"Hello, Franklin residence."

"Hi, I'm calling to inquire about the add in this morning's Times."

"May I have your name, Sir?"

"Yes, my name is James Hamilton."

"Thank you Mr. Hamilton. Please hold while I connect you with Ms. Franklin."

This was a stab in the dark but I really needed a temp job and I just had to find out what this strange ad was about. It said only, "Seeking companion for male adolescent. Some medical background preferred," then it listed a phone number. I had a reasonably good medical education as a paramedic but I'd never worked as a 'companion' before, whatever that was, and I was very curious to know what that meant.

"This is Beth Franklin. How may I help you?"

"Ms. Franklin, my name is James Hamilton and I'm calling in reference to the ad in the Times."

"Thank you for calling, Mr. Hamilton. May I ask what kind of medical training you have?"

"I've been a paramedic for eight years. I recently moved here from Arizona and I'm in the process of applying to the State EMS Division for reciprocity."

"And when do you anticipate being certified here?"

"From what I've learned, it looks like six to eight weeks."

"I see. I'd like to interview you personally, Mr. Hamilton. Can you come to my home today?"

"Um, sure. What time and what's your address?"

I pulled up to the gate of an incredible mansion a few miles out of the city. There was an intercom box on a post. I pushed the button.

"Yes?"

"James Hamilton, I believe I'm expected."

"Yes, Mr. Hamilton. When the gates open, please drive to the front entrance."

I was met at the door by a very attractive woman in her late 30's, dressed in jeans and a loose-fitting sweatshirt. She seemed familiar for some reason but I couldn't place her. She greeted me with a friendly smile and asked me in. "Would you care for some coffee James? May I call you James?"

"Yes, Ma'am, James is fine and, yes I love some coffee."

"Call me Beth; Ma'am makes me feel old. Let's go into the kitchen and talk." From looking at the house, somehow I expected a butler or a maid or at least a secretary. Still, I was glad I wore my suit. I sat on a stool at a breakfast counter while Beth poured coffee. It smelled rich and strong, just the way I like it.

"So, James, I imagine you're a little in the dark about what this position is all about."

"Well, yeah, I am. Is the male adolescent your son?"

"Got it in one. So here's the story. Three weeks ago my son, Jeremy was assaulted by a gang. The police still don't know who they are. They beat him with baseball bats and took the trouble to break his hands, his arms and his legs. Fortunately, he didn't suffer any internal injuries, but he lost a lot of blood and had a pretty bad concussion. I'm thankful he's alive. He's coming home from the hospital today and, since he's bound up in plaster on all four limbs, he's going to need someone to look after him and see to his needs. You may wonder why that job doesn't fall to me."

"It's really none of my business, Ms. – uh – Beth."

"Well, I'll tell you anyway. I'm an actress." Now I recognized her face! Elizabeth Franklin! I'd seen her in several movies and had been impressed with her acting skills - and her body. "I'm due on a movie set in New Zealand day after tomorrow. I was going to ask out of the role to take care of Jeremy but he wouldn't hear of it. He doesn't need a full time doctor or nurse, just someone to help him through his days. Do you think that's something you could deal with?"

"Um, sure, I don't see why not. What would my hours be?"

"That's another issue. I'd need you to live here for the next four to six weeks until his casts come off and he's able to take care of himself."

"Oh, I see. Well, I'm staying with my aunt until I get settled so that wouldn't be an issue."

"Of course, I'd need to run a criminal background check on you. Would that be a problem? It can be done in a matter of hours."

"No, no, not at all. You'd be silly not to."

"I pride myself on being able to read people pretty well, James. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

I gave her the short version of my upbringing and my education, my dislikes and my passions, trying to be as general as possible.

"With a BS in chemistry, why did you decide to become a paramedic?"

"It's hard to say, really. I was just drawn to it, I guess. I'm thinking about applying to medical school but the thought of going into debt for a quarter of a million bucks gives me the jitters."

"Lord, is that what it costs to become a doctor?"

"I'm afraid so."

"I never would have guessed. Well, James, pending the background check, I think you're the man for the job. Can you cook?"

"I've been told I'm a pretty fair hand in the kitchen. I enjoy cooking. Uh, don't you have other people to interview?"

