The trip to Sarasota was rushed, but I knew, just as soon as Kevin called to tell us Rick's grandpa had died, that we all had to go. I expected a little opposition out of some of them since they would have to miss work to go, but nobody objected. My dad told me to put everybody's expenses on the GE credit card, so I did. He said to get every couple a room of their own, but I didn't really know if that meant Alex, too. My dad didn't know Alex, so I decided to get one double room with two beds. I'm sure it would have been all right to get him a room for himself, but what fun would that have been? He could sleep in the second bed in the room with me and Tim. After we went to Rick's grandparents' house, we went to the hotel. We had already checked in, and we had all showered before we went over there. I hadn't done much driving on the trip down. In fact, I had slept a good bit, so I wasn't really tired. "Are you guys ready for bed," Alex asked. "Not really," I said, as I got undressed. I thought about leaving my briefs on, but then I went ahead and took them off, too. It wasn't like Alex hadn't seen us naked a bunch of times. Tim got undressed, too. He pulled the spread and top sheet down on the bed, and he and I got in. "Do you guys want some privacy," Alex asked. "I can hang out in the lobby, if you want me to." Tim and I had made love that morning because we figured we wouldn't have much privacy, and I thought it would be pretty rude to ask the guy to leave just so we could fuck again. I mean, it would have been good, and all, but we could wait. "Naw. Stay in here and talk to us," I said. "Are you sure," he asked. "Of course we're sure, Alex," Tim said. "Do you guys have sex every day," he asked. "We call it 'making love,' and we usually do," Tim said. He smiled a little. "For you it really is making love, isn't it?" "Yeah," I said. "Do you mind talking about this," he asked. "No. Not at all," Tim said. "What Kevin and Rick mean when they say we're not to talk in public about what we do in private is we're just not supposed to talk about it in front of them, or other grown-ups. We can talk to you about anything we want to." "I missed you guys when you were gone," he said. "We missed you, too, Bubba," I said. I didn't remember even thinking about him more than once or twice the whole trip, but you can't tell somebody that. I try my best to be a man of honor and not to lie, but sometimes not lying is worse. Just then there was a knock on the door. "Who is it," I asked. "It's us. Open up." It was Justin and Brian. I got up and opened the door, and they came in. "Oh, I see we're already down to the nit-eye grit-eye," Justin said. Justin took my dick in his hand. "Now, what's this thing for again?" We all laughed. "If yours was big enough to see, you'd know," I said. "That was lame, Kyle. I gave you credit for a better come-back than that," Jus said. "Very funny. Why are you holding my penis," I asked. "Is this really a penis?" "We're trying too hard. It's not working," I said. "I heard you say that to Tim the other night." That really did make us laugh. "Okay, you got me last. Now give me my dick back," I said. He threw his arm around my neck and hugged me hard. He was laughing. "Did you bring along any liquid refreshment," Jus asked. "Maybe I did," I said. "Well, get it out, Stud. I've got road dust in my throat." "Go get some ice. And get a few cokes, too, while you're at it," I said. "I'm on it, Bubba. Come with me, Brian," Jus said. "Get some snacks, too," Tim said. "Have you got enough ones?" Justin pulled out his wallet to check his money. "I've got three ones," he said. "Here are five more," Tim said. "Kyle, you got any ones?" "Look in my wallet. I don't know," I said. Tim pulled five more ones out of my wallet and gave them to Jus. "I've got three," Alex said, handing Jus the money. "I've got a couple," Brian said, and he gave Justin his money, too. "I'm leaving town," Jus said, and we laughed. Then he and Brian went after provisions. "Kyle, how could you let him touch you like that," Alex asked. "We were just playing, Lex. He didn't mean anything by that," I said. "Oh, I know that. But, I mean, if another guy touched my dick like that, I'd probably come in his hand." Tim and I laughed. "It's not funny. It's the truth," Alex said. Tim and I laughed some more. "We know," Tim said. "Sometimes it does that to us, too." "Just thinking about that is getting me going," Alex said. "That's okay. That just means you ain't dead yet," I said. He laughed. "Kyle, considering why we're here, man, . . .," Tim said. "Oh, Babe. You know I didn't mean anything by that." I felt like shit. "I don't know, Kyle. Sometimes you say stuff . . . ." "Like what," I asked. I was getting a little upset that he thought I was that insensitive. He didn't say anything. "Come on, Timmy. Like what? Tell me, Babe." "Like 'got you last.'" I laughed big, and so did Alex. "You fucker! I ought to bite your dick off," I said. I jumped on Tim and pinned him to the bed, with his arms above his head. He was laughing too hard to put up much resistance, and I went down like I was really going to get him. That