Summer - 7. The Price You Pay

“I’ll go get him, boys.” Dragon recognized the voice calling out from the dock as belonging to the man they were waiting for. He put his cocktail on the table by the couch and walked outside the salon to greet the latest arrival. Moments later he strolled back inside with his arm around the shoulders of a tall man. The new arrival wore what many would consider the ultimate preppy uniform for a day out sailing: deck shoes, madras shorts, and a pink polo shirt. Both chuckling at something one of them had said, the visitor appeared to be relaxed even though he was entering a room full of strangers. The dark-haired, blue-eyed, muscle bear, resembled a thirty-something Santa Claus; before the large jelly-belly and the white hair.

“Hey guys, say hello to an old friend of mine. This is Representative Brian K. Sims, the first openly gay person elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Remember he’s a politician so watch your pockets.”

“Jerk! Is that why you invited me along today? So you could use me as the target for your cheap jokes?” The rebuke was delivered in a tone of voice hinting at a good friendship and deep affection between Dragon and the legislator.

“Yup. And as soon as I run out of political material, I’ll start on the lawyer jokes. Anyway, you already know Rashid, my other half.” King, perched on the arm of one of the couches, leaned forward to shake hands with Sims.

“If I remember correctly, you’ve previously met our captain when we ran into him during lunch last month. Let me introduce you to the rest of the gang. The squared-jawed, Superman look-alike, sitting at the end of the couch is César, also known as Emperor. The blonde with all the tattoos is Supes' better half, Brett―Jarhead to his friends.” As the men were introduced, each one rose to shake hands with the newcomer.

“The rough-looking dude standing in the galley is Matt, our token Southerner. The dark-haired, heavily inked guy mixing bloodies next to him is John Paul, he’s an Aussie, and the captain’s bed mate. Be ready for some funny accents when Doc and Pope get talking.”

“Good to meetcha, Brian.” JP approached the man with a plastic tumbler in his hand. “Welcome aboard the PP, mate. Here you go, freshly made Bloody Mary, you’re going to need a little alcohol to put up with Dragon and his bad puns.”

“Thanks, JP. For the drink and for allowing this rascal to invite me to come along today.”

“Hell, when you called I knew we wanted to see you, but I wasn’t about to give up a day of sailing with the gang for you.” Dragon slapped his friend on the butt before turning him to face the galley. “Come here, kiddo,” he said to the youngster leaning against the counter. “And this, this guy’s CJ, the latest addition to our crowd. He’s César and Brett’s son and just moved to Washington this week. I think he’ll turn out to be the brains of this operation, a straight-A student I understand, with an interest in architecture, history, and politics. The intel comes from regular emails we all get from the father, who’s constantly bragging about his son.”

“Geez, Dad, glad you’re proud of me, but what the heck are you doing telling these guys all this stuff?” CJ smiled as he bitched at his father and approached Representative Sims. “Have you been discussing how I look naked also? Is that why they’re always asking me to take off my shirt?” The kid was obviously willing to play along with all the flirting the adults had been doing.

“Yup, he can’t stop bragging about his little boy.” Brett joined the friendly banter before his husband could say a word. “But he hasn’t told them everything about you yet, we had no idea how big it was until today. That bathing suit you’re wearing doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”

“Asshole! Stop picking on our kid, Jarhead.” César tried to remain serious as he admonished his husband for the off-color remarks.

“Daaaaad…” The deep red flushing the boy’s cheeks helped fuel the group’s loud laughter.

“Enough of the comedy routine, CJ, meet Representative Brian Sims,” said Dragon.

“Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

“Please, none of this sir crap, it’s just Brian. I’m not much older than you! Did you move up here for college?”

“Uhhh, no, I’m not old enough for college. I’ll be starting tenth grade this fall,” mumbled CJ.

“You’re in high school? Holy batshit! Looking at your size, I would’ve never guessed so. I can tell you’re no stranger to the gym. What about the playing field, you participate in any sports?”

“I’ve always enjoyed swimming, sir—I mean Brian. I jog, I lift, I’ve taken some martial arts classes, and last year I was on the JV baseball and football teams at school.”

