Carlos Hazday

@Jaro_423 See what I've been saying about sex showing up when appropriate? I think Owen's realized it's easier to go along with CJ than to scare him off again. At their age, the six years difference means he's a bit more mature. The Biltmore Hotel was shuttered for many years. I recall breaking in while in college so my friends and I could climb to the top of the tower. The place was full of bat guano and pigeon droppings. I toured it with a professional group after it reopened and the restoration was magnificent.

Although Owen's family's well off, CJ's dads are far wealthier. Along with the gun issue, I wanted something else that could cause friction between the guys and wealth was an easy one. Just because someone's good looking, doesn't mean they're automatically conceited. Same with wealth. Money doesn't necessarily make people evil. With super wealthy individuals, what we see and hear is often bad and their good works go unnoticed. Think of people like Bill Gates. A rabid capitalist who many claim made a fortune off others but who's spending a lot of the fortune he amassed for good.

LMAO Have you read the comments from some of the other readers. A few people are ready for CJ and Owen to get hitched right now! They ignore my swearing this is not a romance story! Unfortunately, I can't say anything about who those two end up with.

I think Owen listened to his sister when she told him he was a fool for pushing when he and CJ first met. As I said, CJ proposed they start by becoming friends and I wanted to show both trying to stick to that approach. They spent a week together over Christmas and that's not enough time to build a solid, lasting relationship, be it romantic or not.

Not sure I could survive as long as you have without an internet connection! The couple of times I've lost it for more than a few hours, I end up at one of my neighborhood coffee shops drinking lattes and typing away. I wanted at least one area where CJ and Owen had differing views and guns seemed like a good one. Of course, I opened a can of worms and CJ's pro-gun views earned me plenty of comments from those who disagree. Mostly Euros and Aussies, although the more liberal Yanks have also slapped me LOL Just mentioned in my reply to another comment that I use sex scenes to advance the story, in this case, it's the lack of it that serves that purpose. CJ's letter to Owen said he wanted to start again and try to be friends so he's sticking to his word. That's something he'll do quite frequently.

@Jaro_423 I'm trying to build a solid group of friends for CJ the way his dads have their chums. The banter is inspired by the way my dad, my brothers and I interact with each other and our close friends.

I try to use sex scenes to advance the story. In this case, it serves to show CJ sowing his oats a bit and his dads maybe realizing their teen's acting like a horny teen. Getting a teenager to live with them full-time had to be an adjustment for Brett and Cesar, having someone outside the regular circle give his take on what it's like helps give us a different perspective.

@Jaro_423 Consider it an opportunity to learn a bit about new stuff LOL

Although Harley's grandparents are a tad older than I am, I wanted to include some Baby Boomers in the story. They're a bit different than CJ's grandparents who appear on a regular basis, and that was by design. I've tried to populate the series with as many different types of backgrounds as possible.

@Jaro_423 Hope things clear up a bit in future chapters. Part of the reason I write about travels in the US and abroad is to share knowledge of places people may never visit. I think stories are a great way to learn about different cultures and locations

I did work as a tour guide a couple of summers while I was in college, maybe that's what I'm channeling. Dialogue, in my opinion, is a better way to provide details than too much narration. Much more active. In this chapter, the info about Silas and Patrick could have been dealt in a couple of lines but I like the way it turned out. We get a better feel for what's happening. Thanks, Jeff!

@Mikiesboy If I recall correctly, it was also the cheapest lodging during that trip

Unlike CJ and Owen, when I'm on a long motorcycle trip, I rarely make hotel reservations. I like the freedom to deviate from the planned route and schedule. I was caught in the rain near Bangor, Maine late in the afternoon and decided to call it a night. There was a Journey concert in town and every room for miles was booked. Imagine my shock coming from an area where tourists rule and hotel rooms are a dime a dozen. I ended up riding for about an hour in the downpour and pulling into a motel I'd normally not patronize. Like a zero stars place. Once I was in the room, I didn't even venture outside to go eat. Domino's came to the rescue.

Thanks, tim. I learned a couple more. An unhurried trip through New England is a great adventure. Although I did get caught in a bone-chilling rainstorm in Maine in the middle of August. I thought I'd never feel warm again. Yeah, yeah, I know. Thin, Florida-boy blood.

Me too! And the lobster rolls in a little, mom and pop shop off the main drag in Freeport is one of the main reasons. Sitting atop Cadillac Mountain doing nothing but enjoying the view is also up there. And I want to visit the lighthouse!

Y'all can always check the Cast of Characters in the prologue. Lola's there.

Although important, I wouldn't think high school graduation would be a big deal in that family. It's a requirement to attend college and they're big on higher education.

Their 2020 big, bike trip will be a trip south to escape the cold weather. You have time to get your motorcycle endorsement if you want to join them on that trip.

Most of the ride is based on a similar one I did about 5 or 6 years ago, The New England countryside is gorgeous and Acadia National Park is definitely worth a couple of days exploring.

I wanted them to ride through a non-urban environment. Having grown up in a winery, Owen's a little bit country. CJ's definitely a city kid. I keep trying to show what they do is designed to deal with bot sensibilities. They did Daytona the previous year, but the I-4 corridor in Central Florida is almost a continuous megalopolis.

I think they're up to 20 states so far. The Eastern Seaboard has been checked on CJ's bucket list.

For once, no nefarious hidden meaning. The birds are simply an atmospheric embellishment. Riding while a bunch of birds seems to follow you is always an interesting experience. I was pooped on once by who knows what type of bird. Owen's always willing to taste new stuff and learn. He uses Google for wine the way CJ does for geographic locations. We have an appearance by Brad coming up in the next chapter.

Her name was Lola She was a showgirl With yellow feathers in her hair Oops, never mind. Channeling Barry Manilow there. Whenever possible, Lola travels with CJ. He doesn't like to leave home without it.

That's a given!

Unlike CJ and Owen, Harley works!!! I also wanted those two to have some alone time. It gave me a chance to showcase their easy relationship a bit more. They may be married but most importantly they're best friends.