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    Mark Arbour
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

9.11 - 22. Chapter 22

July 24, 2001

 

We hauled our tired asses out of the water at 3:00pm because I’d promised Stef I’d spend time with him going over decorating plans. Dad, Kai, and I had started out at 8:00am, just like yesterday, but we’d taken a quick lunch break around noon. Today the waves were bigger, and we’d pushed ourselves harder, so I was pretty worn out.

“You did really well,” Kai said to my dad. Kai was right, he did, but there was a price to pay for that, in that he was almost too competitive, and pushed himself too hard. That’s another reason why we were all so tired.

“Thanks, but I think that you’re the one with the talent,” Dad said to Kai. He gave Kai a look that contained respect, and capped it off with his smile, an expression that was really compelling. When my dad talked to guys like this, I could see why they’d find him so sexy and attractive.

“He’s the second-best surfer in the family,” I said, giving him shit.

“Sometimes second place isn’t so bad,” he said as he put his arm around me affectionately. We got back to the house and let my dad shower first. Kai and I decided to relax in the swimming pool, but ended up migrating to the hot tub.

“Your dad really is a good surfer,” he said.

“He is,” I agreed. “I started surfing with him when I was a little kid, pretty much because he did. It’s his big hobby, and it was a good way for me to spend time with him. Good thing I liked it.”

“Good thing,” he agreed, chuckling.

“He isn’t real patient when he’s teaching someone how to surf, but he was with me,” I told him. “I’m pretty much the same way.”

“Really?” He seemed genuinely surprised by that. “I like working with new surfers. Not all the time, but it can be fun, especially when they actually have talent.”

“Maybe I’m just a selfish prick,” I joked, even though it was probably true.

“Pretty much,” he agreed, giving me shit. “You and your dad seem really tight.”

“He and I have had some pretty hellacious fights in the past year or so, but we worked it out, so yeah, we’re tight,” I told him. I looked out at the ocean. “That’s made surfing even more important to me, because it’s something we share, a bond between us.”

“Is that why you bought this house?” he asked.

At first I was going to blow him off and tell him he was wrong, but then I thought about what he said. “I had all these reasons why this place was a good deal, and we should buy it. I never thought about that, but you may be right. It’s at least one of them.”

“Your dad seems like the kind of dude who, when he’s in your corner, you can conquer the world, but when he’s not, you’re fucked,” Kai noted sagely.

“That’s a good way to put it,” I said. “That’s why all I had to do was mention him to Scott to save your virgin ass.”

He chuckled. “You and your dad are about the only two dudes I’ve seen who can calm his ass down.”

“There’s another,” I said, thinking of Jeff, who was Scott’s biological son. “Jeff Grimes is his name. Maybe you’ll get to meet him when he comes over to visit.”

“Is he the dude you were with, the ex?” It was cute to see that he was jealous about that. I shook my head.

“You ever have a dude you really love, and you fuck around with him, but in the end, you’re just friends, and you’re both good with that?” I asked.

He nodded. “Keenan. We’re like that.”

“That’s how Jeff and I are,” I told him.

“Is that how we are?” he asked. He’d meant it to be a joke, but his question caught me off guard, and he studied me as I thought about it.

“I don’t really know you all that well,” I said honestly. “I mean, we just met, and started hanging out. So I don’t know if you fit into that or not.”

“You kind of struck me as a dude who could get to know another guy pretty quickly,” he joked, calling me a slut.

“Last summer I went through some pretty intense shit, and a lot of that was me learning to separate sex and love,” I said. “Before, I’d meet a dude, blow him, and think we were going to move off together and raise adopted babies.”

He laughed at that. “But you don’t think that anymore?”

I shook my head. “There’s sex, just to get off, and that’s fun. Then there’s sex with someone you love, and that’s un-fucking-believable.”

“I can see that,” he said.

“What about you?” He looked uncomfortable, and was about to try and answer me, but Dad walked out, dressed pretty nicely, all ready to go.

“Guess we’re up,” he said, referring to the shower. “You want me to go first, or do you want to?” He was probably nervous about us showering together with my dad here.

“You go ahead,” I said. He hopped out of the hot tub, said ‘hi’ to my dad, and headed into the house.

“I’m all finished,” Dad said. “It will be nice to have more bathrooms.”

“Stef’s going to tell me all about that tonight,” I joked. “I think I’ll see if Kai wants company.”

Dad smiled. “I like him.”

