Sniff! Sniff! Is it here? Naaaaah! Sniff! Snort! Over there? Nope! Hmm...perhaps in those bushes over there...
"Casper!" a voice rang out behind him. Please keep to the road!"
Casper looked up at his Arthur, his young half-owner and whined.
Arthur laughed. "And no, whining won't help!"
*****
They made their way down to the path until they reached the beach area which was, only two months before, a hotbed of fun and frolic. Now it stood deserted, awaiting the winter's evil wrath. Arthur sat down on a rock and stared at the ripply black waves, which just a little bit of light from the streetlights across the way dancing across them.
Casper laid on the sand next to Arthur, exhausted from his endless, albeit meaningless, search.
Arthur was thinking about the fight he had earlier wth Chad, his lover of five years. What the hell was that all about anyway? So Chad failed to call him to tell him he'd be home late from work. Big fucking deal! Shit happens. He shouldn't have lost his cool like that. He knew Chad loved him. He had to. He's just been swamped with cases lately. Being a lawyer wasn't an easy job. That's why they made the big bucks. That's what afforded them their lovely home in the beautiful little community of Hollowton. There are people who would kill for what he's got.
*****
As his eyes sailed over the black water, Arthur reflected upon his past...upon the day Chad asked him to move in with him. The day his life as a struggling artist was over.
Chad are Arthur were lyig the bed in the room that overlooked the shining waters of Hollow Lake.
Chad held Arthur tightly in his big strong arms and kissed him.
"My love..." Chad whispered, "I want you to be the artist that you never could be."
Arthur just looked up at his lover, half in dream. "What?" he mumbled.
Chad chuckled. "I want you to move out of Richardson...out of that little rat-trap you call home and come up here...and live with me..."
Arthur hesitated. "But...my job...my friends..."
Chad sighed. "Your job...you wait tables at some dive on Fifth Street...and your friends...well they can come up here to see you...we're only 20 minutes away."
Arthur scratched his head as he sat up in the bed. "What...what brought this on?"
Chad put his hands on Arthur's shoulders. "Quit your job, Arthur. Let me sponsor you...take care of you. You are far too talented to be wasting your time in some meaningless grease pit. Come...please...say you'll live with me...I love you, Arthur...and I want you to devote all your time to your art."
Arthur walked from the bed to stare out the sliding doors that led to a terrace above the water. The glare of the morning sunlight made him squint. I cant let you do that, Chad.."
"Please Arthur...Arthur...please let me do it. Don't you love me?"
Arthur turned around and looked into stared into Chad's eyes. "You know I do."
Chad walked up to Arthur and kissed him on the forehead. "Then let me help make you the artist that you deserve to be..."
Arthur kissed Chad back. "I'll think about it." he said.
*****
Woof! Woof!
Arthur jerked his head up to see Casper chasing a black cat down the shoreline. He ran off after him. "Casper! Come back here!" he yelled. Casper stopped running, turned around and slowly walked back toward Arthur with big sad eyes and is tail between his legs.
Arthur gently scratched the dog on his head. "Come on, boy...let's go home."
***** Chad sat quietly in the dark on the back porch of his lovely lake home as Arthur and the dog approached him. Tears were running down his cheeks. Arthur took his beautiful young face into his hands.
"It's okay." Arthur responded, weeping, "I can always re-heat dinner."
The two embraced and walked into the house, with Casper hopping along wildly ahead of them.
"I love you, Arthur," Chad moaned.
"I know you do," Arthur whispered.
Main Page *****