“Where the hell are we going Caine?” Katherine asked. It was now around 2pm. Caine had put on a more attractive outfit, baggy black jeans and a Patriots jersey, and had decided to take Katherine for a ride. But Caine wanted the destination to be a surprise so he blindfolded Katherine. They had left the house at Noon and were now almost to wherever they were going. “We’ll be there soon, angelboy. And I promise you’ll love it.” Caine said, taking a hand off the steering wheel of his black Jag, and giving Kat’s hand a squeeze. “You are so adorable when you’re curious.”
“I can’t stand it any longer Caine, where are we going?” Katherine asked, fidgeting his fingers. “Here we are,” Caine said.
Katherine felt the car slow and could feel it turn into somewhere. Then it stopped. “Okay, baby. I’ll take off the blind fold now.” Caine untied it and pulled it off, smiling as Katherine’s eyes went wide in joy and surprise.
“Look at all the pretty horsies!” Katherine exclaimed. “Wow! This is so cool. They’re beautiful!” Katherine got out of the car and walked to the fence enclosing the horses, cooing with glee. Caine got out of the car and went to stand next to Kat by the fence.” This is my friend, John’s place. He breeds and raises horses and allows tourists to ride some. Would you like to ride one?” Caine said, knowing Kat would say yes even before he did.
“Are you serious?! YES! YES! YES! Oh my god, I can’t believe that I’m actually going to be able to ride a horsie!” Katherine said, jumping up and down like an excited child. Caine looked up to see John walking over to them from the stables, waving to them. “Long time no see, Caine. What’s up?” John said approaching Caine and giving him a slap on the back and a big hug.
“Hey, John.” Caine said hugging him back. Then he turned to Katherine and wrapped his arm around his shoulders saying, “This is Katherine. He is my beautiful boyfriend.” “Hi. You have beautiful horsies.” Katherine said, extending his hand to John.
John disregarded the hand and gave Kat a big hug instead. “You are every bit as cute as Caine said you were. I’m glad you like my horses. You would like to ride them?” he asked, winking a Caine. “YES! I would love to! I’ve always loved horses and have wanted to ride one but I’ve never had the chance.” Katherine said, his eyes gleaming like a little boy about to get his favorite toy.
“Okay. I’ll pick out a nice friendly docile mare for you and Caine to ride and saddle it for you.” John said, giving Katherine’s hair a friendly ruffle. “You’ll enjoy it, Kat” he said. John walked back to the stable , leaving Katherine and Caine alone. “It’s so nice to see you smile,” Caine said, a tear running down his cheek. “It makes me happy.”
“Oh Caine,” Katherine said and hugged him. Just then they saw John emerge from the stable with a lovely sturdy chestnut mare, saddled and ready to be ridden. “She is radiant.” Katherine said reverently. He walked slowly up to her, extending his hand to her, uncertainly. “Can I pet her?” he asked, hardly able to believe what was happening. It was just to good to be true. “Of course you can. Here,” John said and took Katherine’s hand in his. He brought it down upon the horses neck. “She loves being petted. She is just a big softie.”
John removed his hand from Katherine’s and watched as Katherine rubbed the mare’s neck, whispering all the while, “You are such a pretty girl. Yes you are. A sweet pretty horsie.” “Her name is Annabelle,” John said, checking he elegant legs.
“I pretty name for a pretty horsie,” Katherine said, and gave her neck a hug. Annabelle stood there, perfectly calm, not bothered at all by Kat’s embrace. “Wow, she likes me!” Kat giggled. “I will take her into that smaller pen over there and you can ride her by yourself or with Caine. It’s up to you.” John said, winking at Caine.
“I definitely want Caine to ride with me. That is if you want to?” Katherine said looking at Caine. “Yeah, sure. I like horses.” Caine said. Together they walked with Annabelle into the pen and closed the gate behind them.
“Okay, Kat, you can mount her first.” John said giving Anna a pat and a kiss. “Good girl. You are a very good girl.” Katherine gazed up at the giant mammal uncertainly. “How do I…”
“Put your foot in my hands.” Caine said cupping his hands and lowering them so Kat could place his foot in them. “I’ll boost you up.”
“Okay.” Katherine said and placed his foot and Caine’s hand and was boosted into the saddle. “Oh wow!” he exclaimed, looking around, “I feel so tall, Hehehe!” “Okay Caine you can get on now.” John said, giving Caine’s ass a smack. “Go get em tiger.” He said with a laugh.
Caine glared at him as he mounted. He sat in the saddle behind Kat, and wrapped his arms around his waist. “So what do we do now?” Caine asked. “We don’t do anything, babes. I will lead Anna around the pen at a walk once or twice then gradually increase her speed.” John said, taking Anna’s halter and leading her at a slow walk.
