Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll

[louisev]

that's him!  The Leetle Belgian Detective!  I need to find out when he came on American TV, because it would be a riot to put David Suchet on one of those Lionheart productions they aired on public TV in the 1980's (I know, because I watched them!!!) as Poirot!

heheheh.  I think Ennis would have a fit  "Man those Belgians talk funny, Ellery.  Can't hardly understand em."

[MaineWriter]

Happy Saturday, everyone. Today's re-read...Chapters 21 to 25.

http://louisev.livejournal.com/33546.html

In chapter 21, Ennis discovers the toys in the bottom drawer of the nightstand...

“You know what I want first…” Ellery replied, his lids half closed, his heart hammering in his chest. He hadn’t expected this at all, and Ennis taking the lead sexually was at least as arousing as the prospect of whatever sex awaited him.

“Then yer gonna get it,” He said, leaving the basket covered and warm, he came over to the bed, unbuttoning his shirt and stripping it off, then sat down, and began to rummage through the drawer of the nightstand on Ellery’s side of the bed. “You got some … toys down here I saw the other day…” he said, keeping an eye on Ellery’s face, which was now flushed, and he moved one hand down his arm as the other felt in a drawer. “One of em’s big an black an the other is small an thick around, which one you want inside a you?”

Ellery let out a soft gasp before he replied. “The… black… one…” he said. “It’s…”


L

[MaineWriter]

In chapter 22, I found my very first comment to Louise on her LJ.  I remember what provoked it...this little exchange:

Ennis made a small, embarrassed smile. “I... tied his hands with the lariat an dragged em back in the river an bent em right over an fucked em like that.”

“No shit.”

“He wasn’t touchin his cock, I’ll tell ya that much.”

“Jesus Ennis, when you say no you mean no.”

“Damn straight darlin. Remember it.” His voice was low, a little hushed. “I ain’t never told no one that. What do you think that makes me, Ellery?”

“It makes you a dom, Ennis. An I think it’s one of the things I like best about you.”

Ennis looked down at Ellery, his eyes resting on the bulge in his denims. “I guess ya do.”

Ellery looked over at him, eyes glistening. “I... really do. You know it just cuts right to the quick when you put your mouth up ta my ear an tell me how its gonna be, how yer gonna fuck me, it sends me right up. I think I came harder last night than any a the other times you fucked me....” he thought for a moment, plucking at his bottom lip. “Cept maybe burned biscuit day.”

Ennis laughed softly, his face flushed with embarrassment. “Dom, huh, that’s what they call it. So I ain’t just queer I’m a dom queer. Sounds like somethin ya go ta hell for.”

“Not in my religion, sweetheart. Ta me it sounds like sheer heaven.”

L

[MaineWriter]

From Chapter 23:

“Shit, Ennis. Now that is a story.”

Ennis nodded, contemplative. “Got a cigar?”

Ellery pulled one out, handed it over, and Ennis got it lit, puffing for a few moments, then handed it back. “Jes think about how it all got started, makes me ache for em. I loved that boy. We went at it every day, every night. Couldn’t get enough.. there weren’t ever enough.” He glanced over at Ellery. “Kinda like with you.”

Ellery smiled faintly, a faint blush passing over his face.

“Yer like em that way. Like ya get the need on ya an give that look, you know that look. That’s what drove me nuts that night at the Rose Hotel ya know. I turn around… an you got this look on yer face like yer gonna break apart if I don’t touch ya. So I had ta….touch ya.”

Ellery leaned forward, handing him back the cigar, his long fingers stroking the back of his hand as he did, a sober, passionate look on his face. “You are one sexy man Ennis, an the fact you don’t know you are makes you about a hundred percent more sexy.”

“Jest don’t call me Buttercup,” he muttered, embarrassed.


L

[MaineWriter]

From Chapter 25:

“Lemme ask ya somethin else, Ennis. You feel like I seduced you?”

“Like you what?”

“Like I dragged you inta this, put the make on ya an ya couldn’t say no to it.”

“I was the one who put yer hand on my cock Ellery. If you recall the hotel.”

“Yeah but it’s a bigger question than that. I made it real plain, an I flirted with you hard ta get yer attention.”

