No Shirt? No Problem! - 1. No Shirt? No Problem!

CRUNCH!!!

That, I realized, was the sound of a garbage can being knocked over by my Jeep. Not exactly an auspicious start when I’d been on my way for all of, oh, half a dozen seconds and had not even left my own driveway.

After hesitating for a moment, I finished backing out into the street and glanced back at the house. I hoped my parents hadn’t heard the noise. Seeing a light come on, I slowly pulled away. I’d have preferred to clean up the mess but I knew that my folks would have used the accident to launch another argument against me making this trip.

A few blocks later, I pulled into the Circle K where I worked and filled up the tank. I went inside to pay, and as I approached the counter, a voice from behind me made me jump.

“Hey, Trevor! You leaving on that trip today?” said a voice that I recognized instantly from his Bayou accent, and I knew it could only belong to Bill, the stocker.

Grinning, I told him. “You got it. I’m heading for the freeway when I leave here. Today is the day!”

I grabbed a coffee, and then swiped my card through the machine to pay for the coffee and gas. As I turned to leave, Bill told me, “Trevor, have a great trip!” I just grinned, nodded, and hurried to my Jeep.

A few blocks later, I was waiting for the light at the freeway onramp, savoring a moment I had fantasized about for weeks: flooring my Jeep, and accelerating up the onramp ahead of me, which would be the beginning of my first real vacation without my parents.

The light changed and as my foot eased down on the gas, I was on my way at last! I felt the engine hum as I picked up speed, and could almost feel my troubles falling away, every passing mile leaving them further and further behind. Within a few minutes, I was through the I-17 & I-10 interchange and leaving Phoenix quickly behind. I knew that I had a long drive ahead of me, and I was thrilled that this day had finally arrived!

It had taken a lot to get me to this point. For several weeks, no, more like months, I’d been arguing with my parents. It had all started back in December, when I’d come out to my best friend, Tina. “Well, Duh! You are good looking, but you never date. Took you long enough to tell me!” she had said, and that, as far as she was concerned, was that. Feeling great about her reaction, I’d gotten up the nerve to tell my folks. No, it hadn’t ended up in a massive fight with me being kicked out. But, things had most certainly changed, forever.

My Dad had taken it far better than my Mom, which surprised me. Mom’s main issue turned out to be grandkids. --Biological grandkids--. She wanted them, and I was an only child. It hadn’t taken Mom too long to figure out that with me being gay, the chances of that ever happening were slim to none, and Mom and Dad had taken every opportunity to introduce me to every girl they could find. It was frustrating, and embarrassing, but mostly it was downright annoying.

After that, I’d basically chickened out. It was my senior year, and I was a jock like most of my friends. So, I’d decided to skip the angst and drama, and stay in the closet until college. At least that was my excuse, and I was sticking to it; but I was also getting really tired of being in the closet, so I definitely wanted to be “out” at college.

Telling Mom and Dad that I was going to go to school out of state had kicked off one hell of an argument! They did love me, but boy, could they be over-protective! They wanted me to live at home and attend school at ASU in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix, but I’d made up my mind it was time to set out on my own. That was one of the reasons I’d worked my ass off to get a partial scholarship. Finally, they gave up, once they figured out that I was going with, or without, their blessing.

I needed to get away, and I had the perfect excuse: my first choice college had accepted me, and that, along with my partial scholarship, meant I’d have to find a job and a place to live since I couldn’t fund a dorm room. Since that college was out of state, I decided to move there a week ahead of enrollment to get a jump on things. Unfortunately, my grandparents’ 40th wedding anniversary celebration would be the weekend before classes started. This led me to the idea of making it into a vacation by going over to scout the area ahead of time, then come back, load up my stuff, go to the party, and then head back for the first day of class.

A few weeks later, I’d mentioned this trip to my parents, intending to set out in the first week of August. Much to my initial shock, they had thought it was a great idea. My elation was short-lived when they made it obvious that they planned to come along with me. That was unacceptable to me, and so we had more weeks of arguing. A week before I was supposed to leave, they finally gave in.

Yeah, I’d fought damn hard for this trip, and I figured I’d earned every bit of the fun I was planning on having!

Checking the rearview mirror as I left Phoenix far behind, I saw the dim glow of the August dawn in the rearview mirror. I smiled: I’m on my way! Vacation time!

It felt great to be driving on the nearly deserted interstate in the quiet of that early morning, my tires humming and the miles passing, as my long-awaited vacation began. Close to a hundred miles from Phoenix I felt my stomach growling, so I decided to pull off at the truck stop a dozen miles ahead. Breakfast awaits!

As I went inside, I saw a sign at the door: “No shirt, no shoes, no service”. I shook my head, thinking, “What a stupid sign to see at a truck stop in the middle of the desert in August!”

After grabbing a couple of generic breakfast burgers, plus a cold soda, I’d gone to the register to pay. Next to the counter, I saw a rack of bumper stickers. One caught my eye: “No shirt? No problem!” it read, and I grinned. I added it to my purchase, paid, and walked back to my Jeep.

I finished the burgers before even reaching my Jeep and put the soda in the cup holder for the drive. Popping the hood to check the oil and belts, I was relieved to find that everything looked ok. I had enough gas to make Blythe, at least, so I was ready to hit the road again.

Looking at the soft-top on my Jeep, I’d wished for cooler weather so that I could drive with the top down. August in Arizona is not the time for that unless you want to burn to a cinder, so I left it up.

