The Company - 5. Red Grand Prix

We woke up Tuesday morning and took the promised shower with Toby and Brandon. Afterwards, we did our clean-up. Towels were folded, sheets were stripped from beds, and garbage was collected. By ten, we were on our way after I locked the place up.

I stopped by Fred Henderson’s place and met my cousin Lee in the driveway. He didn’t recognize me at first. I couldn’t remember exactly how old he was other than he was in junior high when I was in college. He had the look of a Henderson: tall, wiry and tan. All he was wearing was blue jean shorts and sneakers.

When he did figure out who I was, he gave me a great big hug, “Timmy! Look at you.”

“And you Lee, what are you now, seventeen?”

“Not for long. I graduated this year. Pa said that was you at the lodge. I would have visited, but I didn’t want to inflict my little band of ruffians on you.”

I said, “They couldn’t be any worse than my own. Come here and meet the guys.”

We walked over to the van and I introduced everybody. We chatted for a while about the grotto and the bear, but not in detail.

Lee laughed and said, “You guys met Edgar.”

Chris said, “The bear’s name is Edgar?”

“We found him as a little cub and bottle-fed him. He’s tame and likes people. He'll walk right up to you and lick your face if he knows you. You can pet him if he likes you. Otherwise, he’ll just run away. He follows me around like a puppy when I’m doing chores.”

Toby pulled out his sketch pad and showed Lee his rendition of the little bear. Lee looked at it and said, “Yep, that’s Edgar.”

I left Lee chatting with my posse and went inside to find Uncle Fred drinking coffee. He had already been up since before dawn and had gotten most of his work done. He saw me and stood, “Tim, good grief, how are you boy.”

It felt good to be hugged by my Mom’s brother. He was one of the few relatives I had left. “We had a great time at the lodge, and we cleaned up after ourselves.” I handed him an envelope.

He looked at it and said, “You didn’t have to do this. You pay dues and you own the place.”

“And you take care of it, and I appreciate it. I’m just now really feeling like getting out. It’s been hard since Mom and Pop passed.”

Fred nodded, “I know you miss them, son. Just remember you got kin in this valley. All the families up here know you could have quit helping us when your Dad passed away. You’re keeping this whole valley afloat. We love you, Timmy.”

I grinned at said, “Y’all are the only kin I have left. If you need me, just call. I should've come up here a long time ago, but wasn’t ready to face the place yet. I almost didn’t recognize Lee. Good grief, he’s grown up fast.”

Fred chuckled and said, “They sure do at that age.”

“Does anybody have the lodge for July 4^th?”

Fred said, “Nobody has it reserved until dove season starts in September.”

Looking at the calendar on his desk, I said, “Good. I’ll want it from Wednesday the 2^nd to Monday the 7^th. We’ll be back, and I’ll have time to visit.”

I shook Fred’s hand and returned to the van. By this time Lee had been joined by three of his friends and my crew seemed to be charmed by them.

Lee said, “Tim, these are my friends Joey and Bobby Porter and this is Billy Johnson.”

It was obvious that Joey and Bobby were twins, and they had the Porter look that came from Native American blood: short, muscular with dark tanned skin and jet black hair they wore long. Billy was a tall, long boned, light skinned black kid with a friendly smile.

We chatted for a few minutes, and Lee indicated that he wanted to have a word in private.

We went on the side of the van and Lee asked, “Uh Tim, I know it’s been a while but do you still like the hobby?”

I grinned, “Oh yeah. We’re coming back for July the fourth. You want to party with us?”

“Hell yeah. That’s a sporty looking crew you got there.”

“Yours looks pretty interesting too. We’ll be back and can get together somewhere a lot more comfortable than a hayloft.”

 

As we were rolling away from the Henderson place, Toby said, “I think I like country boys.”

I said, “You’ll see a lot more of them come July 4^th. I’ve got the lodge booked from the Wednesday before to the Monday after, and Lee and his boys will be joining us.”

Tony asked, “Are they…?”

I said, “They call it the hobby. It’s a secret among many country boys growing up around here. The girls are off limits, so they have to get off somehow. Many of them are bisexual and fool around with each other until they get married and after that, only at deer camp and fishing trips.”

Frank said, “I did not know that.”

“They’re a little different but, they’re sweet. You’ll like them. They’re the kind you’ll make friends within fifteen minutes, and they’ll stick with you for life. I know they like y’all. Lee said you were a sporty looking crew.”

Brandon said, “Is that country for hot?”

“Lee looks like you without the muscles. I like”, Jed said.

“My Mom was a Henderson, so we’re cousins. I expect there’ll be a lot more around when we come back for the fourth.”

 

On the way home, we stopped by Taco Joe's. We were a little early for lunch, so the crowd wasn’t huge. I noticed on the bulletin board by the register there was a sign that said free kittens, and I remembered that Frank wanted one.

Joe took us to a big table and left menus. One of his girls came, brought chips and salsa and took our drink orders. I asked her, “Tienes gatitos libres?”

She answered, “Sí señor.”

I said, “Quiero uno para una sorpresa para mi amigo.”

She said, “I understand.”

“Excuse my Español. I’m trying. Bring us some queso too.”

She left to take care of our orders and Tony asked, “What was that all about?”

“I’m just trying to keep my Spanish skills alive and probably failing miserably. I might have just ordered donkey fajitas.”

We had fajitas, and they were a hit, even if they were donkey. Everybody loved them from the time they arrived, sizzling hot and smelling so good until the last scrap is devoured.

When the waitress came with the check, she winked.

I told the guys that I was going to take care of the check and to meet me at the van in five minutes or so.

When I took care of the check, I gave Tony a c-note and told him to keep the change. He took me into the office, where one of his daughters had a box in her lap with four tiny kittens. After petting them a little, I picked a male orange tabby with a pink nose and parked the little guy in my shirt pocket.

I asked Tony if he had ever considered expanding. I liked the idea he had, and it was the only decent place to eat in a two-hour drive to the North. I told him that I had an idea that I would have to talk over with my family, but I would know more after the fourth of July and would talk to him afterwards. He gave me his business card.

When I got to the van and got in, no one noticed the tiny kitten in my front pocket. He seemed to like it there, purring and would peep out from time to time.

Before we got rolling, I said, “Frank, I’ve got a surprise for you, but it will cost you a kiss.”

He said, “I’d kiss you anyway, silly.”

“Look in my shirt pocket.”

He did and said, “Oh my God, he’s adorable!”

By now, the whole van was curious as to what was going on. Frank moved to take the kitten out of my pocket, and he objected vocally, “Mew, Mep!?”

Toby laughed and said, “What did you say, Tim?”

Frank retrieved the little fellow, who attached himself to his shoulder. With Frank petting him, he settled right down and started doing happy paws.

Chris said, “Congratulations, Frank. You are now owned by a cat.”

I laughed and said, “I take it you’re familiar with cats?”

Frank said, “I’m not. I’ve never owned a pet.”

Chris said, “You don’t really own a cat. It’s more like you are buddies.”

The little cat was purring furiously, affectionately rubbed Fran’s neck and nibbled on his ear.

“Now he’s biting me.”

I said, “That’s not a real bite. When cats are affectionate, they nibble on you.”

Frank said, “He’s so cute it’s ridiculous. Will you help me train him?”

Chris and I both laughed and Frank asked, “What’s so funny?”

I said, “You won’t have to worry about that. He’ll have you trained in no time.”

 

 

When we got back to town we immediately picked up cat food and litter and since there was a sporting goods store next door, Jeb went inside, and he picked out a few jocks.

I stopped at the office and brought everyone in to look the place over. There was much more room than necessary, but I showed them the tools and equipment I would be teaching them how to use. Toby and I used the Xerox machine to copy the sketches of the guys at the park who had molested him, willingly in one case, but not so much with the guy in the Pontiac. Per our agreement, Andrew’s picture was left out.

After collecting the mail at the office, we got back in the van and headed home. Once there, we unloaded, and I showed Frank and his new kitten where the litter box would be. The kitten got the idea immediately and made a deposit.

There were about thirty messages on my answering machine. One was from Sam, saying all was well, and he would return home Thursday.

Jeb was delighted with his new jocks. He modeled a red and black one and then disappeared with Toby and Brandon.

When everything was put away and the washing machine was running, I asked Chris and Tony to take a ride with me.

One of the dealerships in town handled Toyota and GMC. We parked the Mustang near the lot and walked around to have a look.

We picked out a full-sized GMC Sierra with a silver and red paint job, and I asked to see a salesman.

The salesman didn’t look impressed with us. He was a fat, forty-ish guy who sweated too much. He didn’t look too amused when I said we would take this truck and three more just like it.

His impression of me rose considerably when we went into the office and called my bank. Then his eyes widened and couldn’t wait to fill out the paperwork. He apologized profusely that the other trucks wouldn’t be ready until Thursday.

While the salesman did his thing, Tony asked, “What are the other three trucks for?”

I said, “I’m going to give one each to the families in the valley. I neglected to visit them for far too long. You know how I am about family. I shouldn’t have stayed away for so long.”

Chris said, “We saw what that memorial did to you, Tim. You were spaced out for a while afterwards. Frank had to bring you back.”

“I’m back now. I’m taking care of my family. Friday or Saturday we’ll drive them up to the Valley. It’ll be fun to see Lee’s face when I hand him the keys.”

It took forty-five minutes and another ten on the phone to get the new truck added to the company auto insurance policy the van was covered under.

I wasn’t thrilled with the wait, but Tony was so happy to get his first vehicle, he had happy tears in his eyes.

I hugged him and said, “Are you OK to drive?”

He smiled and said, “Sure, boss.”

“Then I have an assignment for you. Take beautiful Chris, drive up around the North shore of the lake to Mossy Oak Point where it’s nice, shady and private. Then I want you two to enjoy each other’s company and don’t come home before you both cum, capich?”

Tony laughed and said, “Yes, Godfather.”

 

 

I drove home and found the pool service truck in the driveway. He said it was ready to use. We talked for a few minutes about the service schedule, and we had a look at it.

My father had it put in when I was away at college to help with his and mom’s aches and pains. It was very private, surrounded by an eight-foot wall on the east side of the house. It was thirty feet long; eight feet in the deepest part, and there was a nice big hot tub immediately adjacent to the pool.

I went inside to find Frank bent over putting clothes in the dryer with his new friend on his shoulder watching his every move. The little beast mewed at me, spoiling my surprise, and view as Frank stood up.

I said, “It looks like you and your new friend are getting along.”

“He follows me everywhere, and he’s happiest riding on my shoulder.”

I kissed his neck on the opposite side from the kitten and said, “Lucky cat. He’s got seven guys that’ll spoil him rotten.”

Frank and I embraced with full-body contact, and he said, “You spoil me. On our little holiday, you basically gave me Jeb and Brandon.”

