Natives of the west coast usually have a right to be smug about their weather. The climate is mild with snow usually falling only in the mountains, the unbearable heat confined to the deserts, an ocean breeze caressing the coast, and little change among the seasons.

But Mother Nature can be capricious. Santa Ana winds can spread devasting wildfires, cold fronts can swoop down from Canada, and Pacific storms can bring rains that extend for days on end. The rains come in the winter and clouds can hide the tops of the foothills. Fog can cloak the coast making driving impossible. Even though these anomalies usually last for only a few days they can set in motion events that upset the norm and can make immense changes in the lives of both inhabitants and visitors.

Titus Steele had traveled to Seattle on an important business deal. Mr. Steele was the Vice President of Development and Expansion for his company. There had been three days of intense negotiations but the deal had gone well and Titus Steele had once again proved his worth to his company. The contract would probably net him a generous bonus at the end of the year, but he took pleasure in being able to bring such a transaction to a conclusion.

It had been only three days but it had been three days of vigorous work and he was anxious to get back home to his family in the Pacific Heights section of San Francisco. Gloria, whom he loved deeply, was a beautiful, poised and intelligent wife as befitted one of the cities leading citizens.

But Nature wasn’t being cooperative. Sea-Tac Airport was almost shut down by the surprise snowstorm that had crippled it. Flights were delayed or even canceled. It could be days before Titus could get a flight back to San Francisco, which was itself enshrouded in a thick fog.

But there was an alternative. Amtrak was still running and although the trip would multiply the time that a flight would take, he would still get home quicker than he would by sitting in his hotel suite for who knew how many days.

He ordered his ticket for a Superliner bedroom. He settled in for one more night in his hotel room and ordered a wakeup call for early the next morning and a cab to get him to the train station in time for the 9:45 a.m. departure.

The next morning an icy wind was blowing hard as he scurried from the hotel doorway and into the cozy warmth of the taxi. He checked his bag and got a cup of coffee while waiting to board. When he got on the train he checked out his cabin and then wended his way to the lounge car.

He found a seat at a table and ordered a fried egg sandwich and another coffee. He bought a copy of the Seattle Times and opened it to the business section.

As the train left the city the fresh snowfall made the scenery even more spectacular than usual. Titus Steele had trouble concentrating on his paper. He finally folded it and moved to one of the swivel chairs where he could just enjoy the view.

The morning passed and Titus ordered lunch. He didn’t balk at the high prices. He’d expected that, but he was irked at the poor quality of the food. For what he paid he felt he should get comparable quality.

At 2:05 the train pulled into Portland. Passengers disembarked and others got on. Twenty minutes later the train began to move again. A few minutes later a young man came into the lounge car. Steele observed him. He was very good-looking in an uncommon way with a headful of shaggy black hair. He was smartly dressed in brown corduroy pants, a rust-colored polo shirt, a hip length brown leather jacket, and light brown boots. It was obvious a lot of planning had gone into the selection of the clothes and they gave a first impression of being expensive.

A woman who had gotten on the train in Seattle was sitting in one of the swivel chairs. She was flashily dressed and in Steele’s opinion overly made up. Right after they had pulled out of Tacoma she had ordered a Manhattan. The choice of drink rather than the early hour had caught Steele’s ear. She had ordered several times more by the time they reached Portland.

She had an oversized bag which she’d set on the floor by her chair. As the young man in the leather jacket walked down the aisle his foot hit the bag and sent it spiraling away from the chair. The woman spun around her eyes blazing.

“You clumsy ass,” she shouted. “Look where you’re going.”

The young man tried to apologize while gathering the spilled items from the purse but the woman continued to berate him. Steele picked up on words like “fool,” “stupid,” “clumsy,” and “shithead.” Steele signaled the waiter and asked him to quickly bring her another drink.

She was still fuming when the waiter delivered the drink and pointed out the debonair gentleman who had sent it. She changed her focus from the poor young man to Steele and gave him a big smile. Steele lifted his empty coffee cup and toasted her. The young man turned and went to the end of the lounge car and found a seat.

Before he sat down he looked back at the scene of the fiasco. Steele was still watching him and the young man gave him a salute of thanks. The woman continued to give Steele looks and smiles. He feared he was going to soon be in an uncomfortable situation. He stood and left the lounge car and went to his bedroom cabin.

He used the bathroom, brushed his teeth and changed from the shirt and tie he’d put on that morning to a long-sleeved casual shirt. He went down to the lower level and sat in one of the coach seats.

