Cadet - 10. Cadet Third Class • V

“I’ll take care of it.” Miranda, sitting next to Ritch behind the driver, was without doubt angered by the overheard comment.

When she tried to stand, Ritch stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Let me handle it. Please?” Cadet Second Class Miranda Kerr, the woman Ritch admitted lusting after, was second in command of the Ski Club. She acquiesced to his request with a nod.

“Marsh, could you pull over and turn the engine off?” Cadet First Class Braxton Marsh was at the wheel of the rented shuttle bus transporting a dozen cadets to Vail. He definitely heard the same remark Ritch and Miranda had and did not look happy either.

As Braxton slowed down, Ritch stood and held onto a metal pole. He could not recall the last time he had been so angry. “For the record, I’m one of the owners. Guess I’m a faggot too?” Complete silence met his words.

Among those making the trip, one was out. Ritch had met fellow Cadet Third Class Joel Boxworth for the first time that morning. The derogatory comment had been aimed at Boxworth. Something about him missing out on getting dicked over the weekend, because the faggots who owned the place wouldn’t be there. Miranda’s reaction had come in the immediately following stillness.

“You want me to toss the asshole out a window?” Mitch Simmons looked and sounded as angry as Ritch felt. He was the biggest man in the group, and his imposing presence shouted not to mess with him. “I’ll open it first so we don’t break the glass.”

“Thanks, Simmons. But if anyone’s going to kick anyone’s ass, it’s gonna be me.”

“I’ll help.” Edrice King had been the most excited one as they boarded. He had replaced the equipment destroyed when Defiant was totaled, and this was his first time on the slopes since Thanksgiving weekend.

Several others, including Ritch’s roommate, Will, expressed their willingness to participate in any upcoming fracas.

“I have two gay fathers, a gay brother, and countless gay friends. If any of you has a problem with that, get off the fucking bus now. I will not put up with homophobic comments. Not on the bus, not in my house, and not anywhere within earshot.” He stared at the guy who had made the remark. “You have a problem with gay people, you have a problem with me. Now, apologize to Boxworth, and then shut the fuck up. Capisce?” Ritch sat and mumbled something about getting back on the road to Braxton.

“Ka pish?” Miranda visibly struggled not to laugh. “I thought your family was Cuban, not Italian.”

Ritch felt comfortable replying with a discrete middle finger. Miranda was not hung up on rank the way so many other cadets were. “Blame The Sopranos.”

“Hot damn!” Braxton honked a couple of times for unknown reasons. “The pics you showed me didn’t do this place justice.”

“We’re turning this into an annual outing, Peterson.” Miranda squinted while looking through the window. Although floodlights illuminated the house, it was difficult to see details from the end of the driveway. “You know I’m in line to take over for Marsh, right? We’ll start grooming you this weekend. I take over for him when he graduates in May, and you follow suit when I get done next year.”

“Is that an order, ma’am?” Ritch tried not to chuckle, but lost it when she returned the one finger gesture. He stood and clicked the garage door opener. “The bus won’t fit in the garage, but if there’s anything anyone would like inside, and they don’t want to carry up to the rooms, it can be put in there.”

“All the bedrooms upstairs, right?”

Will took it upon himself to answer; he had stayed at Falcons Lair three times already. “Yep. I’m sure Peterson will take the Vagina Master—”

“The what?”

“What the fuck you talking about, Bender?”

“Peterson, is that where you take your prey when you go cougar hunting?”

“If you catch one, is that where you willbenderover?” Any banter between the group usually included at least one reference to Will’s name.

While Simmons made a fool of himself by falling off his seat laughing, Ritch maintained a stoic expression. The final comment at last made him react. “Fuck you all. Welcome to Falcons Lair.”

A cheer went up when he said the name aloud, but as soon as Miranda stood, it quieted down. “Okay, cadets. Peterson does get one of the large rooms on the third floor. I’m sure he’ll be happy to tell us if it’s the Vagina Master.” She chuckled when Ritch, staring at his boots, nodded. “I’ve been informed it is indeed the famed Vagigi Room. We’ll get the history of the name later. In the meantime, Marsh has your room assignments. Let’s get out of this bus.” Miranda was always good about being one of the guys.

It was surprising how loud a dozen Air Force Academy cadets could be.

Ritch had known Miranda Kerr had a quirky personality, but her display of humor this evening made her that much more appealing. Smarts, looks, and laughs sounded like the perfect combination for a hot time.

