Love Means No Boundaries - Andrew Grey

separation. Shaking his head and returning his attention to the conversation, he once again pushed those feelings aside, but he knew they’d grow more insistent as the day drew on. Parking on Ludington Avenue, he led them toward one of the restaurants, guiding a self-conscious Robbie inside.
    As they sat down, Joey heard whispered comments and teeth clicking, the faces displaying the all-too-familiar pitied looks. But this time, to his surprise, he didn’t really care. Robbie didn’t see it, and the people who really mattered didn’t care about his face, so why should he? For the first time, he realized that over the last two weeks, he’d been able to show Robbie all kinds of new experiences and at the same time, Robbie had given him something too: confidence. Robbie saw him as beautiful. He’d told him that often enough, and Joey was starting to believe it.
    “I’m Carrie, can I get you something to drink?” their server said in her perky waitress voice. They ordered, and when she 106 Love Means … NO Boundaries
stepped away, Joey read Robbie the menu and helped him choose what he wanted. When she returned, they ordered lunch and then talked as they waited for their food.
    “What time is your performance tonight?”
“We need to be there by seven-thirty,” Arie supplied, “and the performance is at eight.”
“Are you coming?” Robbie asked hopefully.
“I wouldn’t miss it. What are you playing? I know you told me, but I can’t remember.” Their food arrived, and they waited until the server left before continuing their conversation.
    “We’re playing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, with soloists and a local choir. It sounded great in rehearsal.” Robbie commented between bites. “Man, this is good.” He grinned as he took another bite. They continued talking, eating, and laughing, with Joey taking mental pictures of Robbie’s smile and recordings of his laughter.
After lunch, they made their way back to the car.
     
On the way back, they dropped Arie off and continued to the farm. Joey parked near the barn and helped Robbie inside. “I thought we’d go for a ride.” Joey brushed Twilight and got her saddled before helping Robbie mount and then joining him.
    Twilight knew her way to the creek without any guidance from Joey, which was good, because he was barely paying attention. His mind was on the arms around his waist and the soft breaths against his neck. Every part of him was keenly aware of Robbie’s chest pressed to his back, hips pressed to his butt. Entering the wooded area, Joey slowed the horse, and they ambled on. At the creek, he turned the horse upstream until they came to a small clearing where he stopped the horse.
    “Where are we?”
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    “At the most special place on the entire farm.” Joey slid off and handed Robbie the reins. “I’ll be right back.” Robbie nodded, and Joey took the blanket he’d attached to the saddle and spread it on the ground before leading Twilight to a post and hitching her to it. Then he helped Robbie to the ground and led him to the blanket, both of them settling on the ground. “Geoff told me once that he and Eli first made love right on this spot.” Joey loved this spot but he always approached cautiously because Eli and Geoff returned to it quite regularly. It was after Joey found them once that Geoff had explained why it was so important to them.
    Leaning close he expected to make the first move, but Robbie beat him to it, putting his hands on his cheeks and kissing him hard and long. “I can feel how wonderful it is here—the rustle of the leaves, the gurgles from the stream, the tramping of Twilight’s hooves, the scent of earth and blossoms. I bet it’s beautiful.” Joey swallowed. How come this person who could see nothing could find such beauty around him? It just blew him away. “It is, but it pales next to you.”
    Robbie blushed and started to shake his head, but Joey kissed away his denial, pressing him back against the blanket. This was their last day together. Throughout Robbie’s visit, they’d shared a number of firsts, but now everything they did was the last, and Joey was determined to make it the best.
Slowly, between kisses, he popped open the buttons of Robbie’s shirt, slipping the fabric over his shoulders and down his arms. After that, their clothing seemed to disappear as if by magic.
     
He couldn’t remember how, and it wasn’t important. All that mattered was the touch of Robbie’s