“They wanted to be with you.”

“But you allowed it. Why?”

“I love them too. Frank, we’re gay. It would be stupid and destructive for me to be jealous. You are young, beautiful and still have some tom cat in you. All I ask is that it be open and honest. We’re basically sharing Jeb. Just… always come back to me. When I shared you with them, I made them understand that I was honoring them by sharing the love of my life with them.”

That must have been the right answer because Frank kissed me for twenty minutes afterwards. During that kiss, the kitten walked back and forth between our shoulders, purring.

 

 

I caught up with Jeb, Toby and Brandon on the couch in the room that they had pretty much occupied. Jed was proud of his jocks, and I couldn’t blame him. He really was hung like a Clydesdale (a big horse) and getting that much meat under control must have been a great relief to him. He was wearing some board shorts over the jock. You could still tell that his crotch was impressive, but it didn’t wobble and dangle like it had.

I said, “Toby, come here, I want to show you something.”

They all wanted to come, but I said, “He’ll show you later, but this is special for him right now.”

Toby followed me out into the hall, I opened my arms, and he jumped. I caught him in what had now become a familiar embrace and kissed him on the nose. I said, “Close your eyes, Toby. I want this to be a surprise.”

He gave me that grin and nodded.

I carried him down the hall to the East side of the house and came to the door that used to be my mother’s studio. I had recently used it for a drafting project, but I didn’t frequent the place. I opened the door, turned on the light and said, “You can open your eyes.”

He did and looked around. There was a stool at the big worktable in the middle of the room with a machine on top that would hold paper and canvas at convenient angles. There were two big cabinets of supplies and a brilliant view of the marshland east of the house. There was a comfortable chair and end table by the window where my mother used to sit and drink her morning coffee before she would work.

Toby looked, closed the door and said, “Tim, I’m sorry, but I’m just going to have to blow you for this.”

“You know we can’t. We both know it’s not fair. I know you want to. I’m sure I’d like it. Hell, I’d like to blow you sometime just to see you wiggle. I’d like to say fuck it and have a huge orgy with everybody but…”

He laughed and said, “Just to see me wiggle?”

I said, “I know I turn you on. I have to be careful when we fool around because you turn me on too, just in a little different way. I’ve very tempted to just say screw it and just roll around on the floor with you.”

Toby said, “I love what you do let me get away with.” In typical Toby fashion, he shoved his hand in my shorts and said, “You’ll just have to spank me later for being naughty, daddy.”

“Sure Pal. Come here. This is something you get to see first.”

He went to the window and I pointed down. Toby saw the pool and said, “A pool? You’ve got a pool?”

“Yeah. The service got it in shape while we were at Arrowhead. See that little pool with the waterfall going into the big pool? That’s a hot tub. There’s a control that can make it warmer or cooler. The best part is the wall. It’s private enough for skinny dipping or nude sunbathing— without any bears, of course.”

 

 

The pool was a big hit. The kitten wasn’t interested in swimming, but everybody else was. Chris and Tony returned triumphantly in the big, new GMC, and they got into it as well. I told everybody to have fun and even Frank could hang out there since that time of day, the whole pool was in the shade.

That distracted them enough for me to get away for a few minutes. I stopped in my office and called Father Ashley.

His wife answered, and he came on the phone directly.

“Tim. It’s good to hear from you.”

“Thank you, Father; could you spare a half hour? There are a few things we need to discuss.”

“Certainly.”

"I’ll be over in about ten minutes.”

I grabbed the folio that I had prepared for the Father, got in my Toyota and headed to the rectory adjacent to Saint Luke’s. Mrs. Ashley met me at the door and led me to the Father’s study.

He rose and we shook hands. “Good to see you Tim. How can I help you?”

“First I have a big problem that I’m going to share with you, and then I’m going to show you a possible solution that I’ve been working on for some time.”

“When I got the kids out to Arrowhead Lodge, they responded very well to me, and they opened up about some things I doubt they would have told anybody else. How well do you know the Rankin boys?”

The Father said, “Sam and I have talked a lot about them. I know they’ve had problems, and I have a suspicion where you are going with this.”

I sighed and said, “You know they’ve both been sexually abused?”

He nodded.

“Toby told me where it happened. Furthermore, here are two guys that need to have a bad accident.”

I handed him the copies of the sketches.

The Father’s eyebrows lifted and said, “Where did you get these?”

“Toby. He’s incredibly gifted. If he sees something, he can draw it. Do you know a cop we could trust to hand these too?”

“Yes Tim, I do.”

“I wish that was all, but it’s not. We’ve got a corrupt deputy sheriff working narcotics, extorting teenagers into sex and dealing for him. I don’t know who he is, but he’s been running this scam on Frank since he was 16. I’ve seen him around quite a bit. He’s always in the car marked SO-206.”

The Father shook his head and I saw some Marine in him as a wave of anger washed over him and then brought it under control. He said, “If I know you, you want to go hunting, and I’d like to join you, but that isn’t the right way. As soon as we’re done, I’m calling the Chief Dodd of the Lakeview PD. He has a hunting license.”

“Thank you father. Now, here’s my proposal to address this problem. There’s nowhere in our general neighborhood for kids to go that’s safe and supervised.” I opened the folio to a map of our area, focused on the big marsh behind St. Luke’s and abutting my property.

I said, “I’ve been working on this for some time, and hearing about this made me speed up the process. The foundation that I operate has obtained title to this land and a waiver from the EPA wetlands regulations. This is what I envision.”

I turned the page to the big blueprint that showed my drainage plan. I say, “First, we install a drainage system.”

I turned the page to the blueprint that showed the landfill plans. “We bring in sand and stabilize the land with pilings and concrete.”

“Then we build this on it.” I showed him the plan of the park I envisioned with a pool, tennis courts, boat docks, green space and landscaping.

“The tough part will be prepping the site. I’ve budgeted 1.8 million for that and the rest can be done for another two.”

Father Ashley asked, “How can I help?”

“First- I want St. Luke’s to be associated with the park. Father, do you know how much my Dad left me?”

He said, “I take it that it’s a considerable sum?”

I nodded. “It is, and it generates hundreds of millions every year. My real job is my foundation. I have to give away millions or taxes will just eat it up. I can bankroll the whole project, and hire a few people to run and supervise it once it’s done, but I must remain anonymous.”

Father Ashley asked, “Why?”

I said, “Two reasons, Father. If people knew, I’d have to go into hiding. I would be swamped by the needy and the greedy.”

He smiled and said, “Fair point. What is the second reason?”

I said, “Matthew 6:5. When you do something for God, you do it for God, not publicity.”

He nodded and looked at me appreciatively. “There are depths to you that I had not appreciated, Tim. How will this work?”

“Someone from the foundation will contact you about the project. I would appreciate that you kept my name on it as a consulting engineer. Everything in the package on your desk is enough to get the ball rolling for you. As a consulting engineer, I can help with that. I already have a general contractor in mind and several subs who will do good work. This will give the kids out there a safe place to be.”

He looked at the plans, and he looked at me. “I’m in. Your Dad would be very proud of you, Tim. You would make a fine member of St. Luke’s, you know.”

“I’m leaning that way, Father. It’s good to have connections with someone who knew my Dad and the boss upstairs.”

“Your being good enough with those kids that they opened up about what happened to them. I don’t think you know quite how amazing that is.”

“Toby and Brandon are great kids. I think my youth might be in my favor in dealing with them. I doubt they would have ever told a cop or a suit what they told me.”

He grinned and said, “Tim, this is going to be fun. It would be worth doing just to get rid of the mosquitoes.”

 

 

My meeting with Father Ashley lasted less than an hour. I got home, went upstairs, put on some shorts and joined the crowd in the pool. We had fun and I ended up in the hot tub with Jeb, who was looking remarkably smug.

I sat by him and asked, “You look like the cat who ate the canary.”

He said, “Toby gave me something to smile about while you were out. I swear that kid could win the junior Olympics gold medal for blow jobs.”

I winked and said, “How does he compare with the pros?”

Jeb gave my crotch a little squeeze underwater. “I said junior Olympics.”

I asked, “When is the cruising at the park most active?”

He said, “Lunch time and just before dark. Why?”

I said, “I just talked to someone, and I’m pretty sure the place will be crawling with cops soon. Why don’t we make a run through there a little before dark and see if any of your friends are around and warn them.”

Jeb grinned and said, “It’ll be fun to be seen with the hot guy. It’ll do my reputation wonders.”

We splashed around and played grab ass in the pool for a while. While I was trying to save my virtue from the ravening cock-hounds, I recruited Toby and Brandon to go on our ride through the park just before sundown.

On the way back up to my room, Brandon fell in behind me and asked, “Can I take a shower with you?”

I wanted to say in those silver Speedos, you could do more than shower, but I said, “Sure Brandon. We just have to keep it clean.”

He and I grabbed some clothes and a towel, and we stepped into my bathroom. Brandon marveled at the big sunken tube and said, “You could have a party up in here. Are you going to invite me?”

I said, “You and Toby, if you behave. You haven’t tried to double-team me lately, and I appreciate it.”

Brandon slipped out of his Speedo and asked, “Do you like?”

“Hell yeah, I like. I just can’t do anything about it.”

He sighed and said, “I must be losing my touch. I used to be able to have men eating out of my hands.”

“You aren’t losing your touch. You sure had Frank breathing hard last night.”

“Yeah. That was fun. Thanks for that.”

I turned on the water, got in the shower and Brandon followed.

He actually behaved. I used the big sponge to get his back soapy, and then did me. It was the fronts that caused him to pop a big boner, and I had what you might call a sympathetic boner.

It was when I reached up to shampoo Brandon’s hair when the body and dick contact was made. He shuddered appreciatively as I lathered his hair. When I pulled him close to reach around him to wash his ass with the sponge, he gasped as my finger tickled his pucker.

As we stood there together I said, “This is a lot more than we’re supposed to get away with but what happens in the shower, stays in the shower, or it goes down the drain.”

He smiled, and his hands closed around our cocks, and he jerked us both to a furious, stress relieving orgasm. We rinsed off and sat on the seats around the sunken tub.

Brandon leaned against me and I asked, “Are we cool?”

He chuckled and said, “Of course. I think I understand you a little better. There’s a line. I get it. I’m glad you took me there and showed me where it is. I like it there. We had fun, we got off. Nobody got married. I loved the closeness. It was cool.”

“Can you live with it?”

He nodded.

“When you turn legal, I’ll show you some wild shit but for now, that’s as far as we can go, and no, I haven’t even come anywhere close to taking Toby there.”

Brandon chuckled and said, “Take him there. He’ll love it. He’s so hot for you, he’d blow before you finished lathering him up.”

I said, “Come here. This is fun.”

