Equus
by N Fourbois
"Oh! There you are, Stephen."
"Where did you expect me to be, Mum?"
"Grandpa just rang and he particularly wanted to speak to you. I told him you were still on your way home from school."
"I was, but I'm home now."
"Yes, dear. You just surprised me after I'd been looking for you, that's all."
"Oh, sorry. What did he want?"
"He didn't say. He had to get a letter in the post before the last collection and he'll phone later."
"Okay. Is there any milk?"
"In the fridge, dear."
Steve poured himself a glass of milk and took it upstairs to his room where he peeled off his school uniform and lay on his back on the bed dressed only in his underpants. It was his way of relaxing. He could induce a state halfway between sleeping and waking where he could hear everything going on, but otherwise daydream. First of all he thought of his grandfather and wondered what he wanted. He enjoyed a special relationship with him. He had four grandchildren, Steve, his sister and two cousins, but he was the only grandson and that was the basis of the closer bond. Grandpa had been widowed early in life and despite having two daughters to bring up he had never remarried. In those days the family rallied round.
Steve had scarcely achieved that magic stage where he was neither awake nor asleep when he heard the phone ring. It was for him.
"Hallo, Grandpa... Yes, fine. I've just got in from school."
"Stephen, I don't know what you think about this, but I've got a bit of a surprise for you." Steve pricked up his ears. "You know that auction for things money can't buy on the wireless?"
"No, what's that?"
"It's part of Children in Need week on Terry Wogan's breakfast show."
"Grandpa, if I listened to him I'd lose all my street cred and I haven't got that much to begin with." Terry Wogan broadcast on BBC Radio 2 which was meant to be for those who are past it.
"Well, street cred or no, I've bought something which I think you might like. You're always telling me about the Harry Potter books and the films."
"Yes."
"And that young actor that plays Harry Potter."
"Yes".
"Well, I've got two tickets for Equus."
"Wow, that's fantastic. That should restore my street cred, and you're sure Daniel Radcliffe's in it?"
"Yes, they're for the Saturday following the première, but that's only half of it."
"What do you mean?"
"Afterwards you go backstage and meet him and then you have dinner with him in the London hotel he's staying at and because that will go on till late there's a room booked in the same hotel for the night."
"You're pulling my string, Grandpa."
"No, Stephen, not at all. It was there and you've talked so much about Harry Potter and Daniel Radcliffe that I thought it would make a nice belated Christmas present."
"Belated Christmas present?"
"Yes, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Equus opens early next year."
"I don't mind. You could can combine it with all my Christmas presents for the next ten years. That's wicked. Thank you, Grandpa."
"Put your mother on the line and I'll tell her all about it."
"Thanks, Grandpa. I love you."
Steve went back to his room and lay on his bed thinking. It was strange how things worked out. Like all children his age he had been brought up on the Harry Potter books. He'd been eight when The Philosopher's Stone was published and even at that tender age he devoured the book; and so it went on with each tale until four years later The Philosopher's Stone appeared on the big screen and Steve fell out of love with Harry Potter and fell more deeply in love with Daniel Radcliffe. Any appearance of Dan made him melt. He'd remembered seeing him first on television as the young David Copperfield (the eponymous hero of Charles Dickens's novel, not the illusionist). He recalled him then not so much as an object of his lust as for the fact that young Copperfield was right handed, not particularly astounding for the 19th century, and that adolescence and adulthood had made Copperfield the young man clearly left handed, not only an anomaly in itself, but also strictly against the teaching in those dark days. Steve's researches made him aware that he and Dan not only shared birthdays but actual birth date. He watched Dan as he went through puberty at the same time as himself, watched the pudgy little boy turn into a lean and fit adolescent that he fantasised over as he developed his own masturbatory technique and at the same time came to the realisation that he was gay. If only Daniel Radcliffe were... even if Harry Potter clearly was not. As he lay on his bed Steve felt the bulge in his briefs being tested and saw the damp spot form as a witness of his arousal. However, he could do nothing about it for in his cataleptic state his arms were leaden as were his legs and feet and he found it almost impossible to move them.