"What for? I'm satisfied if you are. Like I said, I think you're the man. Can you start today?"

"Well, I'd need to go back to my aunt's house and pack some stuff. What happens if Jeremy isn't happy with your choice?"

"He'll have to agree of course, but I know the kinds of people he likes and I don't anticipate any objections. If you can hang around for a couple of hours, he'll be arriving by ambulance. You're welcome to join us for lunch if you wish. Why don't you take off that coat and tie and get comfortable?"

"Thanks. I usually only wear suits to weddings and funerals and I try my best to avoid both. May I ask what the pay would be?"

"Oh, of course I should have mentioned that. The pay is negotiable but I'll offer $200 a day, room and board of course and use of a car."

"I'd be happy with that." I felt like I'd just hit the jackpot.

Beth pushed a button on an intercom and said, "Melissa, the position has been filled. Mr. Hamilton will give you the information you need to request the background check."

Jeremy was wheeled into the house on a stretcher and lifted onto a kind of wheelchair that allowed him to recline with his legs strait out in front of him. He still had a little trace of a shiner under his left eye. Both arms were casted down to his fingers and both legs from his groin to his ankles. He had to be incredibly uncomfortable.

Beth made the introductions. "Jeremy, this is James Hamilton. James, Jeremy. If you approve, James will be staying with you while I'm in New Zealand."

Jeremy smiled and said, "Nice to meet you James. I'd shake hands but it's a little inconvenient."

"It's good to meet you, Jeremy. Sorry for all the misery you've had to endure."

"That makes two of us," he chuckled. "I can't imagine why you'd want to spend your time taking care of a crip like me but I'll try not to be too much of a pain."

"Well, I'm a paramedic so taking care of people is what I do. That and I also need the job."

He laughed. "Fair enough. What's for lunch, Mom?"

"I'm going to make turkey wraps and a salad for James and myself. You can have that and one of us will feed you or you can sip on a fruit smoothie. You decide."

"I'll do the wrap. I'm getting used to being hand-fed like a baby."

The initial background check sailed through as I knew it would. I drove the Suburban I'd be using to my aunt's house to packed and was back by late afternoon. Beth asked me to look around and make a list of things that would facilitate taking care of Jeremy; apparently money was no object. All I could think of was a portable massage table that would fit into the huge shower in the bath between his room and the one I'd be sleeping in. That would make it easier for me to wash him every day. Beth asked her secretary, Melissa, to have one delivered the next morning.

"If you need anything at all, James, just ask Melissa. She's in her office weekdays from seven to five and her home phone number is on this cell phone that you need to keep with you at all times. I'm going to go pack now and I'll be leaving at four in the morning for the airport. I'll see you guys when I get back." She kissed both of us on the cheek and disappeared up the stairs.

"Break a leg, Mom," Jeremy called after her.

It only took a couple of days to get a routine established. First thing in the morning, I'd move Jeremy from his bed into the bathroom. Since he could bend at the hips, he was able to use the toilet, but since his elbows and wrists didn't bend, he couldn't wipe himself. He explained that was why he insisted on someone who was male and physically strong. If he just needed to pee, the cold duck was the receptacle of choice. He could perch his butt on a stool and lean over the bathroom sink while I flossed and brushed his teeth. He was blond and still baby-faced so shaving was every other day with an electric razor. For his showers, I poked strips of cloth around the ends of the casts to keep the water out, then helped him onto the massage table. Since I had to be in the shower with him, it was convenient to wash us both at the same time. I washed his hair and his backside first, then laid him on his back to do the rest.

"I'm glad you thought of this, James. It beats the hell out of sponge baths."

"Yeah, me too. If you've got any ideas for other innovations, let me know and we'll try them out."

The only thing he could wear conveniently was the type of hospital gown that snapped at the shoulders and down the back and heavy socks to keep his feet warm but, since we weren't planning to go anywhere, fashion wasn't a consideration.

After the first week, our routine became so efficient I actually had very little to do. He wasn't fussy about food so cooking wasn't much of a chore. We set his computer up for voice recognition and stuck Velcro to a universal remote device and to the cast on his leg where he could reach it with his fingers. That operated his TV, satellite radio and I-Pod. Usually, we just spent a lot of time talking. I found him to be a very bright and pleasant person to be around. Of course he knew a lot of the rich and famous in the movie business but he wasn't the least bit smug about it. In fact, he didn't seem overly impress with most of them. He was really interested in my work as a paramedic and kept pumping me for stories about my most interesting cases.

