie nudged John in the ribs. "They're headed this way now." She stepped away from him and found Sammy, giving him a loving kiss.
John watched her, longing for the freedom to be able to do that when he saw Dave...but even if he hadn't promised Dave that he would behave himself, he knew he could never dare kiss Dave in public that way. Too many people just wouldn't understand. But the dream was nice.
Dave walked into the throng, it was cool to have someone there to go up and talk to. Someone there just for him. He sashayed casually over to Carter. "Enjoy the game?"
John turned quickly when he heard Dave's voice and he grinned. "Yeah, it was pretty good. You were taking some pretty rough hits out there, but I also saw you giving back as good as you got. So, is the other team going to the bar, too? Or is the trip to Sportz Shortz only for the victorious team?"
Dave was vaguely surprised that Carter knew all about everyone going to the bar, but....he must have been talking to the others, or maybe he'd figured it out from before, still, he guessed that Carter knowing was cool. "Think they've got their own bar, coupla other teams go to Sportz Shortz too, though. Like the Nailbiters." He turned round and looked at the others, but before he could speak got an answer.
"Yeah. Everyone's got a game tonight, the All Illinois Junior's got all the rinks booked this weekend," Sammy said.
John nodded. "Well, I'm ready to head on over now if you are. But I'm driving and you can tell me how to get there, okay?" John asked with a wicked grin.
Dave shrugged, then addressed the group at large. "Anyone need a ride?" It was really, really cool to be able to offer a ride instead of always cadging one. He looked around the group hopefully.
"Sure," Jimbo said, and he walked toward them. "Thanks for the offer."
John frowned slightly, but he knew it wouldn't be polite to dismiss Dave's offer. Instead he smiled politely at Jimbo. "Ready to go?"
Dave punched Jimbo on the back and half pretended to dodge the one Jimbo gave in return, "Ya finally got dressed then. Come on."
John held back slightly, letting Dave and Jimbo precede him out to the Jeep. He knew he was feeling jealous, but he also knew that being jealous was stupid. Just because he had seen Jimbo at the Back Yard a time or ten it didn't mean that Jimbo had a thing for Dave. Even if the guy was laughing too loud at Dave's jokes and touching Dave waaay too much for John's liking. He caught up to them at the Jeep and unlocked the door. "Just toss your bags in the back," he told Dave, then he walked to the other side to get in.
Dave tossed his bag in the bag, then reached for Jimbo's and tussled with him for it. The guy had a nasty habit of passing it behind his back, and Dave almost had to pin him to the Jeep to get it. But after a moment he had it, and threw it into the back with his.
It was cool too, to get to ride shotgun, and have someone else consigned to the back with the bags. He held the door wider, and grinned at Jimbo. "Hurry up. Don't want to let the Nailbiters get the good table."
"It's *you* who's in the way." But by the time Jimbo had finished speaking he was in the Jeep, and pulling the seat back to make room. "Man, that was a good game tonight. You were a bit off though."
"Was NOT." Dave scrambled up, and began to put on his seat belt.
John pulled on his seat belt and found that despite his misgivings about Jimbo, that it was fun to listen to their banter. They obviously had a relationship that didn't go beyond being teammates. John smiled as he started the Jeep. "Okay, I need some directions, guys."
"Just go along here, for 'bout a mile, and take a left onto...."
"You're crazy, Dave."
"Am not."
"Loco. That might work on a bike, but in a car it's fastest to do a U here and...."
John sighed and stopped at the end of the aisle. "I'll accept any route that doesn't involve me trying to squeeze the car through a narrow alley or any illegal traffic maneuvers. So, does anyone know how to get to this place?"
Dave didn't know about navigating cars in Chicago, and knew he didn't. It rankled though. "Well, listen to Jimbo then, he's the world expert or something."
"Yeah, I'm the world expert. Listen to me." Dave felt the back of his head getting a light swipe. "Do a U, and left at the first light."
John rolled his eyes, then saw Marie waving at him from a car that slowly passed in front of the Jeep. "Sammy's going to the bar, right?"
"He better be." Dave grinned.
John grinned. "Good." He pulled out behind Sammy's car and followed it out of the parking lot. It was a route that, surprisingly, didn't include any U-turns or narrow alleys. Once John reached the street where the bar was located, he was once more in familiar surroundings and he easily found a parking spot not far from the door. "Delivered safe and sound," he announced as he cut off the engine.
Dave didn't think Carter needed to sound *quite* so smug about it. He was sure that his and Jimbo's routes would have got them here too. Still, a bar was a bar -- and more particularly and meaningfully, Sportz Shortz with his team was Sportz Shortz with his team. He undid his seat belt, and got out of the Jeep in about two seconds flat. "Com'on guys."
John thought he was moving quickly, but Dave and Jimbo beat him inside and John ended up walking into the bar with Sammy and Marie.
"You been here before?" Sammy asked as they made their way to the large table that Dave had grabbed for all of them.
"Once. It's a nice place." John saw Roxanne and he grinned at her. She grinned back and winked, but he wasn't sure if she did that with all the single guys or if she really did remember him.
"The food's good and cheap and the beer's cold and that's about all that matters to these guys," Marie said, laughing.
