Boots for the Gentleman (9 page)

“What is it?” Querry asked him.

“I’ve been thinking,” said the doll. “About what you said earlier. Why was I made?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why were you made, Querry?”

Because a whore’s luck ran out, and she couldn’t afford the herbs that would fix the problem,
he thought, though he said nothing and shook his head.

“Querry, what’s your purpose?”

“My purpose? To relieve the wealthy of their worldly goods, I suppose.”

“Then what’s mine?”

“I’m sorry, Frolic. I just don’t know. Why is this bothering you so much?”

“I want to know what I’m meant to do. I want to live out my purpose. The man who made me must’ve intended me for something, mustn’t he? If I don’t do that thing, won’t I be meaningless? Useless?”

Again Querry picked up the leather-bound book and opened it to a random page in the center. He shook his head and pushed his fringe back, saying, “We won’t find anything out here. It’s nothing but a bunch of nonsense.”

“May I see?”

Querry passed Frolic the crumbling tome. After looking at it intently for a moment, he said, “It has to be read every fourth letter.”

Taking it back, Querry flipped to the beginning and covered the first three letters with his fingertip. The fourth letter was a lowercase I. The eighth was an N, and the twelfth a C. An arduous quarter of an hour later, Querry said, “‘In constructing the skeleton, hollow tubing of solid gold is employed for flexibility, durability, and resistance to tarnish.’ I think this book tells how you were made!”

“So it might tell what I’m for?”

“Maybe,” Querry said, “but trying to figure it out like this will take me half my life. And I’ll have to try to remember everything that’s come before.” He set the book aside, eyes and head hurting.

“But you’ll try?” Frolic asked desperately. “Querry, please! I need to know!”

Balling up the paper wrapper that had held his food, Querry tossed it in the can and went to sit beside Frolic. He rested his hand lightly on the doll’s knee and looked into his large eyes. Each of them reflected the single flame. Choosing his words carefully, he finally said, “Frolic. You’re here. You’re part of the world, experiencing life. Isn’t there meaning enough in that?”

Frolic sighed heavily and didn’t answer. Querry’s hand moved up to give his thigh a squeeze. “You mean a great deal to me,” he said softly.

“Why?”

“You said it yourself. We’re mates. Friends, right?”

A smile stretched across Frolic’s face, and it seemed to Querry that the dark room brightened. “I’m glad we’re friends. But that can’t be the only reason I’m here. I need to find out what I’m meant to do. Maybe your other friend, Reginald Whitney, will be able to help us.”

Considering thoughtfully again, Querry finally asked, “Say you find out what your creator wanted you to do, and you don’t want to do it. What then?” The thief’s mind had returned to the possibility that Frolic had been constructed for another’s pleasure, and it made his stomach churn with jealousy and outrage.

“I suppose I must do what I’m meant to do. Don’t you think?”

Querry chuckled. “I don’t. I do whatever I like, and to hell and the devil with what everyone else thinks. You’ve been given this life. Use it for your happiness.”

“But—”

“No,” Querry said firmly. Sitting with him now, Querry couldn’t believe he’d ever considered selling Frolic. He couldn’t bear the idea of Frolic being taken from him by Lord Thimbleroy or anyone else who might lay claim. They’d taken Reg; they would not take Frolic. “I found you. That means you’re mine. And as long as you’re mine, you are not a tool. I insist you live the way you want.” He realized he’d dug his nails into Frolic’s leg, and quickly let go.

“I’ve been thinking of something else, Querry.”

“Hmm?”

“This morning, when you came into the room and took down your trousers—”

“Oh God,” Querry groaned, burning with shame. He angled his body away from the doll, unable to face him.

Frolic’s hand touched his shoulder, making Querry flinch. But the doll kneaded the muscles and explored the stretches and knobs of bone, and soon the thief relaxed. Slowly, he turned toward Frolic and mumbled, “Sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“I shouldn’t have done that, and I apologize.”

“I don’t understand,” Frolic said. Again he looked cutely bemused, and Querry touched first the tip of his nose and then the apple of his cheek. The doll’s hand covered Querry’s own, holding it against his face. As Frolic pressed in, Querry’s thumb and finger caught one of his curls, pulled it straight, and released it. Instantly it sprung back to its spiral shape. Frolic giggled and said, “I’ve thought often about what you did today. And whenever I think of it, I get a strange feeling.” He touched his lower belly with his opposite hand. “I don’t know what it’s called, but I never felt it before. It’s kind of a mix of happiness and, I don’t know, impatience? The way you might feel if you really needed to figure out a problem, but couldn’t find the answer? Not angry, but—”

“Frustrated?”

