Raising the Limit-Book 1 - 16. Chapter 16

The green-blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico rose up beneath them as the plane descended on its final approach to the airport. David’s last meeting had gone well. The owners of the future insurance complex were pleased that the job was completed ahead of schedule. Per their contract there would be an additional bonus for the number of days they had finished early. David’s boss would be quite pleased. David himself was also very happy as it would translate into a nice bonus for himself and his team.

The plane gave a jolt as the wheels touched down on the runway, passengers thrown forward a bit by the momentum of the aircraft slowing down suddenly. They disembarked and gathered David’s luggage from baggage claim before heading to the short term lot where TC had left his car.

TC dropped David off at his house. David felt much better after the heart to heart he had with TC. He was glad that TC wasn’t angry with him. It was good knowing that TC was willing to work with him when his Dom needed some attention. He would never be able to completely control a scene with TC, but this wasn’t going to last forever anyway.

The rest of August flew by. As the weeks rolled into September the rainy season kicked in full force. Mornings were hot and humid, big puffy, white clouds dotted the sky. Those same clouds would multiply and darken in the mid-afternoon hours and the sky would become heavy with moisture. The moisture then unloaded onto the ground below in the form of downpours accompanied by loud cracks of thunder and bright bolts of lightning. A couple of hours later, the skies would clear again, leaving oppressive humidity behind.

It looked as though they were going to dodge another bullet this year as far as hurricanes went. Dorian had brushed by the east coast in June and another tropical storm had blown through the Panhandle, leaving behind downed tree limbs and debris, but not causing any major damage.

David and TC still got together most weekends and so far they hadn’t had any more misunderstandings or misgivings. TC continued to tie David up and fuck his brains out. David enjoyed it, it was interesting for him to be on the receiving end. He knew, absolutely, that TC was the only one in the world he would ever allow to Dominate him. TC had brought up going up to Ybor City one weekend and hitting a club. David had many reservations about doing so and they had talked them through. As much as TC wanted to utilize equipment that he didn’t have in his condo, he respected David’s hesitance and didn’t push the issue. He could do without a spanking bench and St. Andrew's cross for now. Besides, he was thinking about purchasing a house and knew he would probably create his own playroom when he did.

September slid into October and the weather finally started to ease. Drier air pushed down from the north and going outside didn’t feel like walking into a sauna anymore. TC’s parents were scheduled to arrive the second Friday of the month. As the date drew near TC’s anxiety level increased. His parents took a lot of energy, handling them on a day to day basis. A major factor in his decision to relocate, other than his business partner’s wife wanting to be close to her parents was the fact that it put him farther from his. Richmond had been less than two hours from Falls Church, the affluent D.C. suburb where his parents lived. He and Elliott had been summoned for Sunday dinner at least twice a month. Fine china and formal place settings were the norm, and please, don’t even think about showing up in jeans and a sweatshirt!

TC had come to enjoy the laid back, relaxed atmosphere that Florida provided. In a state where a large percentage of the population was retired and had all the time in the world to get things done, he had become used to the way the natives just took things in stride. It was annoying when you needed to get something done and it took an act of Congress just to get the ball rolling. David had told him that because Florida was so close to the Caribbean everyone was on ‘island time’.

David called TC the night before his parents arrived to lend moral support. He had seen firsthand back in college the mental toll it took on his friend whenever the Overlord and his wife were in the picture. He personally liked them well enough, but then again, he wasn’t brought up by them, nor did he have to deal with them as often as TC did.

“Please David! Please don’t desert me this weekend. I can’t do this by myself. I just didn’t mentally prepare myself, I’ve been so damn busy at work. Hell, I didn’t even realize it was October until a few days ago.” TC whined.

“Jesus, when the hell did you turn into such a wuss?” David laughed at his friend. Then, taking pity he assured him, “I’ll play nice and be the mediator for you this weekend. Shit, I’ll tell you what I’ll even throw in Monday and Tuesday as a bonus.” David had already requested the days off, knowing that TC would need his help.

“Really? I would owe you big time!” TC offered.

“No shit, I already know that. Why do you think I’m offering?” David admitted.