“Damn, boy, you keep busy. Gotta love a jock with brains! I played a little ball in college, maybe we’ll get a chance to chat about it this afternoon. But it has to be outside, I’m jealous of your tan. I’m pasty and want some sun!”

“A little ball?” asked Dragon as he shook his head in disbelief of his friend’s modesty. “The man was the co-captain of his university’s football team. When he came out as gay in 2000, he became the first out college football captain in NCAA history.”

“Next run for office I’m hiring you to handle my PR, Devon.”

“No more chit chat, let’s cast off and get out on the river, I need two of you to get the lines,” ordered Potus.

“Aye, aye, Captain,” replied Pope while batting his eyes at his partner.

“You’ll get your aye, aye later tonight, big boy.”

“O, Captain, my, Captain!” most of the men in the crowd raised their glasses in salute, while CJ giggled recognizing the reference to Whitman’s poem about President Lincoln’s death.

The afternoon cruising down the Potomac was a pleasant revelation for CJ. The adults relentlessly kidded him about his looks, but otherwise, he was treated as just another one of the guys and not as a little kid. Everyone included him in their conversation and welcomed his input when he decided to actively participate in the discussion. This acceptance helped ease the discomfort and anguish he had promised himself to bury inside. His mother’s rejection hurt more than he allowed himself to show; he couldn’t understand why she had sided with that man, against her son.

The opportunity to chat individually with Brian was one of the day’s highlights. The combination of two of his passions, politics and sports, captivated him. That the man exhibiting those traits was openly gay, made it so much better. He felt the man was someone he could emulate and use as an example in the future.

“How did your interest in politics come about, CJ?” asked Brian.

“I think it’s been a result of how much I’ve enjoyed learning about history. I went to elementary school at Ramstein Air Base in Germany while my step-father was stationed there.” CJ and Brian were both shirtless, sitting out in the sun, air-drying themselves after Dragon had pushed the boy into the river and Brian had joined him for a swim. The shirts they’d both been wearing were a balled wet mess laying on the deck.

“I’m not sure if it was because of the military angle, or because we were in Europe, but history was taught in more detail than in the United States. At least that’s what I figured out when I talked to school friends after we moved back to Miami. From the time I could read I loved books: being into the historical stuff, I started checking out anything I could find on Presidents and world leaders, from the school library.”

“Any of those books stand out for you?”

“There was one, a very basic biography of Thomas Jefferson. After I finished it, I wanted to be like him. My love of architecture, reading, writing, and politics is due in part to the fixation I developed with our third President. His love of the land around Monticello turned me into a tree-hugger too!” CJ said the last line with a quirky grin.

At some point during the conversation, some of the other men had joined them on the aft deck. Dragon told CJ that Brian had garnered wide attention in the press, and amongst his peers, for his commitment to bipartisanship. He worked to encourage collaboration between Pennsylvania’s Democratic and Republican parties.

“CJ, there’s a quote from Brian I carry around on my phone, pretty sure you’ll like it. It went viral on the net soon after he used it during a recent debate on the floor of the legislature.” The politician looked out into the water, apparently embarrassed, something not usually seen in his profession. “Here’s what he said:”

‘This legislation is about advancing an ideology of oppression and suppression, even if such a plan means ignoring the oath of office that each of us swore. As a reminder, Mr. Speaker, I do believe this has been forgotten entirely by many of my colleagues today: Each of us put our hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. We did not place our hands on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.’

CJ’s reaction was instantaneous. “Damn! I love that statement. I may have to borrow it sometime, when I run for public office myself, Mr. Representative.”

“Anytime, my friend. It’s yours to use whenever you want,” replied Sims. “Hey, I’ll be back in town in two weeks for Capital Pride, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Nathan. If you’re interested in politics as much as we’ve discussed, he could open some doors for you at the Capitol. A part-time job in a Congressman’s office, once you turn sixteen, could be a possibility. It would provide a look from the inside not many have an opportunity to experience.”

While the political conversation was carried on topside, Doc, Brett, and César remained inside. They sat on the large, comfortable, white couch, hunched over, speaking quietly, while nursing their Bloody Marys.

“Come on, Doc, we both know you too well. You’re not being yourself, what’s bothering you?”