Beth called every evening (early morning for her) to get an update on how things were going. She called the house phone so we could put it on speaker and make it a three-way conversation. She told us the shoot was on schedule and she didn't anticipate any delays getting back home.

My first real surprise came about ten days into my stay. Every morning when Jeremy was lying on his back on the massage table for his cleanup, he would invariably get an impressive erection when I washed his genitals. I didn't consider it unusual since he was only eighteen and probably had a boner for a good portion of the day; it's no surprise he would get one when he was being touched. So on this particular morning, I casually asked him if he would like me to try to find a woman to provide some sexual relief. I didn't know anybody off hand but thought I could round up someone if I put my mind to it.

He just looked at me for several seconds. I was beginning to think I had just committed a major transgression when he said, "I hope this doesn't fuck things up James, but I rather you did it."

I had to think about that for a while. "No, it doesn't fuck things up, Jeremy, but it does complicate them. I try really hard to keep my personal life and my professional life separate. You're a great looking guy and normally I wouldn't hesitate a minute to do what you're asking me to do. But I'm kind of on the horns of a dilemma, if you don't mind an old cliché. I feel like I'd be violating the trust your mom has put in me."

"Of course. I'm sorry if I made you fee uncomfortable."

"Don't be sorry. I'm flattered you think that way about me."

We finished his morning ablutions and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. I made blueberry pancakes and topped them off with sweetened yogurt.

As we were finishing our coffee, Jeremy asked, "Would you like to know why I got the crap beat out of me?"

"I assumed it was some random act of violence or a robbery. Was it something else?"

"It was. I tried to pick up this guy at a rock concert. He took offense and he and a couple of his buddies were waiting for me in the parking lot. I knew from personal experience being a fag had certain risks associated with it. This time I pushed my luck too far."

"Please don't refer to yourself as a 'fag', Jeremy. It's demeaning to you and anyone else who happens to be gay to whatever degree."

"Are you gay, James?"

I pondered how to answer that for a while. "Before I answer your question, I'll ask you a couple. Are you aware that seventy to eighty percent of the population feels some sexual attraction to people of their own gender? And are you aware that because of the social stigma still attached to being gay that most of them will flatly deny that? And are you aware that many men and women who are more gay than strait marry heterosexuals and lead unfulfilled lives because their relationships were built on lies? To answer you question more specifically, Jeremy, I'm one of those people who are pretty much in the middle. I can enjoy sex with men and/or women but I'm not especially inclined to make a permanent commitment to one or the other because it wouldn't be fair to my partner."

"You wouldn't be violating any trust, James."

"What do you mean?"

"Mom wouldn't feel that you had violated any trust as long a you carried out you duties. She knows I'm gay and she knows why I wanted a male companion but she drew the line at asking you about your sexual orientation. She said that would be for me to learn on my own and to live with the answer. Whether we have sex or not, James, I think you're a great guy and I couldn't be happier with Mom's choice."

"Thanks, Jeremy. I appreciate that." It was time to change the subject. "What do you say we get some outdoor time today. I can load your wheelchair into the Suburban and we can drive out to the lake and get some sunshine."

"I'd love that. Let's do it!"

Instead of ordering an ambulance, I took Jeremy to his appointment with his physician in the Suburban. It was spacious and the seat reclined far enough back that he could ride in reasonable comfort. His orthopedist was a lady who towered over my six feet by at least three inches and who looked like she could lift me over her head if she put her mind to it. Jeremy introduced me as his 'baby sitter' and mentioned my paramedic training.

"Really," she said, looking at me with apparent interest. "That could turn out to be convenient because I'm thinking we'll go ahead and remove the casts. It's been over five weeks and your x-rays look good. Both of your knees and both of your elbows being injured, I'm a little worried about the joints becoming arthritic if we leave them immobilized too long. James, if I gave you a program of exercises and joint manipulations to be done twice each day could you tolerate Jeremy's whining enough to carry them out?"

"Absolutely, Doctor; at least for another month."

"That should just about get him back to full function."