The winter sun was low in the sky and he decided to return to the lounge car. When he went in he went further toward the end of the car where the young man had sat. Steele chose a chair on the opposite side of the car. The young man looked up from some papers he was holding and automatically smiled at Steele.

Steele nodded his head in recognition of the smile and opened his paper again but found he’d read everything of interest to him. He flipped through it again. Every time he glanced over the top of the paper it seemed the young man had been looking at him.

The young man would look over at the nice-looking man who had come to his rescue and he could swear the man was watching him over the top of his newspaper which he obviously wasn’t reading.

The folder that was lying on his lap slipped and several sheets of paper cascaded out. As he tried to grab them the few he was holding slipped from his grip and joined the others as they scattered across the floor. He left his chair and knelt as he gathered them up.

Steele folded his paper and reached down and picked up the sheets that were near his feet. He held them out to the young man who was on his knees.

The young man looked up and said, “Maybe she was right. I am a clumsy ass.”

He smiled again and this time Steele returned the smile.

“I doubt she’s ever right about anything,” Steele said. “You’re certainly not a shithead, I’m sure,” he added unnecessarily.

The young man took the proffered papers. “Thanks.” Still on his knees, he held out his hand.

“I’m Zane Hale,” he said.

Steele leaned forward and took Zane’s hand. “Titus Steele.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Steele.” Zane got up off his knees. “I guess I should go down to the business coach. They have drop-down desks there, but the view is better up here.”

Steele nodded. “True, but it’s going to be dark soon. I don’t know where you’d find the best light, but it’s more comfortable up here.”

As Zane sat back down in his seat one of the papers slipped from his hand again and fluttered to the feet of Steele. Steele picked it up and stood, stepped over to hand it to Zane and took the seat next to his.

“What are you working on?” he asked.

Zane looked shyly at Steele. “I guess you’d call me an entrepreneur, and I’m going down to the Silicone Valley to make a presentation to a couple of companies there. I might be wasting my time but I think I’ve got a chance to get something going. At least, I hope so.”

“Well, that sounds ambitious. I wish you good luck,” Steele said with a smile.

“Thanks, Mr. Steele” Zane said. “Where are you headed?” he asked

“Home,” Steele sighed. “That is, San Francisco. I was up in Seattle on business. I’ll be glad to get back to the family.”

They continued chatting. When the moment seemed appropriate, Steele asked Zane if he was married.

“Yeah,” he said. “For five years.”

What he didn’t say was the marriage wasn’t holding together. He didn’t reveal that his devotion to bringing his business ideas to fruition had put a strain on the relationship with his wife and she’d clearly let her displeasure be known.

“Any kids?” Steele had asked.

“No, not yet. We’ve chosen to hold off until we get on our feet financially,” Zane explained.

“Well, you’re still young. How old are you, if I may ask?” Steele worked in.

“Twenty-eight,” Zane answered.

God, I was twenty-four when this kid was born, Steele thought, but he said, “Yeah, but don’t wait too long or you’ll regret it. I was ten years older than you are now when I had my first.”

“How many have you got, Mr. Steele?” Zane inquired.

“Three. Three girls, seven, eleven and fourteen. They’re my spoiled princesses, I’m afraid. And please don’t keep calling me Mr. Steele. My name’s Titus, or you can just call me Steele. A lot of people do.”

“No boys?” Zane asked.

“Nope. For years I thought I had to have a son, but now it’s not the least bit important. Three girls are great, but no more than three.” He chuckled.

They continued to talk. An hour went by. The clock was approaching seven.

Zane said, “I’m starving, Mister- uh, sorry.” He began again. "Are you hungry, Steele? I wonder what they have to eat? They’ll serve us here, right?”

Steele held up his hand. “I have a reservation in the dining car for seven-thirty. I think I can get you in as my guest. Would you like that?”

“I’ve never eaten in a dining car. I’ve only seen that in movies,” Zane said.

“Well,” Steele said smiling, “this isn’t the Orient Express. Don’t expect too much.”

Steele had consistently tipped the conductors well. The current one had joined the crew in Portland. Steele went to find him and tipped him again to gain his wish.

Dinner was pleasant with the good company making up for any lack in the food. Steele ordered a bottle of wine with the dinner. After dinner, he insisted they have snifters of Hennessey.

Zane sipped the brandy and smiled at Steele.

“What?” Steele asked.

“That’s good. This the first time I’ve tasted brandy,” Zane said.