He followed me to the big mat, I handed him a towel, and we had fun drying each other off, and it ended up in a minor wrestling match. We slipped into boxers, shorts and a shirt, combed our hair and were good to go.

 

 

We met up with a spiffy and clean Jeb and Toby down in the kitchen playing with Frank’s kitten. The little beastie would puff his tail and bounce sideways on his toes like a fierce jungle cat. Then Toby would pet the kitten that would roll around purring and stretching.

Then he would hop up, run to Jeb or Frank and start the whole process over.

Brandon and I both got a chance to tame the fierce creature with gentle petting along his spine.

Frank said, “You were right. He has us trained already.”

“I think pizza tonight. What do you guys think?”

It was a good suggestion, we settled for three large pepperoni, mushroom and onion pizzas and Frank volunteered to go pick them up.

After we ate it was time for our mission to the park so Jeb, Toby, Brandon and I rolled out in Jeb’s jeep.

 

 

 

 

Were it not for a few tall trees, we could see right into the little park. We could see parts of it and all the boat ramps from my upstairs balcony. The neighborhood kids had bike trails though the pine forest on the West side of my property. The way the roads went, and a few creeks ran, we had to back track away from our destination and come around.

I realized that I was seeing the park from a different perspective. I wasn’t in one of my vehicles, and Jeb’s jeep was fairly distinctive. We passed the big park sign at the turn off and Jeb pulled into the park proper.

We passed three elementary aged girls on bikes that made a point of giggling and waving at the handsome guys in the jeep.

A giant old live oak wreathed in Spanish moss blocked the view ahead as we rounded the big curve, and there was the bathroom with two bikes lying in the grass beside it.

Jeb said, “That’s Cole and Barry. Pretty sure we know what’s going on up in there.”

Toby fumed, “That rat!”

“We shouldn’t disturb their fun. Let’s drive on down and see if we spot anybody else.”

As we drive down by the picnic tables, Jeb pulled up to one where the kid I recognized as Lance from Toby’s drawing was hanging out with another kid I’d seen around.

Lance looked a lot like Jeb, but with a darker complexion and warm brown eyes and blond hair. He was wearing gym shorts and a half shirt with the colors and logo of the local public high school.

The other kid had shoulder-length strawberry blond hair, was wearing a Pink Floyd t-shirt and cologne I identified as Eau de Marijuana. Both of them had eyes like road maps and were obviously higher than the space shuttle.

Jeb said, “Lance, Kevin: this is Tim. He wanted us to warn our friends that the cops are going to be around soon. They’re going after the creeps that have been bugging us.”

Toby and Brandon got out and everyone got acquainted. I kept an eye on the bathroom because I wanted to have a word with Cole and Barry.

Lance said, “I’ve seen you around dude but, you never hit on anybody. What are you doing with these boner biters? Are you like… cool?”

Toby said, “Cooler than a deep freeze."

I grinned and said, “I’m looking after Toby and Brandon while their Dad is out of town.”

Jeb said, “Tim’s way cool. He’s one of us but, he doesn’t hit on kids. You know the redhead in the Nissan?”

They both nodded. Jeb continued, “That’s his boyfriend.”

Kevin said, “Ohhh my God, that’s so hot. Please do some porn.”

Lance elbowed him and said, “Be cool man. He could break you in half.”

Toby said, “Tim wouldn’t. He’s nice. That’s why we’re out here trying to keep you boner biters out of trouble.”

I said, “I know how tough it is being your age and looking for a place to have fun and not get poison ivy on your balls, your leg humped by some perv or getting harassed by cops. You’re welcome to hang with Jeb and the Wonder Twins here while the park cools down.”

Kevin asked, “Where do you live?”

Jeb pointed across the lake where my house was in full view.

Lance said, “That’s your house?”

Brandon said, “He’s got a pool and a gym in his basement. It’s easy to get there through the trails.”

Kevin looked up and said, “Oh shit, it’s that creep in the red Pontiac. He’s busting right up in on Cole and Barry.”

“Brandon, Toby: take these guys to the house. Go now through the trails. Jeb, drive. This shit ends now.”

Jeb and I jumped in the jeep as Toby yelled, “Be careful, Tim! That guy's a freak.”

Jeb cranked up and started for the bathroom. I said, “Go slow by the bathroom— like walking speed. Then take off and get the city cops. You know where they are?”

He said, “Got it. Kick his ass, Tim.”

As the jeep rolled by the bathroom, I used the roll bar to get clear and hit the ground silently. As I walked by the creeps red Grand Prix, I quickly memorized the license tag. I avoided gravel and stepped quietly— toe, heel.

Just shy of the door, I heard a young voice say, “Please Sir, stop!”

A gruffer, much older voice said, “If you little faggots like boy meat, you’re going to love man meat.”

I saw nothing but red rage.

My father’s generation of Marines had faced Japanese soldiers with martial arts training, and had found that their basic hand-to-hand techniques were sometimes sorely lacking. For years after, various parties within the Corp worked to create a hand-to-hand combat style that could be taught to Marine recruits that would make them the equal or better of any soldiers they might face. As far as I know, that process is still ongoing.

For years, I would run with dad and my brother every morning. Afterwards, he would teach us, and we would spar. This was often accompanied by bruises, scraps and painful lessons. I once asked him why it was important to know this, and he said, “If you ever need it, you’ll need it badly.”

I thanked Dad for about the millionth time when I popped open the outer door without a sound. Before it could slam shut, I did the same with the inner door and entered what I had once thought of as the “Game Zone”.

Nothing had changed in the few days since the last time I had been there. There was still a sink to the right, two urinals and a stall.

The boy I recognized as Cole was in the far corner pulling his shorts up.

In the middle, cornering the two boys was the creep. I recognized him immediately from Toby's drawing. He was a persistent pest of a troll who didn't know when to quit. He was big, somewhere north of forty, and had a gut. He was holding an evil looking long-bladed knife high in his left hand and had the smaller kid who, I assumed, was Barry by the hair trying to force him to suck his cock.

He looked over his shoulder at me contemptuously and said, “Oh hey, pretty boy. You’re just going to have to wait your turn. I’ll be done with these little cocksuckers in a minute.”

He addressed the boy, “You suck good cock, little faggot. I might just have to bend you over and try your boy pussy.”

The creep hip thrust into the boy’s mouth. I’m certain that pissed off Barry because he bit the tar out the creep’s dick and tried to get away. The creep had a grip on Barry’s long hair and raised the knife to plunge it down on the kid.

Before he could, I snaked my left arm around his raised knife arm and grabbed his knife hand with my right. I had leverage and he didn’t. The tip of the knife poked Barry in the shoulder, but by that time I was pulling his knife arm up and away from the kid.

He kicked out at me savagely, but just grazed me with his foot. He let go of the boy to bring his right hand to bear, but I used my leverage and all my strength to slam him face first hard into the tile wall.

He growled, “I’m going to gut you, pretty boy.”

Rather than wasting any breath, I heel-stomped his leg with my left foot and could hear the bones snap, and he collapsed to his knees against the wall screaming. I used my leverage and strength again to break his arm and shove the knife blade in his left ear to the hilt. Just to make good and sure, I gave it a half twist.

He stayed motionless against the tile wall.

I spit on him.

After a few breaths to slow down the adrenalin rush, I said, “Cole, Barry: your friends sent me because they knew you were in trouble when this creep showed up. Pull you shorts up.”

The two boys were in shock, but they obeyed the man who had just killed their attacker. I looked down by the urinals and saw three big blobs of what was obviously cum on the tile floor.

I said, “Cole, Hand me a wad of toilet paper.”

He did as I asked, and I cleaned up the boy-spew, saying, “You were just two innocent kids minding your own business taking a piss when this creep showed up. Understand? The cops are on their way. That’s your story. Stick to it. You’ll be OK.”

They both gave me looks I’ll always treasure: in a matter of a few seconds, it went from horror, to shock, to puzzlement, to understanding then finally oh shit, this guy understands and is looking out for us.

“Barry, how bad are you cut?”

He said, “It’s just a scratch. You… you saved my life mister.”

Cole said, “You’re the guy who pulled Toby and Brandon out of the lake. What are you, a professional hero?”

I said, “No guys, I’ve just been at the right place at the right time.”

I straightened Barry’s hair where the creep had mussed it and said, “There was no way in hell I was going to let that creep hurt a couple of cuties like you.”

Cole asked, “If you think we’re cute, why did you never… we’ve all seen you around.”

I said, “Because you are kids, and I’m a decent guy. I’ll hug you, protect you and help you in any way that I can, but I’ll never, ever take advantage of you.”

Barry said, “Please feel free. I owe you at least a blow job.”

Cole said, “Me too.”

I heard a siren and said, “It sounds like the cops are on the way. Remember, you’re traumatized boys who were just sexually assaulted by that monster over there. I’m your hero. You want to stay with me.”

Barry said, “No shit. With a chest and arms like yours, I’ll move in.”

I opened my arms and Barry got the signal. Just like Toby, he jumped into my arms and wrapped his legs around me. He put his head on my shoulder and sighed.

Cole said, “I want to be comforted too.”

I said, “You apologize to Toby, and I’ll comfort you a lot.”

We went out in the front of the building with me holding Barry, who was loving it and Cole close by our side. The sirens were getting closer.

Cole asked, “You like Toby?”

I said, “Love him to death.”

“I’d like to be friends again, but I really fucked up with him. I was stupid and scared. Could you help me with that?”

“I will. Just tell him what you just said. You hurt him but, he loves you, Cole. I knew your face because you’re in his sketchbook.”

The cop car came around the curve with the Jeb’s jeep right behind it.

They got out of their car and asked, “What happened?”

I said, “The dead creep in there was trying to sexually assault these kids.”

They went in, examined the scene and came back out. They both shook my hand and hugged the boys.

Barry refused to be separated from me. He was shaking, but the cops wanted to question us separately.

I stayed where he could see me, but they took him across the parking lot to question him. As soon as he was done, he ran back to my side.

While this was going on, cars continued to arrive. Detectives, the coroner, crime scene guys and more cops. Thankfully, they set up a perimeter to keep out gawkers.

While this was going on, they questioned Cole.

As I was leaning against the wall, a paramedic came to attend me, but I didn’t even know I’d been hurt. I had a shallow six-inch scratch on my right bicep where I had been struggling with the creep over the blade.

When it was my turn to be questioned, I was surprised to see Father Ashley and Police Chief Dodd standing behind the detectives who were taking my statement.

“I’m keeping the two Rankin boys while Sam is out of town, and over the Memorial Day Holiday they opened up and told me that there were perverts stalking this place and that this one had been molesting boys at knife point. As I had no contacts with the police, I spoke to Father Ashley about it and gave him good sketches to turn over to Chief Dodd. At the urging of the boys, we drove down to the park to warn their friends that this creep was doing this. They recognized the boys bikes and the creep's car. I sent the boys home through the trails and their friend Jeb Somerset to get the police and I went in.”