“Seriously David, thank you. You are probably the one person other than Elliott who knows how to handle them. Hey, I gotta go, Mom’s calling. I’ll call you tomorrow after I pick them up. Bye David!” TC ended the call so he could talk with his mother.

David knew that she would most likely tell him a shitload of information that he already knew. He wondered what TC had planned to keep his parents occupied while they were here. He knew that TC had mentioned that they were possibly thinking about buying a vacation home, but they hadn’t come to an agreement on where. David hoped for TC’s sake that if they chose Florida it wouldn’t be the Sarasota area. Maybe he’d mention how upscale Naples or even West Palm Beach was. TC could handle them being two or three hours away, couldn't he? David chuckled at the idea.

Sarasota had a thriving arts community so David checked online to see if there was anything to do that would appeal to TC’s parents. He lucked out when he saw that the Sarasota Symphony Orchestra was performing a collection of Russian composers featuring works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Shostakovich as well as few lesser known, but just as talented composers. He shot off a quick text to TC and after getting a thumbs up emoji, he purchased four tickets for the following night’s performance. They could do an early dinner and then catch the performance.

David went to his bedroom to make sure his dress pants were clean and pressed. He couldn’t remember the last time he wore them. He knew he had a nice pale blue dress shirt, but he drew the line at wearing a tie. Florida symphony attire ranged from shorts and polos to formal tuxedos and everything in between. Most people showed up dressed nicely. David had explained the dress code to TC one time as ‘wearing church clothes, but up North church clothes, not Florida church clothes’, which consisted of shorts and golf shirts. TC had looked at David like he had three heads. He finally understood when they had taken in a performance at the Van Wezel auditorium of the Broadway show Les Miserables. Most attendees had worn dress pants and a nice button up shirt or a polo, ladies had casual dresses or skirt and blouse combinations.

TC parents were flying into Tampa so he made the hour long drive up to get them. They had arrived at noon and TC’s Mom hugged him tightly. Helena Panatopolous was a petite figure, especially next to her son and husband. She was 5’3”, slim, with shoulder length, styled hair, still dark black, courtesy of a very discreet stylist. She wore a matching skirt and blouse combination that TC knew came from a well known designer, which one he couldn’t say as the fashion industry held no interest for him whatsoever.

Nicolas Panatopoulos was an imposing man. He was still tall, standing 6’0”. He had put on some extra pounds in his retirement, but not so much that his gut hung over his belt. Instead he was merely soft in the middle. His once hard muscles had softened with age, but he hadn’t lost any of the confidence with which he carried himself. His dark, wavy hair was heavily peppered with gray, giving TC a glimpse of what the future held for him. Thankfully the hair was still thick, even at the age of seventy. Both of his parents had taken care of themselves and it showed. Neither of them looked older than early sixties at most.

After collecting their bags, TC ushered his parents to his car, his father taking the front seat and his mother sitting in back, her much shorter legs more capable of handling the decreased legroom. They caught each other up on the latest news, TC and his Mom doing most of the talking, his father interjecting occasionally.

TC had mentioned David often enough for his parents to realize they were once again close friends. His mother was especially looking forward to seeing him again. She had always liked David and there were times when TC would have bet every penny that he had that she had liked David better. He mentioned that David had procured tickets for the symphony performance that evening and TC saw Nicolas nod his approval from the corner of his eye.

His parents had made reservations for the week at the Ritz Carlton which was just down the street from TC’s condo building. It was almost two o’clock when his parents checked in and TC told them he would pick them up at five o’clock for dinner. David had also made reservations at Flemings, which was probably one of the nicest steakhouses in town and it wasn’t far away either.

After dropping his parents off and making sure they were checked in, TC drove straight to David’s house. He already felt like his structured world was spinning out of control and he was hoping David would help center him. Being near his parents always made him feel like a child who was about to be scolded.

David took one look at him as he walked through the door and said the one phrase that could calm him down. “What can I do for you, Sir?” Instinctively David knew that TC needed to regain control.