They returned to the lounge and had more brandy. When the train pulled into the station at Klamath Falls, they realized it was ten o’clock.

“I wonder if it would be more comfortable sleeping in one of these chairs or the seats in the business coach?” Zane mused. “Where are you going to try?”

“I have a cabin,” Steele said.

“Oh,” was all Zane could think to say.

“Would you like to see it?” Steele asked. “They’re going to close up here. We can go there and have a nightcap.”

With the rocking of the train combining with the alcohol, Zane found he wasn’t steady on his feet. They got to the bedroom and when Steele opened the door he saw that the sofa had been converted into a bed. He motioned for Zane to take the armchair as he pulled a pint of Jameson out of his briefcase.

“I’m afraid Irish is all I have. That okay?” he asked looking down at the handsome young man.

“I guess. I’ve never tried it, but I think tonight is a night for trying new things,” and the smile lit up Zane’s face again.

Steele sat on the edge of the bed. “Zane,” he said as if thinking. “That’s a rare but nice name. Where’d you get that?”

“My dad was a big fan of Zane Grey. He collected his books and read everything he wrote I guess,” Zane said. “But you know what? I never read anything he wrote. Isn’t that funny?”

They drank in silence. Zane drained his glass. Steele held up the bottle with a quizzical look. Zane held out his glass.

Steele looked at the blackness outside the window. “I think we should be crossing the border into California soon. Where do you get off?”

“In San Jose. You?” Zane said.

“In Oakland. I’ll take an Uber to my house in Pacific Heights,” Steele answered.

“I thought you lived in San Francisco,” Zane said.

Steele chuckled. “I do. The Heights is part of San Fran.”

Zane said “Oh.” He yawned and said, “Sorry. I guess it’s time for me to go.”

Steele looked at him with a slight smile playing across his lips. “Or you could sleep here instead of sitting up in a chair,” he said.

“Where?” Zane asked.

Steele pointed up behind his head. “There’s another bunk.”

Zane seemed to consider it, but asked, “Can I use your bathroom?”

“Of course. It’s in there. Do you want me to leave the cabin?”

“Why?” Zane said, then added, “Oh…no…I just gotta take a leak.”

Steele smiled. “Then you don’t even have to close the door.”

Zane stood up and had to catch himself on the back of the chair. He opened the bathroom door and stepped in. He pulled the door behind him but it didn’t catch and swung open. He glanced back at it but didn’t try to close it again.

He pulled his dick out but his back was turned to Steele. Steele could hear the strong stream hitting the little water that was in the toilet.

Steele stood and proceeded to get undressed and hung his clothes on a hanger. He kept on his boxer shorts. He removed a plastic bottle of Nivea from his suitcase and wedged it between the mattress and the wall. He lay down on the bottom bunk.

Zane finished pissing and came out of the bath still tucking his dick back in his pants. He looked at Steele and said what came into his mind.

“Wow! I noticed how well you wore your clothes but now I see why. You got a nice body.”

Steele wondered if he meant he had a nice body for his age, but he said, “If you’re going to sleep in those clothes you’ll look like shit tomorrow.”

As if it had been settled that he’d sleep there, Zane took off his clothes and carefully lay each piece over the back of the armchair. Steele watched as each piece came off slowly revealing more and more flesh. When he was down to his low-cut briefs Steele felt he had to comment.

“You must work out to have a body like that,” he said in almost a whisper.

Zane looked down at his body with one hand resting on his muscled stomach.

“I try to get to the gym a couple times a week,” he said and moved his look up to Steele.

“Are you going to let the other bunk down?” he asked.

“Yeah, if you want. Or you could sleep here,” he said, patting the space beside him.

Zane was still looking at him. “Is there enough room?” he asked cautiously.

“I think so. We can make enough room if we squeeze in tight,” Steele said with that slight smile returning.

He moved closer to the wall and Zane lay down on the bed. Steele put an arm across him and pulled him closer so their bodies were pressing against each other.

“See?” he said.

Zane put an arm across Steele and looked into his eyes. Steele clicked off the light over the bunk but the light in the bathroom cast a sliver of illumination in the room. He put his forehead against Zane’s and slowly turned and lowered his head so that their lips met.

As they kissed, Steele pressed his tongue between Zane’s lips. Zane opened his mouth and took Steele’s tongue in. They kissed, each one swirling his tongue around the other’s. Steele felt the young man’s dick grow hard against his hip.

