With a B.A. in art and part of a M.F.A. in Photography, 26-year old Zack is living in Soho, sharing a 1-bedroom apartment with 4 other guys (he gets the couch in the living room from 7 pm to 7 am). He's trying to make a living with his photography, but mostly he works as a barista at a coffee shop in the Village, and supplements his income with extensive gifts from his boyfriend Mithos.
Mithos is 62 years old, a buffed, bearded daddy (he was married to a woman for 20 years, and has a son 9 years older than Zack). Very sophisticated, well connected in the art community, and very free with his money.
He pays for all of their dates, plus whenever Zack needs art supplies or new clothes, he just pulls out his platinum card and says "I'll take care of it."
It's nice in some ways, but it also gives Mithos a lot of control in the relationship. They go where Mithos wants, do what Mithos wants. Even in the bedroom: Zack is into oral, but he finds himself getting topped every night, whether he wants it or not. He's had his mouth on Mithos' cock maybe twice since they started dating, and Mithos hasn't gone down on him at all.
Which would be ok if Mithos allowed sharing, three ways, or hookups, but Zack has only convinced the conservative Greek to share twice -- with his own friends, aging artists who call him a "delicious boy." The only other way for Zack to get oral is through sexual party games, which Mithos does allow: guess the penis, biggest penis contest, who can get aroused the fastest, whoever wins the trivia contest gets to spend 10 minutes in the bedroom with the guy of his choice.
They have a lot of parties. Mithos has a loft in the attic of an old Catholic school converted into apartments (there are still crucifixes on the walls in the corridors, and statues of obscure saints in little niches). It's probably haunted by generations of school kids terrorized by nuns. It freaks Zack out a little -- he refuses to stay there alone -- but the loft is big enough for at least 20 guys to sit comfortably.Naked would be nice.
Tonight they're having a comparatively small party, 8 or 9 guys, mostly Mithos' friends -- burly bears, aging queens, Bohemian artists with green hair and multiple piercings.
Benny seems a little out of place, a Midwestern farmboy type drinking beer among the artsy-Bohemians with their drambuies: no doubt a new refugee from the Straight World, probably starred in his high school drama club's production of Oklahoma, and now plans a career on Broadway.
A tall, broad-shouldered redhead in his early 20s with a fresh open face, blue eyes, freckles, and full lips. Wearing very tight jeans, a very tight black t-shirt, and a cross around his neck.
Not gorgeous but interesting.
The only thing "off" that Zack remembers later is: Benny doesn't talk about his past. Most transplants to gay neighborhoods can't stop talking about the horrors of growing up gay in homophobic small towns.
Zack wonders who Benny came with, if he's someone's boyfriend, and more importantly, if he's open for "sharing" later. Bringing Benny in will give Zack some leverage in the relationship.
He can't ask openly, of course, so he mingles, making some discrete inquiries.
Benny isn't here with anyone. Mithos must have invited him separately.
"No, I never saw him before," he says. "I thought he was one of your friends."
"He isn't, but I'd like him to be. Maybe I could invite him to 'share.'"
Mithos frowns. "A complete stranger? Boy, you don't know where he's been. He could be a hustler. He could have crabs -- or worse."
Ok, no sharing. But Zack can at least spend a few minutes alone with Benny, if he strategizes right.
The biggest penis contest! Zack has a Mortadella+ -- 4 inches soft, 8 inches aroused. He would win easily!
When it's time to play the party games, Zack suggests the "biggest penis" contest: Five contestants line up, drop their pants, and get aroused, either by themselves or with the help of a friend, and an "impartial judge" measures them. "And the winner can bring anyone he wants into the bedroom for ten minutes," he adds.
To his surprise, Benny volunteers.
Zack, Benny, and three other guys line up and drop their pants. Two begin playing with themselves, and a third has a friend go down on him.
Benny just stands there.
It's a monster, at least 6" soft, and thick around. How big will it be when he's aroused? A foot?
Everyone stares, even the other guys in the contest.
Benny just stands there.
Zack can't take it anymore. "Can I help you with that?" he asks.
"No, thanks, I'm fine on my own."
He walks to the end of the line anyway. "I insist. My mouth is legendary."
"You....?" Zack reaches down to fondle him. And he is gone!
He doesn't walk away, or move aside. He literally isn't there anymore. Like how the witches on Bewitched used to vanish, except without the twing-sound effect.
Zack looks around. The other guys are staring, confused. "Where...um...." he begins.
"I think he went to the bathroom," Mithos says. "And he probably won't be coming out, you scared him so much with your sleazy come-ons."
"Huh?"
"Please, all night you've been looking at him like you're a starving dog and he's a tenderloin steak. Could you be any less subtle?"
Ghost or Skittish Party Guest?Zack asked the other guys who were at the party that night. Most of them saw Benny back away, pull his pants up, and rush out of the apartment. But two of them saw what Zack saw: a naked man vanish instantly.
In Chinese folklore, ghosts look and act exactly like corporeal people, except you can't touch them. If you try, they will vanish.
Zack never spent the night in Miklos' loft again. They broke up soon afterwards.
See also: An Interview with the Most Attractive Man in the World
The other take away might be that ghosts can't get an erection.
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