“Oh this is SOOOO cool,” Katherine enthused. “I am actually riding a horsie. Oh my god, Caine thank you soo much. Ever since I was 5 I have loved horsies but I’ve never been near one much less rode one until now. Thank you Caine.” Katherine leaned his back against Caine and felt Caine’s lips press against his neck. “There is no need to thank me. I love you. I love you so fuckin much babe.” Caine whispered into Kat’s ear.
They rode around the circle many times, eventually ending with Anna in a slow trot. “You guys are pretty good for first timers. You didn’t fall out of the saddle or get jostled around. Nice job. Maybe next time you can take the reins.” John said, helping Katherine down from Anna.Caine got of by himself and gave John a big hug. “Thanks, man. I owe you.”
“No you don’t. Don’t be a moron. If I was going to charge you I’d have done it already,” John said with a small laugh. “Thanks, John,” Katherine said and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Caine and Katherine said good-bye to John and hit the rode for the drive home. The drive was spent mostly in silence. Katherine had fallen asleep, his head in Caine’s lap, his sweet face at peace in his mercifully dreamless sleep. Caine was alone with his thoughts. Most of which were worrying about his new neighbors. Should I tell them that Kat and I am a couple? He pondered. They are bound to find out sooner or later. Maybe if I tell them out right they’ll react better then if they happen to catch me and Kat kissing or holding hands. I don’t know. I wish things didn’t have to be so fuckin complicated. I guess I will talk to Kat about it when we get home, he decided. He popped in one of his CDs in to the Jag’s CD-player to distract him from his thoughts. He let the sounds My Chemical Romance carry his mind away to better, more enjoyable things. Caine and Katherine had arrived home at 4:30pm. Caine had stopped at the store on the way home to pick up some ingredients to cook a lasagna to bring to the dinner. Caine laid out everything he needed on the counters in the large kitchen. “Guess I’d better get started,” he said.
“Can I help?” Katherine asked, standing next to Caine. “I promise I wouldn’t get in the way.” “If you want to,” Caine said. “And you are NEVER in the way, angelboy,” he added, giving Kat’s ass a VERY gently smack.
“Ouch!” Katherine said and giggled. Under Caine’s direction Katherine helped with the lasagna and when they had finally gotten it in the oven they went to relax in the living room on the sofa. “What do you think of Mr. and Mrs. Haine?” Caine asked Kat, who was laying across the sofa with his head in Caine’s lap.
“Umm…I don’t know. They seem nice. They invited us to dinner after all,” Katherine said with a nonchalant shrug. “Do you think they would be okay with us being a couple?” Caine asked deciding to be more direct.
“I don’t know. I think maybe we should tell them sometime during the dinner and see how they react.” Katherine said, yawning and stretching. “Okay say we do. But do you want to or do you want me…”
“I want you to Caine. I would probably screw up the timing. Is that okay?” Katherine asked, reaching his hand up to touch Caine’s cheek. “Okay. But if they start getting hostile about it or try to shove religion down our throats we are leaving.” Caine said. He was becoming increasing more worried about the dinner. The last thing he or Kat needed was a pair of homophobes living next door. He hoped for his and Katherine’s sake that they were indeed as friendly and accepting as they appeared.
“Okay whatever. Is it alright if I take a nap until its time to go over for the dinner?” Katherine asked closing his beautiful eyes. “Yeah, it’s alright, babe. I’ll wake you when it’s time,” Caine said and gave Kat’s lips a kiss. I don’t mean to be distrustful and judgmental, he thought, but I just can’t shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen.
Caine and Katherine stood on the Haines’ porch, which still had numerous boxes piled around it. Caine was just about to knock when the door opened in front of them. “Hello, I thought I heard something out here. Come on in please,” said the smiling Mrs. Haine.
“Thanks so much for inviting us.” Caine said, carrying the pan of lasagna in with him. “I made some lasagna. I thought since you would still be unpacking you could use a little help with the cooking.” “Well thank you Mr. Clasters.” Said Mr. Haine appearing from behind a stack of boxes as everyone stepped inside and Connie closed the door. “As you can see we still have a bit of unpacking to do,” he said gesturing to the various towers of boxes.
Mrs. Haine took the lasagna from Caine and placed it on the large dining table along with the rest of the meal. “Sit, please.” Mr. Haine said pulling put two chairs for Caine and Katherine. Once everyone one was seated Mr. and Mrs. Haine bowed their heads and closed their eyes and proceeded to say The Lord’s Prayer then asked ‘God’ to bless their meal and their new neighbors. Caine and Katherine sat in awkward silence throughout, hoping they were not being offensive by not praying. “Okay boys,” Mrs. Haine said when they were finished, “Let’s eat up.” She placed a large helping of everything on each persons plate, causing Kat’s eyes to grow wider and wider at each heaping. He didn’t eat this much in an entire three days combined!
