The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - 54. Unexpected Fallout

After we’d got a good night’s sleep, the next school and workweek started. I don’t know how to put it, other than it was our post Frankie recognition era. I’m sure you wonder why I’ve stated it this way, so I’ll explain. No matter where I went during the week, people were stopping me to talk about what Frankie had done, but it didn’t stop there.

Danny and Brandon are also being asked questions about Frankie by their employees, patients and various doctors and nurses in the building, but they aren’t the only ones. The snack bar employees and construction workers, who are putting the finishing touches on things, were asking Danny and Brandon questions about Frankie as well. Everyone seems really interested in what he did.

Dion and Trey have also been asked about this by their colleagues and students, and Jesse, Elliot and Noah all experienced similar queries from their friends and other students. In fact, the bully who had harassed Noah after practice and then had the run in with Elliot came up to Noah and told him he was impressed by what Frankie had done, so he would never let anyone say anything bad about our family again.

However, that wasn’t the only fallout from Frankie’s story appearing on the news. Kevin reported that his business had been affected by the news about Frankie, the week after it broke.

“Dad, loads of people have been coming in to the store and asking if the Currie Pharmacy people are related to the hero State Trooper,” he informed me. “When I told them that Frankie is my brother, I suddenly had a whole bunch of new customers.”

“That’s fantastic,” I agreed. “I just hope it lasts.”

Not only did this incident impact Kevin’s business, but Danny also told us that during the week his office had received a great many calls too.

“Dad, a bunch of the patients my office had contacted from the other pediatrician’s files suddenly started calling back,” he reported. “They told my receptionist they were calling to confirm that they’d be happy to have me as their child’s pediatrician.”

I thought that was fantastic as well, but isn’t it funny how one event like this can affect us in so many different ways?

Not everything that was happening to the family had to do with what Frankie had done though. Elliot came home one evening and asked Jesse if he could speak to him alone, although at the time none of the rest of us knew about this clandestine request. When Jesse agreed, the boys went up to his room to talk.

“I’m not sure, but I think this guy on my swim team has been checking me out,” Elliot explained, once the door had been closed.

“What makes you say that?” Jesse asked, in return.

“Like I said, I’m not sure, but I think I caught him checking out my package when I was standing near him in my Speedo,” Elliot offered. “I think he’s also been watching me out of the corner of his eye when we’re in the shower together.”

“So who is he and do you think he’s gay?” Jesse wanted to know.

“His name’s Ian Hill and I don’t know if he’s gay or not,” Elliot admitted.

“So did he just start doing this?” Jesse pressed.

“Well, I thought he was checking me out when I first joined the team,” Elliot replied, “but back then I felt he was only sizing me up as a teammate. When I suspected he was still doing it, I guess I just kind of dismissed it by saying it was only my imagination or it wasn’t really happening. I’m just not so sure about that now, because he seems to be more obvious about it now. He doesn’t even appear as if he’s trying to hide what he’s doing any longer and seems to be doing these things more often. Tonight when I caught him staring at my junk, he just looked up at me and smiled.”

“Well, that might be a clue then,” Jesse responded, with a giggle.

“Come on. Be serious!” Elliot pleaded. “I want to know what you think I should do!”

“Well, to begin with, is he cute and are you interested in him?” Jesse wondered.

“Yeah, I think he’s exceptionally cute,” Elliot agreed. “He has short blond hair and very pretty green eyes. He also has these adorable tiny ears, a poutty little mouth and a cute nose. I am totally interested in him.

“I have to admit that before I noticed him doing this, I was spending most of my time checking out Hayden,” Elliot continued. “The thing is, I also realize I don’t stand a chance with him. I guess I’ve never paid much attention to Ian until recently, but now I think he’s even cuter than Hayden. He’s probably the next cutest guy on the team, after me of course.”

Elliot smirked after saying this, as he glanced up at Jesse.

“Oh, of course,” Jesse teased back, “but the real question is – is he as hot as me?”

“No one’s as sexy as you, Jesse,” Elliot laughed, while giving Jesse a playful grope.

“But seriously, what do you think I should do?” Elliot pressed.

“Have you talked to him at all, even just casually?” Jesse asked.

“I’ve never said much more than hi or great race,” Elliot confessed. “He’s told me nice dive before or that I looked good doing a dive. Oh, and when I won my medal last week, I think his hand kind of lingered a bit when he gave me a pat on the butt in the locker room.”

“He said you looked good doing a dive and not just that it was a good dive?” Jesse followed.

“I distinctly remember him telling me a couple of different times that I looked good doing a certain dive,” Elliot reiterated.

“Well, I definitely think he’s been hitting on you and trying to see if you might be interested,” Jesse confirmed. “Next time he says something like that to you, joke around a little and see how he reacts.”