“The creep was holding a knife over the smaller boy Barry and trying to force him into oral sex. Cole was trapped in the far corner. The creep said something really rude that angered Barry who bit the creep right where it hurt the most and the bastard was about to stab the boy. I grabbed the knife arm and got him away from the boys. In the subsequent struggle, the creep was killed. The kids were really shaken up, so I tried to calm them down and waited for the police.”

“That’s my statement.”

One of the detectives asked, “You went in against a knife armed suspect bare handed?”

I answered, “My Dad was part of the Marine Martial Arts program since the late forties. Every morning we used to run and then spar. There was no way in hell I was going to leave those kids alone in there. Hearing them talk about this guy, he was escalating. It was only a matter of time before one of these kids ended up on a milk carton.”

Chief Dodd walked up to me and motioned me away from the crowd and said confidentially, “You got a conduit to my office now.” He handed me a business card. “Any time you need to talk, call me. If these kids are talking to you, we need your help to protect them.”

“Thank you, Chief. I’ll take you up on it.”

He said, “Father Ashley and I are golf buddies, and he filled me in on who you are. I know about a little project you and Saint Luke’s are working on. Jesus, Mr. Shepherd, this is deep blue hero stuff you just pulled tonight.”

I said, “For the city and the kids, we need to make this as low-key as possible. In your press release, you might say that an unnamed friend or an uncle caught this before it got too bad, and the perp was killed trying to escape.”

He nodded. “I think that’s best for all concerned.” The Chief paused and said, “You seem to have a gift with these kids, Mr. Shepherd. They never give us stuff like this.”

“They’re scared. Scared someone will call them a fag or think it’s their fault. I noticed that growing up myself.”

The Chief said, “Could you do me a huge favor?”

I said, “I will if I can.”

“Would you be willing to talk to some of our juveniles? You seem to have a gift for it.”

“I’ll try. I’ve got a good rapport with the Rankin kids and Jeb. They can help. How long do you need me? It’s getting late, and I want to take the boys home.”

The Chief said, “This is open and shut. We knew this mutt, and he was a bad one. We weren’t really expecting this out of him, but he’s done. You can go. Do you need a ride?”

“No. Jeb is waiting.”

On the way out, I stopped by the ambulance and asked one of the EMTs, “Do you guys have any anti-anxiety meds? These two boys are wound petty tight.”

At this point, I was getting rock-star treatment and one of the medics said, “We give Ativan for post event trauma. Give them one tonight and another tomorrow. If the symptoms persist, my advice is to see a psychiatrist. They could get some post-traumatic out of this. You could too.”

Jeb took us home just in time for the eight o’clock news on the radio: “In our top story, a Rivervine man was killed while trying to molest two local boys. The father of one of their friends intervened, and the man was killed with his own knife in the struggle. Details are pending as authorities notify the next of kin. In other news, a local deputy was arrested tonight after an audit of drugs and money in the narcotics squad. That investigation is ongoing…”

I said, “Come on in, guys. You need anything?”

Toby met me at the door and gave me a huge hug, “Tim, you saved Cole. Jesus. How can I ever thank yo?" Then he and Cole were kissing.

Cole said, “I’m so sorry, Toby. I was stupid and I was scared. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

I said, “Barry, Cole, you need to call your parents.”

Barry said, “It’s after nine. He’s shitfaced by now. I’ll call him in the morning while he’s good and hungover, so I can really piss him off.”

“Toby, take Cole to a phone. Come on Barry. Let’s raid the kitchen.”

As we went through the gym Barry said, “That’s a sauna isn’t it?”

I nodded.

He said, “Some of my favorite gay porn takes place in a sauna.”

I asked, “Where did you see gay porn?”

He said, “My Dad’s boyfriend thinks he hides the tapes.”

I said, “Something tells me you’re going to be interesting to hang out with.”

When I got to the kitchen, Frank nearly tackled me with a ferocious kiss and said, “Stop being heroic. You aren’t frikkin Batman, OK? I love you and don’t want to be a young widow.”

I said, “Have you met Barry?”

Frank took one look at Barry, hugged him and said, “Oh my God, he’s adorable!”

“He’s one of the two kids I went in there for.”

I said, “Barry, this is Frank.”

Barry looked up at Frank with a growing tent in his shorts and said, “Wow, you’re beautiful.”

“Isn’t he, though? Frank, this little guy has been through a lot tonight. Now they prescribed some pills to calm him down, but I think a little weed would probably suit him better. Can you help?”

Frank said, “Sure.”

Barry reached way into his shorts and pulled out a fat baggie and said, “We’re good.”

I asked, “Where on earth did you have that?”

He grinned and said, “I’m not a big fan of tightie-whities, but they do have a nice, convenient pouch for holding things under your balls.”

“Frank, would you take care of Barry here and gather everybody upstairs? I have to make a call.”

With Barry following Frank like a puppy, I went to the office off the kitchen, closed the door, looked on my Rolodex and made a call.

A gruff, terse voice answered, “Hello?”

I said, “Gunny Anders, sorry to call so late, but I needed a word.”

“Little Shep, how are you doing, boy? I was just watching the news and drinking a toast to the guy who waxed that pervert.”

I said, “Uhhh… that’s what I’m calling about. That was me.”

“Holy shit son. Your first kill; I was hoping you wouldn’t have to go through that. Tell me what happened.”

I recounted the story; less a few details that would make the boys look like sluts.

He said, “How are you feeling?”

I said, “Just after it happened, I felt like I was going to puke. I focused on the kids and calming them down. To be perfectly honest, I don’t feel bad about putting that creep down.”

Gunny Anders sighed and said, “Sooner or later, it’s going to hit you. You got people around who are close to you?”

“Yes, thank God. Do you still run that gym?”

He chuckled and said, “Yeah, such as it is.”

I said, “Gunny, I want to bring you some kids to work with. They’re out of school, unsupervised, and trouble like we just had is bound to find them. I’d like to get them somewhere safe, learning the right stuff, and I can’t think of anybody better suited for that than you.”

“My gym isn’t exactly overflowing with customers. I’d be delighted to take them. When do you want to bring them in?”

“Tomorrow afternoon around one, OK?”

The Gunny said, “I’ll be looking for you and Tim, be careful. Those feelings are likely to sneak up and blindside you. Call me if you need to talk about it, OK?”

“Thanks Gunny. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

 

I went upstairs and found a crowd milling around the boys' rooms. Frank had several admirers clustered about him: Barry, Kevin and Lance were all smiles standing in the hall talking to him. In the boy’s room, Tony and Chris were chatting amiably with Jeb, Toby, Brandon and Cole.

I said, “Gentlemen. We’re going to have a boxer party. Everybody, strip to your boxers.”

Barry protested, “But I’ve only got tightie-whities.”

“You’re about the same size as Toby. See if he’ll help you out.”

It didn’t take long to get little crowd down to their boxers. There were several tents pitched.

I said, “Does anybody know why we’re in boxers, and the answer is not just because it’s hot.”

Chris said, “Because this way, there’s nothing hidden among us.”

“Exactly. Now we’re going to take a trip to a part of the house no one has seen before. It’s pretty cool, and I think you’ll like it.”

Toby and Barry appeared out of the boy’s room, both clad in cute little boxers. “Is everybody ready?”

Frank said, “Tim, you’re forgetting something.”

“Oh. Sorry.” I stepped into the room Frank and I shared and stripped out of my clothes and put on my favorite red boxers. I was quite sure the new crowd wasn’t ready for me in red Speedo. I kept hearing an unfamiliar noise and I realized it was the kitten purring curled up on Frank’s pillow.

I returned to the hall and led the procession toward the west wing of the house. I rarely ventured there anymore. I stopped at a door and let the group catch up.

I said, “Wait here. This will just take a second.”

I opened the door and went into the room. It was unused before my parents passed away. Then I got the bright idea to make it into a party room. The problem was that I would sit in there and get stoned and not party or do anything worthwhile. Depression sucks. Depression and booze and weed really suck. One day, I decided it was time to get a freaking life again, cleaned it up left and closed the door.

It was a medium-sized room with a closet in the corner. The room was built around a Nakamichi stereo system. I flipped it on and queued up Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Around most of the room was a sectional sofa with a coffee table in the middle. It would be a little crowded, but this bunch would like it that way. I turned on the black lights, turned off the overheads, and the posters glowed garish and psychedelic. I noticed my boxers had turned a color you might see on a Yes album cover.

I went back to the door and said, “OK, guys. This room will be snug for eleven, but it will work.”

As they came in and got a look, there were various comments like cool and far out.

Frank gave me a look that silently requested explanation. I told the group as they got settled on the couch that wrapped around the room, “I put this place together after my Mom and Dad passed away. I intended it to be a party room, but I was depressed and just sat in here listening to music and getting stoned all the time.”

Kevin, the strawberry blond stoner kid asked, “What was wrong with that?”

I said, “I was sitting on my ass doing nothing. I had to figure some shit out or go down the rabbit hole a lot of our neighbors get lost in, staying fucked up all the time. Finally, some things my father and the people I grew up around caught up with me. What gives life meaning is not holing up with a bong; it’s what happens out there.” I gestured outside with my thumb.

“Getting high or a little drunk is fun. It relaxes you but, my point is, this is a nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live here. Too many people do and it ruins them. Now— we’re going to get a little high because I know for sure Barry and Cole need to get that creep out of their head.”

I opened the closet, brought out a hookah and put it down on the coffee table. I said, “I need a volunteer to run down to the kitchen and bring us a big glass of ice water.”

Frank stood, and his puppy Barry followed, and they went downstairs. I put about a quarter ounce on a tray and, with some able help from Kevin and Lance, cleaned out the seeds. By the time Frank arrived with the ice water, the weed was ready.

As Frank and Kevin prepared a little more, I poured the ice water into the hookah and got the hoses laid out. There were only four attached, but we took turns and burned a big bowl. By the time it was all ash, we were all feeling it.

I asked, “Cole, could you tell us a little about yourself?”

He said, “I’m Cole Matthews. I’m fourteen, and I’m crazy about Toby.”

I chuckled and said, “We all are. I went in there after you because Toby recognized your bike. Come here.”

Cole came to me and sat on my knee, and we hugged. I stroked his hair and said, “I’m glad you’re ok. If you need to talk about it, I’ll listen.”

He whispered in my ear, “Toby has told me a lot about you, and I feel the burning urge for a spanking coming on.”

I said at a normal volume, “I’ll be talking to you and Toby soon.”

He gave me a hug, got up, and I stopped him from returning to his seat. I said, “Some other people want to say hi too.”