“Me too,” I said, smiling and blushing. I got out of the water and grabbed a towel, then wrapped it around my waist as I walked into the house.

Kai was in the shower, and looked a little alarmed when I joined him. “Is this OK?” I asked.

“Dude, your dad is here,” he said.

I laughed. “So. He won’t care.” I dropped down to my knees and enveloped his cock with my mouth, and then started working his ass with my fingers, just like I’d done yesterday. God, he was fun to blow. It was like he was dancing, with these rhythmic thrusts that were so erotic. I started to fantasize about how good those thrusts would feel if he were fucking me, and that really fired me up. I used my left hand to hold my cock against his leg, rubbing it against his calf, and I was so sensitive, I could feel his leg hairs rubbing against it. The whole thing was sensory overload: the feel of his ass squirming against my fingers, his cock driving into my mouth, and my dick rubbing against his skin. I felt myself hit the point of no return, but said nothing; I just jammed his dick down my throat to drown out my screams as I blasted my load all over his legs and the shower floor. His moan was more of a scream, a primal shout, as he shot his wad down my throat.

“Dude, he probably heard that. I’m sorry,” Kai said as we came down from our orgasms.

“He probably did,” I said, and kissed him. “He’ll think it was hot.” He chuckled at that. We finished up and got dressed, then joined Dad outside. I saw he was down at the gazebo, so I grabbed some bottles of water for us then went down to watch the other surfers who were lucky enough to still be in the water. I could tell Dad was dying to give us both shit about Kai’s shower screams, but he didn’t do that. He’d wait until later, when it was just the two of us. We sat there drinking water, making fun of the other surfers, until Stef showed up.

“I thought I would find you out here,” Stef said. There was another man with him, a dude who was probably in his late twenties. “This is Malcolm Glaser. I wanted you to meet him, as I think he would do a good job of coordinating the renovations here.”

“I’m Will,” I said.

“Nice to meet you,” he said. He had a firm handshake, a handsome face, and light brown hair with blond highlights, that was styled a little more intensely than you normally saw on this laid-back island. His brown eyes were alert and engaging, and his body looked thin and lithe, with almost no muscle tone at all. All those features made him pretty attractive, but the thing that really made him sexy was his voice. It was deep and melodic, and he had a distinct accent.

“Where are you from?” I asked. “I’m trying to place your accent.” It had a unique flavor, one that was a little British, a little German or Dutch, but very smooth.

He smiled a little bigger, turning up the charm. “South Africa. Jo-Berg.” I knew he meant Johannesburg when he said that, but I wasn’t sure if Kai did. Kai didn’t really seem to be paying that much attention to Malcolm, but I think that was because he was a little jealous. I introduced them, and then we followed Stef and Malcolm back into the house.

“While I plan to provide as much guidance as I can,” Stef told Malcolm, “this is Will’s house, and he has the final word.” I thought that was a really cool thing for him to do, but it was probably pretty painless for him to say that. It was rare that I didn’t defer to Stef in matters of taste, especially over clothing or décor. The only times I did were when he went a little overboard, or got a little too flashy.

“What kind of flooring do you want?” Malcolm asked me.

I instinctively looked at Stef for help, but he said nothing, letting me think about it. “What are my options?” I asked.

“Well, we can do carpeting, wood, or some sort of tile. If we do tile, we can either do ceramic or stone,” Malcolm said. “Normally we don’t start with floors, but on the island, it tends to be an issue.”

“Why?”

“Because a lot of people don’t like carpeting, especially near the beach. Sand and salt water aren’t usually the best for fibers,” he said.

“I’m not a big carpet guy,” I said. “I could go with wood, or tile.”

“I’ve got some ideas for you,” he said, and pulled out a big case full of tile and wood samples. My stomach growled, and he smiled. “You want to look at these over dinner?”

“Sure,” I said. I noticed that it was already 5:15. I looked at Kai with an apology. “You have to go, and we didn’t eat.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said, and shook hands with everyone, then left. Stef had a limousine driving him around, so we took that and went out to dinner.

Of course we went to a really fancy restaurant, but since this was Maui, we didn’t have to dress up. I almost laughed when I thought about how if we were eating at a place like this in the City, I’d have to wear a suit. Malcolm brought his case of flooring with him and started working his way through the samples.

“I like this one,” I said, picking out one that was several different shades of gold.

“That’s travertine,” Malcolm said. “It’s a form of marble.” He went on a long discussion about how it needed to be maintained. “So would you prefer tile instead of wood?”