I started to climb in, and then smiled to myself as I saw my new bumper sticker on the car seat. I walked around behind my Jeep and stuck it to the bumper. I stood back, looking at it. “No shirt? No problem!” I said to myself, and I decided that would be my motto for this vacation, as I stripped off my shirt and tossed it in on my passenger seat. Stripped down to my Khaki shorts and sneakers, I stretched one final time before I headed on down the road.

The AC felt good on my bare skin, and I grinned. A year ago, I hated to be shirtless because I was scrawny. Now, just a year later, I’d put on some muscle and definition, and felt good about my body and my looks. Good enough, in fact, to play Water Polo, my favorite sport. I’d also let my hair grow past my ears for the first time in my life, much to my parents’ ire and my delight, and now my light brown hair was down to my collar with a cut that I really liked. I also had a great tan, and planned on it being even better before school started. So, shirt off and cruising down the Interstate, I felt really good about myself, and the adventure that lay ahead of me.

After crossing the Colorado River and entering California, I’d stopped for gas and another soda at the truck stop just west of Blythe. It was mid-morning and already over a hundred degrees. I pushed on, knowing that I needed to get through Los Angeles before rush hour.

LA was hectic. The traffic wasn’t too bad until I passed Ontario on the eastern fringes of LA, but then I started to hit stop and go traffic, which only got worse, even though it was a Sunday afternoon. So much for my schedule. By late afternoon, I passed the I-10 & I-405 interchange. I pulled off the I-10 for gas a mile later, and felt the cooler air of the ocean, just a couple of miles away. Grinning wildly, I put the top down on my Jeep, moved my shirt from my passenger seat to my travel bag so it wouldn’t blow out, and got back on I-10. Moments later, I-10 passed under an overpass, and curved to the right. As I made the curve, the Pacific came into view, even more spectacular than I remembered. I could never remember feeling so good.

I-10 had ended at that overpass, turning into the famous Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH as the locals called it. The sun and the wind on my bare skin made it all feel so real, and really made me regret that there wasn’t time to stop and check out Malibu Beach and all the other famous beaches along PCH. The scenery was spectacular: hot, shirtless guys were everywhere. By dusk, I was passing Magu rock, as the road straightened out for the run into Oxnard and its endless series of stoplights.

After finally getting through Oxnard, the road returned to the coast and there were far fewer traffic lights to slow me down. The next town on my route was Ventura, which was where the coast road joined I-101. Near the onramp, I stopped for gas and put the top back up on my Jeep before driving through a McDonald’s to grab a burger and fries to eat on the road.

Heading north out of Ventura on I-101, a quick glance at my dashboard clock told me that it was after 10pm. It had been a long day; seventeen hours of driving, including several hours in the heavy LA traffic, and there was still a long way to go.

My eyes began to glaze over as the lights of Ventura receded in my rearview mirror, forcing me to decide against trying for my original destination, as it was just too far.

A freeway sign came into view, informing me that the next exit was for Carpentaria. The name jogged a memory from my pre-trip internet searches: There was a Motel 6 there, and it would do just fine. Within minutes, my Jeep was parked, and I could finally get out from behind the wheel.

It took me only a few seconds to pull my shirt on, grab my bag, lock up my Jeep, and then check in. The single flight of stairs took me to my room, which was about what you would expect; two twin beds, a nightstand with a phone between them, and a table and chairs by the window. Pulling off my clothes, I collapsed on the closer of the two beds and was asleep within seconds.

The noise from people in the hallway woke me up the next morning, and I could barely remember where I was. Then it hit me, and I did remember, and stretched, grinning. This was California, and the first day of my vacation! I decided then and there to spend the day relaxing, and I could just press on with my drive north tomorrow. I had the time, and figured that here was as good a place as any to start my vacation. Getting to my college and checking out the area could wait. I wanted to enjoy Southern California now.

After showering, I dug around in my bag for something to wear. My plan was to hit the beach, so I picked out a pair of black jogging shorts, followed by a pair of flip-flops, then my shades. All set for a day on the beach! The warm sun on my bare chest as I headed out the door felt fantastic. After putting the top down on my jeep and hitting the Burger King drive-through for some breakfast, I pulled into a parking space to eat and check over my notes. Soon my Jeep was back on the 101, but heading south for a couple of miles. I was heading for somewhere I’d always wanted to see: Rincon state beach. Rincon was one of the most famous surfing beaches in California, and was a rugged and uncrowded beach. I couldn’t wait to check out the local scenery: the surfers!

After finding a parking space, I’d put on some sunscreen, then headed for the beach. I passed the last car in the lot and happened to look at the bumper sticker: It was a rainbow, a well-known gay symbol. It made me feel good to see that some people were so “out”, and put a happy grin on my face. The sand was already warm, and the beach was a bit rocky in places, so I was glad of the flip-flops. The sea breeze felt great on my bare skin as I scanned the waves. There wasn’t much to scan: Rincon wasn’t breaking that day, just blown out shore mush, so no surfers. I’d never stood on a surfboard in my life, but that was something I intended to correct some day.

Setting out across the sand and heading up the beach, I looked at the rocky cliffs on my right and the sea on my left, letting myself unwind and relax. After walking for a few minutes, I found a rock to sit down on, and stayed there for a while, looking out at the sea.

I felt my elation and sense of freedom fade away, as I realized that I had no clue what I was actually going to do now that I was on my vacation. I’d been so focused on getting here that I’d never given much thought to what I’d actually do when I got here. I was at the beach, it was great, but I had no one to talk to, and nothing much to do. I shrugged, and figured I’d just catch some sun today, maybe take a swim, and then press on for college tomorrow. Still, lonely or not, it felt great to be here.