"Hey, those *are* the most important things, you know," John said and Sammy laughed, nodding his agreement.
Dave grinned at seeing Sammy laugh at something Carter had said -- this had the makings of a good night. Then he grinned some more at seeing someone else walk in. Someone who approximately half an hour before had probably been wearing a pink shirt. He thumped the table, and called out. "Losers. Took ya long enough to get here."
"The Teddybears. How much did you lose by tonight?"
Dave snorted, and looked around at the others. "We won. Magnificently."
The guy grinned, "Read a dictionary this week did you?" Then turned to Roxanne. "The Blood-Red's need your BEST tonight." He paused for a dramatic moment, then said. "We *doubled* the turkeys' score."
John made his way to the table and sat down between Dave and Marie and listened to the good natured ribbing. It was definitely more boisterous than what went on after a dressage meet.
Roxanne laughed. "Sorry, rules are first come first served, and the Wombats got here first." She stopped by John's seat. "What'll you have, hon?"
John grinned up at her. "Well, I'm not on the team, but I think I can safely say that you can bring a bunch of pitchers of beer for everyone." He leaned back in the chair and whispered up to her, "My treat, but don't tell them, okay?"
Roxanne popped her gum. "Sure thing, honey," she whispered back. "Anybody want anything other than beer?"
Dave shook his head, and thumped the table. "Beer. Beer." Then he had a second thought. He hadn't had much dinner -- he played faster without a full stomach. "Potato skins."
Jimbo nodded too. "Nachos."
"Coke or Pepsi. And a cheeseburger," John said. He turned to Marie, "What about you? Are you a beer woman?"
Marie laughed. "Nope." She looked up at Roxanne. "The usual."
"White wine. Got it." Roxanne took a few more orders, then sashayed off to place the orders before taking ones from the other team.
"You don't drink?" Marie asked John.
"Not much, no," he replied. "I have a beer every now and then, but since I'm driving, I figured I should stay away from it."
She smiled and nodded. "Good choice."
"Thanks," John said. Then he felt a call of nature. "Excuse me, I'll be right back." He got to his feet and headed to the men's room. Remembering how some guy had kept coming on to him when he was at Sportz Shortz before, John was relieved to find the room empty, John went to one of the urinals and was nearly done when the door opened and Jimbo walked in.
Jimbo looked around the room nervously. It was empty, he walked past the stalls before returning to the urinals and starting to take a slash. "Hey. Have I seen you before?"
John quickly zipped up his pants. Maybe it was a good sign that Jimbo didn't recognize him. "I don't think so, but then, working in the ER, I see so many people every day. So, unless you've been there recently, you probably don't know me from Adam."
Jimbo's stream jerked to a halt. "Adam?"
The minute that Jimbo said 'Adam', John knew he had made a mistake. What if Jimbo knew Adam and put two and two together? Shit. "Uh, yeah," he walked over to the sink and turned on the water. "You know, like in the Garden of Eden, first man and so on?"
Jimbo shrugged. "Probably haven't. That's cool. Stupid mistake. Don't need to tell the others, right?"
"Tell the others?" John glanced over at Jimbo, wondering what kind of game the man was playing. "I'm lost here."
"The guys. The team."
John rinsed his hands and nodded. "Yeah, I know what you meant by the 'others'. But I don't know quite what it is that I don't need to tell them. That you haven't been to the ER?" John knew he was treading on thin ice, but he *had* to find out if Jimbo had seen him at the Back Yard and if so, if had he also seen Dave there?
Jimbo resumed his piss. "That we've never seen each other before."
"We haven't?" John asked. Then he nodded. "No, right. We haven't. Never. Right." So, if this guy *had* seen Dave on New Year's Eve, then he wasn't saying, which meant he probably hadn't. That was good. "Um, I really don't want Dave to know. You know?"
Jimbo nodded heartily. "Yeah. Great guy...but likes his chicks. Never brings one to a game though." He ended on an interrogative note.
"Really? Well, they come up to the hospital after him." At least that's what John had heard one time, that some younger woman, a girl, really, had been up there looking for Dave. Maybe one day he'd ask Dave about it. "Guess he hasn't found one yet that likes hockey." John tossed the paper towel in the trash then he smiled at the other man. "Nice to meet you, Jimbo. Any friend of Dave's is a friend of mine."
"Uh yeah. This bar's good, but the other's good too. Have a drink sometime?" Jimbo gave himself a shake and zipped up his pants.
"I don't drink much," John said, wondering how to get out of a potential date with Jimbo without revealing that he was seeing Dave.
"Somethin' else then?" Jimbo began to wash his hands overcasually. "No need to tell Dave."
John shrugged. "Yeah, sure, maybe. I don't make it out there much any more since I'm not...friends with Adam any longer, so..." John hoped that Jimbo would take that as an indefinite answer and then forget all about him.
Jimbo wiped his hands on his pants. "Maybe you'll come along to another game?"
"I'd like that. You guys played really great." John opened the door and motioned for Jimbo to leave first. He had handled that well, he thought. Jimbo had never seen Dave at the Back Yard, and Jimbo had no idea that Dave and he were a couple. It had all worked out. Smiling, John returned to his seat. All the drinks had been served and the conversation was loud and cheerful.