UNTITLED MASTERPEICE

PART ONE: BODIES

OPENINGS

For the second day in a row, Ian woke up easily and fully rested. Today he felt a little more at home. He rose from his bed and wasn’t as startled by his surroundings. It was beginning to feel like home.

He meandered to the mini fridge that he’d finally stocked with his favorite beverage, very sweet iced tea, poured himself a large glass, in one of the liquor glasses that were already there and enjoyed. After the first sip, he lit the first smoke of the day and clicked the button that opened the glass doors allowing the morning freshness in.

Not bothering to cover himself, he figured what the hell at this point, stepped out onto the balcony and took a deep breath. Sitting his cig in the ashtray nearby, he stretched and yawned, surveying the backyard at the same time. His eyes couldn’t help but wander over into the next yard to see if the stranger was anywhere around.

The balcony was empty, but the curtains opened. He could see the white jockeys still crumpled on the floor of the balcony. He laughed a little to himself and was kind of surprised to feel a little tingle in his crotch. He started a little when he heard a voice from behind the fence shout.

“Come on, I’ve got to go!”

He assumed it was the strangers voice, after all, all he had heard previously was what he thought were a few groans and that first night the man calling to his lover to come up the stairs. A sharp slapping sound made him jump. When he heard it again he darted back in the bedroom, shielded himself behind the flowing drapes, but peeked around to see if he could see anything.

The sound smacked a third time. “Ralphie! Damn it, Ralphie!”

“Who the hell is Ralphie?” He thought.

“Come on boy, I’m running late!” He heard a deep happy bark and then, “That’s a boy! Now in you go.”

Ian could hear a glass door slide and then a few muffled barks. Within seconds an engine cranked, started and then drifted away. He walked back out on to the balcony and looked over into the next yard. From the balcony he could only see the other balcony, and from what he had explored in his own yard below, all he could see was the roof.

Ian decided it might be a good time to see if he could start taking that gate and fence down. The stranger wouldn’t be home, and he wasn’t quite sure what to say yet when they obviously would run into each other for the first time. He’d turned a few thoughts in his head. “Hey, how’s it hanging?” And “I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on” didn’t seem the right things to say.

He turned to head toward the shower, no matter how dirty he knew he might get, he just couldn’t start any day without a shower and washing his hair. It was one of his quirks. Sex, of course, he could do first thing, but anything else, including eating breakfast, had to be preceded by soap and water.

As he turned to go in, something on the balcony caught his eye. He had to shield his eyes, as the