Steve was patient... he had to be for first term had to end and the holidays begin. There were shopping and other preparations for Christmas, the interminable week until the new year followed by the last week of the school holidays, but more importantly that Saturday and Sunday in London. He didn't waste his time, either. In between swatting for his trial A-level exams at the beginning of term he did his own research into Daniel's biography or CV so that he had something to talk about with him. After all he didn't want to appear dumb in front of what was obviously a very intelligent boy. Also, while much of his motivation was his own sex-drive, he knew that he would have to keep that hidden or he would be rushed away by some overzealous security guard and he would have to travel home with his Grandpa in disgrace, especially after he had spent that large sum of money on him. He didn't know how much; he did know that the 'auction for things money can't buy' didn't come cheap.
Finally the Saturday morning arrived. He packed his overnight bag and waited for Grandpa to arrive before his father drove them to the station. Once he was seated in the train with his grandfather Steve felt secure and in between looking out of the window he interrogated him to find out how much he knew about Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe and Equus, and was surprised at what he did know.
"Why did you think of me when you heard about Equus?"
"It seemed so obvious. I knew you admired Daniel Radcliffe and..." He hesitated.
"And what, Grandpa?"
"...and I thought you would be the one member of the family to appreciate it." Steve knew that was not what he was intending to say, that his grandfather was in a hole and digging himself in deeper, rather than out of it.
"You know it's got a nude scene in it, don't you?"
"More than one if it follows the film. I didn't see it on the stage last time it was on."
"Do Mum and Dad know that?"
"If they've read the papers, I suppose they do."
"And they didn't say anything?"
"We haven't really discussed it." Grandpa was shifting in his seat.
"How much did it cost?"
"Now Stephen, you know better than to ask questions like that. It's your Christmas present and I'd much rather spend my money like that and help a charity on the way, than have forty per cent of it going to the government in tax when I die."
"What did you mean when you said I'd be the one in the family to appreciate it?"
"Oh, Steve, look." The train was speeding over a viaduct across a broad river valley. "Did you see that heron standing down there by that tree?"
"Where?" The distraction worked and Steve took the conversation off in another direction. The train was travelling too fast for Steve to have noticed that the heron wasn't actually there.
Steve and his grandfather had plenty of time to look round London and get a snack before making their way towards the theatre in Shaftsbury Avenue. Steve wanted to go on the London Eye, but it grew dark too early in January for a decent view. On arrival at the theatre Grandpa asked to see the manager, introduced himself and Steve and handed over the paperwork to prove their entitlement to the VIP treatment to come. Steve was wearing a dark blue suit with a pale pink shirt and pale blue silk tie. He looked absolutely stunning, particularly for a seventeen year old to be dressed so neatly and so formally. Grandpa had insisted that would be the best way to secure first class treatment and respect, not that Steve had argued against it for since adolescence he had always taken an interest in his appearance. They would not meet Daniel until after the performance. After all he had a lot to concentrate on and needed as little distraction as possible. The manager had an usherette take them to a private box from where they had a superb view of the stage and the action. During the interval refreshments were served in the box and at the end grandfather and grandson were asked to wait until the manager was free to host them.