Squinting, Frolic considered. “Can we kiss again, Querry?”

“If you want to, then I’d like that very much.” Querry took Frolic’s other cheek and held his round face between his palms. For many minutes he just looked at him, studying the contours of his face and his lovely features. Frolic looked back at Querry, absolute trust and devotion spilling from his eyes. Once more the complexity and strangeness of the situation unnerved Querry, but he quickly decided he didn’t care. He’d been lucky to find Frolic, was glad to have him. His heart beat faster and his skin warmed. He let his fingers snake into Frolic’s hair, and he pulled their faces together.

Frolic opened his mouth and suckled Querry’s lower lip. He drew it back and stretched it slightly before letting go. Then he leaned back in, planting teasing little nips and pecks over Querry’s mouth. He pulled the corner of Querry’s shirt free from his waistband, and his hand moved up the thief’s side as he continued his erratic kisses. Lifting his leg, Frolic hooked his knee over Querry’s and slid closer to him.

Unsatisfied with Frolic’s innocent nibbling, finally able to admit he wanted more, Querry released his face and put one arm behind Frolic’s back and the other beneath his knees, thinking to lift Frolic into his lap. He found Frolic much heavier than he’d expected, though, and he couldn’t accomplish it. So Querry broke their kiss and said into Frolic’s ear, “Come up here where I can get at you.” Pressing between his shoulder blades, Querry guided Frolic to where he wanted him, and Frolic quickly complied. Now that he sat sideways across Querry’s legs, Querry realized Frolic didn’t weigh so much that he couldn’t hold him. He did, however, outweigh Querry by almost a hundred pounds, even though he appeared much smaller and slighter.

“Now, then.” Cradling the back of Frolic’s neck, Querry brought their faces back together. Frolic’s curls fell on either side of his face. Querry squeezed the doll tightly around his waist, drawing him in as close as he could, while he rubbed up and down Frolic’s thigh with his other hand. The doll’s soft lips parted, and the tips of their tongues bumped. With a groan, Querry opened wide, kissing Frolic deeply. They kissed hard, tongues wrestling and twisting like fighting serpents until Querry felt dizzy from the lack of air. Their lips separated with a loud pop and slurp, and both regarded each other breathlessly.

“Querry,” Frolic panted, “could you touch me the way you touched yourself?”

As a test, Querry let his hand wander up Frolic’s leg. Sure enough, his erection stretched the coarsely woven fabric of his pants. Querry found himself in no state to ponder the scientific or technical aspects of this occurrence. Instead he deftly unbuttoned Frolic’s fly and freed his cock from its confines. He was about to seize it when he stopped and said, “There are all sorts of implications attached to this, and I don’t know if you understand—”

“Querry, please touch me.”

“I want you to be sure. To understand what—”

“Querry, please.” Taking hold of the thief’s wrist, Frolic guided Querry’s hand to where he wanted it. His cock felt warm and solid against Querry’s palm. He squeezed, felt it buck, and heard Frolic draw in a sharp and faltering breath. Frolic panted Querry’s name as he directed Querry’s strokes. When he felt sure Querry would take over, his small fist clutched Querry’s shirt at the shoulder, holding on like he’d be swept away. The nails of his other hand scratched against the heating skin of Querry’s back. Frolic turned his face toward the ceiling, gulping air through his parted lips. His spine curved so far forward that he would have surely fallen if not for his grip on Querry.

Watching Frolic’s rapture made lust boil within Querry. He kept his strokes slow and steady, swiping from the base of Frolic’s cock to the head, giving his corona a slight twist here and there. As he supported Frolic around the waist, he swiveled his hips, grinding his own erection against the other’s slender hamstring. His tongue traversed the long, straight line from Frolic’s collarbone to the tip of his chin, to which he gave a playful bite. In response Frolic let out a single, melodic moan and dug his nails into Querry’s flesh. Nor could Querry stifle a frustrated groan. He smashed Frolic’s body against his own and suckled his earlobe, all the time pressing against his lean leg with his cock.