He slid his hand down Zane’s back until he reached the waistband of his briefs. He hesitated, but then moved his hand down over the fabric onto one of Zane’s butt cheeks and squeezed it. Zane involuntarily pressed his dick against Steele’s hip.

Steele brought his hand back up to the waistband and slipped his hand under it and back down and circled his hand over the silky smooth skin of Zane’s rear end. He curved his fingers and inserted them into the crevice of his ass, moving them down and back up until his middle finger rested on Zane’s rosebud.

He broke the kiss and looked into Zane’s eyes as he pressed his finger against the opening three or four times. Zane parted his lips and sucked in air. Steele took Zane’s bottom lip between his teeth and bit it gently.

Zane’s hand sought Steele’s dick, feeling it through the cloth of his boxer shorts. He released it and inserted his hand into the front slit wrapping his hand around it.

Steele took his hand out of Zane’s briefs and pushed them down exposing Zane’s rump. Zane raised his hips so Steele could push his briefs lower. He removed his hand from Steele’s boxers and pushed his briefs down to his ankles and kicked them aside.

He grabbed the snaps of Steele’s boxers and tried to jerk them open. Steele took over and unsnapped them and slid them down and off. He turned toward Zane and pulled him so that their dicks came together. They both moved their bodies so that their dicks rubbed against each other as they kissed.

Steele kissed Zane’s chin, neck and moved down, kissing the smooth skin which covered his muscular chest and stomach. He took Zane’s dick in his mouth and Zane gasped again, clutching Steele’s head with both hands.

Steele remained still for a minute and then moved his head up and down, Zane’s dick touching the back of his throat a dozen times. He let the dick slip from his mouth and he kissed his way back up Zane’s torso. He kissed Zane’s lips and at the same time retrieved the bottle of Nivea from where he’d secured it.

He held the bottle up for Zane to see. In a hushed voice, he said, “I want to fuck you. Can I?”

Zane looked at the bottle but didn’t speak. He couldn’t bring himself to say yes but he knew he wasn’t going to say no. Steele raised Zane’s legs, resting them on his shoulders and squirted some of the lotion onto the fingers of his left hand. Using his chin to click the bottle closed he dropped the bottle onto the floor and smeared the lotion around and into Zane’s asshole.

He ran his hand over his dick slicking it up with the remaining lotion. He held his dick and aimed it at the puckered pinkish target. He pressed with a steady force and entered slowly. He switched his gaze from his dick to Zane’s face. He had his eyes tightly closed and was biting his bottom lip. Steele paused and waited until he saw the frown between Zane’s brows relax. He then pushed again and his dick went deeper until his groin was flat against Zane’s butt cheeks.

Christ! Steele thought. He’d forgotten how fantastic it felt to have his dick buried in a man’s warm, tight fuck-chute. A warmth spread throughout his body.

The searing pain that Zane had felt had subsided and now he wondered at the immense pleasure he felt. Why should this be? he thought. How can having a man’s dick in my ass feel so good?

He surprised himself by hoarsely whispering, “Fuck me. Fuck my ass.”

Steele pulled his dick back as slowly as he’d pushed it in. He paused again before pushing back in. He repeated the movement a half dozen times. He took Zane’s ankles in his hands and moved them down so that his legs were wrapped around Steele’s waist.

Steele leaned forward, supporting himself with an arm on each side of Zane’s shoulders. He looked down, watching Zane’s face as he began fucking his dick in and out quicker, harder. The beauty of this young man seemed more evident than it had at any time since they met.

Steel lowered himself and scattered kisses over that face. As the heat increased in his loins he smashed his mouth against Zane’s, pushing his tongue in as he pushed his dick in his ass.

Zane’s desire for more of Steele’s dick propelled him to thrust his ass forward to meet each of Steele’s assaults. He dug his fingertips into the flesh of Steele’s back. Steele rose up a few inches and grasped Zane’s dick. He jacked it as he fucked him with shorter strokes.

Zane gasped, “Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god” as the cum spurted from his dick coating Steele’s and then his own stomach. Steele continued to pummel Zane’s ass for another couple of minutes. He suddenly froze as his dick erupted, emptying all his cum into his paramour.

Steele collapsed on top of Zane, nestling his face in the curve of his neck as his blood continued to beat in his temples and throat. He lay still as Zane tenderly stroked his back.