Steve had managed to relax during the play. Yes, Alan Strang, the rôle Daniel was playing, did appear naked on a horse, but it was dimly lit and he was, probably like so many in the audience, disappointed at what he couldn't see. In fact, grandfather and grandson came to the conclusion that the play and Daniel's part had been overhyped in the press. On the other hand the press weren't the ones who were to meet him afterwards. And so it was with great anticipation tinged with a little frustration, if not actual disappointment, that Steve waited along with Grandpa to be summoned to the presence. While he was fidgeting in his seat the minutes seemed like hours until finally the manager, dressed in a DJ, accompanied them through a labyrinth of passages until they eventually emerged backstage and into a corridor lined with the doors of the actors' and actresses' dressing rooms. The manager knocked on one and upon a 'come in' took Steve and Grandpa in and there he was, dressed in a silk dressing gown and surrounded by Richard Griffiths whom Steve had seen in the Harry Potter films and Jenny Agutter whom he knew from The Railway Children. They were both introduced and as Steve shook Daniel's hand he could not believe what he was feeling... No, it was a mistake or his imagination running riot. He was absolutely certain he could feel Daniel stroking his palm with one finger. In his confusion he could not remember whether he returned the covert greeting, but he did know that this was going to put a different complexion on the evening... that is if it were true... At first it was a general welcome and refreshments were handed round with small talk until the other members of the cast made their exit. Daniel explained that as it was getting late he had to get changed for dinner and that his father would be along shortly to take over as host and that they would be going by taxi to the hotel where they would dine and they all had rooms booked for the
night. As it had all been for the charity Children in Need the dinner and the rooms had been donated with the compliments of the hotel chain. Steve and his grandfather were led into a waiting area and the manager excused himself to wait for Mr Radcliffe.
"Well, Stephen?" asked his grandfather. "First impressions?"
"Wow!"
"Can you be a bit more articulate?"
"First of all he is everything he looks on the television... genuine... and he's so full of life without being a show-off. The thing that surprises me is that he's not a male bimbo. He's obviously got a brain..." At that moment the manager returned.
"May I introduce Mr Radcliffe, Daniel's father?" They shook hands.
"Do call me Alan." And at that moment Daniel himself appeared dressed immaculately in a light grey suit and like Steve in a pale pink shirt set off with a dark blue tie. His shock of black hair was perfect and Steve could not tear himself away from his fascinating blue eyes. The party of four took their farewells from the manager and Steve thanked him for the splendid evening which had been arranged for his benefit. They left through the stage door and climbed into a waiting taxi. Steve did not know London well enough to know where exactly they were going, but when they finally drew up outside the hotel he realised that it was rather grand as the commissionaire opened the door, their overnight bags were taken care of and they were shown to the reception desk and on to their rooms.
"You'll want to freshen up," Mr Radcliffe said to Steve and Grandpa. "We'll meet in the bar in half an hour, say." As Daniel and his father disappeared he enquired "Do you feel comfortable with your guest, Dan?"
"Very. Do you think you could leave us alone to chat at the end of the meal, Dad? I think he could be fun."
"Only if you're sure. You'll let me know after the dessert, won't you?"
They met again thirty minutes later and the barman brought the drinks ordered.
"This is the trouble with being well known," said Dan. Steve noticed he avoided the word 'famous'. "They know how old I am and no one dares to serve me with alcohol. How old are you, Steve?"
"The same age as you, Dan, exactly the same age. We were born on the same day."
"Hey, that's great. Put it there," and Dan shook Steve's hand, repeating the secret action he had carried out before. Steve was mindful to return a positive result this time. He couldn't get over how natural this megastar was. He could easily be one of his schoolmates. "In theory I am still at school," said Dan "and studying for A-levels this summer."
"The school has been very understanding," said Mr Radcliffe. "On the other hand they do receive the school fees whether Dan's there or not and the kudos of having him as one of their pupils rubs off and of course he's old enough to leave."
"I'm quite capable of getting A-levels and it does give me some respectability," said Dan "and no, I'm not taking drama as one of my subjects," he laughed. The waiter summoned them to their table. As they ate, the conversation was not forced even though Dan appeared to be the life and soul. He conducted his table companions through topics of conversation which gave Steve an opportunity to speak for he was after all the guest of honour.
"How do you get on with the critics, Dan?" Steve asked.
"They can be pretty cruel at times."
"It's a difficult line to tread. The odd one doesn't matter, but collectively they can destroy your career and I knew from an early age that I'm in acting for the long term."