Frank took Cole on his knee, hugged him and said, “I’m glad you’re here. Get Toby to show you the sketches of you he’s done. I’m pretty sure he’s crazy about you, too.”

While Cole was being hugged by Chris and Tony, I said, “Barry, tell us about yourself.”

Barry said, “I’m Barry Anderson. I’m 13 and you saved my life. I owe you a blow job.”

He got the idea from Cole’s example and bounded over to me and knelt in front of me like he was going to deliver one on the spot. The guys laughed and hooted, and he sat on my right knee that conveniently screened his left hand on my cock from view.

Barry said enthusiastically, “You should have seen this guy. I don’t know whether it was karate or kung fu, but that fat bastard was shoving his cock in my mouth and I didn’t want it. I bit him hard, and he was going to stab me. I couldn’t get away because he had me by the hair. The creep was going to stab me, but Tim snatched his arm in some kind of hold and slammed him into the wall so hard that the guy's teeth hit the floor. Then Tim kicked him in the leg, and we heard the bones snap, then Tim broke his arm and shoved that man's knife right in his ear.”

Barry was shaking now, flashing back, and big tears rolled down his face. I hugged him, and he hugged me back as hard as he could. I said, “It’s ok. It’s over now. You’re safe and that prick ain’t coming back. You are surrounded by friends that love you.”

“Really?”

Frank said, “Really. I wasn’t at all surprised when I heard what Tim did. I saw him jump off a thirty-foot balcony and slide down a pipe to pull Toby and Brandon out of the lake when their canoe tipped over. He doesn’t even think about it.”

Barry moved over and sat in Frank’s lap and said, “It’s easy to love you back. You’re just… so pretty.”

Frank kissed him on the forehead and said, “You’re pretty cute yourself.”

Chris said, “Hand him here, I want to hug him too.”

Barry had landed in his version of heaven. Cute guys were giving him attention, and he loved it.

I said, “So, Lance, tell us about yourself.”

He said, “I’m Lance McCormick. I’ll be 16 in October. If this is a cult, I so want to join. You guys are awesome.”

Chris said, “It’s not a cult. Maybe it’s a cult of personality. Tim is like a king or a duke from olden times. We’re drawn by his charisma, but we stay because you can’t help but love him. Talk to me later about what he’s done for Tony or me or any of the other guys.”

To say Lance was hot was a severe understatement. His eyes and his facial features were so striking and gave him a presence that would be noticed in any room. He came and sat on my knee and said, “You came to warn us. You cared about us without even knowing us when everyone else runs us off or calls us names.” Then he hugged me and held it.

I said, “I do know you. I used to see you around all the time. I was tempted, Lance. You’re a rare beauty. I remember being in your shoes. I used to cruise that park when I was your age and I met the creeps, drunks and degenerates you meet between decent tricks. You think you’ve got it under control until some asshole drives up in a red Grand Prix and starts talking about wanting boy pussy.”

Lance said, “They say actions speak louder than words. What you did tonight, I heard it loud and clear. I’m tired of being an outsider. I want to belong.”

Frank said, “I know what you mean, Lance. Before I met Tim, I had friends, but they were scattered. Everything was sneaking around and secret. Now, those of us here, we can be like normal people. We don’t have to lie or be covert about being gay. I can hold Tim and no one can say shit about it.”

Lance went to Frank’s lap, and they spoke to each other quietly, laughed and looked at me.

I said, “What?”

Lance said, “I asked Frank if it was OK to tell you. We got together a few times. It’s been a while, but we’ve been friendly and often eaten together.”

I said, leaning over and kissing both of them, “I’m not the jealous type. I’d say Frank has pretty good tastes if you ask me.”

When Lance moved over to Chris, he said, “Confession time for me as well. Lance is just too hot. I was horny as hell, saw him walking by, and he waved. One thing led to another, and I took him off to have my way with him.”

As Tony and Chris bantered with Lance, I said, “Kevin, tell us about yourself.”

He said, “I’m Kevin Stone, and I’m sixteen. You had me at the Pink Floyd you were playing.”

I asked, “Stone? For real?”

“Yeah. With that last name…”

I patted my knee. He came over with alacrity, and said, “I’m legal.”

It was the first good, close look at the boy I had gotten. He was past cute and racing toward handsome, with a stockier and more muscular build than the rest of the teens. He had a pale complexion matching his strawberry blond hair, but it was bronzed, and his hair had highlights from the being in the sun. I saw the tell-tale scars on his hands and arms of a cutter.

I asked, “How long have you been cutting yourself?”

He looked shocked that anyone would notice. I said, “I may be a little more perceptive than other people in your life, Kevin. I know about cutting: you like a little pain?”

He nodded.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed about. It’s really common and it takes many forms. I’m not a sadist nor do I care for pain myself, but I know a bit about it. We can talk about it later and find different ways that don’t leave scars, OK?”

Kevin hugged me and said, “I’d like that. Lately, my Dad has been asking questions and falling off my bike isn’t cutting it anymore.”

I asked, “Don’t you have a car or something? How about you Lance?”

Kevin said, “No. Nobody has time to bother teaching me to drive.”

Lance said, “Me either. I’m supposed to be waiting for drivers ed next fall.”

I said, “I’ll teach you both. We’ll go way out in the country and…”

Kevin hugged me so fiercely I nearly fell over. Then Lance joined in, and I had two really excited, very affectionate cuties on both my knees.

“It’ll be fun. I know of some places we can go out near LaSalle National Park, we can spend a few hours going from spot to spot trading drivers. On the way back, I can pick up some barbecue from a little place I know out in the country.”

Kevin said, “Is this real? I’m not having some wild ass acid trip, am I?”

Toby spoke up and said, “That’s what I thought when we were at Arrowhead Lodge this weekend. I wasn’t sure it was real either, so I bit Tim on the ear. Then he tickled me so hard I thought I was going to pee. It’s real, all right.”

Kevin looked at me and asked, “Why, Tim? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it. What are we to you? Nobody else has the time of day for us.”

I said, “There are many reasons. I've lost all of my close family. It’s a scary time to be gay with AIDS going around and creeps like that bastard that went after Barry and Cole. Then there are rednecks that you can’t tell if they want to beat you up or suck your dick until they’re doing one or the other. I’ll bet you’ve had trouble in school where you have guys that won’t even speak to you in public but want to come over and spend the night. Does any of this ring a bell?”

Everyone in the room nodded and Cole said, “Oh shit. I thought that only happened to me.”

I said, “No. It is not just you. It's stuff we all have to deal with. We’re all better off if we have friends we can trust and count on around us, and people you can talk to about things that would make your Mom’s and Dad’s freak out if you brought it up. What we all have a need for is family that we can count on that has time for you, accepts you for who you are and watches your back. I want that for myself, and I’m pretty sure you do too.”

Kevin and Lance both hugged me and I noticed that Lance had a tear in his eye.

I hugged them back, and said, “Here’s another good reason. All of you are going to grow up. It’s just a matter of time. When you do, I’ll still be here, and I will help you with things like school and jobs. You won’t have to feel so alone and scared anymore. You’ll know that you’ve got someone behind you that will love and protect you.”

Barry spoke up and said, “Or someone who will wade into a room and kick a creep with a knife’s ass into the afterlife to get us out of deep shit.”

Kevin said, “I’m in. How do we get started?”

I said, “Lance, Cole, Barry- what do you say.”

They all agreed, saying variations of hell yeah.

“The youngest first- choose one of us four supposed grown-ups to be your big brother. They are going to be your buddy. That’s who you can talk to, hang out with and help you out.”

Toby looked at me anxiously, and I said, “Toby, Brandon and Jeb- you guys know we love you. You aren’t losing anything.”

Barry came right up to me and asked, “If I pick somebody else, that doesn’t mean I won’t get to spend time with you, right?”

“No. I’m still going to spend time with all of you. In fact, as soon as we finish up here, we're going to talk, OK?”

Barry said, “OK.” He moved over to Frank and said, “Would you be my big brother?”

Frank scooped him up, kissed him on the forehead and said, “Of course I would! I was hoping you would ask.”

Cole chose next, and he went to Tony and said, “Toby says I should pick you because you’re really cool. Toby’s never wrong about these things.”

Tony grabbed Cole in a big hug and said, “Toby is pretty smart.”

Lance chose next and picked Chris. Lance sat on his lap, and they talked quietly, both grinning.

Kevin said, “I guess you are stuck with me.”

I shook my head and said, “No, I was hoping it would be you. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”

I whispered in his ear, “Since you’re legal, I can go further with you than I can with the others. I’m going to teach you pain and pleasure without actually hurting you. Kiss me on the ear if you like the sound of that.”

He did more than kiss that ear. He sucked my earlobe and whispered, “Yes daddy.”

“Tomorrow we’re going to have a full day. Have fun, but don’t stay up too late because we have an appointment for a checkup with a doctor. He’s not like most doctors because he’s gay and is very dialed in on the health needs of gay men and teens. He’s also going to tell you how to protect yourself from AIDS. After we’re done there, we’re going to the gym where I’m going to introduce you to an instructor that can teach you the martial arts that I used to fuck up that creep. Afterwards, we come home and enjoy the hot tub and sauna, and I’ll give rub downs later. You’ll need them. It might not sound fun but, you’ll be together and that’s at least a little fun. I also want you to slip home and get some clothes.”

Chris said, “One of Tim’s rub down is well worth it.”

“I’m for that”, Frank purred.

“OK, you guys stay here and enjoy for a bit. I’ve got some chores to do. Barry, Brandon— please come with me.”

They hopped up from where that were sitting and followed me. I grabbed two towels, and they followed me out to the patio and around to the pool.

It was a moonless night, but the stars blazed. None of the pool lights were on, but the red wood around the hot tub was bathed in pure starlight.

I said, “Brandon, Barry here has had a hard day and if I remember correctly you like him.”

Barry said, “Really?”

Brandon put his hand on Barry’s shoulder, sighed and said, “Tim, that’s cheating. I was supposed to help him figure that out.”

“I’m not against romance. I just wanted to help move things along. We all love Barry in one way or another. He’s cuter than most of the guys in the teen girl mags. I think he needs someone who appreciates him to hold him naked in the hot tub. I would do it myself but, I thought you would be a better choice, Brandon. What do you think, Barry.”

Barry shed his boxers with alacrity and said, “Tim is making a lot of sense.”

Brandon looked at me and said, “You are something else, Tim. Thank you.” Brandon dropped his boxers and climbed into the hot tub beside Barry. They put their arms over each other’s shoulders and put their foreheads together.

I said, “Remember— this isn’t cruising. You have time and you are safe. Take your time and enjoy it. Just dry off and come back in when you’re done. Barry, see me before you turn in. Frank will want a hug too.”