When his breathing returned to normal he rolled off Zane and lay with his eyes closed. He wasn’t ready to face the young man after what he’d done to him. He felt Zane move as he shifted and pushed himself up on his elbow. He opened his eyes and met Zane’s gaze. Zane smiled and leaned down and gave Steele a quick kiss on the lips.

“I think I kind of messed up your stomach,” he said as he glanced down at the globs of cum glistening there. He swung around and got off the bed. He went into the bathroom and came back out with wads of toilet paper. He’d cleaned his own stomach and now wiped Steele’s. He stepped back in the bathroom and flushed the paper down the toilet.

When he came out Steele got off the bed and went into the bathroom to wash Zane’s ass juices off his dick. He came out and for the first time spoke.

“Do you mind if I sleep on the outside? I might have to get up during the night to piss.”

Zane smiled and said, “Hey, it’s your bed. I’m just visiting.”

Zane scooted over and Steele closed the bathroom door so the light inside only seeped around the door. He lay down and stretched his arm out. Zane rested his head in the curve of his elbow. He was aware of the slight masculine aroma from Steele’s armpit but found it oddly comforting.

They both were soon asleep and didn’t stir until just before seven the next morning. Steele got up and took a piss. He raised the window shade and saw the sky was light but the sun hadn’t passed the horizon yet. He lay back down with his back to the still sleeping Zane, or so he thought.

Zane put an arm over him and caressed his chest. He shifted forward and pressed his morning erection against Steele’s naked butt. Steele felt Zane’s warm breath on the back of his neck.

“Steele,” he whispered. “Can I…uh…fuck you?”

Steele turned his head in Zane’s direction. “I guess that’s only fair,” he said. “But be careful. You’re pretty big, you know.” He turned his head back the added, “The lotion is on the floor.”

Zane had to lean down and retrieve it from where it had slid under the bed. Steele chose how he wanted to do it and got on his knees with his forearms and face on his pillow, his rear end presented to Zane.

Zane knelt between Steele’s legs. He varied what Steele had done the night before by squeezing the lotion directly onto Steele’s asshole. He used the end of his dick to spread the lotion around it. He put the end of his dick up to the greased opening and pushed. Nothing happened so he pushed again and was caught off guard when the muscle gave way and his dick went in.

He was surprised when he went all the way in and his patch of pubic hair was against Steele’s butt. He stayed there, marveling how it felt. He had no experience to compare this to but it was more than he would have imagined.

Steele felt the heat of Zane’s body on his rear and the length and girth of Zane’s dick filling his insides. He remembered how he had always been amazed at the wondrous feeling of man-on-man sex.

Zane began to fuck Steele as if it were natural and common for him to have sex with a man, yet this was a first for him just as the night before had been. But that thought didn’t take form in Zane’s mind. His whole being was caught up in the pleasure he was experiencing at the moment.

He bowed over Steele and wrapped his arms tightly around him. He nibbled the back of Steele’s neck. Steele turned his head and Zane nipped his ear and swirled his tongue through its channels. Steele brought himself erect and turned his head so that their lips could meet in a kiss.

“Your ass feels so fuckin’ good, so hot,” Zane said.

“And your cock is driving me crazy,” Steele said, using a word he seldom spoke. It simply wasn’t the term that usually came to mind but here it seemed to be the right one.

He put his head back down on the pillow. Zane straightened up and held Steele’s hips as he drove his dick home. Steele took hold of his own dick and jacked it as Zane fucked him, intent on cumming as quickly as possible, striving to reach a climax like no other.

Zane hissed, “Fuck, fuck, oh fuck, oh god, oh fuck,” as he shot his cum into Steele's ass. Steele felt his sperm rush from his balls and through his dick to spew onto the sheet he was kneeling on.

He lowered his body and Zane lay on top of him as his dick softened and began to slide out of Steele’s ass. He pushed himself up and off Steele. He crawled over him and sat on the edge of the bed, his feet on the floor. He looked down at his limp dick hanging down between his legs. He turned his head and looked at Steele, his sight focused on the butt. He looked back down at his dick as if trying to understand what had just happened.

Steele turned onto his side and looked at Zane. “If you have business meetings today, you better go take a shower and wash my smell off you.”

Zane let out a sound like a scoff, but stood and went into the bath cubicle. Steele reached back and felt his bunghole. It was tender and he felt some of Zane’s cum oozing out.

When Zane came out of the bath he said, “I used some of your toothpaste on my finger. I guess that’s better than nothing.”

“No problem,” said Steele. “Do you have a hotel reservation?”

