“Father, I don’t want to leave for London early. I want to stay here.”
“You just want to stay here because of that Harding boy.”
“He’s a friend,” Hendrick insisted.
“He’s a troublemaker. A gold digger. What would the society pages say if they caught you together? I don’t know if you’ve forgotten this, but our name still means something. At least we have to keep up our good name until you get married.”
Hendrick sighed. “Father. Marriage? That’s so …far off. I still have to complete my studies first. Find a job. Settle.”
“Well I married your mother not long after I graduated.”
“I know father. You’ve told me a thousand times.”
“Don’t get fresh with me, Hendrick.”
Hendrick sighed. “I’m sorry Father.”
“Why don’t you go up to your aunt’s near Albany? There’s plenty of outdoor adventures in upstate New York. You can leave to Europe from there.”
“Father…that’s a hassle. I want to stay here before I leave for Europe. I won’t cause you any trouble, I’ll stay away from ‘the Harding boy’. His name is Joseph by the way.”

His father waved his hand. “Whatever. I don’t want him to come up, and I don’t want to see him again. Keep your head down until you go to Europe for summer studies.”
“Yes sir.”

Hendrick watched his father leave. He waited until the boots faded from the hallway. “God, he’s gone, thank god.”
Joseph came out of the bathroom. “I kind of like being called ‘the Harding boy’. Sounds kind of fancy.”
“I’m not calling you that in bed.”
Joseph scoffed. “Too many syllables eh?”
“Few too many. Joe, listen, I’m sorry about what my father said. Calling you a gold digger and what not.” Hendrick rubbed the back of his neck.
Joseph shrugged. “He can think what he wants. I know we’re just having a fling, and it’s fun, and I’m going to enjoy it before you go off to Europe and get dazzled by boys with British accents.”
“You’re so level headed, Joe. I really like that about you.”
Joseph smiled. “I try to be. You gotta enjoy things for what they are.”
Hendrick took off his sweater. “Like enjoying sex as sex?”
“Exaaaaaaaactly. Say, where were we before your father interrupted us?”
“Umm. Undressing.”
“We didn’t get too far did we?” Joseph said.
“Nope. But we can fix that. I want you as much as I want to piss off my father.”
Joseph smirked. “The sex should be great then. Where’s the lube? The Harding boy needs a good lay.”
Hendrick laughed. “Don’t talk in third person!”

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Captions are fictional.