The Academy had released them late Friday afternoon of the long MLK weekend, and club members immediately boarded the bus for the ride to Vail. Their plans were to spend two days on the slopes, returning to Colorado Springs on Monday.

Instead of using the front door, Ritch ushered his fellow cadets into the house through the garage. “Hi, Heinrich.” He tenderly patted the car’s hood.

Braxton and Miranda led the way and nearly stumbled when others ran into them; the two had come to a sudden halt, before rotating in place while staring upwards.

“Yee haw!” Braxton’s cowboyish shout seemed incongruous from a short, musclebound, Filipino-American from Los Angeles. He received hearty back slaps from some of those streaming into the room around him and Miranda.

“How the hell can you have a Vagina Room in a house built out of pure testosterone?” Miranda’s question had everyone staring at her and Ritch.

“Testosterone?”

“Wood, stone, and glass outside. More of the same inside. Add in the Navajo blankets, the antique guns on the wall, the horse bronze on that console, and the gigantic antler chandelier over the dining room table. Mucho macho, man. Who decorated the place? Cowboys R Us? The Marlboro Man?”

Ritch laughed along with the rest of the crew. “You funny.” He tilted his head in the kitchen’s direction and spoke so everyone could hear. “The kitchen and the fridge are stocked, courtesy of my dads. Help yourselves to anything in there. There should be deli stuff and roast chicken for dinner tonight.” One of the female cadets said she was willing to cook one evening, and headed to inspect the pantry and fridge, trailed by one of the guys who offered his assistance.

“If any of you need to borrow equipment, ask me. We have some in the garage, but there are storage bins in the basement too. You legal ones will have to go buy your own booze. The dads won’t give me the combination to the liquor cabinet ’til I turn twenty-one.”

While everyone laughed, Will rolled his eyes. He knew Ritch had access to everything in the house; they would sneak a bottle out. Whenever they went boarding, Ritch carried the silver flask his brother had given him as a best man’s present. Slipping into a bathroom to doctor a cup or can of soda had become second nature to the roommates.

“Thank you. For the bus. It was a stupid joke. He already apologized, and will do so again publicly.” Boxworth stood next to Ritch and spoke in a soft tone, before raising his voice. “So, are you going to tell us why it’s called the Vagina Master?”

“Oh, god, give it a break. Simmons came up with the name.” Ritch pointed at the football player while giving Boxworth a friendly back pat.

“Dude, they have a couple of paintings up there that are sick! Of vaginas.” Mitch grinned like a kid.

Will tried to shoulder the large man aside, but the football player did not budge. “They’re Georgia O’Keefe flowers, you dumb Texan!”

“They look like vaginas to me.” Mitch hunched his shoulders and grinned again. He was still heckled and abused by the others.

Saturday morning, the cadets attacked the mountain with gusto. Sometime before lunch, Ritch, Will, and Edrice found themselves away from their fellow cadets. “Well, hello there, darlings.” Edrice walked up to three women standing in the lift line by themselves. “The three of you look sooo alone it breaks my heart. How about allowing three Air Force cadets to accompany you down the mountain once we reach the top?”

Ritch elbowed Will and whispered close to his ear. “Here we go again.” He chuckled. “This is the same shit he pulled at Kings Dominion last summer.”

The amenable Colorado State University coeds allowed the cadets to cut in line and paired off to ride up the mountain. After a couple of runs together, they appeared somewhat intimidated by the Academy group’s size, and declined the invitation to spend the rest of the day with them.

“Bro, I was sure we were gonna score with those chicks.” Will, Edrice, and Ritch shared the rear bench in the shuttle bus on the way back to the house that evening.

“It might have been a little awkward bringing them back to the house.” Ritch tried to keep his voice down, since Miranda and the other two women in the group sat in front of them, gabbing away. “You and Ed are in the bunk room. No privacy.”

“Fuck that! You have a large room with a large bed. The six of us could have gone at in there.” Edrice’s volume was a little louder, and Ritch was certain he noticed Miranda slightly turn her head to listen in. He elbowed Edrice and motioned to keep it down, but his fellow cadet appeared oblivious. “Bender, Peterson and I have plenty of passes, you have enough? Are you gonna be able to come back up here next month?”

For their reported bravery in saving a stranded civilian in the middle of a snowstorm the previous Thanksgiving, Ritch and Edrice were publicly recognized, and awarded additional passes to leave Academy grounds during spring semester.

“Yeah, bro. I don’t have as much leave as you fuckers, but I’ll skip going into town to come up here and get laid.” Will, like his companions, had traded numbers with the women. The family of one of them owned a condo in the area, and they had made plans to return for President’s Day Weekend and meet the cadets.

