On The Road - Max Griffin

From Men: On Holiday from His and His Kisses

 
Kiernan takes a holiday from his job as church vocalist in Chicago. He and his deceased lover had planned this cross-country journey, but he must now go alone. He hopes to escape the bonds of loneliness in the allure of sexual adventure. Instead, fate leads him to an unexpected destination.

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Kiernan is a church musician whose voice brings joy to all who hear him sing. But there is no longer happiness in his life, not since he lost Justin, his one true love, a year ago. Now, he now tries to escape the bonds of loneliness in the allure of anonymous sex. Tomorrow he will start a long journey home, planned by the two lovers before Justin died – a road trip from Chicago to Dallas to visit family. Kiernan hopes the trip will help him put his sorrows to rest on the road, but instead, a frightening accident launches a voyage to an unexpected destination.

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Excerpt:

Kiernan looked at him, but images of the steam room in the Unicorn slashed through his mind. Shadowy memories of Keith, and all the other nameless men he had lusted after and known since Justin's death coiled about his soul and clenched at his heart. He ran tremulous fingers through his hair and shuddered. "I should probably go."

"Yeah, it's late. Hey, you want to come back and spend the rest of the night in my room? Just talk, get to know each other better? I've got to leave by noon if I'm going to make my appointment in Springfield, but we could have breakfast together."

He checked his watch. "Sounds like fun." His breath came in short bursts. "But I've got a bunch of errands to run in the morning. I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow for a couple of weeks, and I've got to take the cat to the kennel, stop the mail. You know."

Sam looked at him, expressionless. "Yeah, sure. I know." He ran a finger along Kiernan's cheek. "You're so beautiful. I'm sorry you don't live in Tulsa or me in Chicago. I'm lonely, too, you know."

Kiernan frowned. "What makes you think I'm lonely?" He looked around and checked his pockets. "I think I've got everything. Look, maybe we should take separate cabs? We're kind of going in different directions."

"Whatever you say. Look, I'll be back in six months. You want to get together then?"
"Sure. Six months. Sounds great." Kiernan was already headed back to their table.
The rhythmic cadences of Blood, Sweat and Tears singing the classic "And when I die," cascaded from the loudspeakers. That's all I ask of living, he thought, humming along with music. No chains on me. Tomorrow's journey and the allure of strange places and strange men consumed his thoughts.

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Author Bio: Max Griffin writes horror and science fiction stories, often with a dark twist. Authors as diverse John Updike, Dean Koontz, Richard Matheson, and Lawrence Block inspire and inform his literary style.

Max Griffin is the pen name of a professional mathematician who is the author of a textbook and numerous research articles. When he is not writing fiction, his days are filled with teaching mathematics and statistics, research, and administrative work at a major comprehensive university in the southwest. He is the proud parent of a daughter who is a librarian. He is blessed to be in a long-term relationship with his life partner, Mr. Gene, who is an expert knitter.

The two humans in Max's household are the pets of an Abyssinian cat named Mr. Dinger, short for Erwin Schrodinger the Cat. Mr. Dinger graciously lets them live in his home in return for food and occasional petting. Oh, and there's that litter box thing they do for him too.