Life's A Grind - 7. Chapter 7 Building Blocks

“Class, have a great break and vacation. I know I will,” said the teacher in Jeremy’s fourth period contemporary history class. “It would be helpful to read the chapters on the Israel and Palestine conflict sometime over the holidays.”

The students groaned in an exaggerated fashion while they gathered their papers and notes.

“I know, I know…but you might find it interesting in light of what is actually happening over there right now. Okay, don’t break down the doors. See you next year.”

Jeremy hi-five’d a few of the guys and exchanged “Merry Christmas” with several other classmates before he joined Robert in the crowded, bustling corridor. Tonight a few of the girls were having parties that he’d miss because of work. Tomorrow, however, the ‘A’ crowd was gathering for a big Christmas affair that he was attending. It would be more of an open house than a date party; most of the students who weren’t going steady, including Robert and Jeremy, planned on going stag. The two friends had private plans for later.

“So, you’re going to hit the parties tonight with Rachael?” Jeremy asked as they walked to their lockers.

“For show, as I told you. The stud she’s interested in will be out of town for the holidays. Tonight will be it for the two of us. Guess I’ve saved some money…we’re not exchanging gifts.”

“Buddy, you’re so cheap that the money you saved will get you a ride on the CTA.”

“Damn, how’d you figure out what I was giving you for Christmas. Guess I’ll just have to return the bus token and figure out something else for you.” Robert playfully punched Jeremy in the arm as they dodged a few other students running their way.

“Well, I purposely got you a Happy Meal for two at Mickey D’s. Figure you could invite me for dinner so it’s a good investment.” Jeremy ruffled Robert’s hair before giving him the trusty finger. In fact, Jeremy had bought his old friend a black, long-sleeve shirt. He knew that Robert would be equally generous…or more so.

“Speaking of meals, you wanna get some dinner tomorrow night? I don’t think that there’ll be much food at the party.”

“Naw, I better have dinner with mom. Sis is going out. Why don’t I come over to your place with my backpack around eight and we can go on to the party?” Jeremy planned on bringing a change of underwear, rugby shirt and jeans. In addition, he made a trip to the store for condoms and lube like Zach had suggested; they would be stowed in the backpack for later.

“That’s good. I figure that the party should wind down around 11:00 p.m. or before. We can split then and go to my place. I’ve got a few movies we can watch…and some more smokes.”

“A movie sounds good. I’ll take a pass on the other stuff.” Neither used pot much and Jeremy was surprised that Robert still had some. ‘Something to calm his nerves for our exploration in bed?’ he wondered as they arrived at their lockers. During the week, the two friends had tossed back and forth verbal innuendos about where Saturday night might lead.

“Um, you don’t mind if I smoke?” Robert asked as the two guys closed their lockers.

“Nope. You’re the host and I respect ya, Bobby. Let’s go with the flow,” Jeremy replied. “I gotta get to work. Have fun at the party and try not to get in Rachael’s pants. You’re going to need your energy for tomorrow.”

“Rachael and her pants are the last thing that’s on my mind,” Robert said with a wink. “And don’t worry about my energy. I’ll call you tomorrow morning and give you a blow by blow account of how the party was.”

“Blow by blow is something we’ll talk about tomorrow night. Gotta run so I can catch my bus. See ya.” Jeremy grinned and took off for the exit.

“Fuck you, Sloan,” Robert yelled out.

Jeremy’s grin turned to a lusty smile as he hit the crash door. ‘That’s exactly what I have in mind,’ he thought.

*****

Saturday morning was always scheduled for chores at the Sloan apartment. The two siblings divided the tasks: Naomi did the laundry and dusting; Jeremy handled all scrubbing, vacuuming and minor repairs. Because he didn’t have any studying Jeremy volunteered to do the weekly run to the nearby Dominick’s. Ellen Sloan always had an envelope of coupons that she collected and made a shopping list based on the savings.

Later in the day, while his mother worked crossword puzzles on the dining room table, Jeremy watched a college basketball game on television intermittently as he thumbed through a paperback edition of “Law for the Small Business.” He had found the book, plus a few other basic legal texts, at a DePaul student’s yard sale and thought it might be a good primer for the next phase in his educational path. This occupied his afternoon until it was mom’s dinnertime.