 

 

 

I returned to the party room, where Pink Floyd had been replaced by the Cars. Toby and Cole were talking, and the other guys were smiling and chatting amiably.

I beckoned for the newly reunited couple to follow me, and I took them to Toby’s studio.

Cole gasped and said, “Oh, Toby! I know you love this.”

Toby asked, “Who put the love seat in here?”

“I did. I thought it would be a good setting for a model; show Cole your sketch of him, Toby.”

Toby pulled out his special sketchbook and opened it to the beautiful sketch of Cole sleeping.

Cole gasped and said, “Is that really me?”

I said, “In Toby’s eyes. You hurt him but, he never stopped loving you, Cole. I know why you hurt him, and I think I can explain it to both of you.”

I sat down on the love seat with Toby on one knee and Cole on the other. The contrast between the two boys was striking. They had the easy familiarity of two boys who had grown up together, but a year or so had changed them. Toby still had a little baby fat and not come into his adolescent growth, while Cole had grown tall and lean. Cole’s package suggested that he had surpassed Toby in other ways as well. Despite the changes, the warmth between the two was undeniable.

I said, “Let me see if I am anywhere close to being right about you two. You were doing things with each other that you both enjoyed well before you ever knew that it had a Latin name and many people talk absolute shit about. Am I right?”

Cole nodded sadly and said, “When I watched TV, gay people were dying.” He was wracked with a sob and said, “I was scared, and I had no one to talk to about it.”

“You got terrified and didn’t understand. The more you were with Toby, the more you wanted him. You thought the only way you could cure yourself was to stay away from Toby, but that didn’t work either. You needed that closeness and affection, and you had to go find it again. You didn’t think Toby would want you back.”

Cole was sobbing now. He choked out, “Yes. It wasn’t Toby. It was me. I was stupid and scared. Please forgive me, Toby. You didn’t make me gay. I just discovered it with you.”

Toby leaned forward and began kissing Cole on the chest.

I said, “I have an idea that the reason you were with Barry was because he reminded you of Toby.”

Cole twitched as Toby kissed his way down his stomach and finally kissing his bulging boxers.

“I’m pretty certain that means he forgives you, Cole.”

 

 

For my next project, I needed hardware, so I went down to the garage. I found the choke collar that had belonged to my brother’s beloved Labrador retriever many years ago and some thin, soft nylon rope. In the kitchen, I found a couple of a couple of clothes pins in the miscellaneous shit drawer. Every kitchen needs one of those.

I returned to the party room and found that everyone, except Kevin, had departed. He was putting a fresh album on. It was Pink Floyd’s Wish you Were Here, of which I heartily approved. I sat down, beckoned Kevin to come and sit with me and noted that by the state of his boxers, he was moderately aroused.

I said, “Before we go any further, I want you to know that I will not do anything that will hurt you. A little ouchie yes, serious hurt no. Do you trust me with that?”

He nodded nervously.

“I won’t ever be using a gag of any kind, so if anything is too intense, just tell me. Now: tell me about your fantasies. When you jerk off, what is it that you visualize that puts you over the top.”

Kevin described several pretty common fetishes that made him seriously hot. He had a taste for bondage, a little pain, and he wanted to be dominated.

I asked, “Do you want a daddy Kevin?”

“Yes daddy. I do.”

“Hold it. I’m not your daddy yet. Strip and show me that you are the boy I want.”

He slipped off his boxers, which must have turned him on because he hardened. His cock was almost as long as Jeb’s, but it had a curve to the right and was thicker. It betrayed its excitement with pre-cum and danced with his pulse.

“Very nice. Now turn around.”

He turned his back to me. I massaged his ass and he quivered.

I said, “That’s a nice ass. Is it virgin?”

“Yes daddy. I’ve never been fucked. I’m afraid of AIDS.”

“You’re a smart boy. I like that. I will teach you how to protect yourself. Now, turn around and kneel in front of me and show me that you want daddy.”

He knelt and immediately started to pull my cock out of my boxers, but I stopped him.

“You don’t have permission to do that. Leave the boxers in place and show me your enthusiasm.”

He kissed and licked his way up and down from my cocks head to my balls. His steamy breath and excitement built on my excitement.

I stopped him and said, “Sit on my knee again.”

He reluctantly gave up my cock but sat on my knee as instructed and asked, “May I hold it?”

“Yes sweet boy.” He slipped his hand in my boxers and explored my cock.

“If you are to be my boy, I have to have total truth from you. I will return truth with ecstasy. Understand?”

“Yes daddy.”

“I’m not jealous. I do not mind if you get with other boys. In fact, I’d like for you to have a boyfriend but, if you are to be my boy, I need to know. Of the group that’s here, which ones have you been with?”

He said, “Almost all of them. Not Toby. He was just so little; I didn’t feel right getting with him. Lance and I have a thing. We were trying to figure out where we could go when you and Jeb pulled up.”

I stroked his hair and kissed his head and asked, “Barry?”

He reddened and said, “Yes. Barry.”

I said, “It’s OK. I understand. He’s cute and he’s a sweetheart.”

Kevin flushed and said, “That’s true but, holy shit Tim, that little guy gives the best head ever. I don’t know exactly what it is he does, but I can’t last a minute with him on my dick. He’s like Mozart, but instead of a piano, he plays the skin flute. He said he owed you a blow job. Take him up on it.”

I chuckled and said, “I’m going to wait a few years on that.”

He looked down and said, “I’ve also been with Jeb and Frank. Jeb and I, we’re buds but, Frank was so stoned when we got together, I’m not certain he remembers me.”

I raised Kevin’s head, kissed him and rubbed his chest. His hand on my cock tightened its grip. When I broke the kiss, he was panting and said, “Wow, what was that for.”

“You told me something you thought I might not want to hear. I told you that I rewarded truth. Now, Kevin, tell me about your drug use.”

“I smoke pot pretty much every day. I’ve tried ecstasy and coke.”

I said, “Pot I can live with, but I don’t want anything stronger around the rest of the boys. Is that clear?”

“Yes, but I just got an eight-ball. It’s in my wallet.”

“Put your shorts on and go get it.”

He did as I asked, and I retrieved a mirror, razor blade and straw from the closet.

He returned, and I said, “Give it here.”

The coke was in folded wax paper. Judging from my experience, it was a little more like an eight-ball and a half. Whoever had given him the stuff had been very generous. I used the razor blade to separate some and chop it into fine powder and create four respectable lines and a tiny pile that I reserved for later. He was practically drooling.

I said, “Because you’ve been honest, I will reward you, sweet boy. You may take two lines.”

He did, and I watched the reaction as the stuff hit his nose. He closed his eyes and shivered, much like he was climaxing.

“Come to daddy.”

He sat beside me, warm and friendly. He was feeling the coke buzz on top of the weed he had smoked and was feeling great and horny.

“Tell daddy where you got it.”

“There’s a deputy sheriff that comes through the park. He picks me up sometimes, and he likes for me to fuck him, or he would put me in handcuffs and... suck my dick. He gives me money, weed or coke. I’ve seen him in the bathroom with Frank before.”

I said, “I am pretty sure something bad happened to that Deputy.”

“How did you know?”

“It was on the radio when we were coming home. Seems he was giving out too much candy and cabbage, and they caught him when they did an audit. He was doing something similar to Frank, and it started when he was about your age. He caught Frank with some weed a long time ago and has been extorting blow jobs from him ever since. Something bad happened to him because I made it happen to him. I protect the people I love. I won’t allow them to be used or exploited. I will protect you too. I really don’t like coke and other hard stuff, Kevin. It’s very addictive and it ruins people. You’ve seen some gay porn?”

He nodded.

“The reason so much of it looks fake is that most of those guys aren’t really gay. They have trouble even staying hard, and some of them just jerk off. Many of them are paying off coke debts. Assholes get them addicted to the stuff, and they get to the point to where they’ll do anything for it. I love my boys, Kevin, and don’t want that to happen to you. Addiction is really nasty, and it makes you vulnerable to the real sadists and predators out there.”

Kevin said, “I really like the damned stuff.”

“Everybody who tries it likes it, Kevin. I did. The problem is that they like it too much, and it destroys them. Since you’ve got a pile of it, there’s no sense in wasting it. When daddy is pleased with his boy, I will reward you, OK? I’ll give you a taste, but we’ll spread it out. Addiction sucks, and you don't want to go there.”

Kevin was quiet for a moment and said, “My parents think I’m a fuck up.”

I chuckled and said, “Sweetie, at sixteen, everybody is a fuck up. You are still mostly boy, but the world is shoving you hard toward adulthood. There are all sorts of pressure to decide what you are going to study, and do with your life. It’s like you are a pinball, and you keep bouncing off things but, you’ve landed in the triple bonus hole, Kevin. I am with you now, and I’m going to help you. How would you like a job?”

Kevin twitched and said, “I’ve never had a real job before. Dad would be thrilled.”

I said, “One of my hobbies is to buy old video game machines and restore them. I’ve got… maybe forty-four if Miss Pac-Man’s power supply doesn’t pack it in. That’s the making of a pretty fair arcade, don't you think? How would you like to run it for me?”

He looked at me with wide eyes and said, “Oh my God, Tim, I’d love that. That would be so much fun.”

I asked, “Do you think between you and Lance, maybe Cole, that you would like that?”

He didn’t answer, he just hugged me.

I took the choke collar and put it over his head and said, “You are daddy’s boy now.” He fingered it like it was a Cartier masterpiece.

In one motion, I pulled his boxers down and said, “Daddy loves his boy and is about to make him cum three times. Would you like that?”

Kevin looked at me wide-eyed and said, “Yes, daddy, please. Thank you. Three times?”

I put my forehead to his and nodded and said, “Three for sure. In ten minutes.”

I picked his up naked body and the effort made my arm and chest muscles bulge. He ran his hands along them and said, “Holy shit Tim. You’re ripped. I knew you were buff, but…”

I leaned my head over and kissed his stomach and abs, and he gasped. Then I moved to his nipples and licked and nibbled them as he trembled in my arms. I licked pre-cum off the end of his big cock, he shivered.

I laid him down on the sectional and used the soft nylon ropes to tie his hands and secured it to the wooden handrail on the sectional, but left a lot of slack. Then I did the same with his feet, but I left a slip knot in, so I could free one of his legs.

The clothes pins were not extremely tight. I used them for closing bags of potato chips. I was sure they wouldn’t hurt him or leave marks. They were just enough to sting a little. I applied them to his nipples and he gasped and closed his eyes.

I said, “I’m sorry, baby boy. I didn’t know I’d be entertaining in this manner and had to improvise on short notice.”

He gasped, “Oh God, you’re doing just fine. It hurts so good.”