Edrice rubbed his hands together and grinned. “Bro, we’re gonna be up to our eyeballs in pussy!”

“You guys are disgusting.” Miranda had apparently heard enough. She turned around and narrowed her eyes. “That all you think about? Sticking your dick in a hole? The way you talk about women’s demeaning and unacceptable.”

Although Ritch had noticed her mild dislike for the Vagina Master conversation, she had played along. However, she did not sound like she wanted to be one of the guys at the moment. They must have crossed a line with her.

“I’m surprised at you, Peterson. You stand up against racism and homophobia but talk about women as if they were mere receptacles? Shame on you. The three of you are on your way to becoming Air Force officers and all you can think about’s fucking chicks? People like you is why there’s sexual harassment and worse in the armed forces.” She shook her head, turned to face the front, and uttered her final words not looking at them. “You three stay the fuck away from me the rest of the weekend and when we return to Colorado Springs.”

It had been comfortable during the day, but the frosty air inside the bus matched the plummeting temperature outside. The tension did not dissipate back at the house, and dinner was not as raucous as the previous night. Ritch decided he needed to make things better.

“Miranda, could we speak privately?” He had already corralled the other two into joining him upstairs. “Can we do it in my room? We’ll keep the door open, but we’ll still have some privacy. Bender and King are already there.” The rest of the group was either in front of the television, or outside in the hot tub.

The men apologized profusely and promised not to repeat their actions. Ritch realized, in the future, he would have to be more cognizant of his surroundings. The bullshit banter he had grown up with might be fine when it was amongst a bunch of men one knew well, but it did not work when women or strangers were present. He was well aware they had been disrespectful.

“My family would be disappointed if they heard what happened, Miranda.” He knew César in particular would flay him alive. “I sincerely apologize and hope we can be friends.”

“They do look like vaginas.” Miranda seemed to relax a bit after the apology; she smirked while staring at the two glass-encased O’Keeffes bolted to the wall. “Okay.” Hands on hips, she turned and stared at her fellow cadets. “You get another chance, but I’m keeping my eyes on you. All of you. Don’t let me down again.”

The next day, with harmony restored, the three men stuck close to their group. In the evening, Ritch, Will, Mitch, and Edrice raided the humidor, and sat in the hot tub polluting the air.

“How come you didn’t offer me one?” Miranda had walked outside wearing what everyone else did: a white t-shirt and blue, PT shorts. She slid into the bubbling hot water between Ritch and Will.

“You can have mine.” Mitch held out his saliva-dripping Cohiba; the man was a sloppy smoker.

“Ewww, you’re as disgusting as your three cohorts. I was kidding. I hate smoking. What were you guys talking about?”

“Spring break. We’re trying to decide where to go.”

“You’re not coming back here?” The previous year’s spring break trip had engendered the idea for the current outing.

“Been here, done this.” WIll somewhat mumbled his next sentence. “And we’re coming back up next month anyway.”

“Ah, yes, your little pussy chasing getaway.”

Ritch shook his head. “Man, Miranda, give us a break.”

She surprised Ritch by winking at him. “Maybe I will, Peterson. Maybe I won’t. Where are you guys thinking about going? If I like the place, I may want to tag along.”

By the end of the night, Ritch had made a call, and they had settled on a location. Miranda, Braxton, and Joel invited themselves along. The following month, Ritch, Will, and Edrice returned to Vail and did get laid.

“First held in 1993, the annual National Character and Leadership Symposium is the United States Air Force Academy’s flagship event on character and leadership.” A day after returning from the President’s Day Weekend trip to Vail, Ritch sat with fellow cadets, Academy personnel, visiting university students, guest faculty, and community members, as Lieutenant General Richard M. Clark presented opening remarks.

The theme for 2021 was Warrior Ethos as Airmen and Citizens. A variety of speakers elaborated on that culture being the embodiment of the warrior spirit: tough mindedness, tireless motivation, an unceasing vigilance, a willingness to sacrifice one’s life for the country if necessary, and a commitment to be the world’s premier air, space, and cyberspace force.

Although Ritch found all speakers during the two-day symposium interesting, he gravitated towards Nick Scott, CEO and President of Wheelchair Bodybuilding, Inc. “At the age of sixteen, I was an ordinary teenager with an interest in athletics, when a near-fatal traffic accident changed my life as I knew it.” Those had been Mr. Scott’s opening words, after he had rolled his wheelchair forward.