Naomi was scheduled at the hospital so the task of prepping their mother’s dinner was part of Jeremy’s responsibility. He made a simple salad of lettuce, veggies and tuna for himself, and ate with Mom before he got ready for the evening.

Tonight was definitely a sweater and khakis night. The guy who was hosting the open house – Tommy Turner – lived in one of the large, renovated townhouses on Webster Street, west of the El tracks. Jeremy knew that the parents who owned this ‘big bucks’ home would be chaperoning with another couple of adults. He had been told that the party would be on the ground floor of the house and in a heated tent in the back yard. In this neighborhood, diversity had been overshadowed by gentrification. Between the affluent, younger married couples, professional singles and the high-earning gay population, Lincoln Park homes were the grounds for a continuing bidding war between homebuyers. Jeremy’s building, butting up against the elevated train tracks, was one of the few that hadn’t become a photo op for the next issue of Metropolitan Home.

After Jeremy said goodnight to his mother and reminded her that he would be staying over at Robert’s house, he put on his coat and grabbed the backpack. Ten minutes later he arrived at his friend’s house. While Robert did a switch of sweaters so it didn’t look like they purposely dressed alike, Jeremy placed the backpack at the edge of Robert’s bed. Just before eight, they were off to the party.

A beefy, polite security man at the door checked off their names before Robert and Jeremy entered the house from the lower street entrance. The wall-hung artwork and statuary were dramatically spotlighted in the stylized, photogenic foyer. The guys passed by the entertainment room with a humungous plasma screen and through the dining area. The party seemed to officially begin in the large kitchen. Some of the girls were talking with two of the chaperones and another couple that Jeremy thought were Mr. and Mrs. Turner.

“Hey, Robert, Jeremy…welcome to the party.” The unmistakable voice of their host, Tommy Turner, called out. The voices and laughter coming from the tent indicated that the party was starting to get energized.

“Hi. Looks like a great turnout,” Jeremy said as he tapped fists with the shorter guy. Tommy was the top diver on the swim team in addition to being an academic achiever. Beyond the kitchen window and open door, he could see most of the crowd that ‘hung’ together at school. He judged, from the volume of the sound, that Tommy’s parents had hired a professional D.J. for the evening.

“You must have everyone coming?” Robert asked.

“Yeah. The tent really helps handle the crowd and avoids any damage to the place. We’ve got cokes and stuff in here.” Tommy got closer and said in a low voice as he put his arms around the guys, “But there’s a great punch in the corner of the tent that’s very high octane. Guys, have a great time…just don’t get too blasted. I gotta get more ice.”

“Thanks, buddy.” Jeremy was always amazed that the host still was called ‘Tommy.’ But, like the general who had led the U.S. forces in Iraq, Tommy Turner would probably use that name forever. He was bound for Princeton in the fall and Jeremy thought that his prepped-out, compact pal would fit in very well. He also decided that Tommy was definitely cute.

“I gotta do some time with Rachael,” Robert said as they walked into the tent. In one corner was a D.J. with tons of sound equipment playing some retro-disco music. Several of the girls, Rachael included, were flirting with him.

“Go for it. I see a few gals I need to boogie with later on. Prolly end up with the losers over at the stag line,” Jeremy said with a laugh. He quickly scanned the tent and noticed the various classmate sub-cliques in clusters. The hardcore couples were dancing in the center while his swim team friends seemed to be monopolizing the area around the punch bowl along with a few others from the basketball and track teams. This crowd could best be described as a blend of non-animal jocks, school leaders and scholars. Jeremy and Robert fit into the latter two categories.

He went over and said hello to all the guys and tasted the punch. As billed, the fruit beverage was heavily laced with vodka and rum. Jeremy worked the crowd and felt his gaydar ‘ping’ on a few occasions. He had heard a few rumors concerning some of the swimmers’ sexual randiness but just ignored it as bullshit gossip. ‘Am I sending signals back?’ he wondered.