I stretched back, propped up on my hands and watching the surf, as a movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I turned to look. There, across the sand, heading in my general direction, was a guy who took my breath away. Blond, tan, defined, and wearing loud boardshorts, he looked the part of a California surfer. I turned my head away, but kept watching him, taking advantage of my mirrored shades to check him out in detail.

As he passed he nodded to me, and smiled, then continued on his way. I watched him head further up the beach and then stop at the base of a vertical rockface that rose from the sand. As I watched, he stretched, and then started to free climb.

I was torn… I wanted nothing better than to walk up and watch. I glanced in his direction, then at my feet. I got up, trying to decide which way to go. I shrugged to myself, threw my shoulders back, and turned north, to walk up the beach in his direction. As I neared, I took in the spectacular sight: his tan, bare back, his muscles outlined and flexing as he climbed. He was less than a dozen feet up. I screwed up my courage and stopped twenty feet away to watch. I nearly jumped when he suddenly turned his head to smile at me, and called down “you climb?”

I shook my head “Nah, never tried it. Heights aren’t my thing. I’ve never really watched anyone freeclimb before, so I was curious. I’ll get going if you want …” I turned to continue walking up the beach.

“Stay and watch if you like... I don’t mind the company. My name’s Jason, by the way,” he called down.

“I’m Trevor. Thanks, I will.” I grinned, and sat down on the sand to watch Jason climb. He looked like he was having some trouble finding handholds, and after climbing another few feet he paused and said, “I came to surf, but its flat. Figured I’d practice climbing instead.”

Jason was a spectacular sight as he climbed. He was straining hard, his ripped back flexing as he inched upwards. His golden, tan skin was covered with a sheen of sweat, which really showed off his lithe, defined build and straining muscles. Suddenly, I was very glad that I was sitting down.

Almost thirty feet into his climb, Jason reached out for a new handhold, shifting his feet. He tried several, straining as he failed to get a good hold. The loose rock began to crumble from his toehold, and I watched in horror as he fought to maintain his position.

I heard, and almost felt, the thud as he hit the ground at the base of the cliff. I sprang up and ran to him. That’s when I saw that he was on his side, his back to me, with one arm twisted under him. As I reached him, I could see that he was mainly on sand. I was afraid to try to move him. I didn’t want to hurt him any more than he already was.

I touched his head, “Jason, can you hear me?” I asked, but was answered by silence. He was breathing raggedly, and as I got up to run for help, I heard him moan.

“Jason, don’t move. I’m going for help. I’ll be back as fast as I can.” I said, turning away to run back to the parking lot, figuring that was the nearest place to find help, or at least my cellphone, which was in my Jeep.

“Wait” he gasped, starting to cough.

Jason started to roll over onto his back, wincing from the pain. I was relieved that I couldn’t see any blood, other than a few scrapes and scratches.

“I think I’ll be ok… Just give me a minute...” he said, his voice still ragged.

“You took one hell of a fall, man. I think I’d better get you an ambulance.” I said, still poised to run for help.

“I’ve had worse. And I’ll get in trouble. These cliffs are posted ‘no climbing’. Just give me a minute, Trevor. I think I’ll be ok...” He said, his voice a bit stronger.

I was stunned that he had remembered my name. I shrugged, and decided that it was his life, so if he didn’t want help, then that was his choice. I knelt beside him, asking as I did, “Is there anything I can do?”

Jason tried to move, but grimaced. “Nah, just stay here with me a bit. I’ll be ok. I’m just kinda banged up,” he said, as he lay there, breathing hard, his eyes still clenched shut.

After a few minutes, he tried and failed to get up again.

“Trevor, could you give me a hand? I want to sit up. I think I fucked up my shoulder. It hurts like hell,” he said.

I nodded, and bent over him as he hooked his left arm around my neck. My sunglasses were knocked off, and I jammed them into my waistband to get them out of the way, as I gently put my arm across his back. The feel of his bare skin on mine made me tremble, and I mentally cursed myself for not being able to get my mind out of the gutter, with him lying there injured and needing help.

I eased back, pulling him to a sitting position. He cried out briefly in pain as I did, and then leaned into me as I sat by his side to support him.

“Damn, I did fuck up my shoulder. Feels like it’s broken,” he gasped. I glanced over at him and saw an all-too familiar sight.

“Jason, I think it’s dislocated, not broken.” I said.

“So, I guess I’m headed for the ER after all. Shit,” he said, his voice returning to normal as the pain eased off.

“Or I could pop it back. I play water polo, and I’ve seen it done a few times. Including my own a few months ago. Hurts like hell, but it’s over quick,” I offered.

Jason met my eyes, and he nodded. “I’m game if you are. What do I do?” He asked, a lot calmer than I had been when my own shoulder was out.

I eased behind him, letting him lean into my chest, as I explained, “Just sit up, and let me straighten out your right arm. Then, I’ll give it a pull, and that should pop it back into place. It’s gonna hurt like hell for a few seconds when it goes back. You might pass out, but it will ease off fast.”

Jason nodded, apprehension on his handsome face. He slowly sat up, and I saw him nod, signaling me to go ahead. I braced myself, then gently eased his arm out, and placed my left hand on his shoulder, before using my right to give his arm a sharp tug. I felt his shoulder pop back, as Jason cried out and then started to fall sideways.

Gently, I held him upright, then sat behind him, and eased him back so he was face up in my lap. He had passed out. I knew he would come around in a few moments, so I sat and waited.