Clamping his eyes shut, Querry could imagine standing with Frolic still in his arms. As erratically, desperately aroused as he felt, certainly his strength would equal Frolic’s weight. He could hear the squeak of the mattress and supports as he threw Frolic down, could see Frolic looking up at him with his perfect faith. God he wanted to take Frolic, to tear his clothes away and rub his cock over the satiny skin of Frolic’s belly. He wanted to see Frolic’s full lips wrapped around it as he drove it into his throat. Then he wanted to wrench Frolic’s legs apart and stab into him hard, wanted to see his neck twist and hear that cry of his that sounded almost like a note of music. But Querry had promised himself that he wouldn’t take liberties with this sheltered and naïve person who trusted him so much. It was too soon.

Too soon to toss him on the bed and take him, but maybe—

“Frolic, stand up,” Querry panted, letting go of the other’s erection. “What do you say we get out of these clothes?”

After the few minutes it took for Frolic to return from the edge of ecstasy to some form of lucidity, he said, “Y-you and me?”

Caressing his cheek, Querry said, “Yes. I want to be able to see all of you. Feel your skin against mine.”

Frolic took the initiative and kissed Querry hard before getting shakily to his feet. Querry really enjoyed Frolic’s lack of shame: the way he undressed efficiently and quickly and stood displaying his beautiful form without a hint of modesty. He seemed to have come from some golden paradise of the ancient world, before the concepts of propriety and sin had been imagined. In opposition, Querry found his normally nimble fingers had become clumsy and thick. They couldn’t remember how to pick apart a buckle or undo a button. After struggling with the laces of his boots and finally succeeding in getting naked, Querry sat back down on the edge of the bed.

“Come here,” he said to Frolic, reaching out his hand. The doll obeyed and stood between Querry’s knees, and Querry rested his hands on Frolic’s hipbones. He kissed across Frolic’s chest. Frolic’s fingers burrowed into Querry’s thick, dark hair.

“Querry, Querry,” Frolic breathed. “Touch me again, Querry. It—it almost hurts when you stop!”

“I know, my beauty,” Querry said, pressing against Frolic’s heart, making him take a step backward so Querry could close his legs. Then he took both of Frolic’s hands and pulled him to him. “Here, sit down.”

Frolic dropped down and straddled Querry’s knees, his balls squashed against Querry’s legs and his calves hanging down.

“Closer,” Querry urged, pressing his hand against the wonderful depression of Frolic’s lower back. Frolic slid forward until his knees could rest on the bed and the tip of his cock poked against Querry’s belly button, only an inch from the darkened and throbbing head of Querry’s own penis. The thief had begun to leak; a few droplets of his fluids gleamed like jewels in the firelight. These he spread across his palm, and then he seized both of their cocks at the base, jamming them together. Frolic looked down, his eyes wide with delighted amazement.

Moving his hand up, Querry began to churn their heads in his fist. Frolic thrust his hips up to match Querry’s rhythm, his lips moving but bringing out no sound. He held tight to Querry’s bare shoulders, swooping in now and then for a quick kiss. It felt fantastic: the crescents of Frolic’s ass against Querry’s thighs, their cocks rubbing together, tightly encased, their lips meeting, and their scrotums bouncing off of each other. Without thinking about it, Querry picked up speed. The slap of skin on skin filled the little room. Both men panted and moaned. Then Frolic’s left hand darted from Querry’s shoulder to their groins.

Momentarily confused, Querry stopped his motion. He looked into Frolic’s eyes, and the doll smiled, as if their roles had suddenly switched and he was the wise one and Querry inexperienced. One by one, Frolic unfurled Querry’s fingers. Then he wove his own into them, his thumb on top of Querry’s thumb. He squeezed hard, producing a delicious pressure. In demonstration, Frolic thrust into the tight chute made from their interlaced hands. Querry looked down at their fingers and the heads of their cocks sprouting between. He thought it must’ve been the most beautiful, intimate sight he’d ever seen, and he stretched his neck out to kiss Frolic.

As their tongues jousted, they began to move together, hands coming down as hips pressed up. Soon they’d established a perfect rhythm, and again wet smacking resounded. Frolic reached orgasm first. Though he spilled no seed, Querry could tell he was coming when his whole body trembled, and he moaned as if sobbing. Holding Querry’s hair for support, he threw himself back so hard his head almost smacked the nearby table. Querry quickly supported his back and took over with his hand while Frolic writhed helplessly, falling apart in his bliss. He didn’t even notice when Querry’s semen erupted, dribbling hot and white over their knuckles and into their laps. Querry wrapped his arms around Frolic and hugged him close, his face against Frolic’s chest. At this proximity, Querry could hear the soft hum and click of the clockwork. Frolic’s origins no longer mattered to Querry, though; he was no less human for them.