TC pushed David down the hall to his bedroom, undid the button and zipper on the man’s cargo shorts and told him to get on his hands and knees on the bed. He didn’t even bother to pull the shorts completely off, as soon as David’s ass was high in the air he probed his ass, discovering that David was already slicked up and ready for him, his two fingers slid in easily. Pulling away for a few brief seconds, TC pulled his cock free from his pants, rolled a condom on and grabbed the lube from the nightstand and slicked up his fingers, pushing three of them in this time. This was going to be quick and it was going to be rough. TC needed some semblance of control and David was more than willing to give it to him.

“Ahhhh, Agori, take it. Take it now.” he demanded as he withdrew his fingers and shoved his hard length into David’s hole in one swift stroke, barely pausing before drawing back and slamming it home again. “Stroke your cock Agori, stroke it for me and come.” TC commanded.

David didn’t say a word as he wrapped his hand around his dick and stroked in time with TC’s rapid thrusts. It only took a few strokes before his balls drew tight and creamy fluid erupted, splattering the bed below him. TC followed right behind, unloading into the condom as David’s ass muscles squeezed him tightly.

TC collapsed on top of David who was now on his stomach, flat on the bed, the unlucky recipient of the wet spot. TC rolled to the side so David could breathe easier. He kissed David’s cheek as they both shifted so they faced one another.

“Thank you. How did you know that’s what I needed?” TC commented.

David smiled as he replied “In college, whenever your parents visited, or you came back from visiting them, you always needed a rough fuck with your sub. You used to hook up with that little dark haired guy from the Dominican Republic, uhm, Jorge or Javier? Whichever, he was the dude who really liked pain. Wanted his Doms to fuck him dry. Thank you by the way for remembering the lube, although I did prep myself ahead of time, just in case.”

TC snorted and laughed. “Yeah, I kinda noticed when my fingers made it up there with no problem. Javier, damn I haven’t thought about him in years. Wonder what he’s up to?”

“Probably found two Doms to collar him and is a pro at DP.” David suggested.

“Now there’s a visual! Have you ever done that?” TC asked.

“What, double penetration? Hell, I had a difficult enough time getting laid with one guy. Nevermind finding another Dom to tag team with. No, besides, I never really gave it any thought. Group sex was never high on my sex bucket list.” David remarked.

“What is on your sex bucket list?” TC inquired.

“Right now? Getting this jizz cleaned off of me before we have to pick up your parents and spend a lovely evening together.“ was the smartass answer TC got.

“Shithead.” TC said as he reached over and smacked David’s ass, causing him to jump off the bed. TC watched as David’s pale white ass with one pink handprint disappeared into the bathroom.

Smiling he got up and followed. They took their time showering, still wiped out from their vigorous coupling. TC had to borrow a pair of shorts from David and they would need to swing by his condo so he could change into more appropriate attire for the evening’s entertainment. David put on his dark gray dress pants and a short sleeved, pale blue button up shirt. He was in agreement with TC and didn’t bother with a tie, instead leaving the top two buttons undone, his sleeveless undershirt just barely visible. He put on black socks and slid his feet into his black dress loafers. TC nodded his approval.

They stopped at TC’s condo and he changed into an ensemble similar to David’s, black pants, light gray shirt and black shoes. He called his parents to say that they were on the way and would pick them up outside the lobby in ten minutes.

TC kissed David as they left his condo saying, “Thank you again for earlier. They just throw me so off balance sometimes. Now I feel like I can handle them without killing them.”

“Well that's comforting. Don’t worry, if you do kill them, I’ve got your back. I’ll start a Go Fund Me for your bail and legal fees. No jury in their right mind would convict you.” David laughed.

Mr. and Mrs. Panatopoulos were waiting under the porte cochere. Only slightly overdressed. TC stopped under the covered area and they both got out of the car.

“Why David Callaghan, aren’t you a welcome sight. You look lovely dear!” Mrs. P exclaimed.

David took her hand and kissed the back of it, knowing damn well that TC was inwardly rolling his eyes at him. He replied “Mrs. Panatopoulos it’s such a pleasure to see you again! I swear you haven’t aged a day since I saw you last” David was brown-nosing to the best of his ability. He turned to TC’s father and held out his hand for a firm handshake. “You look quite well yourself Mr. Panatopoulos, it is so very nice to see you again as well.”

