Palmdale on a Saturday Night

Ralph and Bill stuck to the sealed, air-conditioned breezeways of the hotel, and stopped in the little hallway that had the Olympic-sized pool on the other side.

“Damn, we didn’t get swimsuits, Ralph. That water looks gorgeous.”

Ralph sighed longingly. “It sure does, Bill. We could probably find some trunks at the hotel gift shop. Can’t cost too much, can they?”

“Naw, let’s go check it out. I’m dying to get wet.”

“Hmmmm,” Ralph hummed behind him as he followed his partner to the gift shop.

Bill looked behind him as Ralph caught up to him, and gave his friend an odd look.

“What?” Ralph asked, his eyebrows going up.

Bill didn’t answer for a second, then said, “I don’t know. Just….”

“Just what?” Ralph prompted, when Bill didn’t continue.

“I dunno, I feel kinda weird. Something ain’t right today, and I can’t for the life of me pinpoint it.”

“Me either, but it’s okay. If the aliens want us, they know where to find us.”

The lady in the gift shop pointed to the men’s swimming trunks.

Bill spied black trunks, with a tie-cord of red, white and blue. He picked them up, checking the size, and nodded to himself.

Ralph stared at his selection, then said, “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, why?”

“Look how short they are!”

Bill held them up, and noted the legs didn’t extend very far. He checked inside, and saw the usual netting that helped provide support and some measure of privacy. A small, velcro pocket was on the back.

“What? ‘Fraid you’re going to be jealous to be seen with me in these?”

Ralph laughed, “Of course not. I just thought they were pretty daring for someone….”

He didn’t continue, but Bill knew where it was going.

“Someone my age?” he asked quietly.

“Um, well, Bill,” Ralph started, blushing.

“Naw, don’t worry about it, kid. I’ll be fine. I was looking at these since they’re black. My silk shirt will look okay with them, that’s all. We should get some flip-flops too. My white sneakers won’t look right.”

“What fashion sense!”

“Shut up, I always look fine, you know that.”

Ralph didn’t bother to reply. He chose a wildly-colored set of baggies, orange and yellow, and held them up to Bill.

“Beach bum wear, I knew it!” Bill said, laughing.

They each grabbed a cheap pair of flipflops, and went to the counter to pay for their selections. Bill grabbed a bottle of suntan oil and threw it on his trunks and sandals.

When they got back to their room, Ralph immediately started peeling his outer clothes off.

Bill cleared his throat, looking away, and took the tags off his trunks and flipflops.

“What’s the matter?” Ralph asked as he slid his jeans off.

“Nothin’,” Bill said, refusing to look up. He sat on the bed and untied his new sneakers, setting them at the side of his bed. He tucked the new socks in as well.

“Not like you haven’t seen me change thousands of times before.”

“I…. Oh, leave it, Ralph. Just get dressed.”

Bill stood and pushed down his own jeans, and glanced at Ralph. His friend wasn’t paying attention, so Bill quickly pulled off his boxer shorts, kicking them aside, and put on his trunks. He kept the black silk shirt on, and smoothed the waist of the trunks out, looking down at his long, pale legs.

“I need a tan big-time, Ralph,” he observed.

He was so engrossed in his final preparations, he didn’t notice Ralph had moved closer.

When he received no reply from his younger friend, he looked up and Ralph was there, mere inches from him. He’d moved so fast, still in the suit, that Bill hadn’t been aware of it.

“Whoa, Ralphie, you scared me!” Bill said, taking a small step back. “What’re you doing?”

“Bill…” Ralph said, reaching his hand out, putting it on Maxwell’s shoulder.

Bill gasped at the touch, the images that filled his mind startling. “What is that? A holograph?”

Ralph’s eyes were dilated again, the blue and black fascinating Bill as it had earlier. Ralph wasn’t consciously aware of it, but the images traveling from him to Bill were being rooted out of his subconscious by the manipulating aliens, controlling the mind push function of the suit.

All he knew was that he felt a want, a NEED, to touch Bill. Now. He sent that need over their connection, and Bill stared at him, his mouth agape.

“Ralph…. what’s happening?” he whispered, overwhelmed by the sapphire and jet pools of Ralph’s gaze, unable to resist this urge that was filling him to touch and caress Ralph.

Bill automatically reached his hand out, tracing it down Ralph’s arm that was stretched out to him. His long, slender fingers gripped his friend, moving down the red-sleeved arm till it met the hand holding his shoulder.

“Bill,” Ralph started, his voice strangely low and husky. “I don’t know, Bill, but is it so bad?”

Bill’s eyes were wide as his hand continued to cover his friend’s, and it was as if time had frozen, the two men gazing into one another’s eyes.

He blushed abruptly, thinking about what he’d done earlier in the bathroom when his body had reacted so unexpectedly to Ralph.

The memory and image went out from Bill, and Ralph inhaled sharply, then smiled.

“Is that what you were doing earlier?”

“Oh my god,” Bill said, his cheeks burning. “You got that?”

“Yes, and I think it’s great,” Ralph said. He put his other hand on Bill’s shoulder, turning him to face him square-on.

When Ralph held both his shoulders, Bill closed his eyes, a wave of vertigo making him weave where he stood.

Ralph effortlessly supported his friend as he swooned. “You okay, Bill?”

“I… I don’t know, Ralph, I’m just really dizzy all of a sudden.”

The sensation reached Ralph over their connection, and he closed his eyes too, swaying back and forth.

“Oh, man,” Bill mumbled, falling backwards onto his bed. Ralph held on to him, and fell too, landing on his friend.

“OOF, Ralphie!” Bill yelped, his eyes flying open as he stared at Ralph, lying across him, his head resting on his chest.

“Shhh, don’t say anything,” he heard from Ralph, his friend’s mouth pressed into the silk shirt.

The two lay still, feeling as if their heads were being held in one place, while their entire bodies were being spun around in a big circle.

“Something… something’s not right, Ralph,” Bill moaned, instinctively putting his arm over Ralph’s back, pulling him closer.

“No, it’s not,” Ralph agreed, sidling up to snuggle under his partner’s encircling arm. He still maintained his hold on the shoulders, moving his hands closer to Bill’s neck, giving him a gentle massage.

“Careful, kid, you’re still in the suit,” Bill reminded him.

“Hmmm mmmm,” he agreed again. “Not for long, I hope.”