I brushed his long hair away from his eyes, surprising myself. Up close, he was even more gorgeous than I had realized. Feeling a little guilty, I let my eyes wander freely over his bare chest, as I gently stroked his hair.

“You weren’t kidding. That hurt, but I feel a lot better already,” he whispered, startling me.

I glanced down to see a pair of blue eyes that were open, and fixed on mine. My heart pounded as I wondered if he’d seen me checking him out. I managed to calm myself down by telling myself that even if he did, he must have been too out of it for it to register, as he hadn’t reacted at all.

Jason lay on my lap for a few minutes, and I was careful not to let my eyes wander again.

“Ok, I think I’ll be ok… Give me a hand up...” he said, his voice nearly normal.

He winced in pain as I eased him up by his left shoulder, first sitting, then shakily onto his feet. Jason staggered, so I put my shoulder under his arm to steady him.

“Thanks, man. I think I can get moving now. I might need some help, though,” he said.

“Ok, just lean on me. If you need to stop or sit down, say so.” I told him, as we slowly started off towards the parking area, a quarter of a mile away.

When we reached the parking area, Jason steered us towards an old VW van. We stopped, and he leaned on his van for support as he dug out his keys and handed them to me. I opened the sliding door, and helped him sit down in the doorframe.

“Thanks, man.” he said, smiling weakly. “Would you mind hanging with me for a few? I think I’ll be ok to drive soon,” he said.

I glanced at his driver’s seat, and shook my head. “Dude, I don’t think you can drive. This is a stick shift, right?” I said, eying the gear stick.

Jason tried moving his right arm, and groaned. “Uh, yeah, I didn’t think of that. My arm is still messed up. My head hurts, too,” he said.

I turned back to him, and took a close look at the side of his head. There, I saw a few bits of blood that I hadn’t noticed before. I touched him gently, and felt a lump on his head.

“Jason, you hurt your head. You might have a concussion. I think it would be a good idea if we got you checked out at the ER. You won’t need to tell them where you fell, so it should be ok,” I said, hoping he’d agree to go.

After a few seconds of silence, Jason slowly nodded, agreeing.

We locked up his van, and as I did so, I noticed his boards in the back, and hoped they would be ok. I put Jason in the passenger seat of my Jeep, and followed his directions to the hospital in Carpentaria.

We talked a little on the freeway, and Jason asked, “I saw the Arizona license plate on your Jeep. I guess you aren’t from around here?”

“I’m just passing through for a few days. I’m on my way north to check out the college I’ll be starting at in a few weeks. I’ve got a lot of driving to do between now and then,” I remarked, thinking about my drive back to Arizona and then the drive back out to the College. “I’m just on vacation for a few days right now,” I added.

We arrived at the hospital. It was a small one, and we were lucky that there was no wait. After some paperwork, they took Jason right in to see a Doc. I searched around for a magazine, and found nothing but countless copies of “Field and Stream”. I sat down to page through one, and felt a little under-dressed sitting there shirtless in just a pair of running shorts. I remembered that I didn’t have a shirt in my Jeep, so I shrugged and continued to wait, hoping that Jason would be OK.

I didn’t have to wait for long. A door opened and Jason was wheeled out, looking very unhappy to be in a wheelchair. I could see that they had put a couple of bandages on his side and on his knee, and his arm was in a sling.

The Doc saw me approach and told me, “Your friend is fine, just a few abrasions. He does not appear to have a concussion, but it’s too early to be sure. He needs someone to stay with him for a few hours and keep an eye on him. Just watch him, and if he shows any symptoms like a headache, vomiting, or irritability, get him back here right away. His arm should be fine as there appears to be no damage to the tendons or ligaments, but it’s going to need ice every few hours tonight.”

The Doc headed back to his office, leaving a nurse to wheel Jason out of the ER to my Jeep. She helped me get him back inside, and smiled warmly at him before turning to go back inside.

Now that we were alone, I asked Jason, “Can I drive you home? Do you have someone to stay with you?” I was desperately hoping that he would need me to stay with him overnight. Otherwise, I’d just be dropping him off, and I’d probably never see him again. So, I added, “I’ll help get your van back, too. I saw your boards in there and it’s probably not safe at Rincon overnight.”

Jason looked at me sheepishly “I know you didn’t sign on for any of this, so don’t sweat it. I was on a surf safari, and it would take me a few days to get back home from here, so I’ll probably just crash overnight in my van, and see if I can drive tomorrow,” he said.

“No way. The Doc said that someone needs to watch you, and your arm needs ice,” I said, as an idea began to take shape in my head. “Think you could drive my Jeep?” I asked. “It’s not a stick. I can drive us back to Rincon, and then I could drive your van while you drive my Jeep. I’ve got a motel room a few blocks from here, and you could crash there,” I said, hoping that he’d agree.

“You sure you don’t mind? I don’t want to wreck your vacation,” Jason asked.

“Don’t worry about me. Hell, before you showed up at the beach, I was trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do. I don’t know anyone around here, and I’d be happy for the company even if you weren’t hurt,” I answered, grinning.

I was serious about wanting the company. Even if he wasn’t a hot looking guy, I’d have been eager for some company. Jason seemed like a fun guy to know and I just hoped that I wouldn’t give myself away in some way, like by staring at him.

I pulled in next to his van, and helped Jason into my driver’s seat. Touching his bare skin made me tremble, and I decided that the first thing I needed when I got back to my room was a cold shower. Otherwise, I was sure, I’d end up embarrassing the hell out of myself.

I started up Jason’s van, and after a few gear grinds we were back on the 101 for the few miles to the motel, Jason right behind me in my Jeep. I noticed a strange, sweet smell in the van, but couldn’t figure out what it was.