“Yes, I’m a professional bodybuilder and champion, but it’s been a long road to reach this point. After the accident, I became overweight and discouraged. Somehow, I found the determination, mindset, and personal strength to transform my life from a debilitating tragedy into a personal triumph. I’d like to share some of my hard-won insights, to help you awaken the beast within yourselves, and achieve your personal goals.”

Afterwards, during a short meet and greet, Ritch snatched the opportunity to say a few words to the man. “A close friend lost his legs while on the battlefield. Like you, he’s battled back, and hasn’t allowed it to defeat him. I just wanted to tell you how much I connected with your story because of him. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.”

CJ was bent over at the waist, panting. A hand against the wall helped support him, as sweat dripped from his bare, hairy chest onto the ground. When he raised his head, his surprise was clear. Smiling, he walked the few steps towards Ritch, and wrapped his arms around him. “Bro…”

“Ewww… Get off me! You’re nasty.” Ritch’s effort to dislodge himself from his brother was futile. “Dude! You’re sweating all over me. What the fuck?”

Still grinning, CJ scanned the laughing crowd surrounding his brother. “Welcome to Mexico, Chair Force.” CJ had been using the derogatory name for the Air Force since Ritch had applied for admission at the Academy.

“Chair Force, you say?” Edrice King and CJ had both told Ritch how much they enjoyed meeting each other the previous year. “Yup, that’s us.” He extended a fist in CJ’s direction. “So talented and powerful we can destroy the world from the comfort of a chair while sipping a latte. Any questions?”

“Bro, what the heck are you doing running at the crack of dawn?” The cadets left Denver just before midnight and arrived in Cancun at 5:45 a.m. An hour and a half later, they were at the resort. It was not as early as Ritch suggested. Grinning, he scanned CJ from head to toe. “And why are you wearing panties?”

Guests walking around them to access the hotel’s entrance stared at the group of young men and one woman, who had formed a semi-circle around a slightly older man.

CJ wore New Balance sneakers with no-show socks and a tight pair of drab olive shorts. “Oh, you’re in trouble now, Ritchie. In case the rest of your posse’s not smart enough to figure it out on their own”—CJ grabbed and shook the shorts’ hem—“these are Marine Corps silkies. You do remember one of our father’s a Marine, right? Wait until I tell him you called my shorts panties.”

“Cap’s gonna beat you like a drum, Ritchie.” Will Bender rarely used his roommate’s childhood nickname, but he appeared ready to side with the older brother.

Ritch pointed at Will. “You, should call your parents and say goodbye. I foresee an accident happening this week.” Smiling to prove he was not really upset, he gingerly draped an arm around CJ and faced the group. “In case you haven’t figured it out, this is my brother. CJ, you know Ed and Will. That’s Mitch, Joel, Fred, Miranda, and Braxton.” He pointed at each in turn, before stepping away from his brother. “Ewww again, bro. Your sweat smells of booze and sex.”

CJ blew on his nails and buffed them against his sweaty chest. “Yeah, well, It’s called a fun Friday night. Ozzie and I may have had a cocktail or two at the pool bar after we got in last night. When we stumbled into our room, we realized we weren’t that drunk or tired. We slept like babies after going a couple of rounds.”

“TMI!” The comment came from nearly everyone.

“Sounds like a good time was had by all.” Joel extended a hand for CJ to shake. “Joel Boxworth. It’s great to meet you, sir. We’ve all heard a lot about you.”

“Sir? What the fuck, cadet?” CJ tried to sound indignant, but a near chuckle ruined the effect. “I’m CJ. You call me sir again, I’ll make sure you’re with Will when he has that accident.”

“Jesus Fucking Christ! Enough with the testosterone shenanigans.” Miranda shook her head without a single spiky hair moving. “Nice to meet you, CJ. I’m Miranda. Now, if you all will forgive me, I’m going to check in, and then grab a cocktail. Maybe not in that order. For those of you under twenty-one, legal age’s eighteen in Mexico, boys!”

“Tell you what, guys. Let me go up and wake my husband. We’ll shower and meet you at the restaurant for breakfast. They’re supposed to have an incredible buffet.” CJ shook his head when a couple of cadets rubbed their stomachs. “Go check in, change, and meet us there in an hour.”

CJ grasped the hostess’ arm and spoke quietly. “Could you please ask our server to bring everyone a Bloody Maria?” Ritch and Owen, flanking him, were the only other ones to hear him. “No matter what they say, put all the meals on one check, and bring it to me at the end.”

“Por supuesto, Embajador.”