With Kevin restrained, I loved his body but left his cock alone. The cock is the primary erogenous zone on a male, but it’s not the only one. I ran my hands along his body, not trying to tickle him, but the contact had similar effects. If you are into it, it’s a real turn on. I wasn’t so much into it as I was trying to show Kevin a great time. Judging from his throbbing boner and pre-cum that had dripped on his belly, I had a feeling I was on the right track.

After getting him worked up, I brought out a fluffy feather and ran it over his skin in the right places. He really liked it when I ran them over his balls. He squirmed and writhed in pleasure.

It was time, so I pulled the cord and released one of his legs to hang over the edge of the sofa. I put my arm under his bound leg to lift him up off the sofa. I began by licking his balls, and he liked that. Then I licked a little lower under his balls, and he liked that even more. The closer I came to his pucker, the more he shook and squirmed. As soon and my tongue ran over his hole, he stiffened.

I knew something had gone badly wrong when I heard his panicked voice say, “Please… please don’t fuck me.”

As soon as I heard the tone and timber of his voice, the puzzle of Kevin Stone snapped together in my mind with a click. Drugs, risky sex, and a number of other signs had been there, I just didn’t see them. In letting him live his fantasy, I had inadvertently unlocked his nightmare.

I quickly disentangled myself from him, moved to where his hands were tied and pulled the one for quick release. He sat up, and I sat where his head had been and gently put my arms around his saying, “Easy Kevin, easy. You’re safe. You can trust me. I won’t hurt you.”

His panic subsided, and he relaxed back into my arms. Big tears were rolling down his cheeks. He put his arms around me and I held him. He said, “I’m sorry. This was all so perfect, and I fucked it up.”

“Kevin, someone fucked it up, but it wasn’t you. That was a flashback, wasn’t it? You were reliving a rape.”

He said, “Jesus— your drop dead gorgeous, ripped, rich and psychic? How did you know that?”

“Kevin, I knew something was wrong as soon as my tongue hit your pucker. Most people like that a lot. You went stiff and panicky. I didn’t have to be psychic. Tell me about it, so I can help you with it.”

Suddenly, Kevin looked very young and frightened. “It was a few years ago. I guess I was Barry’s age. It was one of my older teen neighbors; I followed around like a lovesick puppy. We had been trading blow jobs for a while and his parents were out of town, so we were all alone in his house. He licked me there, and I liked it, but the next thing I knew, he was shoving his dick in my ass, and it hurt. He stopped, but I was bleeding a little and freaking out. He said he was sorry, and he was really sweet to me, but he tried it again a few weeks later. After that, I wouldn’t go near him. He graduated and went off to college, so I never see him anymore. That’s why I freaked out when you went there. Don’t get me wrong. It felt really, great. I just wasn’t expecting it, and it triggered that bad memory.”

I said, “What if I untied you and told you I was going eat your fine ass like a fat guy at an all-you-can-eat buffet?”

He giggled and said, “I’ve never had anyone do that. I’m pretty sure I would like it.”

I hugged him close and said, “You will. I will never do anything you’re not cool with. You can trust me on that.”

“I do trust you. I think I even love you…. some… maybe…”

The naked beauty in my arms blushed, and I kissed him.

I did eat his ass like a fat guy at an all-you-can-eat buffet. He came four times and his chest and stomach were covered in jizz. I ran down the hall to the nearby bathroom to get a towel and noticed the door was cracked, and the light was on. I peeked in to see Tony on his knees being fucked by Lance.

This was too good, so I went to another bathroom for a towel to clean up cum splattered Kevin, and we hatched a nefarious plot. We decide to bust in on Tony and Lance and give them a hand.

Lance jumped as I walked by and rubbed his nice ass. I said, “Nice condom. They help you last longer than bareback. Carry on. Tony looks like he’s loving it.”

I slipped into a sixty-nine with Tony, and Kevin kissed Lance and rubbed his ass.

Things happened fast once we showed up. I was still pretty hot after my session with Kevin, and Tony always gave me great head. He was pushed over the top by my sucking him with Lance’s long cock up his ass. Lance pulled out and blew all over Tony’s back. It reminded me of an excellent porn where the players weren’t all coke heads working off their debt.

We all cleaned up and chatted for a few minutes. Lance was a rare beauty. He and Kevin looked good together. Tony looked a little ashamed at getting caught with the new guy, and I said, “It’s dark down here. I can’t be sure what I saw.” After a few hugs with all of them and a nice lingering one with Lance and Kevin, we headed back to the main house while Kevin and I lingered in the party room cleaning up.

How does cum get on a wall across the room from the action? We put everything up, and we ended up hugging, enjoying the contact.

I said, “You know, we forgot about the lines we left here.”

Kevin said, “That’s a first. Save it. If I do it now, I won’t go to sleep.”

As I was stashing it away, he asked, “When you ate my ass, is that what it feels like to be fucked?”

I said, “It’s a little different, but it’s essentially the same. It’s more intense as a cock is more intrusive than a tongue, but it pushes all the same buttons, only harder. The reason so many people fail when they try it is that they just don’t know enough. You have to get the ass ready, and some lube helps a lot.”

He said, “Maybe I’ll try sometime but, it would only be with you. You helped me a lot tonight. I’ve never cum like I came with you.”

I fingered the slip collar he wore around his neck and said, “Daddy loves his boy.”

 

 

We split up as Kevin went for a shower and I went to check and see how things were going elsewhere.

My first stop was the studio, where a very naked Cole dozed on the love seat as a very naked Toby sketched him. As soon as he saw me, his face brightened, and he ran and jumped into my arms. Toby was happier than I’d ever seen him.

To avoid disturbing Cole, we stepped into the hall. I said quietly, “Are you having fun?”

He licked my ear and said, “Oh my God, Tim. It’s really true what they say about make up sex. If you notice, it’s the first time ever that you held me like this, and I didn’t have a boner.”

I asked, “Worn out?”

Toby grinned and said, “I’ve always got some spunk for you sexy, just need to recharge. Where are Brandon and Barry?”

“Last I saw them they were in the hot tub as naked as it is dark out there.”

Toby said, “I was hoping that would happen.”

“Me to. Now that you and Brandon have boyfriends, I’ll get a little more rest.”

He said, “I hope we didn’t bug you too much.”

“Don’t be silly. I love you and Brandon to death. It’s hard to not just say fuck it and jump in bed with you two but, maybe you understand now why I didn’t.”

Toby said, “Yeah, I think I do now. If we had, I’d be in love with you and probably wouldn’t have been open to getting back together with Cole. Are we still good for a spanking sometimes?”

“You bet.”

Toby whispered conspiratorially in my ear, “I’d still like a taste of daddy’s dick.”

I whispered back, “I still owe you a shower. Accidents happen in those cramped showers, you know.” I felt him harden against my chest and said, “I think you’re recharging.”

Toby said, “I think I need a shower.”

“Me too, but we need to get Cole to bed, and I need to check on a few things first. Go in there and put your boxers on and get Cole’s on. There’s a pill he needs to take before he goes to sleep for the night, I’ll carry him to your bed.”

While the happy couple got their boxers on, I passed Tony and Chris’s room where Tony, Chris, Jeb and Lance were all snuggled like a basket full of happy puppies. I slipped into my room where Frank, Kevin and the kitten were snoozing soundly. Only Brandon and Barry were unaccounted for.

I got one of the Ativan out of the little baggie the paramedic had given me, got a little paper cup of water and headed back to the studio. Toby and a very sleepy Cole were sitting on the love seat, smiling at each other. I gave Cole the pill and the water and said, “The paramedics said you should take this. It’ll kill any nightmares you might have.”

Cole said, “Being back with Toby has been the best medicine for me.” Then he swallowed the pill and drank the water.

I said, “It hasn’t hurt Toby, either.”

I picked up Cole and asked, “Toby, show us your new sketches.”

Cole said, “I could walk.”

Toby said, “Enjoy it. It’s one of the ways he can be affectionate with us.”

Both boys blushed as I followed Toby to the sketchpad. There were two new sketches of Cole: one of sleeping nude and the other sleeping nude with an impressive boner. Knowing Toby, it was photo-realistic.

I said, “It’s beautiful Toby. I think you’ve found your model.”

Cole asked, “Do you really think…”

I kissed him on the cheek and said, “Definitely. If I were a few years younger, but you’ve got Toby.”

I carried Cole down to the boy’s room and tucked him in by Toby.

Before I left, I heard Cole say, “Thank you, Tim. Love you.”

Toby said, “Me too.”

 

 

I went out to the pool and heard Brandon and Barry talking.

Brandon said, “Tim is really sweet. He knows he turns us on, but he can only go so far.”

Barry said, “Oh God, I want him so bad. Brandon, you should have seen him tonight. He just appeared out of nowhere, kicked that freak's ass and made it look easy. Big blobs of Cole and my cum were on the floor. It was obvious what we had been doing. He had the presence of mind to clean it up, so we wouldn’t have to answer any embarrassing question.”

“That’s Tim. Toby says he’s Batman.”

Barry said, “I believe it. He’s rich, hot, saves gay kids from freaks, and he hooked us up. He’s my super-hero.”

“He’s not just yours”, Brandon said. “Just think of all the kids he protected from that guy with the knife. I know I love him.”

Barry said, “Me too. I think I would nut in the water if he came out and got in the hot tub with us.”

“Hey, save your nuts for me. I like ‘em.”

They giggled and splashed around. I waited for some seconds, opened the gate and walked to the hot tub.

I asked, “Are you guys having fun?”

Brandon said, “Oh my God, Tim. Barry is awesome.”

They goggled as I slipped out of my boxers. They were so shocked, I had to prompt them to move over when I got in. I sat between them and said, “It’s getting a little late. Let's hang out for a little while and go to bed.”

Barry stuttered, “You want to hang out... with us?”

It was very dark, and I couldn’t tell if he could see my grin. “Of course. What good would it be to be a millionaire if I couldn’t hang out with a couple of hotties in my hot tube?” I goosed both of their behinds and they giggled.

Brandon said, “The thing you have to remember about Tim is he’s really cool. You can trust him to follow the rules. He won’t wig out and rape you, even if you want him to. When it is quiet, dark and private like this, he lets us get away with a little grab ass.”

I put my arms around them, kissed them both on the head, and ignored the hands that were exploring me underwater.

I said, “I still worry about your Dad, Barry.”

Barry said, “As long as I come home occasionally and tell him I’m here or there, he’s good. He’s more interested in Brad’s ass than worried about me.”

I asked, “Are Kevin, Lance and Cole’s parents the same way?”

Barry said, “In the summer, pretty much. All three are inattentive, but in different ways. Kevin and Lance’s Dads' work too much. They’re on the road more than they’re home. Cole’s parents actually want him to go out and socialize. Since he and Toby quit hanging out, he stays to himself too much. Getting them back together is good for both of them.”