We pulled into the parking lot, locked up the vehicles, and I helped him up the stairs to my room. Jason winced as he sat down in a chair, obviously in some pain.

I asked him if there was anything I could get for him, and his eyes drifted over to the phone book. “Pizza,” we both said at once, and we laughed a little as I reached for the book, found a number, and phoned in our order.

I looked over at Jason and noticed that his shorts were dirty and dusty, with a few smears of blood on them. “Want some clean clothes? You can borrow some of mine, or I’ll run down to your van for your stuff if you want,” I offered.

Jason shrugged, and then winced from the pain. “Oww. I gotta remember not to do that. Ok, yeah, clean shorts would be great. I don’t have anything in my van, so I’d need to borrow some.”

I dug around in my bag, and picked out a pair of tan boardshorts, and then asked, “What about a shirt”?

“Nah… I’m fine. I’m a ‘No shirt? No problem!’ kinda guy.” He chuckled.

I turned to look at him, and my surprise must have shown on my face.

Jason laughed, “I saw your bumper sticker. Great minds think alike, man…,” he said.

I headed in for a shower, a cold shower, to clean up before the food arrived. Being around this guy and trying not to think about how hot he was sure wasn’t easy. Yeah, that water was cold, but I sure needed it. I toweled off and pulled on some cut-offs. As I returned to the room, I found Jason sitting at the table with the unopened boxes of food in front of him. I started to reach for my wallet.

Jason shook his head. “Forget it, dude. It’s on me,” he said.

We dug into the pizza and hot wings, and we talked a little while we ate, mainly about my drive here and some things to see in the local area. Jason and I really seemed to click, and I thought again of how lucky I was not to be sitting here all alone.

After we had finished most of the food, we needed ice for Jason’s shoulder, so I went to the ice machine to fill a bucket, grabbing a few sodas from a machine on the way back.

I put some of the ice in the plastic bag that had come with the ice bucket, wrapped it in a towel, and handed it to Jason. He winced a little as he put it on his shoulder.

We continued to talk, and I remembered the boards in his van, asked if he thought they would be OK there, and offered to bring them up to the room.

“That would be great,” he said, adding, “I lost one last year. That van is easy to break into.” He then added, “Do you surf too?”

“I wish. I’ve never touched a board. I really want to try it but I’ve never had the chance,” I replied.

“What are you doing for the next few days? I think my arm will be ok in a day or two, and I could teach you. I’ve got boards,” Jason asked.

I grinned, “That would be cool! Thanks, man! I don’t have to head north right away, so I can hang here for a few days. What about you?”

“Nothing much happening for me. No plans and now a bum wing. How about we go see some stuff tomorrow, then maybe the next day we can surf?” Jason asked.

“Sounds great to me,” I replied, grinning, as he tossed me his keys.

I was halfway out the door when Jason said “Dude, grab my Sex Wax, too. Our sticks need waxing.”

‘What the fuck????’ I thought, as I turned to Jason, my jaw dropping as I tried to figure out what was going on.

Jason saw my expression and cracked up. “Dude, its surf wax” he chuckled. “You use it on the top of the board, where you stand. The wax gives your feet traction. You get a better bead if it’s not too hot, so I wanted to wax ‘em up here in the room.” Jason said, grinning.

I couldn’t figure out what to say, so I just nodded and walked down the stairs to his van. The boards were in a rack in the back, so I opened up the side door and pulled them out one at a time, leaning them up against the van. I looked back inside, and saw a round thing that looked a little like a can of chewing tobacco. It said “Dr. Zog’s Sex Wax” on it, so I picked it up. It was a bar of wax, and it had the smell I’d noticed while driving Jason’s van.

I put the wax in my pocket and the boards under my arms and climbed the stairs to the room. Jason opened the door for me, and I leaned the boards up against the wall. I handed Jason the wax, with a bemused look on my face.

Jason chuckled. “If you think the name ‘sex wax’ is bad, wait until I tell you that you will be wearing a leash.”

Now that one I did know, and smiled as I picked up the clear urethane cord and Velcro ankle-strap from the closest board. “So I don’t lose the board when I wipe out, right?” I asked.

“Kinda. It’s also so that a loose board doesn’t hurt anyone. So, how much do you know about surfing?” Jason asked.

“I’ve just told you most of it,” I laughed.

Jason stood up and went over to his boards. “Let the lessons begin” he said, pointing first to the shorter of the two boards. “This is a 5’10 thruster, tri-fin fish-tail, and it’s my main stick.” He pointed to the other, larger board. “This is a single-fin 6’10, with a concave bottom. It’s faster, and what I use on big waves. It’s easier for a beginner to use, too, so it’s what you will be riding.”

We talked about surfing for a while, and I was amazed at how comfortable I felt around someone who had been a total stranger just a few hours before. By midnight, Jason started to feel tired, so I lay down on my bed, and he took the other.

This vacation was really turning out great. I’d never expected to make a new friend, but it looked like I had. Jason fell asleep right after that, as did I.

The sound of the shower running gradually woke me up. I glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that it was 9:30. I heard the shower shut off, and then saw Jason exit the bathroom, wearing one towel and drying his hair with another, using just his left hand. His right arm was no longer in a sling and his bandages were gone. It was all I could do not to stare at him as he stood there in that towel, looking hotter than hell in spite of his bruises and scrapes.