“Yeah an steak fer dinner an all that. I was there.” Ennis took a long, slow breath, let it out, slid his hands down Ellery’s spine close to the bone, making a feather light touch over the bruised hip and below, digging in with his thumbs to the meat of his ass as he moved further south.

“So… do you think I seduced ya?”

“No. I told you, I was mad. Not mad at you. Mad at me for bein such a dumbass an thinking how different I coulda made it fer Jack… somethin I could do different so he wouldn’t end up dead in Austin at the end of a dark road.”

“Anyone who has ever lost someone they loved looks back and regrets every harsh word, Ennis. If he came down with cancer an died slowly over five years, an you knew he was dyin, you woulda got a chance ta make peace with em. Yer only choice now is ta make peace with his ghost. It ain’t about how bad ya did with em. There ain’t a queer man alive who hasn’t had to hide. Did ya hide too much? Maybe. Maybe not. Did ya cut off the chance of a good life together because ya had to or were ya just not willin ta take a chance? Well how the hell could you possibly know that? All you knew was ranchin an goin through ta ninth grade, no one ever sent you the Handbook a Queer Survival ta study before ya went up sheepherdin.”

“True,” Ennis said quietly.

“So we’re okay on that? One a these days ya got ta lay down yer guilt over this. If it’s at Jack’s grave, that’ll have ta be good enough for ya. Feelin guilty doesn’t make him rest easier in his grave.”

“I know.” Ennis poured more oil, moved down, extended the massage to the slender thighs.

“Oh god that feels good sweetheart, I am in heaven.”

“That’s where I want ya ta be, Ellery. I do love ya. I am sorry for all the hurtful things I said. Forget em, okay?”

“Okay."

L

[mariez]

Happy Saturday to you too, Leslie - and all you re-readers out there!

A lot of significant developments in these chapters, not the least of which is the toy drawer. Woo Hoo!!! 

In Chapter 23, I love that Ellery wants to hear about how Jack and Ennis met:

Ennis shrugged. “Well like what… what’d you want ta know?”

“Well, how ya got to know em… how it happened, I guess. If he was goin down an pickin up guys. Everyone’s got a different way. An judgin from the way you act in the Red Stallion it’d be hard ta imagine him cutting much ice comin up to ya an buyin ya a beer an callin ya ‘Buttercup’ if ya get my meanin.”

“It wasn’t like that Ellery,” Ennis said, setting down the Agatha Christie, now forgotten. “It was more like… well, we was alone up there, with a thousand sheep. An it was really fuckin lonely I tell ya. Specially when one of us was up on the mountain an the other one was back in camp. So when we got tagether at breakfast an dinner it was like… either one of us would say anythin, just to hear the other one talk. How many coyotes there was, how well we slept, how bad the beans are… anythin. He could talk, too, talked about rodeoin, how he rode the bulls, his longest rides, what it was like first time he won… I could listen ta that boy fer hours, cause he made the stupidest things sound … interestin. Maybe it’s because it was so lonely there, I dunno. An every time I had ta go up, after, it got harder an harder ta go, because I just wanted ta sit with em, just the two of us, just… bein together, just.. .talkin.

“I guess… he jest made me happy, bein with me an telling me stuff, an listenin, askin me about growin up, about my folks… no one ever asked me nothin about me before. I’m not the talkative type… well I wasn’t. Not then. Not much better now, but it was worse before Jack I’ll tell ya.”

That is just so touching - and a really healthy development for Ennis to be able to talk about Jack. 

Thanks - Marie

[MaineWriter]

Here's another quote from Chapter 25 that just gives me goosebumps....

“Well, no,” Ennis blushed then, as he did now, his hand moving, gentling the man in his arms as if he were a nervous colt, feeling the tremble in Ellery’s muscles as he responded to the touch, as ever, with pleasure… with arousal.

“Ya want me ta rub yer back?”

“Yeah… that’d be great…” Ellery rolled onto his stomach, adjusting his cock, which was stirring slightly from the arousal of his touch, his smell, and he sighed languidly.

“I like ta touch ya, darlin, yer so white an smooth…” Ennis ran a hand up to the shoulder and back down, cupping his ass, rubbing gently, “you got such a soft ass…”

“Mmmm…. “ came the reply, another shiver of pleasure, and Ennis reached back behind him for the massage oil, rubbing it between his hands before laying them against the warm flesh of his back.