“It’s Chip, César. I can’t believe he didn’t show up today. He knew CJ was going to be here, and this was an opportunity for all of us to make the kid feel welcome, and accepted. It was a chance for us to make him realize what he went through didn’t diminish his value in our eyes. And also give us all a shot at getting to know him a bit better―the boy’s going to be around us all the time now. I’m tryin’ real hard not to let my suspicions run amok but it ain’t easy, bubba. It ain’t easy at all.“

“Hell, man, I don’t think you need to worry so much. Him canceling at the last minute, that’s nothing new,” said Brett. “He’s always had this type of meeting once in a while, it’s the price you pay for being a successful banker.”

“Yeah, once in a while would be mighty fine. Problem is, recently the late hours at the office, overnight out-of-town trips, and weekend meetings have become a pretty regular thing. Every time I ask him if everything’s alright with us or if we need to talk, he just says there’s nothing wrong, just a lot of work. I’m not feeling very secure these days.”

“It’s probably as he says―too much work. But you know Brett and I love you to death, if there’s a real problem, if there’s any way we can help, we got your back no matter what.”

The late spring sun did not set until after 8:00 p.m., and the PP remained out on the water until very late in the afternoon. Motoring back to the marina from Occoquan Bay, the entire group had gathered inside engaging in a lively discussion punctuated with sexual innuendos and bawdy jokes. Brian asked about the nicknames they all bandied around and CJ was given the job of providing the necessary explanations. The cop’s partner, JP, told him this was a test to see if he would be accepted into the group. If he did, the Elite Eight would become the Nasty Nine.

“Hey, the blessed ones amongst us, carry around nine nasty ones all the time,” shouted Dragon. He was promptly pelted with cushions and balled-up napkins, his partner telling him he was not getting any that night as punishment for the bad puns.

Once CJ stopped laughing he looked at the politician, rolled his eyes, and told him he was nuts to ask. “But since you did, I guess I may as well show these old farts my young, agile mind is up to any task they set.” Since the two t-shirts the boy had brought with him were still damp, he’d borrowed one from Tom―black with ARMY printed on it in yellow. The boy knew he’d just added a new one to his collection.

“Starting with the absent member of the group, Chip: his nickname was a mystery to me until two days ago, when the ‘rents and I stopped at the bank he works at, and he gave me one of his business cards. His full name is Carlos Humberto Israel Pereira, Chip is made up from the first letter of each of his names.”

“One down, seven to go, mate. You’re already doing better than I would, I always forget his third name,” contributed King.

“Next is Uncle Matt, Dr. Matthew J. Calhoun, I have no idea what the J stands for but since he’s a physician, the nickname of Doc is a no-brainer.”

“That’s two and the J stands for Jason,” said the Southerner with a smile. One of the few he had exhibited during the day. The boy had a way of spreading his joy for life to others, no matter how much they were hurting.

“Dragon’s an easy one, since you guys are friends you already know where it comes from. The tat on his chest is pretty cool. The guy should start wearing a shirt more often though, his pecs ain’t all that to be constantly on display.”

“That’s three, pipsqueak, and I’ll show you all that later!” exclaimed the ex-football player throwing a cushion back at the kid.

“His much better half, Rashid Hussein Kahn, is King. Double meaning on that one: his last name is a title given to rulers and officials in central Asia. The second reference is clear when you use the nickname and his last name together. King Kahn makes you think of the big ape.” CJ leaned towards Brian and kinda whispered so everyone could hear. “Which is appropriate for the little sex monkey.”

That broke everyone up with laughter once again, CJ was on a roll and he was enjoying himself.

“Potus and Pope, our Captain and his First Mate, are references to the individuals they share a name with. Thomas John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s named after John F. Kennedy. President of the United States is commonly abbreviated to POTUS. My Australian uncle, John Paul Smith, is named after Pope John Paul II. I guess they both came from nice Catholic families.”

“Too right, mate, but you should know my family left the Catholic Church sometime after I was born. Mum and dad joined the Anglican one in Newcastle.” Although just as likely to join in the group’s shenanigans as any of the others, he always seemed to appear calm; a trait which probably served him well in his job as Press Attaché for the Australian Embassy in Washington. Unflappable under pressure and extremely articulate, even when surrounded by a bunch of rowdy friends. “The last ones should be a breeze.”