"But it must have been pretty hurtful when they said you can't act after one of the Potter films."
"That didn't worry me because I still got cast for Harry Potter despite that. Therefore I must be able to act if Warner Bros are prepared to pay me. I've had other rôles including this one in Equus and when it comes to the final analysis I earn more for one Harry Potter film than they'll earn in a lifetime."
"How much?"
"I haven't the slightest idea. Dad would be able to tell you, except that we refuse to talk about it because it's family business, and the tabloids have been terribly wrong so far. Another thing, it's all invested and bound up in a trust, so I can't touch it until I'm eighteen anyway." By this time the dessert was being served and Steve had never tasted cheesecake like it. It was entirely different from the cheesecake his mother made at home.
"Dan, are you all right if I take Steve's grandfather for a drink in the bar?" asked Alan.
"Sure, Dad," Dan replied.
"You don't mind losing your Grandpa for a bit, Steve, do you?" Steve was sure he could feel Dan lightly stroking the inside of his thigh under the table as he said it. Whatever it was, it was making him hard. Steve knew where this was leading, but simply couldn't believe it was happening to him.
Now it was just the two of them, sitting adjacent at the table. Steve plucked up courage and leant over towards Dan and, pressing Dan's hand down on the inside of his thigh as if he still needed proof, whispered in his ear
"Dan, you're not gay, are you?"
"Give me a kiss and I'll tell you." Steve leant farther in. "But not here. Later. You never know where the paparazzi are hiding." Daniel smiled sweetly at him with Steve squeezing his hand at the same time. "That's the trouble with HP being a sex symbol for so many teenage girls, DR has to maintain the image for everybody's sake. When I said I'd do this evening for charity, I was worried who I might end up with. I tell you, it was such a relief when I heard it was a boy. Do your parents know you're gay, Steve?"
"I didn't say I was gay."
"You didn't have to. After all, what full blooded seventeen year old str8 guy would want to see another seventeen year old guy naked, and pay a lot of money for the pleasure?" While he was saying this, Dan slowly slid his hand farther up Steve's thigh and when it reached his groin he could feel he was hard.
"Have you got a stiffy too, Dan?"
"Want to feel it?" Dan took Steve's hand under the table cloth and guided it onto his bulge. Steve could feel the heat through his trousers. "Careful, Steve, I'm already wet. I don't want to have an accident."
"Sorry." They moved apart, now looking less conspiratorial, as if they had been telling a dirty joke.
"Tell me, Steve, would you like to spend the night in my room?" Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing. The arrangements had definitely stated that he and Grandpa were each to have a single room. Daniel Radcliffe's part of the bargain ended with dinner. This would be the one night stand of all one night stands.
"If you think it'll be all right... of course, but..."
"No buts, just butts. As you know, I'm only too happy to do this night for charity, but there's got to be something in it for me." Steve was momentarily speechless. 'Just think of it when I get back to school next week and stand up in front of the whole school and announce I slept with Harry Potter,' he thought to himself. 'As if...'
"Dan, do your parents know you're gay?"
"Of course. It happens a lot in the acting profession and I'd preplanned it with Dad that if I liked you, I would give him the nod and he would take your grandfather off for a drink so that we could be alone. What about yours?"
"I don't know. We've never talked about it, but there were some things Grandpa said on the train that made me wonder if he did and when I started to ask questions he suddenly changed the subject. As you said, who would pay out a large sum of money for his grandson to have tonight's experience if he was str8?"
"How much did he pay?"
"He won't tell me. Family secret."
"Touché," said Dan with a loud burst of laughter.
At that point Grandpa and Mr Radcliffe came back from the bar.
"We're going to turn in," said Grandpa.
"Don't be too long," added Mr Radcliffe. "You've got a bit of catching up to do tomorrow, Dan."
"And not too much coffee, Steve, or you won't sleep."