“Yeah,” Zane said. “But I can’t check in until three, and I have a meeting scheduled for two-thirty. Thanks for letting me shower here.”

Steele smiled. “My pleasure. When do you go back?”

“I have several meetings tomorrow and I catch the train at eight-fifteen tomorrow night.”

Steele shook his head. “You’ll be beat when you get home. But you’re young. Guys your age can do just about anything.” He paused then added, “I better shower too. I’m sure I reek of sex.”

"Yeah. We must be getting close to Oakland. That’s where you said you’re getting off, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Steele said, watching Zane put on the clothes he’d watched him take off only a few hours before.

Zane asked, “What will you do then?”

“I’ll take an Uber into the city. I’ll have to go to the office. I’ll probably have to work most of the day before I can get home.” Steele stopped and stood up.

“I used the only towel that was in there. Is there another?” Zane asked.

Steele looked at him. “I don’t know. I’ll look, but if there isn’t, it doesn’t matter. After what we did I don’t think I’ll have a problem using your towel.”

Zane found he was embarrassed and changed the subject. “Well, I’m hungry. I’m going down and see if they’re serving breakfast yet.”

“I’m sure they are,” Steele said as he stepped into the bath. “I’ll look for you there.”

He showered and shaved, put on clean underwear and socks and got a fresh white shirt out of his suitcase. He was tying his tie when the train pulled into Jack London Square. He shoved things into his suitcase and checked the bathroom. He put on his shoes and coat and left a hefty tip for the porter to relieve his shame for the mess the man would face in changing the bed sheets.

He went to the lounge car but Zane wasn’t there. He went to the business coach but there was no Zane there either. The train was preparing to pull out so he had to give up his search and deboard. He’d wanted to shake Zane’s hand and wish him success.

He stood on the platform and looked at the windows as they went pass knowing it was futile. He had Uber on speed dial and called for a pick-up.

On the ride into San Francisco, he considered the past fifteen hours, concentrating on the most recent eight or ten. Why had he done it? That had all been a part of his wild university years. He’d left that behind him, what? Almost thirty years ago. Why now? What had prompted it?

The only answer he could come up with was that young man. There had to be something about him. Something about Zane Grey that was special although he didn’t know what. Zane…what was his last name? He couldn’t remember.

But he knew he would go to his office and put in a full day of work. He’d go home and Gloria would greet him with a hug and a kiss. She’d call out, “Girls, you daddy’s home and his two youngest girls would come bounding down the stairs screeching. Esme, the fourteen-year-old would shyly hold back but then say, “Guess what happened at school yesterday, Daddy,” or, “Guess what…we won!” meaning the girls’ soccer team she was captain of.

He’d shower and change and they’d have a delicious dinner cooked by Marta the maid, but closely supervised by Gloria. After dinner, they’d cluster on the sectional in the family room and watch TV, the silliness content depending on which daughter’s turn it was to choose what they’d watch.

And he’d be happily content with his family, with his life.

After eating a Danish and drinking a cup of coffee, Zane had gone into one of the bathrooms to take a crap that he’d been embarrassed to do in Steele’s small cabin. The train had pulled out of Jack London Square while he was still in the toilet cubicle. He’d planned to tell Steele goodbye and ask if he’d like to have his phone number or email address.

He realized he hadn’t done any work the whole time he was on the train. He had an hour before he got to San Jose. He went to the business coach and sat in one of the single seats. He went over his notes and reviewed what he planned to say. These presentations had to go right. His future depended on it.

And that night when he got back on the train for the return trip home, he would be exhausted. He’d try to sleep sitting up in one of the chairs, but once the train was underway, his mind would involuntarily begin going over each hour and each detail of that night.

Why had it happened? Why had he done it? How had he done it? He’d never done anything like that before. He’d had sex with a man. He’d kissed a man. He’d let a man fuck him. They’d made love.

Would he ever do that again? Was it just that man? Steele. What was his first name? Titus? Titus Steele. There can’t be too many of them in San Francisco.

Those questions and others whirled around in his head. Sleep would overtake him for a while, and then he’d awaken and return to his thoughts until sleep once again took command.

With morning, his head would clear, and by the time the Coast Starlight pulled into Portland, his mind would be occupied with the belief he’d done very well with his presentations and he was sure that something good would come from them.

The other thought that he concentrated on was that now he had to do whatever was necessary to save his crumbling marriage. He was sure he could do that. He wanted to make a family.

That would be his number one goal henceforward.