Chapter 8: From Little Acorns

‘We had a good breakfast to keep us going all day. Then we returned to our room, collected our cases and checked out. The hotel was happy to take half the bill from each of our cards. Then they put our cases in a locked room and gave us a ticket.’

‘We walked towards the Bullring, the centre of Birmingham. We hadn’t gone far when we came to an open top tour bus. ‘Just what we need,’ I said. We got on and went up onto the top deck. I showed Magnus were to plug the earphone in.’

‘We toured the centre of the city, drove out and saw the famous Spaghetti Junction motorway interchange and got off at the Sealife Centre. We went in and spent three hours looking at fascinating creatures.’

‘We had a coffee and a cake in the café to keep us going. From there we rejoined the tour bus and went a bit further round. We got off again and explored an area of canals. The commentary on the bus had just told us that Birmingham had more miles of canal than Venice.’

‘That amazed both of us. We strolled along a short part of canal which went between factories and walls and under road and rail bridges. We passed two junctions where other canals went off somewhere else. We even got to watch a narrow boat going through a lock.’

‘There you are,’ I said, ‘There’s an idea for us for a holiday. Although,’ I added, ‘Perhaps on a canal in the countryside.’ We walked back to the bus stop and caught the next tour bus, which returned us back to where we had started. We got back to the hotel at ten minutes past five.’

‘We collected our cases, thanked them, and set off for the station. We checked the signs and discovered which platform we were going from. Then as we had twenty minutes to wait, we got a coffee and sat in the concourse people watching.’

‘It’s amazing how many people are moving around the country, isn’t it.’ Magnus said, ‘And this is only one station.’ We boarded our train and two hours later we were back on home ground. We headed back to Magnus’s, having decided enroute that we’d finish the weekend off by eating out at the little restaurant we had found a fortnight ago.’

‘I had rung ahead and booked a table, so we dropped our cases at Magnus’s, had a hug and a kiss, then walked round to eat. Over a lovely meal, with some wine naturally, we decided that we would plan during each week what we would do for sharing the whole weekend in future.’

‘By the end of the meal Magnus had suggested that as we both needed Saturday morning for general living things like shopping and laundry, unless we were going away somewhere for the weekend, we would meet up around one o’clock on a Saturday.’

‘I suggested that in the afternoon, we should do something locally or just have a lazy afternoon to unwind after work. Saturday evening, we’d either eat out or have a takeaway. Then we’d take turns with who’s flat we stayed at overnight.’

‘Then I suggested that whoever’s flat we weren’t staying at overnight, would arrange a surprise day out for the Sunday. Magnus thought that was a brilliant idea. ‘I have an idea to start us off for next Sunday,’ I told him, ‘So can we stop at yours Saturday night?’

‘That idea seemed to please Magnus who agreed immediately. After our meal we returned to his and had a coffee. As we sat on the settee with our coffees, I think we were both feeling that a new life had begun for us. When I got up to go, we went into each other’s arms.’

‘Thank you so much for such an amazing weekend,’ Magnus told me. ‘If I had had the whole world to choose from, I can’t imagine anything better.’ We had a long kiss and broke away very reluctantly. As I walked home, I felt so glad I’d suggested he came with me.’

SATURDAY – VIDEO SHOP

The following weekend, Lewis and Ella were going away for a long weekend with Ernie and Susan, Rupert and Gemma, Reg and Julie. So, he and Mike agreed it would be a good idea to bring in Cliff to replace him on the Saturday for practice. They had already agreed that he would replace Lewis when he went away to university later in the year.

Lewis contacted him and checked that he could do it and that was arranged. On the Saturday morning Mike arrived at the shop to find Cliff already there waiting for him. They went in and went straight into the back room.

They had a hug, Mike told him how much he had grown since he saw him last. ‘I’ll be fifteen next week.’ Cliff told him. They had the usual busy morning and at ten to one Cliff went along to the chippy to get their lunch. Over lunch Mike repeated what he’d told him after he’d been to see the production of Oliver that Cliff had starred in.

‘You were brilliant,’ Mike told him. ‘You completely deserved the standing ovation you got at the end. Even I had tears in my eyes when you sang ‘Where is Love.’ How’s your pal Garry doing?’ Mike asked. ‘He’s growing too.’ Cliff told him.

‘His voice is getting much stronger as well. If there’s another singing part in the future, I’ll have a lot of competition.’ ‘You wouldn’t fall out over it though, would you?’ Mike asked. ‘No, I’m sure we wouldn’t.’ Cliff assured him, ‘We’d both be happy for the other if they got it.’

‘That’s nice,’ Mike told him. ‘Good friends should never fall out.’ ‘We still go together to Kerry, but only once a month now for more tuition,’ Cliff told him. ‘Do you still get some time together as well?’ Mike asked. ‘Yes, we have half an hour after our lesson together now, instead of fifteen minutes.’

‘Do you still sit together in your underpants?’ Mike asked. ‘Yes.’ Cliff told him, knowing he was safe talking to Mike. ‘That makes it feel really special. We love being so close to each other.’ ‘When you mentioned it before, I was puzzled, Mike told him.

‘I couldn’t understand how you were able to do that whilst your teacher was around.’ Cliff explained about them doing their lessons in their underpants in case it was decided that Oliver would perform in just shorts.’

‘Well having seen your performance, it certainly seems to have worked.’ Mike told him. ‘You were word perfect with your lines too, how are you getting on with Nigel?’ ‘I call him Uncle Nigel,’ now Cliff said. ‘I visit him regularly and he visits me and mum and dad too. They like him as well.’

‘If I get a part in next year’s production, he will help me learn my lines.’ ‘Does he know anything about being in your underpants for your singing lessons?’ Mike asked. ‘No, only you, Lewis, me and Garry know that. And Kerry himself of course.’

‘Apart from your half hour at the end of your lesson, do you get any other chance to be alone with Garry?’ Mike asked. ‘No, never.’ Cliff said sounding very sad. ‘We both visit each other at home, but there’s never any opportunity to get that close.’

As they cleared the table, Mike said, ‘Well perhaps when you take over from Lewis permanently, you could invite him to join us here for lunch.’ ‘That would be nice,’ Cliff told him, ‘I’d like him to meet you, I’m sure we’d all get along well.’

‘We’ve got twenty minutes before we open up again,’ Mike told him, ‘Is there anything you’d like to do?’ Cliff gave him a big smile, ‘Can I sit on your knee again?’ he asked. ‘Of course you can,’ Mike said. ‘Is there any particular way you’d like to do it.’

Could I strip off to my underpants first?’ Cliff asked. Mike nodded and asked, ‘Do you want me to do the same?’ The beam Cliff gave him answered that on its own, but he still said, ‘Yes, please, that would be lovely.’

‘Ok, you put your clothes on that end of the settee,’ Mike told him, ‘And I’ll use this end.’ There was silence for a few moments whilst they got undressed. As Mike went to sit in the chair, Cliff looked in awe at the bulge in his shorts.’

‘He went over and got up on Mikes knee. Mike put his arm around him and Cliff snuggled up against his chest. Cliff loved feeling all Mikes hairs tickling his skin. But feeling his giant cock against his thigh with just Mikes shorts between them was so exciting.

Although Mikes cock was still soft, feeling it against him was enough to make Cliff go very hard, very quickly. Mike heard him draw his breath in and looked down. Seeing the bulge in his underpants, Mike kissed the top of his head.