only made him laugh harder. I came back up and got some of the hair under his arm in my mouth, and I pulled it. "Owww," he said, still laughing hard. "Open up," Jus said from the hall. Alex got up to open the door. "Y'all are making too damn much noise in here," Justin said. "I could hear you halfway down the hall." "He needed his dick bit off," I said. "Don't you hate it when you have to do that?" We all laughed. "Yeah, like either one of you two could live for a week if Tim and I got our dicks bitten off," Brian said. "Did you hear what you just said? Don't cross that line, Brian. I'm warning you. You're mighty close right now," Jus said. Brian and Tim busted up laughing. "You guys are something else," Alex said. "Am I ever going to have somebody I can be as free with as you four guys are?" Nobody said anything 'cause we didn't know. I dug around in my suitcase for The Bottle. It was the same one we had taken on our camping trip to the island at the beginning of the summer and the same one we had taken to Boston. It was still about two thirds full. "Who wants a drink," I asked. I knew Justin and I did, and I knew Tim and Brian didn't. Alex was a wild card. Turned out, though, he wanted one, too. I poured a healthy slug in three glasses, and then I added some coke. "Damn! That's strong, Kyle," Jus said, after he had tasted his. "You always say that, but I never yet saw you not drink one down," I said. "I didn't say it was bad. I said it was strong." We laughed. "Let's call the bell desk and see if that hot-looking bellhop wants a drink," Brian said. "We can tell him we need some ashes hauled or some woodies chopped," I said. They laughed. We broke out the snacks. It hadn't been two hours since we ate, but we all went after those snacks. After a little while, Justin and Brian got naked, too. Alex still had his clothes on, but he joined in, too. Then Justin lit up a smoke. "Gimme one," I said. He tossed me his pack and his lighter. "Can I have one," Alex asked. I handed them to him. I hadn't seen him smoking, but he probably hadn't seen me smoking, either. We were all quiet for a few moments. "Do you guys think the bellhop's gay," Brian asked. "How would I know," Justin said. "What's the matter with you? You getting roaming eyes or something?" "I was just thinking we might be able to fix Alex up with him," Bri said. "He's a cute guy, all right," Justin said.
Justin and Brian got in bed with me, and the three of us covered up. We were propped up on pillows watching some lame movie on HBO. It was just a standard-size bed, and Justin, who was in the middle, had his leg and the side of his body touching me. I tried to move over so we wouldn't touch, but I was afraid I would fall out if I moved too far. The natural heat of Justin's body started getting to me in just a few minutes. His legs weren't very hairy, but he did have some hair. I thought I could feel every strand of it grazing my skin. In no time, I developed a serious erection, and, as usual, I started oozing pre-cum. Jus was obviously watching the movie, and he and Kyle made numerous wisecracks about the actors. That was in no way a sexual situation for any of them, but it was for me. I was in a quandary. I couldn't get up to put on my clothes and sit in a chair because I didn't want them to see that I was aroused. I certainly couldn't ask Jus and Bri to get out of my bed without appearing foolish. I honestly didn't know what to do. "Who wants another drink," Kyle asked. He got up to make himself one, and he made a second one for Justin and me. When he turned to deliver the drinks to Justin and me, I saw that Kyle had a full erection. I fully expected Justin or Brian to say something about it, but neither of them said a word. Maybe they won't rag me, either, I thought. I decided to take a chance. I sat on the side of the bed and pulled up my briefs and shorts, in one continuous motion. I walked over to the bathroom, closed the door, and put on the light and the fan. I splashed cold water on my face. The ice bucket was in there on the counter next to the sink, and put a small piece in each of my armpits. In a few seconds, that had the desired effect, and it calmed me down below the belt. Phew! I thought. I went back into the bedroom and sat in the one chair that was next to the desk. I moved the chair a little so I could see the TV set better, and I relaxed. Kyle lit a cigarette, and he tossed the pack to me. I took one and tossed it to Justin. "I'll buy you a pack tomorrow," I said to Jus. "That's all right," he said. "Kyle keeps me supplied." "Are you going to be needing them," Kyle asked, as he handed me my drink. "I honestly didn't know you smoked, Lex." "Well, I had quit," I said. "Every now and then I get a craving for one, though. But, yeah, get me some." They all laughed at me. "Kyle, I haven't seen you smoke two cigarettes in the same day in forever," Tim said. "I know," he replied. We finished watching the movie, and Kyle got up again to make a third drink for each of us. His penis was completely flaccid, and I knew he hadn't jerked off or anything. "Are you in the market for a boyfriend," Brian