His arms and legs were pasty white and a little stinky from their confinement for almost six weeks. I washed them down and helped him into the Suburban for the ride home. The muscles were a bit atrophied of course and he would be a little too weak to walk unassisted for a couple of days. I stopped at a toy store and picked up a little rubber ball he could use to exercise his hands and forearm muscles.

We began our PT that afternoon. By the time I had badgered Jeremy through the first session, he was thinking anything but kind thoughts about me but he was over it by dinnertime. We got him dressed in real clothes, jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers, and took a slow walk around the outside of the house with my arm around his waist and his arm over my shoulder for support. His knees were still painful but he was smiling anyway just for the joy of being mobile again.

Beth was delighted with the news. "That's so good to hear! If you're going to be his physical therapist, James, we'll need to renegotiate your salary when I get home. Jeremy, you do exactly as you're told or I'll kick your butt, entiende?"

"Si, Mamacita, entiendo!"

"One more thing before I go; if either of you guys want to speak to me privately, you know, to rat each other out or something, you can call my cell phone between six and eight AM your time, OK?"

"Got it, Beth."

"OK, Mom. Seeya!"

"Bye! Enjoy yourselves - and each other."

When the line disconnected, we looked at each other and burst out laughing. "That was kind of cryptic, don't you think? Have you already called her?"

"No, I swear, James! You have to remember that Mom's a little smarter than the average Hollywood bimbo; she doesn't miss much." He yawned and slowly pulled himself up onto his feet. "Your physical torture session wore me out. If you'll help me to my bed I'll catch up on my self-abuse and crash. You're welcome to participate if you want."

I just chuckled, "Let me think about it some more, Boss."

As I helped him sit on the edge of his bed, he looked up at me a shook his head. "Jeez, you're a tough one, James. Good night."

Knocking on the bathroom door leading to my room, Jeremy asked, "James, are you up yet?"

"Yeah, I'm up. Do you need something?"

"Well, I'm about to get into the shower and I don't feel that steady on my pins yet. Would you indulge me with one more massage table shower? I'd really appreciate it."

"Sure, just give me a minute."

When I stepped into the steaming shower stall, he was already face down on the table. "You know, we don't really need this table any more. When we're done, I'll store it away and bring in a stool for you to sit on."

"Mm."

All three shower heads were pelting his body with hot water. I poured some shampoo into his hair and worked up a lather, rinsing it off with the flexible nozzle. As I was soaping up the sponge to wash his back, he turned his head to the side facing me and, reaching out with his newly mobile arm, took my balls in his hand and tugged me toward his face and took my dick into his mouth. Any further resistance on my part would have been disingenuous; I wanted it as much as he did. My cock rapidly grew to its maximum eight inches, filling his mouth with the head as he stroked the shaft slowly. He took me out of his mouth and smiled up at me, "No backing out now, James. This is now considered consensual sex."

Jeremy maneuvered himself onto his back, revealing his proud erection standing at a rigid forty-five degree angle from his belly. I was still holding the soapy sponge so I lathered him up from his neck to his feet, rinsing him off and then concentrating the warm spray on his beautiful cock while I massaged his balls and slid my finger into his crack, rubbing it around his anus and coaxing him to raise his knees and spread his legs.

"Oh, god, James! You don't know how badly I've wanted to feel you doing that." He reached down and began stroking himself with his right hand while he stroked me with his left, but I wouldn't allow him to touch himself.

"Leave that to your therapist," I admonished with a wicked chuckle. He continued to slide his hand up and down my cock as I leaned over and took him into my mouth, pulling back the foreskin and swirling my tongue around the head, eliciting little groans and sighs. His hips began to thrust upward as I took more and more of him into my mouth and then into my throat until my nose was buried in his wet pubic hair. My middle finger slipped easily into his ass and massaged his prostate, causing spasmodic jerks of his meat while it was sliding in and out of my mouth.

"I can't hold back any more, James! Here it comes!" I felt the head of his cock suddenly swell and then several jets of semen blasted down my throat and into my mouth as I lifted my head. I just kept swallowing until he was finally empty. "Get me bent over the table. I need you to fuck me so bad."

I helped him slide off the table, then turn and lay his chest and belly crossways presenting his cute butt to my view.