“Like how?” Elliot asked.

“Just flirt back a little,” Jesse advised him.

“I don’t know how to do that,” Elliot blushed. “I’ve never done it before.”

“Well, if he tells you that you looked good doing a dive, tell him you look good all the time and see if he picks up on it,” Jesse suggested.

“You really think I should?” Elliot wondered.

“Only if you want to find out if he’s really interested in you,” Jesse shot back. “I mean you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, but he may say something in response to your comment that will give you a better indication about how he feels, one way or the other.”

“What else?” Elliot asked.

“You could say he looks pretty good himself or tell him he’s only seen the surface,” Jesse offered. “Just make it something that you can explain away later, in case he isn’t interested and is just being friendly.”

“Yeah, but how? I’ve never done that either,” Elliot admitted.

“For example, by saying he looks pretty good too, if he reacts badly and tries to turn it against you, you can say you just meant he looked good in his last race,” Jesse explained. “If you tell him he’s just seen the surface and he tries to make something out of it, you can say you meant you have other dives that he might be even more impressed with. Just leave yourself an out, in case you’ve misread his intentions.”

“Okay, I get it now,” Elliot agreed. “I think I’m going to try that next time he says something then.”

“Good,” Jesse agreed. “I’ll be interested in seeing how this works out.”

“Me too. Thanks, Jess,” Elliot added, as he gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

Elliot’s grounding had been almost as hard on Jesse as it had been on Elliot. They hadn’t been together in weeks, so Jesse eagerly accepted the younger boy’s kiss.

“Mmmm. I’ve missed that,” Jesse groaned, “but aren’t you still grounded?”

“Maybe, but my dads did say when they punished me that it would be over at the end of the month and this is the last day of September,” Elliot stated.

He then began to pull Jesse’s zipper down, as he gently pushed him onto the bed and tenderly groped his package. Elliot’s soft touch instantly turned Jesse’s cock as hard as steel and it formed a solid lump in his underwear. When Elliot unfastened the button on Jesse’s jeans, Jesse’s fabric covered penis exploded through the opening, in an effort to seek some relief.

As much as he loved the attention, Jesse was severely conflicted. Although he would desperately enjoy getting off, he didn’t want to risk getting Elliot in trouble again and then have to go another month without this sort of contact.

“I don’t know, El. Maybe we should ask first. I don’t want you to get in trouble again,” Jesse whispered, in a barely audible voice.

Elliot didn’t answer right away. Instead, he leaned in and softly nibbled on Jesse’s lower lip, before slipping his tongue into Jesse’s warm, wet mouth. Elliot gently squeezed Jesse’s hard cock through his now tight fitting underwear and rubbed his fingers over the head, where he felt a small wet patch expanding on the material. Elliot then momentarily broke the kiss, so he could answer Jesse’s question.

“So do you want me to stop then?” he teased.

Jesse was too turned on to back away now. Instead of responding verbally, he returned Elliot’s kiss, to let him know how hungry he was for the feel of his mouth. Elliot got the message and parted his lips, as he welcomed Jesse’s invading tongue and massaged it with his own. While this was going on, Elliot’s fingers danced up Jesse’s package and teased it further, but then he suddenly shifted his attention and his hands grasped the top of Jesse’s jeans. Immediately, he began to tug them down and Jesse eagerly lifted his butt up enough to allow Elliot to pull the denim past his firm backside. Elliot then scooted down between Jesse’s legs and before long was pulling his jeans completely off his feet and tossing them aside.

Elliot then leaned in and kissed the soft skin on Jesse’s taut belly, before he moved lower, so he could kiss the head of his cock and balls through the thin fabric covering. While doing this, he buried his face in the warm, soft skin of Jesse’s thighs and allowed his own smooth cheek to rub against the hard bulge in Jesse’s briefs. Elliot then turned his attention back to Jesse’s testicles and began to gradually work his way higher, until he could run his tongue over the wet spot that had formed on his underwear. At this point, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband and tugged on the restrictive garment. Jesse lifted his butt again, as his underwear slid lower and his hard boyhood slapped against his belly. Moments later, Elliot pulled the briefs completely off Jesse’s legs and tossed them aside too.

Elliot wasn’t about to give Jesse a moment’s rest. He quickly moved back into position and slowly ran his tongue over Jesse’s balls and then began to suck on them individually. He followed this up by moving slightly higher, so he could kiss the base of Jesse’s cock and lick his way up and down its entire length of his firm mast. Elliot used his tongue like a paintbrush and worked his magic on Jesse’s sexual canvas, while making sure not to miss a spot. Then, he wrapped his lips tightly around the glistening head and gently lapped at the small opening with his tongue, before it glided around and caressed the smooth surface of the glans. After a few seconds of doing this, Elliot guided Jesse’s manhood down his throat. At the same time, he reached under Jesse and began to knead his firm buns like soft dough, while he continued to pleasure him with his mouth.

