Three, Four...Better Lock Your Door (6 page)

Bjarne Larsen nodded slowly. "Thanks."

As promised I didn't put anything about it in the article I wrote once Sune and I got back to the office. There was no need to kick a man already lying down. The article was strong enough as it was and less than an hour later I sent it to Jens-Ole and as soon as he had approved it, Sune and I drove back home to where both of our kids were sleeping upstairs in Julie's room. The floor was packed with Barbie-horses and horse magazines and cartoons about girls horseback-riding.

"Busy day, huh?" I said to Sune as we watched them both sleeping in Julie's bed.

"I bet it has been," Sune replied.

"Let him stay here," I said when Sune was about to go pick up Tobias from the bed. "It's a weekend. There's no school tomorrow. They'll play all day."

Sune smiled. "Thanks," he said. "Tobias really enjoys coming here. He doesn't have many friends."

"Neither does Julie. Do you want a glass of red wine?" I asked as we walked down the stairs. Dad had fallen asleep on the couch in front of the television. I turned it off and put a blanket over him. "It's a nice night. We could sit outside on the porch."

"Sure," Sune said. "With a jacket and some blankets wrapped around us we could probably stay warm enough."

"Great." I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle and two wine glasses while Sune found blankets around in the house and carried them outside.

One bottle soon became two and not long after I was getting tipsy. It was nice sitting outside with Sune and talking. He always made me feel so comfortable. With him I could always be myself completely.

"Whatever happened to that Italian guy that you used to date? The one who was an artist?" Sune asked.

I scoffed. "Let's just say it's over."

"I kind of figured that one out, but what happened?"

"He was an ass. He was nice in the beginning but he was the type that liked the hunt. As soon as he felt sure of me he started acting like an idiot. I made the mistake to have him meet Julie and she wasn't happy about me meeting a new guy so soon after her dad. Plus Giovanni didn't like kids. He didn't want to have her as a part of his life. So naturally I had to end it."

"I bet he didn't like that much," Sune laughed.

"Nope. Wasn't good for his ego. Apparently he had never had a woman say no to him before. He claimed he had never been dumped."

"What an idiot," Sune exclaimed and sipped his wine.

"My words exactly," I said and paused. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"I have known you for two years now and I have never heard about any women in your life."

"I have you," he said laughing. "You're the only woman in my life. You and Julie of course."

I drank some more wine and stared at the starry night in front of us. It had gotten really cold now but it was such a beautiful clear night and I didn't want it to end. I inhaled the crispy air.

"Here," Sune said and wrapped his arm and his blanket around me. I was leaning my head on him. He smelled good. I had never thought about it but he was actually quite good-looking underneath all the black make-up and the Mohawk. He had a pretty face and spectacular eyes. "You'll find someone," I said.

Then he looked at me and I suddenly had the oddest feeling inside of me. My fear was confirmed when he leaned over and grabbed my chin. He lifted my face till my lips met his. Then we kissed. Tenderly, awaiting at first, then aggressively and demanding.

I pulled away. "Sune. We can't do this," I said. My head was spinning from the wine. I had drunk too much, I let my guard down. I sat up and pulled away from him. "This was really stup ..." Sune grabbed my neck and pulled my face close to his again. Then he kissed me passionately. Like he had wanted to do this for years, yearned, longed for this to happen. I kissed him back for a few seconds before I managed to push him away.

"Sune. We really can't do this," I repeated.

"Why not?" he muttered under his breath. "Why?"

"Because we work together. Because we have children. Because you're ten years younger than me. You should find some nice girl your own age. Not an old hag like me."

Sune got up from the couch we had been sitting on. There was hurt in his eyes when he looked at me. "So I'm too young?"

"No. Yes. Well it's not just ... for Christ sake, Sune. We work together."

"I'd better go now," he said.

"Don't leave mad," I said.

He bit his lip. "No, no it's okay. I understand. You don't want me." He paused. "I'll come and get Tobias tomorrow."