After sharing a few jokes and pulling chain with the guys, Jeremy made his way over to a group of girls. This time, he switched gears and offered flattering comments plus a few playful teases. He was mindful of the helpful prompts his sister constantly suggested since he became aware of the differences between the two sexes.

For the next hour Jeremy spent the time dancing with several of his ‘ex’s’, had a few cups of punch while talking with the guys and touched base occasionally with Robert. By 10:30 p.m., the guys separately said their goodbyes with the thinning crowd and finally thanked Tommy.

“You guys going to the keg party?” Tommy asked. Sam Agosto, a member of the swim team, had passed out invitations for the stag all-nighter in his basement rec room.

“Nope. I gotta work tomorrow and need to be fairly alert.” Jeremy smiled and added, “But if you’re going, don’t plan on driving.”

“Don’t worry…I’ll be cool. The last thing I need is a DWI ticket. Merry Christmas.” Tommy gave each a hug as they walked to the door.

Once Robert and Jeremy got on the street, they immediately hailed a cab. Even though it was only a half-mile to Robert’s house, the horny duo – without saying an acknowledging word – were anxious to be alone with each other.

The Yellow Cab driver grumbled a little at the short fare, made a U-turn and sped away with the two friends in back.

“Why do I have the funny feeling Tommy is going to end up in Sam’s bed tonight?” Robert said as the cab went under the El train tracks.

“Think so?” Jeremy remembered Sam was one of the swimmers whose sexuality had been in question.

“For sure. Didn’t you see Tommy all but go down on him over by the punch bowl table?”

“You’re exaggerating a little,” Jeremy replied with a chuckle. “But it did seem that Tommy paid more than a little attention to Sam. So you reckon they’re munching on each other’s wiener?” He knew that with the plastic partition dividing the cab, the driver couldn’t hear anything.

“Could be. From what I understand, Sam and a few of the others are out to the team. I guess everyone’s cool with it.”

“That’s a real tight group of guys, for sure.” Jeremy mentally flashed through the swimming team images and guessed at the possible gays in the group.

“I’ve heard crazy things about those guys and the ‘shave-downs’ they give each other before a meet. I really wonder if taking off pubes and leg hair really makes any difference in their swim times?” Robert asked.

“Maybe it’s just an excuse to, ah…fool around while doing something for the team,” Jeremy suggested. His thoughts altered for a moment as he imaged his assigned buddy shaving him for the dance group. ‘What I’ll be shaving is a little different than just legs, though,’ he considered.

“The team seemed to be very friendly tonight. I sensed a few were sending out some vibes to you.” Robert playfully squeezed Jeremy’s leg and left his hand on the thigh.

“Yeah? Well, I saw a few give you the eye. I have a feeling neither of us would have any problems…the ones I’m thinking of are probably playing on our team.” Jeremy put his hand on Robert’s as the cab slowed down in front of the Stein home.

“Thanks, pal. Keep the change,” Robert said as he put a five-dollar bill on the pass-through tray.

The two guys tossed out a few other salacious remarks about the swim team as they walked to the front door of Robert’s house. Jeremy caressed his buddy’s buns while Robert unlocked the door. They entered the house, took off their coats and hung them on the coat tree.

“I guess that answers my question.” Robert locked the door, turned and put his arms around his friend.

“Question?” The two young men faced each other with their foreheads pressed against each other.

“After last weekend and the way we screwed around, I really wondered – even after what we said to each other through the week – if we were both really jumping off into fairyland,” Robert said with a snicker. “Tonight has been a defining moment.” Robert leaned up a little and tenderly pecked Jeremy’s lips. “I know that my friendship with you is stronger and we’ve both crossed a long, narrow, one-way bridge.”

“And I guess we both made it in one piece.” Jeremy held his hand behind Robert’s head and moved in for a full-force kiss assault. He felt Robert grind his crotch against his leg. “Would you be okay if I thought of you as a best friend, brother and fuck buddy?”

“As long as this isn’t considered incest. Ah, I got some hot porno we could watch up in my room.” Robert took Jeremy’s hand and walked over to the stairway to the second floor. The night-lights were adequate to illuminate their way.