“Umm…Mrs. Haine…” Katherine began. “Call me Connie, dear.” She said, giving Katherine a gentle smile as she heaped more mashed potatoes onto his plate.
“Connie I’m really not a big eater. His looks delicious but I don’t think I can eat it …” “Nonsense, dear. You don’t worry none about your figure. You as thin as a stick!” she added with a laugh that Caine couldn’t help but join in on. With that everyone began to dig in, Caine feeling more relaxed at Connie’s easy smile and cheerful nature.
Eventually though conversation did start up. “So Mr. Clasters, where are you from?” Mr. Haine asked Caine, before stuffing a fork full of Caine’s lasagna into his mouth. “Very good lasagna by the way,” he added after chewing it for a few moments. “You can call me Caine if it’s all the same to you. I was born and raised in Post, TX.” Caine said, trying to keep the extreme distaste he had for it out of his voice.”
“Texas, huh. Long way from Boston. How did you end up here?” Mr. Haine asked. “And you can call me Hector if its all the same to you.” “While I went to college at the University of Texas and when I graduated a former professor of mine offered me a job as a his secretary at Boston College. I took the job and while…here I am.” He said giving a casual shrug as he swallowed as he took a bite out of a piece of corn bread.
“While you are certainly a while traveled boy, aren’t ya.” Connie said. She glanced at Katherine’s plate, saw that he had finished with his mashed potatoes and heaped some more onto his plate. Katherine didn’t even bother to protest this time. “What about you, Katherine. Where are you from, dear?” Connie asked. “I was born and grew up in Raleigh, NC. When I was 18 I moved up to Williamsburg, VA and lived there for a few years,” Katherine said, staring disbelief at the incredible amount of food on his plate. How the hell am I ever going to eat all this, he wondered to himself.
“How did you end up in Boston, honey,” Connie asked, giving her husband another piece of corn bread. “Caine was on vacation in Williamsburg when he meet me and asked me to move up to Boston with him.” Katherine said, glancing at Caine, worriedly.
“So what exactly are you two to each other, if you don’t mind my asking?” Hector asked, still keeping a smile but Caine could hear the coldness of his voice. Connie glared at her husband and seemed to be about to say something to him when he shot her a look that would turn anyone to ice. Caine took a deep breathe and braced himself for whatever would happen next. “Katherine is my best friend, my soul mate, and my…my…my boyfriend. I love him in a romantic sense,” Caine added to assure there was no confusion. He found Katherine’s hand under the table and took it in his hand. This could get ugly angelboy, Caine thought.
“So you are HOMOSEXUALS?” Hector asked, saying ‘homosexuals' with open disgust. “Hector, there is no need to be rude!!” Connie shouted at him, blushing in anger and embarrassment at her husbands behavior.
“Yes sir, we are homosexuals,” Katherine answered, wishing he could disappear or hide. “I see. While have you heard the name of Jesus?” Hector asked, his voice becoming more pitying rather then stern.
“We are not religious. We do not worship or acknowledge the existence of any god, goddess, or other deity,” Caine replied, keeping his voice calm with none of the anger and annoyance that he really felt in it.” “I hear that from many people in your situation. It is because you have given up hope of ever finding a cure for your sickness. But boys there is hope and you can be cured…” Hector was interrupted by Caine getting out of his seat and pulling Katherine out of his.
“We do not believe in god because we choose not to,” Caine said anger beginning to leak into his voice. “And neither me nor Katherine want or need to be ‘cured’. We are perfectly happy with our ‘sickness’. Thank you very much for the dinner Connie, it was delicious. Unfortunately we must be going. You can keep the lasagna pan,” Caine said then lead Kat to the door. Connie followed the two outside and closed the door. “I am so very sorry for the way Hector acted. I can’t believe he did that! I sincerely apologize for having offended you two,” she said and before either could do anything she gave them both a hug then ran back into the house.
Katherine and Caine went back to their house in angered silence. Once inside Caine turned and slammed his fist into the wall near the door. Katherine jumped and shouted in fright and surprise. “That didn’t go very well at all. That Hector seemed like a…” Katherine was cut off as Caine slammed his fist into the wall again. “He is a fuckin depraved son of a bitch!” Caine screamed and grabbed Katherine’s wrist. “He is…he’s just like those bastards at the center.” Caine started crying and then Katherine began weeping too.
“I’m sorry Caine. Ouch…you’re hurting my wrist.” Katherine said as he felt Caine squeeze his wrist harder. “Sorry,” Caine said and loosen his grip. “You want to have sex?” he asked.
“Now? Umm…I guess. But can you like not use any clamps. My nipples and ass are still recovering,” Kat said with a grin as Caine stopped crying and hugged him. “I have plenty of other things much more FUN then clamps, angelboy,” Caine giggled. Nothing like sex to take ones mind off of a homophobe, Caine thought, still pissed at Hector but managing to push him out of his mind in favor of Katherine.