“Papa is sometimes known as Bad Boy, another play on initials since Brett Andrew Davenport spells BAD using the first letters. Of course, he’s also addressed as Captain, Marine, Jarhead, Devil Dog, and Dog Face―all references to his position as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. And saving the best for last, Dad is the ultimate ruler of this motley crew, he is therefore respectfully addressed as Emperor. The fact César is his name may have had something to do with that also!”

Laughter rang out again inside the vessel’s cabin; the teen stood, smiled, and took a bow as he received a standing ovation.

“Wait a second there, if you saved the best for last then that means you!” said Representative Sims with a note of joviality in his voice.

“Easy, César Junior is my name and I’m the next Emperor to be. But until I take over, CJ will do just fine.”

Back at the marina, everyone pitched in to clean up the interior of the cat and hose down the outside. Representative Sims promised to get in touch with the entire group before he came back to D.C. in two weeks for the Capital Pride weekend; there was a reception he wanted to invite them all to. Afterward, CJ, his fathers, Dragon, and King stood next to the latter’s Land Rover chatting for a bit.

“Meant to tell you this morning, counselor, sweet ride you got here,” said the teenager.

“Thanks, mate. A signing bonus from the law firm, a graduation gift from my parents, and some prize money left over from my boxing days helped me buy it. Bloody expensive but I had to be patriotic and buy Brit wheels.”

“It suits the image of an up-and-coming, young legal buck well,” added César.

“You can add overworked to that list. Back to reality tomorrow, guys. It’s gonna be an interesting week at the office with some of the litigation I’m working on. The partner in charge of one of those cases has taken a liking to me, and I get to do more than most any associate my age normally would. I need to work my ass off, but the extra experience will come in handy when partnership decisions are made by the brass.”

“Speak for yourself, Rash, I’ll be off a couple more days. Won’t be back in the office until Wednesday. We thought I could finish getting Junior here settled in and then he’ll be on his own.” Said César.

“Junior? What the fuck, Dad. I hate being called that.” CJ’s complaint was met by his dad ruffling his hair and smiling at him.

“Once you get a routine set give me a call, kiddo,” interjected Dragon. “If interested, I can play bring-your-kid-to-work and you can get a small taste of how the other half lives. Washington’s definitely not all about the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Many of the families I work with have trouble making ends meet.”

“That’d be real cool, maybe Papa will let me tag along with him for a day too? I’d love to check out Quantico before the transfer in July.”

“Sure thing, bud. I’ll be working at the Pentagon most of this week instead of at Quantico, we’re starting the transition so I can be ready on July 1. The week after, I’ll be back at the base, so you can ride down with me then. I’m so gonna love the shorter commute!”

“What’s up with next weekend?” asked King.

“We’ll call you guys later on during the week to set a time, but plan on meeting up real early on Saturday morning. My new boss knows César and I, along with a couple of friends, are taking part in the Rally and asked me to invite y’all to a pre-event breakfast he’s organizing, his assistant will email you details this week. Shit, I hafta let him we’ll also have the kid with us!”

“That’s wassup! My black ass is always up for free food!”

“Hey, César, I noticed you and Dragon slipped away to one of the cabins alone. Did you get what you wanted from him?”

“Pretty much, I was happy when we got done.”

“Wanna tell me about it?”

The two men were in bed, cuddled up together, relaxing after their day out on the water.

“He says it’s too soon to know for sure how hard it may hit him. It could be bad later on. CJ’s only been here for a weekend, but he felt the kid was acting the way a teenager should. He was impressed by our boy’s maturity and his ability to interact with a group of men so much older. The shopping therapy and constant activity are still our best bet at this point.”

“You let me know if you think I need to do anything. Sometimes I can be a bit too blonde but I love that boy almost as much as I love you. We need to make sure he comes out on top.”

“I know, Brett. I know how you feel about him and about me. You know the feeling’s mutual. Good night, babe. Love ya.”

“Love ya back, stud.”