asked. "Well, sure," I said. Then I giggled and blushed. "What you blushing for," Jus asked. "I've never admitted that before," I said. "Every gay man wants a boyfriend, or at least a fuck-buddy," Jus said. "Don't blush about that, Bubba." "He's not gay, Jus. He's bi. Aren't you, Lex?" "You know, Tim, that's what I thought at first, but I'm pretty sure now I'm gay," I said. "Well, it hardly matters," Jus said. "Do you guys think about being gay very much," I asked. "Not really," Jus said. "Do you, Little Buddy?" "Not very often," Brian said. "I don't either," Kyle said. "Just when I get horny." We laughed. "How about you, Tim," I asked. He shook his head "no." "Let me clarify that," Kyle said. "Being gay has pretty much shaped the way I lead my life, but I don't really dwell on it. I mean, when I think about sex, I think about me and Tim, and I think about sex a good bit." We laughed. "Do you think about Tim every single time you jerk off," I asked. "I pretty much don't jerk off by myself anymore," Kyle said. "Really?!" That surprised the hell out of me. I thought everybody jerked off. "Really." "Me, either," the rest of them said, more or less together. "Tim, would you consider Kyle being unfaithful to you if he jerked off? I'm not trying to pry. I really just want information," I said. All four of them said "no" simultaneously. "If he did it a lot, like every day, or something, that would bother me very much," Tim said, "but not because I would think he was being unfaithful. It would bother me that I wasn't giving him what he needs." "That's the way I feel, too," Justin said. "I won't lie and say I never do it, but it's pretty rare. For instance, I don't remember the last specific time I did it." "Kyle, did you do it when Tim was in Maine and you were still at home," I asked. "I can answer that," Justin said. "He didn't, that's why he was so damn eager to get the two of them into that hotel room in Boston when we first got there." We all laughed. "You really didn't, Babe," Tim asked. "No, I really didn't. Did you?" "No," Tim said. "See? If you didn't, why would you think I did," Kyle asked. "That makes me proud of you, Babe," Tim said. Kyle smiled his sweet smile at Tim. "Guys, I'm about ready for some sleep," Kyle said. "Damn, it's after midnight already," Jus said. "Come on. Let's go," he said to Brian. They slipped on their shorts, but they carried the rest of their clothes. They told us good night and left. "Kyle and Tim," I said, after we were all in bed and the lights were off. "I really want to thank you for tonight. I feel like I'm a grown-up or something." "You're welcome, Lex. Kyle's already asleep, but I know he would say the same thing," Tim said. "He went to sleep that fast?" "Yep. Every night," Tim said. "Once the room lights go out, his lights go out, too." "That's pretty amazing. Is our talking going to wake him up?" "I doubt it. He's a very heavy sleeper," Tim said. "Well, good night, Bubba," I said, and he told me good night, too.
Like all the others, I was really sorry that Rick's grandfather passed away. He was old, though, and nobody lives forever. Still, I felt bad for Rick. Cody went with us to the funeral, which I thought was pretty damn nice of him. It's one thing to miss work for a fun trip, but it's something else again to miss it for a funeral. Don't get me wrong, we had a pretty good time, but it definitely wasn't a vacation. Kyle had wanted to organize a fishing trip like they had gone on at Christmas, but we couldn't get a reservation on a boat. Plus, I wasn't sure that was a good thing to do on that trip. Cody and I had a room to ourselves. I had wondered how the sleeping arrangements would work out, and I was glad when Kyle told us what the arrangements were. "Kiss me," he said, when I got into bed. He was only about two seconds ahead of me. We kissed. Cody was a very gentle person, and that was how he made love, too. Not that I had anything to compare him with, but he seemed gentle in bed. It took very little for us to arouse each other, and that first kiss usually did it. It did that night, too. After we made love, we held each other. He gently rubbed my skin, and that was nice. "Tell me again when you have to leave," he said. He had asked me that a dozen times or more. I hoped it was because he didn't want me to go, and I think that was the reason. "August 1st," I said. "That's not going to change." "When does school start for you?" More old ground. "August 24th. Same as you," I said. "God, I wish you could stay until then," he said. "That's sweet of you, Cody, but you know I can't. They're leaving for Montana August 2nd, and that's also the day my parents are coming home from England." "I know. It's just that this has been the best summer of my life because of you, and I don't want it to end," he said. That was sweet, and very typical of Cody. I was a little nervous about the next thing I said, though. It was something I had wanted to bring up many times before, but I couldn't force myself to do it. "What's going to happen to us when I leave," I asked. "Nothing. Why would something happen to us?" "I mean our relationship," I said. "What about