“Let’s leave the porn alone. As two horny guys, I don’t think we need any stimulus other than each other.” Jeremy allowed Robert to lead the way up to his room. “You going to smoke any?”

“No…don’t think that’ll be required tonight.”

Silently they entered the nightlight-illuminated bedroom and looked at each other in the shadowy atmosphere. Each toed off their shoes and kicked them aside. Next came their shirts and pants…Robert took hangers and neatly stowed the clothes in the closet. Robert returned and slid his hands under Jeremy’s briefs. The warm palms of his hands tenderly caressed Jeremy’s firm glutes.

Jeremy pressed his cotton-covered erection into Robert’s crotch and said, “Let’s get nekkid and hop into the sack, Mr. Stein.” He stepped back, removed his precum-stained briefs and got into bed. While Robert pulled off his boxers, Jeremy fished into the pre-positioned backpack and retrieved the condoms and lube. He admired the silhouette of his friend. The firm torso, bubble butt and full, fat erection was very erotic.

“Buddy, I’ve really thought about this and I…I want you…to…fuck me…tonight,” Robert said haltingly as he climbed into bed. He leaned in and kissed Jeremy while he gently grabbed Jeremy’s steel-hard, wet eight inches. Their breathing pattern increased as they pressed against each other. “I want this first time to be with you.”

“I’ve thought about this, too,” Jeremy said in a low voice. “It’s neat that we’ll share our first time together.” He broke away and moved his body around so that each was looking at the other’s hardon. He licked Robert’s leaking cock while his hand moved to roll the plump ball sac in his fingers. “Let’s ‘69’ and get the first shot out of the way so we can do this properly.” Jeremy knew he would cum as soon as he entered Robert – probably the same thing would happen to his partner when his cherry prostate was touched. He wanted his first fuck to be memorable for both of them.

“The shot that was heard around the world?” Robert asked with a giggle. He nuzzled his nose into Jeremy’s pubes and took a deep breath while he grabbed Jeremy’s hardness.

“At least in this room. I’ve been given some good advice on how to do this and I brought some stuff.’ Jeremy licked his way down Robert’s fat shaft and sucked at his balls.

“Stuff?”

“Condoms and lube. I want to make this feel good for you and do it safely.”

“Next time, let’s compare shopping lists. If ya run out, I’ve got a year’s supply of ‘stuff’ under the bed,” Robert said before he moved around so they were facing crotch to crotch. He tentatively took Jeremy’s flared glans in his mouth and sighed as Jeremy did the same to him.

As predicted, each erupted ferociously with little effort. While Jeremy took a pee break, Robert got a bottle of beer for the two to share. After the beer was finished, Jeremy suggested Robert lie on his stomach. Jeremy massaged the tense body and worked his finger technique into the tight, virgin hole. One finger became two…and finally three. Jeremy found the ‘nut’ and made sure Robert was aware of ‘coming attractions’ once his anus was loosened.

Jeremy lost track of time as he worked Robert’s backside. As he had been instructed, Jeremy insisted Robert remain on his stomach for the first time. He nervously rolled on the rubber and went to work. After a deliberate slow beginning, Jeremy’s confidence grew after Robert yelled ‘Go for it’. When he had finished the extraordinary climax, he reached under his friend’s stomach and felt a stickiness that confirmed Robert’s shouting was not just a verbal reaction.

“Bobby…thanks. That was terrific.” Jeremy said as he carefully peeled off the full, used condom.

“Yeah. Once I was able to take that hog of yours, it was great. You made my first time very special.”

“I think we should pull off the sheets and toss them in the washer,” Jeremy whispered in Robert’s ear. “You let out a real gusher.”

“You, too. Gimme that and I’ll flush it way.”

“I can do that,” Jeremy replied with a small frown.

“Where that thing’s been, it’s no problem.” Robert winked as he carefully retrieved the cum-weighted condom from Jeremy. “And maybe I’d better …you know…wipe off myself – inside. You pull off the sheets and toss them in the washer, downstairs. I’ll re-make the bed after I take care of stuff in the bathroom. Wanna take a shower before we go to sleep?”