"I don't think I'm going to sleep much anyway..." Steve broke off realising what he had just said. "I'm so excited," he added lamely, and that was the truth as well, delaying getting up to shake Mr Radcliffe's hand and kiss his grandfather goodnight so that his trousers wouldn't betray just how excited he actually was.
Steve and Dan still had things to talk about. There was a lot Steve still wanted to know. Tacitly they agreed that there would not be a lot of talking once they were safely incarcerated in Daniel's room.
"So how did you get on with the rest of the cast, Dan?"
"That's a pretty open question," he replied. "Let's deal with Emma first. When she's in the right mood, she's great fun, but she makes it pretty clear that she's queen bee, which has absolutely no effect on Rupert and me. I think she had the hots for me at one stage like Hermione, but eventually discovered it was a no go area."
"Do the other juveniles know you're gay?"
"Probably, we've spent so much time together over the years You might not know this, but until we were sixteen we had an army of chaperones - women like little kids have nannies - whose job it was to make sure we were safe. As I said before, there are a lot of gays in the profession. It attracts them, and not only among the actors, either. They're great characters these chaperones, but restrictive, but we have ways and means."
"I've seen those pictures on the internet with you and Malfoy, naked or half naked."
"Oh my god, no! Yeuk! Pass me the bucket. I've seen them too." He laughed out loud. "They're enough to make you want to be str8." Steve was surprised that Dan could be so open about them. "Firstly, if you look at them closely they're drawn, and secondly if you knew Tom Felton, you'd know why I laughed. He is ugly. He's always the first out of make-up because they don't need to do much. He's always trying to get a girlfriend and can sometimes get one on the strength of being a 'principal'." Dan did that annoying action with two fingers on each hand when he said 'principal' to denote quotation marks. "But he never keeps them because he's got such a tiny..." Here Dan lent over and whispered in Steve's ear. The heat of his breath on his ear turned him on again. They both laughed out loud. "Don't get me wrong, Steve. He's a great guy and a lot of fun to be with."
"What about Rupert?"
"He's changed a lot. We really are good mates, but..."
"But what?"
"You remember when we did the first two films he was very tidy and in those days as we grew up, we'd play around together sometimes. We'd share a caravan when we were on location and at night there were no chaperones, just security guards outside. Dementors we called them. But then he grew scruffy as he went through his 'I'm a film star' mode and now he's very very str8, and successful at it. He gets more sex than I do."
"So what do you do? I take it you haven't got a boyfriend?"
"No, I can be a bit of a slut to be honest, on location especially, 'cause I can usually find someone among the extras that I fancy and who's up for it. They're very good looking boys, or they wouldn't get picked, and they know the score, you know - come back to my caravan or round the back of the set and I'll give you my autograph, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more."
"Talking of extras," said Steve "I saw you in that TV programme called Extras with Ricky Gervais. I didn't see the point to be honest, flicking that condom onto Diana Rigg's head."
"Nor did I except it was work and got me exposure on national television."
"And what about the kissing scene in the film with Cho? The press says it took twenty-four shots. How did you cope with that?"
"It was thirty shots actually and there's nothing unusual about that. It's from different angles and most of it is edited."
"Yeah, but how did you feel about it?"
"I'm an actor, it's part of the job, that's what actors do, they act. If it it had been a boy I wouldn't have got worked up on the scene, like in Equus. You're too busy concentrating." Dan looked at his watch. "We'd better get off to bed. I'll come along to your room while you get the things you want for the night. Put the 'Do not disturb' notice on the door handle, then come back with me and I'll get you past security." Five minutes later Steve and Dan were slipping into Dan's room, the 'Do not disturb' notice hung outside his room as well.
"Make yourself comfortable, Steve." They both took off their jackets and ties, Dan took off his shoes and socks as well. "That's better. Mmm, not much in the minibar. They're certainly control freaks and room service'll just disturb security." He took a couple of fruit juices out of the fridge, handed one to Steve and sat down beside him on the sofa. "Now what was that question you asked me earlier? Whether I was gay? What was it I said?"