Her response was at a normal volume, allowing the gathered cadets to hear. Federico Rodrigues, the product of Hialeah, Florida, reacted with a grin. “She said yes, ambassador? Did you get promoted?”

“Don’t start shit, Fred.” CJ had heard about the kid, how he felt he could not afford the trip, and how Ritch had used American Express reward points to buy his airplane ticket and pay for his share of the hotel room.

“Then why she call you that?”

Owen sat between CJ and Federico. “I’m Owen.” Federico shook the proffered hand. “The ambassador shit started last night when we checked in and showed our diplomatic passports. The bartenders called him that all night while we got plastered.”

“Sounds like you guys had a really good time.”

“We did. Wait ’til you meet Sofia and Jose later. Those were the bartenders. They don’t know the meaning of a weak cocktail.”

Once the ordered drinks were delivered, CJ raised his. “A toast! To you, guys. Welcome to Mexico!”

“Thanks, CJ.” Miranda sipped her cocktail and her expression told everyone she approved. “Are you and Owen spending the entire week with us?”

“Nope,” Owen replied. “Monday’s a holiday, Benito Juarez Day, and we fly out late morning. We both have to work the next day. And if I’m honest, I already miss our girl.” He may have missed his daughter, but it was CJ who wore the Girl Dad t-shirt.

“How old is she?”

“Two years next month. Y’all should come back for her birthday party.” CJ looked at Owen, who nodded his approval.

“Yeah, right, as if the Academy would understand.” Ritch noticed CJ and Owen alternated answering questions much like their fathers did. He loved the idea the couples were so well meshed, they rarely had to consult with each other when in a group conversation. “Who’s watching Liebe, bro?”

“Lincoln.” Owen must have realized the single name would leave others wondering. “Lincoln Erickson’s an FBI agent we were friends with back in Washington. He was assigned to the embassy about nine months before we moved down here.”

“Let’s get some food. I have a proposition for you when we get back.” CJ led the buffet’s invasion, but stepped aside to allow the cadets access first.

Food-laden plates in hand, they all returned to the table, with CJ and Owen being last. CJ did not wait to present his proposal. “Okay, Ozzie already told you we’ll be heading home on Monday. Today, we’d like to spend on the beach and around the pool. Tonight, we want to hit a hot dance club we heard about. You’re all welcome to hang around us or do your own thing.” CJ paused and smiled; everyone was nodding.

“Who’s heard of Chichen Itza?” In response to Owen’s question, about half the cadets raised their hand. “It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mayan Ruins some 200 kilometers inland. We want to go there tomorrow, and would like to extend an invitation for you to join us.”

CJ picked up the thread seamlessly. “See, tomorrow’s the spring equinox. Twice a year, in spring and fall, people flock to the Kukulcán Pyramid to witness the sun play on its surface. On every equinox, the late afternoon sun creates the illusion of a snake creeping down the northern staircase.”

“Sounds like fun,” said one of the cadets. “How much would it cost? If it’s that popular, it’s probably expensive.”

“CJ and I will cover it. You’d be our guests. But we have to leave at the crack of dawn. If you’re not there when the hired bus shows up, you get left behind.”

Mid-morning, CJ and Owen found themselves on the sand on opposite sides of a volleyball net. The friendly game soon turned brutal. “You’re going down, bro!” CJ screamed at Mitch after being smacked with a ball. Simmons, being the tallest, kept trying to hit opponents when he spiked.

“Yeah, you and what army?” Simmons stood with feet apart and clenched fists raised in triumph. “WE ARE THE AIR FORCE! You’re going down, wimps.”

Laughing, Owen clasped the man’s shoulder. “Mate, you do realize they’re all cadets on the other side except for CJ, right?”

“Who cares? They’re still going down.”

“I need a rinse and a cocktail,” a sand covered CJ said after his team had indeed gone down.

“I’m joining you.” Owen’s comment was echoed by Ritch and Joel.

As they walked away, trash talking continued as the remaining cadets drafted observers to replace departing players. After standing underneath the outdoor shower, and brushing their bodies clean, they strolled towards the poolside bar.

“Embajador! You’re back.” The raven-haired, voluptuous woman behind the bar displayed a wide expanse of shining, white teeth.

“Hola, Sofia.” CJ draped an arm over Ritch’s shoulder. “This is my brother, Ritch”—he tilted his head in Joel’s direction—“and that’s his friend, Joel. Cuatro margaritas?” He did not bother to ask his companions if that was what they wanted.