it?" "Cody, Baby, please try to help me out here," I said. He chuckled. "You want some more of this," he asked, touching my penis. "Maybe later. Right now I want to talk," I said. "We are talking," he said. "Be serious," I said. "Okay. It's just that I don't want to think about what you're talking about," he said. "I know, Baby, but we have to. Here's what I think, okay? I think that this summer has also been the best one of my life by such a degree that the other summers didn't even exist compared to this one. Getting to know you has been the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'll never forget you," I said. "But you want us to break up, don't you?" "Don't say it like that, okay? No, I don't want us to break up. But you know, we'll be three states apart. If we see each other at all next year, it'll only be once or twice, and then for short times," I said. "I want you to be free to meet people and to date." "We're not in love, are we," he said, like maybe he just realized that for the first time. "No, we're not. I love you with all my heart, and I think you love me, too, but we're not really in love, like, say, Kyle and Tim are. You'll be in college, and you'll be meeting new people there and at work. It wouldn't be fair for you to think I was the only person you could kiss or have sex with," I said. "You're my only sex partner ever," he said. "Stop changing the subject. I know that, just like you know that you're my only one. But it's not about sex, really. It's about relationships." "I think you and I have a great relationship," he said. I was frustrated, but I knew why he was acting like that. As a matter of fact, I loved it that he was acting like that. I mean, it was the best compliment he could give me. "I'm sorry. I'm acting like a kid, and it's time for an adult discussion. I know that what you're saying is right, and I just don't want to face it. I'll behave," he said. "Baby, the way you've been acting is about the best thing you could give me, and don't think I don't appreciate it. But I know I'm right. I'll be back to visit, so we'll stay friends. But that's what it's going to have to be. Friends. Not boyfriends." "I know, but that's two weeks from now." He leaned in to kiss me, and I wished it were possible to delete everything we had just talked about. "Let me make love to you. This is for you, my gift to you for being so wonderful." The second time was truly the charm that night. He did things to me that made my body feel better than it had ever felt before. I had no way to know how Cody compared as a lover, say to Kyle or Justin or one of them, but if they were better than Cody was that night, I don't think I could have stood it. Not only did he make my very skin sing for joy, but he also got so aroused doing it that he had a spontaneous orgasm without even touching himself. It was amazing.
I was nervous about entertaining my father-in-law and his partner. I mean I knew I had the best hospitality crew in north Florida, and I knew the boys would go out of their way to make them feel welcome. But it was still a big deal. "What time do you think they'll get here," Kyle asked Rick the Saturday morning of their arrival. "I don't know for sure," Rick had said. "Not until this afternoon, though." "Dinner's a wrap," Kyle said. Rick grinned at him. "Are we having something good," Rick asked. "No. We're having shit. It's going to be awful," Kyle said. "If you hadn't said that, I would have sent your ass home," Rick said. "I know," Kyle said. The two of them laughed delightedly at their psychic communion with one another. "I need to do some shopping," Kyle said. "Well, of course you do," Jeff said. "Kyle, I've never known, or even known of, another seventeen-year-old boy who knew the grocery store as well as he knew his own bedroom." "Oh, yeah? I don't see you turning up your nose at what I cook," he said. "Come here," Jeff said. "No. What are you going to do to me?" "Come here and find out." Kyle was on the floor, and he scooted over to Jeff. Just as I suspected, Jeff hugged him. Jeff and Kyle were more like real brothers than anybody else in the family. The phone rang, and Rick answered it. "Where are you," he asked, after the greeting. Pause. "It's about eight hours, but it sounds like y'all have been on the road a while." That could only be Andy. Pause. "That means you should probably get here around four. Don't forget, we're in Central Time here, not Eastern." Pause. "I know. Everybody always assumes that all of Florida is in Eastern, but this part is really in Central." Pause. "Well, we'll be ready for you, and we're all really looking forward to seeing you guys." Pause. "Bye. See you soon." "Guess who that was," Rick asked, after he had hung up. "Santa Claus," Justin asked. We all laughed. "Don't make me have to put you over my knee and spank you. You might be a legal adult, but you're still my son, you know." I expected Justin to have some kind of funny come-back, but he didn't say anything. Instead he got big tears in his eyes. "Don't ever stop saying that, you hear," Jus said. "Saying what," Rick asked. "That I'm still your son," he