“I like wood too,” I said, winking at him. Stef giggled, Malcolm blushed, and my dad looked annoyed.

They showed me choices for cabinets for the kitchen, and I picked a dark, reddish wood. “That’s cherry.”

“It is very dark,” Stef observed, with mild disapproval.

I shrugged. “You asked me what I liked, and I told you. I’m flexible.”

“It’s very masculine,” Malcolm said. Just the way he said that sounded really sexy.

“I like masculine,” I said, and leered at him. He actually blushed harder, while my dad gave me another disapproving look. Malcolm took that as his cue to get out paint samples.

“What about this color for the entry hall?” Stef asked. It had a bit more orange than I would have liked, and was a little bright.

“That’s liable to shock anyone walking in,” Dad said, shaking his head. Stef gave him a dirty look.

“Yes, but it’s an excellent shade,” Malcolm said. “If we muted it just a little bit, it could really work well.” Stef smiled at Malcolm to thank him for validating his choice, while Dad still looked skeptical.

“Well, let us see what you can come up with,” Stef said, after we talked about paint colors for a while. “I can come back this weekend and see the plans, and then we can try to make this house inhabitable.” We climbed back in the limo for the brief ride home.

“Are you staying over tonight?” I asked them.

“I figured we could surf in the morning, and then I could head back home after lunch,” Dad said, but looked sad about leaving.

“And I will stay in Kapalua, get some work done in the morning, and then join you for lunch. We can leave after that,” Stef validated.

“Sounds good to me,” I said. I was stoked to spend another morning surfing with Dad.

“I think I will leave you two to enjoy your evening, while I torture Malcolm on the way back to Kapalua,” he said.

“It was nice to meet you,” I said to Malcolm.

“It was nice to meet you too,” he said. “Would it be alright for me to stop by tomorrow evening and do some more measurements?”

“Let’s do dinner,” I offered. Kai would be busy doing whatever the fuck he did anyway. “I’ll buy. Be here at six.”

“Sounds good,” he said. He shook my hand, holding it just a little longer than normal, then he and Stef headed back to Kapalua.

Dad and I went out to the gazebo and sat there, enjoying the surf. I lit a joint and passed it to him with a smile. We smoked, letting the pot take our minds to a relaxed, slightly hazy place, before we spoke. “It is so beautiful here,” he said, breaking the silence.

“It is,” I agreed. “You know, when I’m here, I feel so calm. I’m trying to think of something to piss me off, and I can’t.”

He laughed a lot at that. “I need to be here a little longer. I can still get pissed off.”

“How’s Pop?” I asked, ironically enough.

“He’s doing fine,” he said. “I probably would stick around a bit longer, but I need to get home and show him I’m not mad at him.”

“He makes it seem like you carry grudges or something,” I said. He gave me a strange look. “I’m hoping that’s not true, or you’re probably still majorly pissed off at me.”

He shook his head. “I try not to, but it’s hard when people make the same mistake over and over again. I mean, what’s the use of fucking up if you can’t learn from it? And it pisses me off most of all when I do it.”

“We all fuck up,” I said philosophically. “And it seems that we usually fuck up by doing the same stupid shit.”

“It’s hard for me to wipe the slate completely clean.” He was opening up to me now, and moments like this were to be treasured.

“I can see that.”

“I’m not mad at Robbie, but it bugs me that we have this same pattern, where we get mad at each other and run off to find some other guy to fuck,” he said.

“Why do you do that?”

He gave me an odd look, since I sounded like a psychologist when I asked that, but he wrote it off to me being stoned, which was probably true. “I think it’s how we both stoke our egos. When he rejects me, or I reject him, we need another guy to make us feel attractive, and desirable.”

We sat there and thought about that. “That’s pretty shallow.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, seriously annoyed.

I looked at him calmly, demanding that he not freak out. “There’s so much more to you than that. I mean, I could see dudes my age thinking that; since for most of them, their looks and charm are all they’ve got to peacock.”

“You’re saying I’m not charming and handsome?” he asked, but he was teasing.

“I think you’re charming and handsome, but there’s a strength about you, a power, that most guys pick up on right away. They see you as a successful man who’s a master of the universe,” I said, remembering a line from a movie, although I couldn’t remember which one.

“So you’re telling me that I do this, sleep with a guy when I’m pissed at Robbie, because I’m still acting like I’m nineteen?” he asked, all outraged again.