David couldn’t help but see the side of Mr. P’s mouth twitch upward as he tried not to smile. It lasted all of two seconds before the man chuckled “Still playing Eddie Haskell I see.” referring to the character on the 50’s show Leave it to Beaver who was constantly sucking up to the parents of the main character.

Mrs. P nudged her husband, then chimed “David, you’re not a young college boy anymore, please call us Helen and Nicolas.”

“Yes, ma’am.” he replied and when she pursed her lips and tilted her head slightly he revised “Yes Helen.”

TC merely prompted “Can we go now? Our reservation is for five o’clock.”

David got into the backseat with Helen for the short ride to the restaurant. To both his and TC’s surprise they had an enjoyable meal. It seemed as though semi-retirement had mellowed TC’s parents, and David suspected that his presence served as a catalyst for both Helen and Nicolas to treat their son as an adult peer. Gone was the uncomfortable undercurrent that had always been present. The only contention came when the bill was presented. TC and his father nearly squared off over who was going to take care of it until David pressed the side of his leg into TC’s under the table, silently willing him to acquiesce to his father this time.

Knowing that David had purchased the symphony tickets that TC would reimburse him for he let his father take care of the check. Neither of them missed the grateful look on Helen’s face.

They arrived at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall at seven-ten and followed the usher’s direction to their seats. There were no really bad seats at the Van Wezel, All of the 1741 seats provided a direct view of the stage and sloped at an angle which allowed for even shorter people to see over the tops of the heads in front of them.

David considered himself lucky as he had managed to find four seats together in the center section about three-quarters of the way back. Neither he nor TC were huge classical music fans, but one of their roommates had been a music performance major and he was always playing it on his CD player or practicing it on his alto sax, which was his main instrument. He had gone on to play with orchestras in Cleveland and later Atlanta. According to TC he was now with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a first chair position.

Everyone settled down as the performance started and David found himself enjoying the selections. He even recognized a few, remembering them from their college days. He glanced over at TC’s parents and was pleased to see that they both seemed to be enjoying themselves. TC reached over and gave his hand a squeeze, silently conveying his thanks.

At the end of the evening TC dropped his parents back at the hotel and invited them to spend the following day out on the boat. The forecast was for warm temperatures and lower humidity. In other words perfect boating weather. His parents thought it would be a wonderful idea and readily agreed. They thanked both men for an enjoyable evening.

They pulled out of the hotel’s driveway and TC breathed a sigh of relief. David reassured him “You’re fine. They seem like they’ve chilled out since I last saw them. I think this week might turn out better than you think.”

“You’re right. They have chilled out quite a bit. I haven’t seen them since before I moved down here. To tell you the truth, I haven’t seen much of them since Elliott died. He always acted as a kind of buffer between us. He had a way of charming them both. I guess I never gave much thought as to how his death may have affected them. I guess we’re due for a heart to heart. This is the first time it’s actually hit me that my parents are getting older. Dad’s only been retired for a short time and Mom’s still doing all her charity and volunteer work. I guess I never took the time to step back and take a good look at them. Whenever I think of either one, my mental picture of them is of the parents who were around when I was a kid. Wrinkles and gray hair never cross my mind.” TC commented.

“I get it. I still think of my parents as being in their forties, and here I am, nearly the same age.” David remarked. “I guess we don’t want to consider our parents as being vulnerable. Aging eventually takes its toll and it’s hard to watch. I went through it with my Mom and Dad, and while I still miss them, I’m glad in a way that I didn’t have to witness the rapid decline my Dad had gone through. It was hell on my Mom and I truly believe it contributed to her own death.”

David’s father had been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease a few years after he had graduated from college and had passed away ten months after he had been diagnosed. David had been living across the country and could only manage to see his parents twice in those ten months. His mother had become severely depressed and therapy and antidepressants hadn’t helped. One morning she just didn’t wake up. David wanted to believe she died from a broken heart, even though the toxicology report showed an excess of chemicals that were the main ingredient in sleeping pills. He would never know if it was accidental or not. David lost both parents within two years of each other.