"Give me a kiss and I'll tell you." Dan had that great big open smile on his face. He laughed and his wonderful blue eyes laughed along with him.
"Well?" Steve leant over and gave him a peck on the cheek. Daniel looked at him in mock disappointment. "I said give me a kiss. This is a kiss." He leaned into Steve in such a way that their lips just had to meet. Dan continued taking the lead, just as he was used to, and opened Steve's mouth with his until their tongues could probe one another and as Steve's dick hardened he could again sense Dan's hand feeling its way along the inside of his thigh until it gently reached his balls. "This no good," said Dan. "We've got to get all our kit off." They both threw the rest of their clothes onto the settee. Dan led Steve over to the bed and got him to sit so that they were barely inches away from one another with their feet on the kingsize bed, sitting in between each other's outstretched legs; and the kissing commenced.
When Steve woke, the soft light was still on. He was nestled in Dan's arms and they were facing each other covered by a light duvet. Steve's dick was soft now, but it still felt wet. However, what surprised him was not so much that Dan was awake, but that he could also feel him fingering his hole. That had always been a no go area in his sexual adventures, but this time it was different. It felt good and he was experiencing things he had never experienced before. It made him hard again. Dan saw that he was awake.
"Lie still and relax. Just enjoy it." Steve lost count of time and didn't know how long this went on for. "This'll feel cold," said Dan as he squeezed some clear gel onto his fingers from a tube and liberally applied it. Steve jumped at first, but the pleasurable feeling soon returned. "Now I want you to roll this over my dick. My fingers are too slippery." Steve carefully took the condom offered from its wrapper and did as he was bidden. Dan shuddered as Steve gently drew back his foreskin and rolled it down his chunky rampant member. It was black and Steve adored the contrast it made with Dan's very pale white skin. Dan then applied some gel over it and got Steve to lie face down on the bed. He placed a pillow under his stomach to raise his butt, then Steve felt Dan straddle him and carefully lower himself over him. He felt Dan's dick probing the entrance to his hole, then a few seconds of unexpected pain were quickly followed by a feeling of unutterable pleasure.
When Steve woke again he was holding a naked and warm Daniel Radcliffe in his arms and all he wanted to do was kiss him. Their soft dicks were touching, but that's just what they remained, soft. They awoke again. This time it was eight o'clock and just getting light.
"Are you okay, Steve?" Steve nodded. "Did you enjoy it?"
"Fantastic."
"Do you want to do it to me?" Steve nodded again, gazing into Dan's stunningly blue eyes.
"But I want a kiss and a cuddle first."
"When you're ready there's the K-Y and another jonnie on the bedside cabinet."
At nine o'clock the boys appeared showered and dressed in something less formal with big grins on their faces in the dining room where Mr Radcliffe and Grandpa were already having breakfast.
"Did you have a good night, boys?" enquired Mr Radcliffe.
"Fantastic," they replied in unison.
"Slept like a log," added Daniel. After a hearty breakfast the two families took their farewells, went to their rooms to pick up their suits and overnight bags and checked out.
As Steve and his grandfather walked to the nearest tube station, Steve fairly bounced along the pavement. He felt as he'd never felt before in his life - elated, liberated, he couldn't describe it. Even the slight dull ache he noticed in his backside was more pleasure than pain.
"You've obviously enjoyed yourself, Steve," said Grandpa sensing the good mood.
"More than I can ever tell you."