“I think that’s what you’re telling me,” I said, grinning at him. I hadn’t meant to be so raw, at basically calling him and Robbie out for being immature assholes when they were fighting, but I guess it was the truth, so I said nothing more.

“Whatever,” he grumbled. We sat there for a while and didn’t talk, but that was OK. He was thinking about what I said. “What about you sleeping with all these guys?”

“All these guys?” I challenged, but just as I’d looked at him, so he looked at me. I guess I could be pretty slutty. “I’m pretending I’m nineteen too,” I joked. “I’m very mature.” We both laughed at that, and then we were quiet again.

“I like Kai,” he said, changing the subject.

“I like him too,” I agreed. If we’d been inside, in the light, he’d be able to see me blush.

“I’m sorry we questioned him like that, about him being a hustler. That wasn’t really fair,” he said, a major admission on his part.

“It’s alright,” I told him. “I didn’t really know him all that well, and I guess I still don’t. My instincts tell me he’s a good dude, and that he’s pretty honest, so even if he is off fucking everyone on the island, I don’t really give a shit.”

He knew I was lying about that, since I liked Kai, but he didn’t call me on it. “What’s he doing in the evenings?”

“I don’t know,” I snapped, showing how much not knowing bothered me. I sighed. “He hasn’t told me, and I haven’t asked. I mean, he has a right to do shit without me knowing about it.”

“I can see that,” he agreed. “It’s weird, since he works for you, so you have this double standard.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, as your employee, he has a right to pretty much do whatever the fuck he wants when he’s not working, and you really don’t have any reason or excuse to pry into his personal life.” I nodded, since that’s exactly how I’d been thinking about this thing. “At the same time, since you like him and there’s some romantic feeling there, and since you’re messing around with him, you feel like you should be able to ask him about his personal life.”

“That’s pretty much it, only those two things conflict,” I noted.

“That’s what it’s like for people who date people they work with,” he noted sagely.

“So how do I handle it?” I asked.

He paused to think about it. “I think that when and if your feelings for him eclipse your working relationship, that’s when you ask him about it.”

That made so much sense. “I’m not there yet, but it probably wouldn’t take much to feel that way.” He smiled, happy for me, happy that I’d found someone I was into.

“How are you and Tony doing?” he asked, a weird change of subject. Why did he bring Tony up when we were talking about me falling for Kai?

“Why do you ask?” I figured I’d throw it back at him.

“In a month you’ll be back in Paly, and going back to school. Tony will be back in September. We’ve usually invited Tony to stay at Escorial, and included him in family events when he’s around. We don’t want to do that if you’re not comfortable with him.”

“I can see that,” I said, but didn’t say anything else for a while. “I sent him an e-mail, and I was a complete asshole, then I sent him another one to try to soften it up. He’s with that Rick guy he blew me off for.”

“I’m sorry,” he said sympathetically.

“It annoys me, but I’m OK with it. With Tony, I had this big idea about who he was, how he was this honest and honorable dude, and I found out he’s not. I’m dealing with who this real Tony is, not the fantasy Tony I used to like.”

“I think you’ll find lots of guys are like that,” he said dourly.

“That’s great,” I groused. “There’s a world full of assholes out there waiting to fuck me, then fuck me over.”

“That’s actually exactly what I’m saying,” he said, being dead serious. “That’s why you have to be tough, and keep your guard up.”

“All that does is make me suspicious and paranoid, so when a dude like Kai comes along, I can’t even give him the benefit of the doubt.”

“You move quickly,” he noted. “Especially with him. If you don’t know someone very well, how can you tell if you trust him or not?”

“I don’t know,” I said, and sounded morose, even to me. “How fucking long does it take to get to know a guy so you can figure out he’s not a shithead?”

“It’s taken me over twenty years with Robbie. I’ll let you know when I get there,” he said, kind of joking, but kind of not. I sensed he’d gone to a place that bugged him, so I changed the topic.

“So as far as Tony goes, it’s fine with me if he’s around. I’ll probably fuck him if I can. That dude just lights my body on fire.”

“Only now you know that just because he’s a good fuck doesn’t mean you can trust him,” Dad said. I stared at him, truly amazed not just at what he said, but what it implied.

“That’s why you act all weird when I talk about having sex with someone,” I accused.

“I do not act all weird,” he objected. He did, he knew it, so I ignored his statement.