“Sorry if I woke you, Dude. I woke up and I was rank so I jumped in the shower. I rinsed out my shorts and the shorts you loaned me and hung ‘em up to dry. Can I borrow some for today? If not, I can wear mine wet, no problem,” Jason asked, and then added, “Hey, Trev, can I bum a shirt for the day, too? I don’t have one with me and we will need shirts for a while today.”

I liked the way he had started calling me “Trev”. None of my friends did, but from Jason it just seemed to fit. “Sure, Jase, grab whatever you want.” I replied, enjoying the smile that lit up his face when he heard his own name abbreviated. I nodded, and told him to just dig in my bag and grab what he wanted. I didn’t mind at all, but it did make me curious as to why he was on a trip but had no clothes with him.

Jason dug around in my bag, pulled out a pair of black cargo shorts, and then picked out a button-front shirt that I had ripped the sleeves off of. It occurred to me that it would be easier for him to get it on and off over his bad shoulder than a T or tank.

Jason dug around some more, then asked, “Trev, you got anything besides briefs?” I shook my head, and Jason shrugged, turning to pull on the cargo shorts under his towel, as he said, “No problem. I’ll just go commando today. I can’t stand briefs.”

Jason dropped the towel, and he looked damn hot in those shorts. Suddenly, I knew that I needed another cold shower. I picked out a black sleeveless T and khaki cargo shorts before hitting the shower.

Jason and I tossed the shirts in the back of my Jeep, put the top down, and hit the drive-through for breakfast before heading for the freeway onramp. I asked Jason where we were going, and he just grinned, telling me to head north and I’d see when we got there.

As we passed through Santa Barbara, Jason told me to turn off at the San Marcos pass exit, turn right, and then stay on 154 until I saw signs for Solvang. I had no idea where we were going, and I didn’t care. The scenery was great, and the company, even better.

We talked about a lot of things, but one subject Jason seemed to avoid was anything about the future, or the past. I was fine with that, as I didn’t want to dwell on the fact that soon we would have to go our separate ways: me to college, and him back to wherever he was from.

Solvang was a head-trip. It’s a little Dutch-themed town, touristy but cool. We had a walk around, grabbed a Starbucks, and then continued on our trip. We hadn’t needed to put on shirts at all in Solvang, so I was really curious where Jason was taking us that would require them. We hit the road again, and Jason had me head west until we were back on 101 Northbound, and then take highway 1 through Moro Bay and Cambria. Finally, by mid afternoon, I saw a sign for Hearst Castle, and Jason grinned at me as he told me to follow the signs for it.

Now I was really curious: a castle, in California? No way…

We parked, put on our shirts, and I stared ahead in awe. I was in California and looking at what turned out to be a 165 room Moorish Castle! The tour blew me away. I saw everything from a Roman style swimming pool to the huge kitchen with counters made out of nickel. There was gold everywhere, but what intrigued me the most was the fact that nearly every surface had been imported from somewhere. Ceilings from Italian monasteries, staircases from Swedish palaces, the list was endless. I couldn’t believe the place existed, or that I’d never heard of it. I’d heard of William Randolph Hearst, but never anything about the home that had taken him twenty years to build.

I was silent as we crossed the parking lot to my Jeep, still absorbing all that I’d seen. Jason stopped to take off his shirt before getting in, saying as he did so, “No shirt???”

“No problem!” I answered, as I pulled off my own shirt, and then tossed it in the back with Jason’s, while both of us cracked up.

It was nearly dark as we headed back to Carpentaria, several hours drive away. We talked the whole way back, and I almost missed a road sign that I’d been looking for. When I did, I checked the clock, and then joked around with Jason for the rest of the drive.

We arrived back at the motel just before 9 pm, and as we parked, Jason got a devilish grin on his face. “Trev,” he asked, “Do you drink? I’ve got a bottle of Jack Daniels stashed in my van.”

I very rarely drank, but that sounded good today.

Before long, we were kicking back in the room, playing quarters with plastic cups. I had a big advantage: Jason’s right arm was still slightly sore, and he was right handed. He suggested that we both play left-handed, “to make things even,” and I happily agreed. I was surprised that he hadn’t noticed I was left-handed after spending all day with me, but I guess it’s not obvious as I do some things right-handed. I had no intention of correcting his assumptions. I figured that he probably could drink more than I could, and I also had more serious concerns. I knew that I couldn’t get too wasted around him, or I might slip and say something that would wreck everything.

So, armed with my unfair advantage, I sat down to join my friend in a game of quarters.

We had a blast. Jason ended up drinking a few shots more than I did, and we were well lit but not too drunk. I felt my stomach growl, and suggested getting pizza like the night before. Jason staggered a little as he went to the table between the beds for the phone book, and then dropped the book as he tried to make the phone call. We were both laughing as I walked over and picked up the book, and lay down on the bed to find the page. I read out the number to him as he dialed, and then choked back more laughter as he slurred while making the order. He hung up, and then doubled over laughing as he sat down on the edge of my bed.

“Dude, I’m more drunk than I thought. I can’t even make a fucking phone call,” he laughed, as he kicked his legs up onto the bed and flopped back on the pillow beside me. “I think I better stop drinking until we get the food,” he continued, grinning up at the ceiling.

I agreed, as I was almost as drunk as he was. We lay there, side by side, and talked a little, buzzing hard. We joked around a lot, and I felt more at ease with him than I could remember being with anyone in a hell of a long time. I was amazed that I had only known him a day. That reminded me of our meeting at Rincon, so I asked him, “Jase, had you ever been climbing at Rincon before yesterday? Is it always that dangerous?” “I was just out looking for waves, and I’d surfed there before. When it's good, it’s got a great left-hand point break. The surf report said the surf was really lousy, but I figured I’d check Rincon out anyway. It was mushy, so I got back in my van to go down to Oil Piers, just a few miles south of Rincon. I wasn’t planning on climbing. I’ve only climbed a few times before,” Jason said. “Then how did you end up climbing a cliff at Rincon?” I asked, puzzled.