"I think you just have," replied Grandpa, giving Steve a knowing look. They were amazed at the excessive cost of a single tube journey in Ken Livingstone's public transport friendly London, but it was a small price to pay for what Steve had experienced over the weekend. Finally they were sat comfortably in the train as it snaked its way out of the mainline terminus, through the outskirts of the metropolis and finally out into the green countryside. As the train sped across that long viaduct over the river valley Steve cried out
"Look, Grandpa. There's that heron, over there, the one you saw yesterday." No one was more surprised than Grandpa, but sure enough, there it was standing in the water for both to see. They were both reminded of the conversation Grandpa was trying to avoid at the time. "What did you mean yesterday when you said I was the only member of the family to appreciate Equus?" Steve had truly misinterpreted his grandfather's intention for he viewed himself as less brainy than his sister. Grandpa shifted in his seat and looked around. Early on Sunday morning they had the carriage to themselves.
"When I came to knock on your room door this morning, Stephen, you weren't there."
"I know. Last night I went back with Dan to his room and fell asleep there."
"I thought so. No need to say any more, except that it answers your question about why I should think you were the only member of the family who would appreciate Equus." Steve was silent, staring at his grandfather open mouthed. Finally he said
"Then you know... you know I'm... er... gay."
"Yes, Stephen, I know. I'm probably the only member of the family who does. I've never heard your mother or your father talk about it." Steve sucked his thumb, a regressive action he took whenever he was found out. "It's all right. I'm not going to tell them. If I were, I'd have done so already. That's something for you to do when you're ready and you feel the time is right."
"And you don't mind, Grandpa?"
"Mind? Why should I mind? You know I was still quite young when your grandmother died. I could have got married again. It would have been better perhaps with your mother and auntie to bring up, but I had er... What is it you young people say? I had issues, and if I said that you were the only member of the family who would appreciate Equus, that's not quite true. I knew that I was going to enjoy it too. I had quite a chat with Daniel's father and that young man's got... What's the word again? ...issues too." "He was very positive about them last night," Steve giggled as a form of relief. Grandpa moved across to Steve's seat opposite and put his arm round him. They both stared out of the window at the passing countryside.
Grandpa looked at his watch. A quarter of an hour and we'll be there. You'd better let your parents know or we'll be hanging a round for a bus or walking home. Steve got out his mobile telephone and pressed some buttons.
"Hallo, Mum, we're on the train."
"Where else?" came the reply.
"We'll arrive in about fifteen minutes. Can you pick us up, please?"
"I'll get your father to, or there'll be no lunch. Did you have a good time?"
"Great."
"Tell me all about it later."
"Well, I'll tell you about it. Love you, Mum. Bye."
Over lunch Steve hardly had time to eat he was spending so much time talking about his 'outing' with Grandpa. With everything cleared away and the washing up done, Steve disappeared upstairs, lay on his bed and fell into that midway state between waking and sleeping. He heard a knock at the door and before he could answer, his mother had put her head round the door and said
"Stephen, Grandpa's on the telephone and would like a word with you. And for goodness' sake put some clothes on." Steve, now fully awake, immediately jumped off his bed, dressed just in his underpants as he was. As he caught sight of himself in the mirror, he saw a great big wet patch on the front of his briefs. He snatched a tee shirt and a pair of sweatpants and hurriedly pulled them on before rushing downstairs to answer the phone.
"Hallo, Grandpa."
"Hallo, Stephen. Sorry to wake you up. I've got hold of a couple of tickets for Equus in London at the end of the school holidays. Would you like to accompany your aged grandfather?" Steve broke out in a sweat and sank onto the chair by the phone.
"B...b...but Grandpa," he stammered. "I'd love to, but we've just come back from seeing it..."
"I don't know where you've been. Your mother said you were on the way home from school when I rang earlier. I've been here all day. You must have been dreaming." As Steve shifted in his seat he felt the cold wet patch on his briefs against his skin and shuddered.
"Dreaming, yes of course, Grandpa, a dream." A 'wet dream' went through his mind. "Thanks, Grandpa, I'd really like that. When did you say?" After he'd hung up, he walked into the living room to tell his parents about the call when he caught a glimpse of the television. It was Newsround on BBC children's television showing an item about Daniel Radcliffe taking his latest girlfriend to a film première in London.
* * *
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