"Sune. Don't leave. Let's talk about this ..."

But Sune had already turned his back to me and left.

 
C
HAPTER 9

A
NDERS
H
OEJMARK HAD LOVED
badminton all his life. It wasn't so much the game itself as it was the social aspect of it. It was a great way to meet people. At the local club in Karrebaeksminde Anders Hoejmark met many in his job as president. Club members called him 'Mr. President' when they met him inside of the hall, or in the cafeteria. They would greet him with a smile and say "Hello Mr. President. The kids would yell it as well. "Hi Mr. President" and he would pat them on their heads and ask them if they were going to grow up to be as big as the Danish players Camilla Martin or Peter Gade who had been among the world's best players.

He enjoyed it immensely. The respect, the authority he had in this club. Being the daily leader gave him so much more joy than any other job he had before. Whenever he stepped inside this sports center he was in charge. He was the king. He would tell the cleaning crew that they had done a great job in the dressing rooms or that they needed to take care of the men's restrooms one more time since someone just messed it up, because people were sometimes so gross - even the nice people attending this sports center. Some of the younger punks would throw paper towels in the toilet and clog it. He would track them down and punish them that was certain. He would ban them from the center for a month if they didn't behave or follow the rules. He threatened to call their parents if necessary. If they pleaded and begged him not to tell? Then he would let them pay right there on the spot. He would drag them to his office and lower the shades. Then he would unzip his pants and have them give him a blow-job.

After that they would be off the hook. Until next time they did something to piss him off. There was always someone who would get in trouble. Anders Hoejmark saw it as his duty to teach them a lesson.

Yes, badminton was a wonderful way to meet new people, Anders Hoejmark thought to himself as he walked through the cafeteria greeting people with smiles and nods. They were serving meatballs with mashed potato today and he wouldn't miss it for the world. Friday night was always a busy night at the sports center and it never closed until nine. He took in a deep breath and filled his nostrils with the scent of sweat as he walked by a group of young boys sitting around a table with their rackets in bags standing next to them. One of them dropped a pack of feather balls in front of Anders so they were scattered all over the floor. Anders Hoejmark stopped and sighed deeply. The young man gasped. Anders Hoejmark smiled. Then he patted the boy's head.

"Just make sure you pick them all up," he said and moved along towards the line. Normally he would have said something worse to the young man, but not today. Today was a good day and a busy one as well.

As he glanced through the room his eyes met with those of a man. Anders Hoejmark felt excited on the inside. Those eyes did that to him. He had only known him a week, since the man had started coming in the club and they had only spoken a few times, but Anders Hoejmark had no doubts. This man was someone special. He was different than anyone he had ever met before. This could very well evolve into something bigger. Normally when Anders Hoejmark met guys like him at the club they would meet once or twice in the men's dressing room and have casual sex and then they would never speak again. That was usually how it went. But this time Anders Hoejmark had a feeling that this could be more than just a fling, more than a one-night stand. Even if he hadn't known the man for long and never spoken more than a few sentences with him he knew that he could love this man. He could fall for him. Right now they shared a secret so delightful Anders Hoejmark had a difficult time containing it. They were going to finally meet. Later this day, tonight.

Anders Hoejmark had spotted him one day a week ago when he had been playing with another man in the hall. He had seen him from his office upstairs that had a view over the entire arena and all the nets. He had seen the man and studied his physique; every fiber and muscle in his body and Anders Hoejmark had a hard time restraining himself. He was so incredibly attracted to the man physically at that moment. He wanted him, he wanted to touch those muscular arms and massage those beautiful legs. He wanted to nibble his ears and kiss his neck.

But the man was way out of his league, and straight too, he had thought sadly to himself. There was no way he would be interested in a bald old man like Anders Hoejmark. He had stared at himself in the mirror at the restroom and sighed.

Love hadn't been easy for Anders Hoejmark. It had in fact been almost non-existent in his life. If it was because he was gay or because he had no idea how to love others, he didn't know. But one thing he did know: he didn't love himself. He hadn't been able to stand himself ever since ... since. He knew there was no use in hanging on to the past. It was twenty years ago and he had gotten away with it.