“I used to think it was because it just freaked you out to think about me being with someone like that,” I said. I could understand how if he visualized his son being fucked senseless, he might try to think of something else, but that wasn’t it at all. “I mean, I can see that, but sex isn’t really something that bothers you, and you’re not all uptight about it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It doesn’t bug you that I’m getting laid, it worries you that I’ll be too into the guy and he’ll hurt me,” I pronounced.

Neither one of us said anything for a bit. “Maybe,” he said, cracking me up, since that meant he thought I was right.

“I’m much better at taking care of myself than I was even two months ago, courtesy of Tony and Kyle,” I told him.

“Lessons sometimes come with a certain amount of pain,” he said sagely. I agreed completely.

 

July 25, 2001

 

Kai and I stood by the limousine, and while Kai was anxious for them to go so we could go back and surf, I was fighting feelings of loneliness as these two men that I loved got ready to leave.

“I will see you this weekend,” Stef said, easing the sadness of their departure.

“Thanks for making all these trips out here,” I said. I knew he was a busy man, and he was really upsetting his schedule and his life for me.

“It is fun to finish creating this amazing space, and it is good to spend time with you,” he said.

“You’ll have more company the weekend after that,” Dad said. I looked at him, waiting for him to explain that. “Your mother, Hank, and Maddy are coming to visit on August 3rd.”

“They are?” I asked, totally shocked.

“They are. They’re going to stay in a hotel near here, but they want to spend time with you, and Hank wants to see you surf,” he told me.

“You didn’t trust them alone with Scott?” I teased. Kai chuckled.

“This way they’ll be closer to you,” he said, acting annoyed with me.

“How long are they staying?” I asked him, wondering if I was hoping for a long or short visit.

“They’re planning to be here for four days,” he answered. “I have to go. I’ll see you on the 3rd.”

“If you feel like slumming, you can stay here when you come back,” I said to Stef.

“I will consider that,” Stef said. I could almost see his internal ruminations as he tried to weigh the positives of being here, at the house near me, while at the same time having to put up with the pretty unpleasant décor.

“I’ll change the sheets in case he messed them up,” I said, gesturing at Dad. He gave me a fake frown.

“I really enjoyed surfing with you,” Dad said to Kai. “You are really good.”

“I enjoyed it too,” Kai said shyly, giving Dad his cute smile. I gave Dad and Stef big hugs, and then they hopped into the limo and were gone. Kai and I walked back to the gazebo and looked out to the beach, both of us with disappointed expressions on our faces. “Waves suck.”

“I’ve got an idea,” I told him. “Let’s get cleaned up and go out to lunch, then you can show me around the island.”

He smiled. “You’ve been here a lot. What do you want to see?”

“You live here. There’s got to be shit us mainlanders don’t normally see.” We took a shower and blew each other, and it was really good. A blow job from Kai was better than an amazing fuck with someone I didn’t really like all that much, which just emphasized that comment I’d made to him about the impact of emotions on the physical part of sex. I forced my mind away from thinking about the implications of that on my relationship with Tony.

He took us to this dive place in Kahului, where everyone seemed to know him, and got us a table off in the corner. It was actually really romantic, even though the restaurant was noisy and pretty crowded, and it smelled like fish, yet here we were, in this table off to the side, in our own little world. “This place is a dump, but they have good burgers,” he suggested.

“I like it,” I said. I took his hint and ordered a burger. I looked at him and our eyes met, and I couldn’t help but smile. Every second I spent with this dude made me like him more. “You ever slept with a chick?”

He stared at me, kind of shocked that I’d taken us to such a serious topic, but finally nodded. “I had a girlfriend last year.”

“A girlfriend?” That surprised me.

“What about you?” he asked, more of a demand.

“I fucked this girl once, last October. She knew I was gay, but I kind of got the feeling she wanted to do it just to see if she could convert me.” I wasn’t sure if that was entirely what Raine was doing, but it was easy for me to categorize it like that. “Didn’t work.” He chuckled at that.

“How was it?”

“It was good. It was fun,” I said dismissively. “I’d do it again.” He chuckled some more. “How was it for you?”

“I don’t normally talk to people about shit like this,” he said. “I’m a pretty private person.”

“So the big question is, are you going to take a chance on me?” I asked. He gave me a nasty look, like he was trapped, so I tried to take the edge off. “Just talk about what you’re comfortable with.”

“I’ve only been with three people,” he said, and seemed embarrassed. “Well, four, counting you.”