I said, “You and Brandon seem to be pretty chipper together.”

Barry relaxed and leaned into my shoulder and said, “Brandon and I have known each other for a few years and have fooled around. I never thought about having a boyfriend. Didn’t think anyone would want me, but I like it.”

I said, “Cruising is like that. You just have random encounters until you figure out that it’s a lot more fun to find one you like and stick with him. It doesn’t do your self-esteem any favors, either.”

“I was a gay and thirteen too. I know how it is. I had a huge crush on a tenth grader, and I thought he liked me too. It turned out he really liked blow jobs and didn’t care for me much after he got off. He never did anything for me in return. I won’t treat you that way. If you do anything for me, I’ll return it with interest.”

Barry said, “That sounds great to me.”

Brandon said, “Me too but, not tonight. After being with Barry a few hours…”

I said, “Are you boys running about a quart low?”

They both laughed, and I said, “Let’s go to bed. I’ll try to figure something out that’ll be fun for you.”

Barry said, “This is fun.” I couldn’t tell in the dark who was doing what underwater.

I said, “Have either of you heard of a game called Pearl Diving?”

They both shook their heads.

“I saw it played in college by a trio of straight couples. They play it in a hot tub naked. They go around in a circle and each player goes underwater, picks who they like and performs as much oral sex as they can while holding their breath.”

Brandon said, “That sounds like fun.”

Barry added, “I want to try that.”

“We’re all pretty much shot tonight, but we’ve got a nice big hot tub and others who would like to play.”

Barry gave me the sweetest puppy dog eyes and whined, “Please… can we practice?”

I said, “Not tonight, guys. What you can do is tell the others about the game and see who wants to play. Hold on to me tight.”

Brandon and Barry both wrapped their arms and legs around me. Erect boy parts were mashed against me as I picked them up out of the hot tub and stepped into the cool night air.

I walked around to the shallow end of the pool, down the steps and towards chest deep water.

I let them swim around a bit, cool off and bump into things in the dark water. A few minutes later, we gathered our stuff and went inside. I sent them into the shower in the wet room by the patio on the first floor and told them that if they had to streak upstairs, it wouldn’t be the first time that had happened.

 

 

I found a very sleepy Toby lying beside Cole, who looked just as angelic as he did in a certain, special sketchbook. Soundlessly, I picked Toby up, snatched some clean shorts out of his bag and carried him to my shower. He was mostly asleep, so I turned on the water and stood under the shower holding him and realized that the sweet little pudgy horn-dog artist whose eyes could see and hands could create such beauty had completely and irretrievably stolen my heart.

It wasn’t a sex thing. All the others were many times more beautiful and sexy. It was a heart thing.

I washed him with a sponge and did his hair. He insisted on doing the same for me, then we stood under the water and rinsed off.

I dried him off with a towel and realized that he loved the attention. In the dark I grabbed Under-Roos and damned if wasn’t the cutest little guy I’d ever seen. I dried off quickly and pulled on my boxers and thought that Toby hadn’t been grabby at all. This wasn’t horn-dog Toby. This was the little boy Toby that needed attention more than orgasms. It was heartwarming to meet him.

I picked him up and realized that he was asleep. His trust in me was so deep that I could carry him around, and he felt so secure he could nod off.

As I carried him to the boy’s room, I was intercepted by towel clad Brandon and Barry, fresh from the wet room shower. They watched as I gently put Toby down beside Cole, kissed Cole and Toby on the head and tucked them both in.

I stepped back into the hall and Barry quietly said, “Please treat me that way. That was awesome.”

Brandon said, “He will, Barry. That’s who he is.”

I said, “Brandon, lend Barry some shorts. If you don’t mind letting me borrow your boyfriend, I think he might like to sleep between his big brother Frank and me tonight.”

Brandon slipped into the room and reappeared with a pair of yellow boxers. I kissed Brandon on the head, and he went to bed with Cole between him and Toby.

I grabbed the towels, put them over my shoulder and picked up Barry much like I had Toby, but he was a different load. He was charged with sexual energy and excitement.

I had Barry wait in the hall as I retrieved his Ativan and got a paper cup of water for him. Maybe that would calm him down. I grabbed a brush from my bathroom and had a look at Frank and Kevin sleeping the sleep of the stoned on the bed. Kevin was sleeping on his stomach but Frank, as usual was on his back and had a huge tent pitched. I would be revisiting that soon.

I took Barry on the balcony. He sat on my lap and I brushed his longish black hair that tended to curl. We sat there for a while, and he basked in the attention. I rubbed his back and he laid his head on my chest.

Barry said in a dreamy voice, “This is wonderful.”

I said, “Yes you are.”

He sat up and looked at me confused, I kissed his forehead and said, “I love you little guy”.

Barry couldn’t process this. He was still a little stoned and said, “Nobody really loves me. They like me because I suck great dick, or they like my dick.”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“Because I see the little lion that had the balls to bite that bastard with a knife’s dick rather than suck it. I see the guy who made my Brandon so happy. I see a kid that so sexy that even his older friends like Kevin say you give the best head they’ve ever had. There’s more to you than just cute and sexy. Being thirteen and having those hormones, it feels like all you want to do is nut, nut, nut…”

Barry laughed and I tickled him a little.

“…but you will grow through it.”

Barry said, “Tim, please don’t take this as rude but… when I jerk off I fantasize about a guy like you: young, rich, hot, buff…”

He ran his hand over my chest, licked my nipple and began to suck it. I began to harden, and his hand found me. His excitement began to betray him and he quivered.

Barry said huskily, “Please Tim I want you so bad. I’ll do anything you want. You can even fuck me if you want. My ass is still virgin thanks to you.”

I asked, “Is this because I saved you?”

“Yes and no. I’ll never forget you busting in like you did and kicking that guy’s ass, but that’s not it. What makes me want you is who you are. I’m just a little faggot nobody wants around. Everybody says so but, you make me feel special and wanted.”

I sighed and said, “That’s because you are special and wanted. That boner of mine in your hand should tell you that you do turn me on.”

He laughed and said, “Yeah, that’s impressive. Let me have it Tim. I owe you a blow job. Please?”

I asked, “How do you like your big brother Frank?”

The non-sequitur derailed his train of thought. He said, “He’s really hot and sweet. Why?”

I asked, “How would you like some of that?”

His eyes widened and said, “You would tell Frank to…”

“No Barry. I don’t tell Frank to do anything. Frank has a little quirk. When he is high, he sleeps on his back and gets hard in his sleep. I often wake and find him that way and blow him. He doesn’t wake up until he’s actually in the process of cumming. We go in and I let you have that. When he’s about to cum, it’s easy to tell, you duck, and I’ll finish him off. I’ll hold him a minute, and he’ll go back to sleep.”

I could feel Barry's excitement. “You would do that for me?”

“I like you a lot Barry. I just can’t do it with a thirteen-year-old, but I can share my precious Frank with you.”

Barry looked at me with huge eyes and said, “Oh my God, oh my God! You would do this for me? I love you, I love you! Frank is beautiful. Thank you, thank you!” He practically danced with excitement in my arms.

I said, “We have to be silent and stealthy about it. You have to give it up when you taste a blast of pre-cum. That’s when you know he’s about to blow. I’ll take over then.”

Barry said, “I didn’t know you could give someone a blow job in their sleep. I’ll have to try that on Brandon.”

I said, “It doesn’t work on everybody, and it works best on Frank when he’s stoned. It’s a really great way to wake up someone you love in the morning but never, ever try it on someone who’s not into it.”

Barry ran his hand into my boxers and said, “Wow, you’re really hard.”

I ran my hand over his boxers, tickled his balls and said, “So are you. You ready to do this?”

He goosed my cock and said, “Hell yeah. Sure I can’t…”

I sighed and said, “I’m sorry, Barry. As much as I’d like to, I just can’t.”

Barry hugged me and said, “At least I know you would like to.”

 

 

We entered my room and there was enough light coming in to see. Kevin was softly snoring and in the same position.

Frank’s cock, like an unruly tent pole, had slipped the bonds of his boxers and was standing high, hard and proud.

I knelt by the bed and gave Barry a boost with my knee, so he would be high enough to reach Frank without disturbing the bed. Of course Barry scooted over enough to grind his behind into my boner which seemed to be enjoying the upcoming festivities.

I watched with fascination as Barry took in so much of Frank’s cock, I expected it to poke out the back of his head. Frank’s body shivered as Barry gently and lovingly swallowed his cock over and over.

Seeing this made me harder and harder. It was a real turn on for me to watch one of my buddies blow Frank. I could tell that Barry was a gifted cocksucker; maybe even in the same league as me. It wasn’t long before I saw the signs that Frank was about to erupt.

Frank began to quiver, Barry slid off my knee and I took over just in time. Frank had a shivering orgasm and his hands came up and cradled my head. He blew several big wads in my mouth and stopped shivering as he subsided.

He drew me into the post-blow job kiss that we always enjoy when something happened that was way off script.

My boxers were pulled down and a wonderfully hot, silky mouth engulfed my cock. That little devil Barry was giving me a full on an assault blow job. As I was trapped kissing Frank, I couldn’t do anything about it, or I would blow the whole covert operation. In my state of arousal, as good a job as he was doing, a night of being around people I couldn’t have and kissing Frank. This wasn’t going to last long.

An involuntary twitch struck me and Frank whispered, “Are you OK honey?”

“Uh-huh”

I tried. I honestly tried to hold back, but Barry was a freaking all-star. I came in his mouth hard and a lot.

Frank began to laugh quietly and leaned over the edge of the bed and high-fived Barry. I'd been had.

Kevin’s snore didn’t even change in pitch. Frank got up and indicated that I should follow so Barry and I went with him down the hall to an empty room. We went inside, closed the door, and even I had to laugh.

Frank hugged Barry and said, “Please don’t be mad. I was just trying to help my baby brother here get his fondest wish. I knew if he pushed you hard enough that you would let him blow me.”

I hugged them both and said, “Your baby bro here is an all-star. He took me in less than a minute. You got me bad. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

Frank said, “You should have seen the expression on your face.”

“There’s just one problem.” I turned on a reading lamp on the table for illumination. Poor Barry was hard as a rock and there was a big wet spot on his boxers. “We can’t leave him in this state. It would just be mean.”

Frank and I did odds and evens to see who would rock bad boy Barry’s world. It was one of those contests where no one really loses. I won’t say whether it was Frank or me but one thing was for sure: Barry woke up the smiling the next morning.

A few minutes later we all crawled in bed: Frank into his usual spot, Barry beside him, me and then Kevin. We must have disturbed him because he snuggled close to me and laid his arm across my chest.

This was an insane day but, but it was a divine sort of madness that made me excited to see what tomorrow would bring.