Jesse was in heaven. He couldn’t believe how much Elliot had improved at this since their initial encounter. When they first began, Elliot couldn’t even suck him to completion, but now their sexual encounters were passionate and exciting.

Elliot also began to massage Jesse’s tight opening with his finger, and as he felt him begin to tense up, he gently forced the digit into his rectum. It had the desired effect, since Jesse had been hovering on the edge. Just as Elliot hoped, this new sensation in his bottom sent Jesse over the top and he filled Elliot’s mouth with his release. After Elliot cleaned him with his tongue, he moved up Jesse’s body and rested his head on Jesse’s chest. He then looked into Jesse’s flush face and waited for him to come down from his sexual high.

“Oh my god, El. That was great!” Jesse said, breathlessly.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Elliot acknowledged, while absentmindedly playing with Jesse’s nipple through his tee shirt.

“Man, I’m never getting grounded again,” Elliot promised. “I’ve become so used to being able to do this with you that I had no idea how much I would miss it. Some days I’d be watching you doing your homework and I’d have this sudden desire to jump you right there.”

“Are you sure it was me you were thinking of and not Ian?” Jesse teased, with a chuckle.

“Ian’s cute, but he’s not as hot as you are, Jesse. You’re freaking amazing,” Elliot confessed.

“Awww, you’re just saying that,” Jesse blushed.

“Nope. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one,” Elliot replied, as he began to lightly stroke Jesse once more.

“Careful or you’ll wake him up again,” Jesse giggled.

“Would that be so bad?” Elliot asked, with a giggle of his own.

“Hell no, but dinner should be ready any minute and we don’t want to be interrupted,” Jesse replied.

“Good point, and I’m hungry after that workout,” Elliot confessed. “What about later tonight, after the little ones go to bed?”

“It’s a date!” Jesse exclaimed.

Now that this had been agreed to, Jesse put his clothes back on and they came down to join us for dinner. As he ate, Elliot was mentally looking forward to their next encounter and thankful that Jesse never held back when they had sex. He was always intimate and shared himself openly, and Elliot loved that about him. Elliot also enjoyed the sex he’d had with his cousins, Nicky and Jordan, but as willing and open as they were, they weren’t nearly as uninhibited as Jesse.

After a few seconds of thinking about this, Elliot suddenly had to stifle a groan of disappoint. This happened when he remembered Jesse would be going off to college next fall and not having Jesse around would be a difficult adjustment for him to make. Eventually, Elliot’s smile returned when he realized they still had several months to explore each other’s bodies before this happened – including tonight.

As we slipped out of September and into October, I was intrigued by how many positive changes had recently happened for our family. First of all, after Frankie had been honored and his name had been aired in numerous news stories as a local hero, Kevin said it brought a lot of people into his pharmacy wanting to know if he was related to the hero trooper. When he confirmed that Frankie was his brother, his pharmacy’s business began to increase dramatically, but this upswing hasn’t trailed off.

“Dad, I suspected the increase might only be temporary, but they keep coming back,” Kevin informed me. “I’ve even had to hire additional employees to help me deal with the additional volume in sales.”

“I think that’s fantastic,” I confessed, “and I hope it continues.”

“Yes, I’ve even called Jeff and told him that I’ll probably need his help sooner than I’d first anticipated,” Kevin continued. “After I told him this, Jeff agreed to arrange things on his end so he’ll be able to move here in a month. Isn’t that great?”

“Kevin, I hope you’re not jumping the gun here,” I cautioned. “This might not be a permanent trend.”

“I thought that at first, but the people seem to act as if they feel shopping here is something they should do, to pay our family back for what we’re doing to help the state and country,” Kevin responded. “Several of them have even said as much, although not precisely in those words.”

“I pray that you’re correct in your assumption,” I added.

“Dad, things will be fine,” Kevin replied. “I have a strong gut feeling about this and I tend to believe what my customers have told me.

“Okay, but I just don’t want you to discover in a month or two that there isn’t enough work to continue supporting both Jeff and you,” I relented.

“I’m sure we’ll do fine,” Kevin answered.

Danny and Brandon are doing much better because of Frankie’s heroics as well. Not only did they acquire new patients because of the publicity the Currie name had generated, but they also now have sufficient patient bases to make a real go of it. Since neither of them had a steady income that they could depend on, other than Danny’s hospital job, I think they had their doubts as to whether they were doing the right thing. That no longer seems to be the case.