"Still you have to live with it the rest of his life," he told his reflection in the men's restroom mirror. He would have cried in self-pity if the door hadn't opened at that very moment and the man had stepped in. Anders Hoejmark gasped at the sight of his face behind him in the mirror. The man smiled the most charming smile, and then he came really close to Anders Hoejmark. He had gently touched his neck and caressed his face and hair. A shiver of almost orgasmic proportions had gone through Anders Hoejmark's body. Then the man had leaned over him and whispered in his ear.

"I want to meet with you."

Anders Hoejmark had gasped at the sound of his voice so close to his ear. Everything about this man was so desirable.

"The men's dressing room next Friday after I've closed the center. I'll leave the back-door open," Anders Hoejmark whispered with quivering voice.

The man smiled in the mirror and then licked the back of Anders Hoejmark's ear causing him to tremble with desire and lust for him right then and there. Anders Hoejmark had closed his eyes taking in every seconds of this moment.

When he opened them the man was gone.

C
HAPTER 10

F
RIDAY HAD FINALLY ARRIVED.
Anders Hoejmark was whistling as he finished his meatballs and mashed potato in his office while watching the players sweat and throw themselves around on the court to strike the feathered shuttlecock or birdie as some preferred to call it. It was indeed a beautiful game. And the Danish league was known to be one of the strongest in the world. Anders Hoejmark was proud to be a part of something this big something the entire nation could be proud of. He loved everything about it: the aerodynamics of the shuttlecock, the athletic players, the sweat on the player's foreheads, the tight shorts. He used to play it himself. When he was a child it had always been the source of much joy. Even if he didn't play any longer it still provided joy into his life, he thought and looked at his watch. It was almost nine and about time to close up, he thought with a thrill. He watched as the players finished their last game and started to pack up. They disappeared into the dressing rooms for a little while then returned with wet hair and clean clothes. They were laughing, chatting as they left the sports center one by one and soon Anders Hoejmark felt the silence slowly fall upon the great gymnasium. He loved these moments just as much as he enjoyed it when the center was filled with people. The quiet moments and the anticipation were both precious as well.

Anders Hoejmark went on his usual rounds. First he checked the cafeteria to see if the lady had remembered to shut off everything. He had heard of a gymnasium in Holte that burned down because someone forgot to shut off the fryer. Ever since then he had made it a habit to check all the equipment in the kitchen to make sure nothing could burn it all down. He checked the coffeemaker, the fryer, the pan, the toaster, everything. Anders Hoejmark was a very thorough man so even if he was in a hurry this day to get to the dressing room and get ready for his date he didn't slack on the security. After the cafeteria he locked all the doors - except the backdoor of course. He put in a small piece of wood to keep it open so the man would know that this was the door. With a thrill of excitement running through his body Anders Hoejmark checked the last things, made sure that all shuttlecocks were picked up, and forgotten towels, shirts and shorts put in the lost-and-found box by the entrance for people to find next time they arrived to play.

Then he could finally enter the men's dressing room. He put some water on his hands and washed his face. Then he combed the last remains of hair he had, trying to cover as much as possible of his growing baldness. He was sweating and wiped his face with paper towels. It wasn't like him to be this nervous. This meeting had to be something special. It felt like such a defining moment in his life. Like this was the moment that could change his life forever. Finally he had met someone he could imagine having a real relationship with.

Anders Hoejmark glanced around the room and suddenly regretted the surroundings he had chosen for their first meeting. He should have chosen something better, something signaling that he wanted more than casual sex. But Anders Hoejmark wanted both. He wanted the rough casual sex as well as the romance and love. Up until now he had only known the first; he had never experienced the second part. He had no idea how to go about it, how to do that. But maybe the man would know? Maybe he could show him how to love? Anders Hoejmark hoped it and wished for this to happen so deeply that every fiber in his body craved it. This was it.