Jason remained silent, and I rolled onto my side to face him. I saw that his demeanor had changed suddenly. For the first time since I met him, he looked apprehensive and uneasy, staring up at the ceiling. He turned his head to look me in the eye, and held my gaze as if studying me, before finally replying.

“Trev, I hope like hell I’m reading this right, but I’ve got to take the chance. I was in my van, about to leave, when I saw you walk by. I stopped to watch you, and saw you do a double take and then grin and nod your head when you saw a bumper sticker on that little white Mazda. I’d seen the sticker on my way to check out the waves, so I knew it was a rainbow sticker. So I got out and followed you from a distance. I saw you sit down, and figured I’d try some climbing near you so I could strike up a conversation,” Jason replied, his eyes locked on mine, watching me intently.

My head spun, and not just from the bourbon. He’d seen me look at the rainbow sticker, and had followed me because of that? Finally, a light began to dawn, and I began to smile. “Jase, you followed me just because I grinned at that sticker?” I asked, and then added, “I guess it’s ok for me to say that it wasn’t really your climbing that I wanted to watch?”

We both cracked up. “Trev, why didn’t you say something before?” Jason asked.

I smiled. “Me? I had even fewer clues than you did. I didn’t even suspect. I was having so much fun hanging around with you that I didn’t want to screw it up,” I told him, before grinning and continuing, “So, was that fall part of your plan? I’ve heard of guys falling for each other, but I didn’t know it included falling off cliffs.”

Jason laughed and flipped me the bird, looking more at ease than I’d ever seen him. “Nah, the fall was definitely not part of the plan. By the time I was halfway up, I knew it was too unstable to be safe, but I kept going. I thought it would be easier to get to the top than get back down.”

We locked eyes, staring silently for a while. Jason reached out and took my hand, tentatively at first, and it felt great. Then, Jason licked his lips, making me wonder what it would be like to kiss them, so I slowly leaned forward. I was relieved to see Jason respond by leaning in closer to me.

I reached over, and laid my right hand gently on Jason’s side, moving my fingers around just a little, reveling in the feel of his skin. I felt him tremble, as he placed his hand on my shoulder and leaned in even closer, our mouths now just inches apart.

I eased myself closer to him, as I moved my hand to his back and traced my fingers slowly up his spine, and Jason trembled from the sensation. I felt him slide his hand up my back to the base of my neck, and then he used that hand to pull me in closer. I closed my eyes as I felt his lips brush mine, and heard myself sigh as I felt his tongue gently touch my lips.

All hesitancy vanished, and I felt his muscles tense as he pulled me into a tight embrace. I squeezed tighter, shuddering from the sensation as our bare chests touched. I ran my fingers through his hair as our tongues met and our kiss deepened. I couldn’t breathe, and I didn’t care.

Jason pulled on my shoulder, rolling me on top of him, freeing my other hand to roam over his bare skin. I kissed him harder as his hands traced circles on my lower back, and ran my fingers softly down his sides, feeling him tremble at my touch.

Reluctantly, I lowered my hands to the bed, and backed away so that I could breathe. I looked into Jason’s eyes, but only for a moment, before he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in for an even longer kiss.

Eventually, I rolled off him, gasping for air, my head spinning. I rolled onto my side to face him, as he lay on his back, looking back at me. I felt his fingers drawing lazy circles on my chest, and gasped as he grazed my nipple.

Jason chuckled. “Like that, huh?” he said, as he sat up and pushed me onto my back and then rolled on top of me. I let my hands roam over his back and sides, feeling his muscle through his skin. I was expecting another kiss, but instead, he lowered his head to my chest, and I moaned as he began to nibble and lick at my left nipple, while circling the other with his thumb. The feeling was exquisite, and I threw my head back, shuddering.

I could feel his hardness though his shorts, against my thigh, and his hard abs rubbing against my own erection as he moved. I reached down with one hand and began to stroke him through his shorts, making him moan. I felt Jason grab the waistband of my shorts just as the loud banging on the door made me jump. Jason figured it out first, “Pizza’s here!”

“Damn” I mumbled, and stood up to go to the door. As soon as I stood up, I realized that I still had a raging hard-on. Jason saw it too, and cracked up as he figured out my predicament. A quick glance confirmed that he had the exact same problem, but a new series of even louder knocks meant that one of us had to answer the door. I ran to the bathroom, picked up a towel, and wrapped it around my waist as I ran back to the door, hoping that it would hide me enough.

I opened the door just as the delivery guy was about to knock again, and stood there with a dumb look on my face as he asked for twenty-four dollars. My wallet was in my shorts, under the towel, and I didn’t dare drop the towel to reach for it. I turned to Jason, who was laying face down on the bed to hide his own hard-on, and knew he couldn’t get to his own wallet without looking very suspicious. Defeated, I shrugged, dropped the towel, dug out my wallet, handed the now bug-eyed delivery guy $30 and took the boxes from him as I hurriedly closed the door. We could hear him howling with laughter as he walked away.

Jason and I both cringed, but then laughed, as he joined me at the table to dig into the food. As we ate, Jason got a wistful look on his face. “Trev,” he said, “even without what happened before we were interrupted, I’ve had a great time with you. I sure as hell wish we had more than a few days before we have to split up.”