“Glad yer getting better. Shit I was worried.” He began his massage routine, then, hoisting himself up and straddling the narrow hips, his soft cock brushing lightly against the flare of his ass as he established a languid rhythm.


L

[MaineWriter]

Good morning, re-readers...

Chapters 26-30 today.

http://louisev.livejournal.com/34855.html

As luck would have it, Wayne arrived early, just as Ennis had finished the lawn and was showering to cool down, and Ellery groaned as he heard the bell, limping visibly as he went to the front door. “Wayne, come round the back, okay? I’m sippin lemonade on my patio.”

“Why can’t I just come through?”

“Because I said so,” he said, smiling persistently, and closed the door on him. Then he went to the bathroom, knocked briefly on the closed door and then stuck his head in. “Wayne got here early. I didn’t let em in, he’s on the patio. You might want ta have a towel on in case he gets by the sanitary cordon I set up on the patio.”

“Dammit Ellery.”

“I told em ta come at noon. I think he did it on purpose.”

“I will slap em, Ellery. Just so ya know.”

“I know, I know.” Ellery closed the door, shaking his head, wondering what it was about Wayne that wound Ennis up so much, and he hoped, for Ennis’s sake, it wasn’t attraction. He limped back out to the patio where Wayne stood, looking at the birdfeeder.


Sanitary cordon? LOL

L

[MaineWriter]

From Chapter 27:

“I guess... ya know... if I think back...” Ennis said, voice soft, ruminating ...”I guess I said a few kind words. Wasn’t like he didn’t know I cared for em.”

Ellery thought quickly as he tried to consider what he was saying and then it dawned on him. “Oh yeah, like what?”

“Well like one time, I was jest thinkin, rubbin you like this made me think a times he was hurt an I rubbed his shoulder... an I told em he was my darlin an that... so ... I guess I did let em know. Didn’t say the actual words, but... I did let em know some things. He knew I cared I think.”

“See? I love you isn’t some magic word. Some men never say that, even straight men, to their own wives cause they are so close mouthed. Maybe the wife wants ta hear it, but she married a close mouthed man cause that is what she paid for. An like you say, you weren’t anywhere near as gabby then as you are now for asample,” Ellery chuckled. “But boy you have some really nice hands, I got ta tell ya."

“All a that handlin foals an calves Ellery. Yer all bony an delicate like a newborn foal, so I just handle ya the same way,” he laughed softly.

“Yeah, ya get naked an sit on their ass with yer cock rubbin against em when ya birth em?” Ellery said slyly, turning his head to get a peek at Ennis’s face.

“Well what da you think, Chief Deputy? Yer boss’d have me behind bars if I did my job that way.”

L

[mariez]

Good Morning Leslie and Re-Readers!  I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year's Eve and and that 2007 brings peace and happiness to all of you!

We're on the same wavelength this morning, Leslie.  I was just about to quote that same passage from Chapter 27 - Ennis continuing his healing process with memories of Jack. 

From Chapter 28:

“I ain’t gonna live here free.”

“All right then… gimme a hundred bucks a month. Is that too little?”

“Well, no.”

“That pays the gas, electric, an water and then some.”

“What about phone?” Ennis was still deeply uneasy.

“Come on sweetheart. Ain’t like we’re roommates dividin up the chores. If you knew what I made just from receipts at the Red Stallion we wouldn’t be havin this damn conversation. An I didn’t earn a lick a that inheritance money. So what’s fair about that?”

“There’s a point. But ya got ta put up with Wayne.”

“Tell you what. You feel bad about bein a freeloader? Okay, then you can do half a shift Saturday’s at the Stallion when it’s busy there an keep an eye on Wayne ta make sure he’s keeping up his promise.”

Ennis made a face.

“That’s the deal. Hundred dollars a month here an four hours Saturday nights.”

“Okay then, sounds fair enough.”

“That way we can still have a little fun on Saturdays even if you are workin.”



When I first read this, I was a little surprised that Ellery would want Ennis and he to be apart (even for four hours) on Saturday night.  But, of course, Ellery is a very smart man.  I realized that he knew that working at the bar, even once a week, would be a very good thing for Ennis - he needs to learn to accept himself and like himself as a gay man. 

Thanks, Marie