Page 18 of Sweet Thing

chapter 9

SAVIOUR MACHINE

Simon Duchamp lay on the couch in his living room hugging a cushion. He was on his belly wearing only navy silk pajama bottoms and a frustrated scowl. The early morning sun and a cool breeze streamed in through an open window, and the gentle sound of Roxy Music’s ‘Avalon’ flowed from the surround sound music system. Simeon wanted to run with Marcus. He found the exercise and routine calmed him, and he liked the rush of endorphins and the effects exercise had on his physique. Running made Simeon feel like he started the day positively, rather than just rolling out of bed and stumbling to awareness like he had for so many years.

He was just about to doze off when the doorbell chimed. He sighed with relief; at last, it was Marcus, his knight in sweaty sportswear! Simeon gingerly crawled onto his hands and knees, wincing at the pain, and then got to his feet. He shuffled to the open sash window and looked down to see a man on the porch steps, wearing a red hoodie. The man knelt down.

“Sim,” he called through the letterbox.

“Hey man, look out below, I’ll throw you the keys,” Simeon hollered and tossed his keys down four stories onto the front porch step. He sleepily returned to lie on his belly on the sofa. Sim distantly heard the front door slam, footsteps running up the stairs and his apartment front door opening and closing.

“Marcus put the kettle on; you know where everything is. I’ll have green tea,” Simeon yelled. He rested his head back on the red velvet cushion, feeling distinctly sorry for himself, and began to doze again, listening to the music, the muffled sounds of cupboard doors opening and closing and, minutes later, footsteps. Simeon looked up to see Pieter standing in the doorway holding two mugs.

“What the fuck Peety, how did you get in?” Simeon gasped in exasperation. He tried to sit up, but his ass was smarting every time he tried to move.

Pieter glared at him, puzzled. “Eh… you dropped your keys down to me?”

“Oh, gaah’d, sorry! I thought you were Marcus. Please, come in. Good to see you.” Simeon stuttered flushing with embarrassment at his predicament.

Pieter placed the mugs down on coasters on the glass and chrome table, and glanced up to see Simeon smirk. Simeon was very fussy about cleanliness in his own home and cup rings would send him into a frenzy. Pieter threw himself in the black velvet wing-backed armchair to the left of the sofa and glanced around the living room. Nothing much had changed. Pieter had spent a lot of time at Sim’s place when they first became friends. He knew Simeon’s vinyl collection was alphabetized and that no one was permitted to touch unless Simeon was present, and then handled the vinyl only under strict instruction. Sim had a vintage 1970’s record player. Pieter and Sim both liked to experiment with music. Simeon preferred the sound of the old record player, crackles-and-all, as it was a more authentic sound, especially when listening to Bowie albums. Pieter knew Simeon spoke to the Bowie poster on his bedroom wall and he knew the sordid sex stories behind of many of the cock and ass photos on Sim’s Space Oddity wall. He saw the rare ‘Cease and Desist’Aladdin Sane skateboard deck that he had bought Simeon for his birthday three years before, mounted over the fireplace. Pieter grinned to himself. Being in Simeon’s apartment bought back so many funny, warm memories.

Pieter leaned forward and picked up his mug. He sipped the scalding tea, his eyes fixing on Simeon. This version of Sim was much quieter than the man Pieter remembered. The Simeon he knew gabbled on incessantly, but yes, that would have been a side effect of taking so much Speed. Pieter watched the silent, dark-haired young man stretched out like a lazy cat on the couch, and wondered who he was. Which personality traits had been authentic and which had been artificially created by the amphetamines and alcohol?

Simeon saw Pieter staring and closed his eyes for a moment to mask that he was speechless and tongue-tied that Peety was actually sitting in his apartment.

“So… who’s Marcus?” Pieter grinned, cutting the silence. Simeon opened his eyes and smirked.

“He’s not a fuck buddy, smart ass! He’s my sponsor—I was expecting him.”

“Oh, that’s… good… Good, you have support,’’ Pieter stuttered awkwardly. He had no idea what Simeon had gone through in Rehab or who was in his life to support him.

“It was part of the agreement with my therapist and Papa. I’m being monitored for the first year back in the real world. You don’t know the diagnosis, do you?”

“Diagnosis?” Pieter wearily shook his head.

“I have an Addictive Personality Disorder,” Simeon announced.

Pieter wasn’t surprised at all; he’d been wondering whether Sim was Bi-polar or something.

“It basically means I’m predisposed to developing addictions. I was treated for the pills, alcohol and internet addictions.”

“Not the sex?” Pieter butted in with a laugh.

“Are you crazy? Could you imagine what would happen to the world if I didn’t suck cock? Mountains would crumble to the sea, floods, famine. I couldn’t be responsible for that. I do have a heart you know!” Simeon jested.

Pieter laughed loudly. He’d missed Sim’s off beat sense of humor.

“I don’t do social media anymore, just check emails and download music.” He continued, ”No booze, no pills, no clubbing. My therapist, Dr. Neuhaus is on call whenever I need her. I have a counselor and addiction sponsor here in Berlin. We’ve worked out a strict routine. I was on track for the nine months recovery in Zurich, and so they let me out of jail,” Simeon laughed. “It’s good; I feel like a better person. I run with Marcus each morning, and then we hit the gym. I have counseling with his husband Gorge…”

Pieter’s brows rose at the explanation. It made him feel a lot more relaxed in Simeon’s presence. It sounded like he was determined to get his life back together.

“I didn’t want to do AA,” Simeon continued “…not with all that awful God stuff—and being Gay. Dr. Neuhaus found a Gay non-religious support group for me. Marcus is ex-British Army and Gorge is a counselor for the support group. They’re a great team and so in love—a real inspiration. No matter where I am in the world, they’ll find someone to run with me in the morning to keep the routine.”

“I did notice, you know. You’re looking so much better; a little meat on the bones—and there is food in your fridge.” Pieter chuckled; he couldn’t resist having a nosey around when he was making the tea.

Simeon laughed and held a hand to his face coquettishly to cover his blush. It felt good to know Pieter had noticed how damn hot he looked these days.

“So, why the unexpected visit, Peety? You saw me last night—miss me already?” Simeon smirked, rolling over on his side a little to face Pieter.