I nodded sadly, and told him that I felt the same way. I was ripped up inside by the fact that I’d met this fantastic guy, and now we would only have a few days together, then probably never see each other again.

When we finished eating, I locked eyes with Jason and knew, without words, that we both wanted to get back to what we had been doing. We dashed over to the bed, falling into it, and each other’s arms.

We kissed again, deeply, earnestly, tasting pizza as we kissed. I broke it off to trace my tongue slowly down Jason’s chest, then his abs (both of which tasted much better than pizza), until I reached the waistband of his shorts. My hands were busy rubbing along his back, so I tried to unbutton his shorts with my teeth. I tried a few times, but couldn’t get them undone. Jason smiled, and then rolled me onto my back, unbuttoning his shorts with his free hand.

Jason leaned down and took the drawstring of my shorts in his teeth, leaning back to pull and untie it. I was so turned on that I thought I’d explode, but I kept remembering that in a few days, I’d lose him. Jason paused as he was about to pull my shorts and briefs off, and our eyes met. He must have seen what I was thinking.

“Trev, why don’t we just make the best of whatever time we have?” Jason asked, as he started to play with my nipples, making me tremble.

“Yeah, let’s try and forget what happens later, and just enjoy whatever time we have…” I said as Jason began to work my shorts off of my hips. I was way too turned on to think anymore, much less talk, so I put my mouth to better use by nibbling on Jason’s left earlobe.

Jason pulled back suddenly, yanking my shorts and briefs down to my ankles, before using his foot to kick them completely off the bed. He eyed my hard dick, took my balls in his hand, and began to lick his way down my stomach. The sensation was incredible, and I trembled when he tongued my belly button, before working his way even further down. I felt him knead my balls, and knew what he intended. I wanted it, oh how I wanted it, but I also wanted Jason to be naked, too. I pulled my knees up along his sides, and struggled to push his already-unbuttoned shorts down. He twisted a little, making it hard for me, and I knew that he was teasing me. I attacked his ribs with my fingers, tickling him, and as he tried to twist away, I finished pushing his shorts off.

I whispered, “Tease!” in his ear, as I continued to lightly tickle him, rolling him onto his back, both of us laughing. I sat up, so I could have my first good look at him naked. He was spectacular: he wasn’t huge, but he was more than big enough; perfect, just like the rest of his body. I began to reach for him, to pull him into a kiss, but he grinned and pulled away, and I sucked in my breath as I felt his tongue circle the head of my shaft.

I was getting close, and I wanted to make Jason feel what I was feeling. I gently pushed Jason away as I sat up, turning around before I lay back down beside him, his shaft inches from my face, and mine inches from his. I felt him grab my balls and begin to knead them as he again circled the head of my shaft with his tongue. I licked my way down his shaft, and fondled his sack as I took his full length in my mouth, as he did the same to me. I pulled him in tighter, as I worked his shaft with my tongue.

I was close and I tensed, trying to hold back, but Jason circled the head of my shaft with his teeth, pushing me over the edge. I heard myself utter a choked cry, as what I’d swear was a lightning bolt of pure pleasure hit me. I felt my shaft surge and pulse, as I redoubled my efforts on Jason’s throbbing cock. I gently squeezed his balls, and felt his hips thrust forward as his cock erupted in my mouth.

We pulled away from each other, and as we subsided, I turned around and lay down on my side, facing him, as we both tried to catch our breath. I reached out to touch his cheek, and he smiled, whispering, “That was so intense…”

We pulled each other into a hug, and lay there for a while, silent, just enjoying the closeness and the afterglow.

After a few minutes, Jason eased away slightly, laying his head next to mine as I lost myself in his eyes.

“Trev,” he said, “how long before you have to head north?” Jason started to play with my nipples as he waited for my answer, making me tremble.

I looked into his eyes. “I can probably stay here a week. How about you?” I replied.

Jason smiled, “Great! That’s a lot longer than I thought. I’m ok for two weeks, until classes start. OK, so we have a week. Let’s try and forget what comes after that, and just enjoy it, ok?”

I knew my heart would break when the week was over, but I couldn’t say no. So, I said yes. I wanted whatever time I could get with him. I could check out my college and fill in a few job applications from here, as I’d seen the sign for the college on the way back from Hearst castle. It was closer than I’d thought. A week I could swing, but then I’d have to leave to make it back to Arizona, pack up my stuff, and drive back before the first day of class.

When I’d said “yes”, Jason had grinned, but I could see in his eyes that he was dreading the end of the week, too. “How long a drive do you have? You said it’s a long way?” I asked Jason.

Jason chuckled, “Dude, I kinda lied about that. I wanted to hang around with you, so I didn’t want you to just drop me off. I go to school about an hour from here.”

An hour from here? Then we would be close enough to still see each other! I was about to tell him the news when he added, “its UCSB, in Santa Barbara.”

I grinned, and Jason gave me a puzzled look. “Jase, when we were coming back from Hearst Castle I saw the sign for my college. That’s why I figured I could stay a few extra days; it’s not as far from here as I thought. Take a guess…” I grinned so hard I thought my face would split!

Jason’s eyes bugged out. “UCSB? I thought you were heading way up north! Dude, does this mean you don’t have to leave?” has asked, grabbing my shoulder.

“I still have to leave, because I have to drive back to Phoenix and get my stuff, and I have to go to my grandparents’ anniversary party, but I’ll be back before school starts in two weeks,” I told him, waiting for his reaction.

His answering smile lit up the room, and with it, my heart.