“Yes, Sir…new sheets and shower. I like the idea.” Jeremy looked at the bedside clock and noticed it was almost 1:00 a.m.

The two friends, confidant they had taken a needed course-correction in their lives, snuggled and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Seven hours later, each stirred with renewed lust. After taking a pee break, they resumed their sexual exploration. This time, Jeremy suggested Robert take him.

“I want to…but I don’t want to hurt you,” Robert said back in bed.

“The thing is, our bodies can adjust to size. I want you to experience this…giving it to me…and I want to get you inside me. We’ve just got to go slow. I don’t want to sound friggin’ clinical or anything…but would you allow me to talk you through this?”

“Anything. Just tell me what to do. I kinda remember what you did but I’d feel better if you explained what I need to do.”

“Okay, I’m going to get on my stomach. You’ve got the lube. Squirt some up there and on your fingers. Um, by the way, I think that maybe you’re going to need to move up to…four fingers. That dick of yours is truly a formidable weapon,” Jeremy said with a laugh. “Put a rubber on it now. If ya get soft, I’ve got a few ideas on how to remedy that.”

Over the next half-hour, Robert patiently followed Jeremy’s step-by-step instructions. Finally, Robert was told to lube his hard, latex-encased cock and slowly ease in. Jeremy verbally guided him through the next process until he felt Robert’s pubes brush against his buns.

The last thing Jeremy said was, “Just do what seems natural and feels good.”

Afterwards, the two intimately bonded friends fell back to sleep with Robert still lodged in Jeremy. Later, showered and dressed in fresh clothes, the guys - now a little wiser to the world - went out for late Sunday breakfast.When they arrived at the International House of Pancakes, it was around 11:00 a.m. and the wait was at least a half-hour. Just as they were about to turn around and settle for an Egg McMuffin at the nearest McDonald’s, they heard their names called from the front of the restaurant. Jeremy turned and saw Tommy Turner waving them to come forward. Next to him was Sam Agosto with a sheepish, dreamy smile.

“Morning, guys. Guess we all had the same idea,” Jeremy said as he and Robert joined them.

“Guess so…didn’t think we’d run into each other so soon. You wanna share a table?” Tommy asked with his usual enthusiasm.

“That’d be fantastic. We were just about ready to bail out because of the wait.” Jeremy noticed Tommy and Sam had a very obvious ‘just got fucked’ glow on their faces. Very similar to Robert’s complexion…and he was sure he was in similar shape.

“You guys are lifesavers,” Robert said. He looked at Sam and asked, “How’d your party go? Any passed out bodies?”

“We got the last of the guys out about an hour ago. It wasn’t too bad, though. Tommy and I are going to clean up the place before my folks get back tonight. We’ve got the basement window open to air out the beer smell. Neither of us had too much…beer. So we got a pretty good night’s rest,” Sam said with a big grin.

“Jeremy, I thought you had to go to work this morning?” Tommy raised an eyebrow with a subtle ‘gotcha’ look on his face.

Just then, the hostess called Tommy’s name and they were escorted to a booth. The guys thanked the hostess and grabbed the menus.

“I could bullshit you and say that I was called not to come in to work. However…I think that the two of you will understand it when I say that I decided to stay at Robert’s last night.” Jeremy could feel his face becoming flushed. “I, ah, mean that…well, shoot, you know what I mean,” he nervously stuttered.

Tommy and Sam looked seriously at Jeremy, and then to Robert before they broke out in laughter and high-five’d each other.

“Looks like we’ve officially outed our two buddies,” Sam said in a conspiratorial tone.

“Jeez, two more queers in school to deal with,” Tommy replied. He reached across the table and extended his hand to Jeremy. “Welcome to the club.”

“And the club isn’t all that small,” Sam added. He grabbed Robert’s hand and shook it.

“At least not on the swimming team. Relax, guys…you’re among friends.” Tommy nodded and gave a thumbs up.

