Dear Sam,
I don’t have a lot of time, so I wanted to write a short note. I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked but I didn’t want to intrude. I know things have been difficult for you. The reason I am writing is that Rob’s nephew started at UIC this past month, and he asked me show him around. We got to Grant Park and I could have sworn…
August in Chicago is brutal. The heat would have been enough of a purgatory, but the humidity made it almost unbearable. Tommy Bennett had been questioning his choice of colleges since the day he made the decision to go to the University of Illinois at Chicago, but now, after 3 years completed, he decided, again, that it was too late to change. Something of a fatalist, Tommy could be a real downer sometimes. The only person who seemed to be able to keep him afloat was his roommate Sam. It was Sam who made it easy for Tommy to come of the closet. It was Sam who reminded him how beautiful his blue eyes are. At one time he thought he was in love with Sam, but he soon saw the value of their friendship would far outweigh whatever silly romantic notions he had.
Tommy Bennett was from rural North Carolina. He stood just under six feet, had a sharply pointed, somewhat patrician looking nose. His perpetually rumpled light brown hair fell over a pair of sky blue eyes that seemed to emit light of their own. By far, his eyes were the most beautiful thing about him. Not much could be said about the rest, given his rural southern attitude toward appearances. Though his friendship with Sam Talarico had done much to improve this, Tommy still gave little import to how he looked.
The summer before their senior year had been a drunken one for both young men. They met up once in New York and neither one remembered much about the weekend, other than Sam, once again, seemed to attract men like honey did to bees. To Tommy, Sam was everything he wanted to be and nothing like he wanted to be. Sam always seemed interested in people, but rarely got close to anyone. The University had a small gay and lesbian contingent, but it seemed to Tommy that Sam was always at the center of whatever activity was happening. Sam dated many, but Tommy never saw him bring anyone back to their shared apartment, nor could he remember Sam not being there every morning.
Tommy stood by Buckingham Fountain, as he did every year when they all moved back to school. The water from the fountain sprayed a warm mist which did little to alleviate the ninety degree heat. He enjoyed watching people: seeing if he could figure out where they were coming from or going to. He could get lost in this endeavor. He heard Sam calling to him and looked toward the Michigan Avenue entrance to the park. Sam was walking much too fast for a hot day, and was dragging behind him, a somewhat scared looking man. The same age as both of them, perhaps younger, the clicking of the heels on his roper boots gave away his place of origin. He was tall and possessed a broad deep chest. The prefect embodiment of the corn fed, young country boy: an esthetic Tommy appreciated very much.
“Hey!” shouted Sam, and the two young men ran up to each other and embraced warmly. “Missed you so much.”
“Same here, Sam. Who’s this?” Tommy gestured toward country boy.
“Oh, sorry, Tom.” Sam was the only person Tommy ever let call him that. “This is Rob. Robert James Walker, all the way from east bum fuck Texassss!” Sam’s parody of a Texas accent added the appropriate amount of sarcasm.
Tommy reached out his hand, anxious to feel the grip of this new, outrageously sexy person. Rob’s hand completely covered his, and the accustomed greetings were exchanged, but Tommy noticed that Rob barely ever took his eyes off Sam. Tommy sighed deeply, knowing this would probably be just another example of Sam getting what Tommy wanted.
…couldn’t get over the resemblance. Anyway, I hope you are well. Please call me of you need anything. I love you brother.
Tom