“Hola, chicos. The ambassador and his husband like theirs on the rocks with salt, what about you?” Her English was accented but flawless; Ritch assumed that was because she served American tourists.

Both cadets nodded their agreement and sat on stools in front of her. Ritch could not stop staring at her dark eyes and plump lips. Or the ample breasts stretching the tight white shirt tied above her waist. “My brother told us you were one of the bartenders he enjoyed meeting last night. You work long hours, don’t you?”

“Not really. I’m here Friday nights and during the day Saturdays and Sundays. During the week I go to school.”

Ritch chatted the woman up while she mixed cocktails; when handed his, he made over-the-top comments about how good it was. “So, if you don’t work tonight, are we gonna see you at Club Yucatan? My brother and his husband mentioned it’s supposed to be a fun place.”

Sofia stared at Ritch from top to bottom and smiled at him. “Maybe… Will you dance with me if I go?”

“All night long!”

A stool away, Joel smacked his forehead. “Oh, crap. Romeo’s at it again.” In a whisper, so Sofia could not hear him, he spoke for the benefit of CJ and Owen. “Your brother gets laid more often than anyone else in our class.”

“I heard that!” Ritch momentarily interrupted his flirting. “You’re an asshole, Boxworth. Why don’t you go find yourself a Mexican boy and go get fucked.”

“Romeo?” Owen looked confused.

“Mexican boy?” CJ smirked. “Something you want to share, cadet?”

Joel rolled his eyes. “Romeo’s what his flight calls him. It’ll probably be his call sign when he becomes a pilot. And yes, I’m gay.”

“Thank goodness there’s at least one of you who plays for our team.” CJ touched knuckles with the cadet. “Stick with us, kid. Uncle CJ and Uncle Ozzie will get you laid.”

When Joel raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner, Owen pounced. “Don’t even think about it. Not with us. We don’t play around. Not since we got married.”

“Damn!” Joel looked disappointed.

“Embajador!” The greeting uttered by the man joining Sofia behind the bar made everyone but CJ grin.

“No mas, Jose. I told you to call me CJ”

“How about I call you papi, papi?” Jose wiggled his eyebrows and licked his lips.

Ritch lost it. Laughing, he turned from Sofia for a moment. “You’ve met your match, CJ.” He winked at Jose. “Dude! Good one. I’m Ritch. CJ’s brother.”

“Ricardo! Your brother talked a lot about you last night. Too bad you like girls.”

Laughter once again overcame Ritch. He spoke to Jose but stared at Sofia. “Yeah… I definitely like girls. But hey, if you wanna nail an Air Force cadet, Joel here’s single and available.” Using his apparent fear of getting hit, Ritch jumped off his stool, ran behind the bar, and grasped Sofia by the hips. “Protect me, Sofia.” Ritch was surprised when she shook her ass a bit and pushed against his groin. The woman was definitely older, and he was surprised how easy it was going to be to get with her.

“You can’t be back here, Ricardo.” Jose’s admonition went unheeded.

“Bloody hell!”

“Asshole!”

“Peterson, I’m gonna hurt you.”

Jose apparently enjoyed the suggestion, as his eyes raked over the smooth, muscular man Ritch had offered up. “Joel? Es un placer, guapo.”

The way the two men looked at each other, Ritch suspected the pleasure would be mutual. Every bartender Ritch had ever met had thick skin. Most put up with flirtatious comments, hoping for a larger tip. Jose apparently was willing to do even more.

Joel vocalized Ritch’s thought. “I think the pleasure would be mutual.” He shook Jose’s hand and held it a tad longer than normal. The bartender was slender, bearded, hairy chested, and shorter than the customers on the other side of the counter.

“You’re gonna be happy and sore if you bottom, Joel.” CJ pointed at the bulge in Jose’s white shorts. “You can tell he’s going commando. Big and uncut. Just like me.” CJ laughed when Owen slapped the back of his head.

“That’s disgusting, CJ.” Ritch shook his head and moved from Sofia’s back to her side. He kept an arm around her waist. “Nobody wants to hear that shit.”

“I don’t mind,” Joel said.

Cadets broke away from the volleyball game, drifted in and out of the thatch-roofed space, chatting with the bartenders and the men glued to their seats. The four had lunch at the bar, then spent their time in the pool or around it, basking in the sun. Late in the afternoon, everyone seemed to crash at the same time. CJ and Owen started a trend when they announced they were going back to their room for a nap. There was a mass exodus of cadets with Ritch being the last one after ensuring Sofia would indeed join them at the club.