“Guys, I think that I speak for Jeremy in saying this is all pretty new for us and I’m not ready to come out to the school,” Robert said quietly.

“That’s cool. I can respect where you’re coming from. Whoops, wrong use of words.” Sam was upbeat but cautious as he added, “I figured things out a couple of years ago and can appreciate what’s happening. I don’t run around yelling, ‘I’m queer, deal with it’ or anything like that. I know there’s talk around school about me, but I’m still kinda laid back on who I tell.”

“You might as well add that you’d do serious physical damage if someone gave you crap about being gay.” Tommy leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Sam has a few friends – good friends on the football team, if ya know what I mean – that had to take care of a little problem with one of their homophobe teammates last year.”

“As long as we all understand each other, I welcome some new friends,” Jeremy said. “I suspect that college will make a big difference for all of us.”

The four young men ordered their food and continued to compare notes. The other two were just buddies who enjoyed getting off together. When Sam said he’d been accepted to Northwestern, Robert’s interest perked up. By the time the food was delivered, Robert and Sam had made a date to see a movie sometime in the next week. The breakfast conversation hit a different level of understanding when Tommy invited Jeremy over to his house for a late dinner that night. He said his folks would be out to the annual company Christmas party and he didn’t like being alone. Tommy smiled when he said the last part.

*****

Tuesday dawned and the re-cap coffee date with Zach had been confirmed. Jeremy arrived a little before 4:30 p.m. at EatZi’s and didn’t see his mentor. He went over to order two cappuccinos. Just as the barista set down the frothy cups and took the money, Zach came in.

“I ordered cappuccinos for us.” Jeremy handed one of the cups to Zach and they walked over to a table. “A little ‘thank you’ of appreciation.”

“Impressive, Mr. Sloan. You learn fast. How did everything else go…as far as the other learning process is concerned?” Zach asked with a wink. “I think what I see before me is a very content man.”

“I can’t believe how everything turned out. Not only was the evening a success…and morning as well…but we both experienced, you know…”

“Yeah, I do know as a matter of fact. Let’s just say that I also am learning more about myself.”

“What you mean?” Jeremy asked after taking a sip, “If I’m not being too personal.”

“Naw, we’re friends and I trust you. Basically, I wrongly assumed that Gio always wanted to be on – the receiving end and he never corrected me. Part of our plan to work out things is to play different roles and have variety…in bed. There are a few other things I won’t go into. Basically, I learned never to assume anything in a relationship. I give you that advice at no charge.”

“I’ll remember that.” Jeremy knew exactly what the ‘few other things’ were but didn’t want to let on that he had observed Gio’s infidelity.

“So give me all the gory details,” Zach said. “I take it that you two horn toads figured out everything?”

“Yep. Everything.” Jeremy proceeded to give Zach an abbreviated version of the weekend’s events, starting with the party. While he was telling the story, Jeremy wondered if he should include all the details of the mutual conquest and decided Zach would appreciate the work Jeremy had gone through to take Robert’s massive manhood. By the time he finished the details of dinner with Tommy, and the fucking he had given his host on the floor of the entertainment room afterwards, Zach was laughing loudly.

“Oh, my God,” Zach said once he was able to calm down, “within 48 hours you turned into the town slut.”

“A safe slut, Sir.” Jeremy stuck out his tongue and wrinkled his nose. “And Robert has a date with Sam tomorrow night.”

“So, this Tommy guy. Is he going to be in town for college?”

“No. The guy’s got major smarts and a rich dad…he’s off to Princeton. But I figure we got all winter and spring to play around if we want to.”

“Have fun my little brother. But you said the magic word…be safe.” Zach raised his cup and toasted Jeremy. “You’ve got a level head and are a responsible fellow. Just so you know, disappointment usually comes along with the good. And you’ll be disappointed…doesn’t matter whether it’s a guy or a gal. Eventually, when the right one comes along…you’ll know it.”

“As long as I have a big brother to look out for me, I should be okay. Can I unofficially adopt you?”

“Consider it done.” Zach put his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“Oh…one other thing,” Jeremy added. “When the right one comes along, it’ll be a guy. That, I know for sure.”