Things are also going extremely well for them at the health center. All of the offices are currently operational, although some of the doctors only have office hours at that location a few days a week, but it still means Danny and Brandon are collecting rental income from them. Not only that, but the laboratory is also up and running, which is generating even more profit for the boys.

You see, once Danny was able to arrange for the additional funding and purchased the needed equipment to be installed in the lab, he hired several technicians to work there. They are currently drawing and evaluating blood work, but they are also getting set up to perform a variety of other tests as well. The new tests they are doing were culled from suggestions made by the doctors who have offices at the health center. They wanted to be able to provide these services in-house, so their patients wouldn’t have to travel to an independent lab or to the hospital to have these tests performed. It also eliminates the need for those doctors to contract with expeditors to take the samples they extract in their offices to one of the external labs to be evaluated.

Danny is also considering allowing other local physicians, who don’t currently have an office at the health center, to utilize the services of the laboratory too. He is willing to let them contract the service on a per use basis and this would help to ensure the technicians have enough to do during their shifts. It will also generate some additional income, which will help their bottom line.

Besides having the laboratory up and running, the operating and recovery rooms are also ready for the various doctors to use for outpatient procedures and minor surgeries. This will give them a convenient sterile environment to provide these services, which should prove to be a benefit to their patients as well.

Danny is also gradually procuring the various pieces of equipment needed for the Diagnostic and Imaging department, and so far they’ve installed an x-ray machine and sonogram equipment. There are still several other diagnostic apparatus Danny wants to have in there as well, such as an MRI and CT equipment, but he has to make sure the funding is in place first. In reality, this is happening a lot sooner than he first anticipated and each of the items he wants to have in there should be installed well before Jesse earns his degree in radiology.

The best part about all of this is that these recent changes have managed to eliminate my sons’ fears about having taken these risks in the first place. Kevin now has a sufficient gross income to cover his expenses and enough left over to provide him with a decent salary to live on. As far as Danny and Brandon are concerned, their situation is very similar. Their practices are also starting to bring in enough money to cover their expenses and provide them with an adequate salary as well. However, if that isn’t enough, they are also generating enough additional income in laboratory fees and lease agreements at the health center to cover all of the expenses to keep the facility going and still have a little left over to boot.

Since things are going so well, Danny is also ready to make another major change in his life.

“Dad, I’ve talked it over with Brandon and I think I’m ready to give up my weekend job at the hospital,” he told me one evening. “This will give me back my weekends to spend more time with my family. I’m thrilled that I’ll have this extra time to spend with my sons, but I’m also looking forward to spending a little more quality time with Brand. He’s been great about it, but I know I haven’t been paying as much attention to him as I should.”

“Yes, those changes should work out to everyone’s benefit,” I agreed.

Danny’s office hours will now be exactly the same as Brandon’s, which means he’ll basically be working nine to five during the week and nine until noon on Saturday. The biggest difference between their work schedules is that Danny will occasionally be called in for emergencies, which can occur at any hour. Brandon, on the other hand, will hardly ever be involved with emergency calls, at least not ones that fall outside of his normal business hours.

The younger boys are also keeping busy and have already started planning this year’s haunted house. They are trying to see if they can incorporate some of the things they saw at the Ghostly Mansion into it, but they have discovered this is not an easy task. They’ve asked me to help them with a few items, but they also want me to keep Noah busy as well, so he won’t see what they’re doing and will be surprised when they take him through it. This isn’t an easy chore either, since Noah desperately wants to be with the other pair most of the time. I’ve tried to assure him that he’ll be glad that he gave them time to do this once he sees the results, so he’s been a little better about not being a part of it.

Looking at another issue, things are getting slightly more interesting for Elliot as well. After listening to Jesse’s advice, he went out of his way to talk to Ian, so he could figure out if Ian is gay and if he’s interested in him. So far, they haven’t done much more than compliment each other on their performance at meets, but they have had a few nice talks about school and some of their other interests. Unfortunately for Elliot, no hidden feelings or desires have yet been revealed.

Elliot has also continued to do well at his meets, possibly even better than he was doing before. These results might be influenced by a desire to impress Ian, or possibly he just wants to do well in front of the family, but his coach has told us that Elliot has shown steady improvement. The rest of us are still in the dark about Elliot’s interest in Ian, because for some reason the boys haven’t deemed it prudent to make us aware of the fact that Elliot might possibly have a romantic admirer on his team – at least not yet.

We have, however, started to become a little suspicious, because we’ve begun to notice Elliot staring at or talking to this one particular boy at his meets. He used to spend all of his time hanging around Hayden and doing most things with him, so this new trend is causing us to wonder what this current attraction is about. However, before we could delve into this situation further, we were distracted by another event.