said. Everybody was still. "Come here, Stud," Rick said. "Get in here with us." I moved down and Justin squeezed in between Rick and me. "You'll always be our son, Bubba," Rick said. Rick and I each put an arm around Jus, and we hugged him. Nobody was prepared for that much emotion that early on a Saturday morning. Phew! Those kids had enormous needs, and they surfaced sometimes when we least expected them to. "Who wants to go shopping," Kyle asked. Trixie heard the word "go" and barked. "Okay. You can go. Anybody else barking?" We laughed. "I'll go with you, Bubba," Justin said. "Let me go get dressed." "I'm going like I am," Kyle said. "Kyle!" Tim said in mock shock. Kyle laughed, then he and Jus went upstairs to get dressed. "What's up with Justin," Jeff asked. "He felt a little insecure when he turned eighteen," Bri said. "For a little while, he thought you all might send him packing." "Kyle told me that," I said. "In fact, Kyle said he thought the same thing. Then he realized it would never happen and convinced Jus of that." "I knew that. That's why I said what I did," Rick said. "We see you big ole boys, and we think you're men. But you're not really, are you? You still need your daddies. That doesn't necessarily apply to you, Jeff." "Oh, yes it does. Every bit as much as it applies to them," Jeff said. Tyler smiled at Jeff, and I got the feeling that boy was very much in love with Mister Jeffrey Martin. Kyle and Justin and Trixie left, and they were back in a couple of hours. The meal was going to be one of our classic poolside cookouts: steaks, stuffed baked potatoes, green salad, and corn on the cob that had been picked that morning. Kyle had bought two cakes and three pies for dessert. Hors d'oeuvres would be buffalo wings, a cheese tray with crackers, and raw vegetables with dip. He was also going to set out a couple of bowls of mixed nuts, some ripe Greek olives, and a bowl of pickled okra for Justin. As far as I knew, he was the only one who ever ate those nasty things. Kyle was amazing in lots of ways, but, when it came to entertaining, he was a downright prodigy. Jeff had joked that morning about him knowing the grocery store better than he knew his own bedroom, and that wasn't very far from the truth. * * * The friends started rolling in around 1:30. We were expecting thirty for dinner, but I knew Kyle had bought for forty. He always did, and we were always glad he did. He had also bought lunch for that many, and that was a good thing, too. We had all pitched in to set up tables in the clubhouse, arrange the tables on the patio, shuck the corn, set up the karaoke machine, get music CD's organized, post new scoring tablets for pool and ping pong, and otherwise do what had to be done. Kyle was busy in the kitchen for a little while, but, apart from cooking the steaks and corn, and heating up the potatoes that night, there wasn't really a lot to do. That was going to be a big party, and it was all organized and under control by noon. "Thank you for doing all of this, Kyle," I said. He and I were in the kitchen, and he was getting the salad greens ready for later. "It's no trouble, Kev. You know I love doing this kind of thing," he said. "Yeah, I know, and you're very good at it." He blushed a little. I actually made Kyle blush. "I think it's in my blood or something. The rest helped out a lot, too." "I know, but it's really you," I said. "I know. Say it, Kevin." "Say what," I asked. I really didn't know what he was talking about. "Say, 'you'll always be our son,'" he said. "You'll always be our son." "Thanks, but I already knew that," he said, smiling like the devil he was just then. I laughed. "You're making fun of your brother, aren't you?" "No, sir, I'm not," he said. "I knew it, but I also wanted to hear it. We all want to hear it, Kevin. We all know it, just like Justin knew it this morning, but it's so good to hear. For all the boys." "Kyle, I think you're wise beyond your years, Bubba," I said. "I ain't smart, Kevin. You know that." I grabbed him by his chin, and I made him look me in the eyes. "Look me in the eye and say that on your honor." He pulled away from me and laughed. "You know I can't say that on my honor," he said. "So why say it at all," I asked. "It's the culture, Kevin. If you asked my dad if he's smart, he'd say he's the dumbest son of a bitch on the beach. And I don't think I've ever met a smarter man than my daddy. Including you. No offense." "You'll get no argument from me on that," I said. "That boy who ran against me for SGA president. He's smart, and he knows it. And he makes sure everybody else knows it, too. There I was. Queer as a three dollar bill and everybody knew it. I was talking about tolerance for minorities, including queers. And surfers, of course. I got the overwhelming majority of votes. I billed myself as totally average, totally dumb. And that's what they wanted. And I knew that's what they wanted." "Kyle, where is this life going to take you, son?" "I don't know, but I do know that Tim and you and Rick are going to be right there with me." "I think that's a pretty damn safe assumption," I said. We both laughed. |