TC parked in his spot in his condo’s garage and they made their way up to his apartment where lacking the energy to do anything, they merely got ready for bed and fell asleep spooned together.

The next morning TC and David walked over to the Ritz Carlton. It was across the street from the marina so there was no sense in taking a car. When they stepped into the lobby it took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the dimmer interior after being out in the bright sunlight. David saw Nicolas and Helen first and he stopped short.

TC squinted and stopped short as well.

“Holy fucking hell. It’s Mr. and Mrs.Thurston Fucking Howell the Third!" David exclaimed softly, trying his damndest not to laugh.

Niclolas was wearing an outfit that looked like he had just stepped off of the set of Gilligan’s Island. Cream colored, neatly pressed pants, navy blue sports jacket, a white Oxford shirt with the top two buttons undone, and a red cravat. An actual fucking cravat!. The icing on his particular cake was a ridiculous white Captain’s sailor hat. Boat shoes completed his ensemble. Helen was just as bad. White linen pants, a bright yellow, flowy blouse complete with a massive bow tied at her throat, and a wide brimmed floppy straw hat with bright yellow trim that matched her blouse. Yellow canvas Keds adorned her petite feet.

TC could barely contain his look of incredulity and then outright lost it. His face took on a look of pure horror and disbelief. David couldn’t contain his laughter anymore and when TC’s parents started laughing he nearly choked.

“Triton darling! If you could see your face right now!” Helen laughed merrily. Nicolas was chuckling away as well.

“You really thought we were going to wear these outfits, didn’t you Son?” his father remarked.

TC’s face melted as he realized that he had just been had. He too, joined in the laughter. When everyone had settled down Helen said “Give us ten minutes Sweetheart so we can change.”

David looked at TC as Nicolas and Helen disappeared into the elevator and started giggling again. “OMG, I thought they were serious. Who knew your parents had a sense of humor? I guess the Overlord title can be retired, huh?”

“I’ll reserve judgement on that one for another day.” TC replied. Then they both started laughing again.

When TC’s parents stepped off the elevator they were dressed much more appropriately. His Dad was wearing khaki shorts and a white polo shirt with blue stripes. He had kept the boat shoes but had ditched the socks. His Mom had on a pair of white shorts and a navy blue tank top, over which she had an unbuttoned yellow shirt, not quite as bright as the other one and she had swapped the Keds for a pair of navy slip on canvas shoes. Definitely much better.

His parents teased TC about his reaction on their short walk over to the marina. TC was a good sport and when they got to their boat he welcomed them aboard. His Dad grinned at the name, but wisely stayed silent.

TC asked “So how did you come up with the whole Mr. and Mrs. Howell thing anyway?

His Mom answered “Your sister put us up to it. When she heard we were coming here she set everything up for us. Ordered the clothes online and had them shipped to the house. We knew we'd probably be invited out for an excursion at some point. By the way, Triton, the concierge caught the whole thing on his phone on video.”

David was the only one who heard TC mutter “I am going to fucking kill her.” under his breath through gritted teeth. David turned his head to the side and snorted.

“Well, let’s just move on and enjoy the day, Shall we?” TC said, changing the subject. David helped him untie the lines so they could get underway. TC guided the boat out to the open water and headed north toward Tampa. David pointed out landmarks as they motored along, the sun warm and the breeze cool. It was the perfect combination. They didn’t see any dolphins this trip, but as they navigated the shallow waters they saw a huge fever of stingrays off the starboard side. Thousands of the graceful creatures glided by. TC cut the engine to prevent hurting any of them with the propeller if they happened to stray too close. The water was clear and they stayed about twenty feet or so as they travelled to wherever the call of nature was taking them. TC’s parents were delighted at the spectacle. It was over just as quickly as it had begun and they all had a better appreciation for the creatures they shared the water with.

Mid-afternoon, TC turned the boat back to the south and they made their way back to the marina. There was a casual restaurant there and David insisted on treating everyone to dinner. Overall they had all enjoyed the day and TC had discovered that his parents weren’t quite the sticks in the mud that they used to be. He no longer dreaded the rest of the week. David was happy for the positive shift in the relationship that was slowly developing and seeing TC smile around his parents made him happy too.