“Dude, you’re fucking smooth in bed. You’re really good. You’ve only been with three other people?” I asked. He blushed a little bit. But his answer had blown me away. I figured he’d be into double digits at least, and here he was, damn near a virgin. Then I reminded myself that dudes can lie, especially when it’s about sex.

“Yeah, but one of them is Keenan,” he said, and we both laughed. “We started messing around when I was fourteen, and he was eighteen. He’s my cousin, and I’ve known him forever. Always thought he was hot.”

“He is,” I said.

“Yeah, he is,” Kai agreed. “He pretty much trained me; showed me how to do shit with other dudes.”

“But he didn’t fuck you?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No. He’s a total bottom. So I know all about topping.”

“That’s good to know,” I said.

“Do you like that? What are you?”

I thought about that. “I used to think I was a top, but that’s only because getting fucked hurt like hell. Then I found a guy who lit my world on fire, and I decided I was a bottom. But the truth is, I like both. So I guess that makes me versatile.”

“Very,” he said, grinning at me. “How many people have you been with?”

“Define ‘been with’. You mean fucking, or blow jobs and shit like that?”

“Fucking,” he said.

I thought about my sexual history. I didn’t count Gustave, because he didn’t really fuck me, and even though I fucked him, I didn’t want to put him in my pantheon of sex partners. So that left John, Berto, Tony, Jeff, Gathan, Tyler the cab driver, that Carmine dude, David the ice skater, Jason the tech guy, Ryan, Mason, and Kyle. “Twelve.” I watched him carefully to see if that bothered him, but it didn’t seem to.

“So I’d be thirteen,” he joked.

“If you hurry,” I said, making him laugh.

Copyright © 2014 Mark Arbour; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
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Twelve?!?!?! I think I just blushed a little bit. I never took the time to count up the variety of partners he has had, but I'm so sad to find that a teenager (albeit a fictional one) has me beat by almost a handful of partners. I need to get out more!

 

It's always great to see your new chapter notices, especially since I'm usually up when you post! I really enjoy these character development chapters as I feel like I learn not only the new stuff, but I also get to reexamine the old stuff in light of new information. Great work, Mark! Thanks for keeping up your schedule when you should be on vacation or off enjoying your summer research time. :-D

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Hurry Kai, hurry! :lmao:

Silliness aside, it's a great chapter, thanks. I write that still itching to know about Kai's secret life and now less than excited about Jeanine. How do you do it Mark Arbour*?

 

*Rhetorical question answer not required :P .

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On 07/18/2013 04:28 PM, samjones1 said:
Twelve?!?!?! I think I just blushed a little bit. I never took the time to count up the variety of partners he has had, but I'm so sad to find that a teenager (albeit a fictional one) has me beat by almost a handful of partners. I need to get out more!

 

It's always great to see your new chapter notices, especially since I'm usually up when you post! I really enjoy these character development chapters as I feel like I learn not only the new stuff, but I also get to reexamine the old stuff in light of new information. Great work, Mark! Thanks for keeping up your schedule when you should be on vacation or off enjoying your summer research time. :-D

Thanks for that, Sam. Now seriously, you can't possibly expect to compare your own numbers to a fictional character on a gay literature website, can you? Besides, the readers at GA (except the ones that read my stories) are mostly virgins, so you should feel experienced. :-)

Sometimes people get bored with character development chapters, but I like them too. There has to be a balance between action and reflection, IMHO.

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On 07/18/2013 04:30 PM, Miles Long said:
Hurry Kai, hurry! :lmao:

Silliness aside, it's a great chapter, thanks. I write that still itching to know about Kai's secret life and now less than excited about Jeanine. How do you do it Mark Arbour*?

 

*Rhetorical question answer not required :P .

That's hilarious! I liked that line at the end too. Kai probably thought Will was joking, while most of the readers are thinking like you are.
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too funny! hurry up Kai :) just curious, what about Patrick from the college party Darius took him too, the guy in the VIP section at the Chicago club, Trevor and Hayden?

 

One of my favorite things are Brad and Will talks. The only thing is top it is Stef added in too, I like how Brad and Robbie are shallow like a 19 year old,lol. I'm sure Robbie will be thrilled to see that he at least acts young.

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Telling Kai to hurry up may just be a cold shower! Seriously, the way I am reading these two, they want it but at the same time, they are not 100% sure if it would be the best thing for their relationship. After all, their relationship started out fairly rocky.

 

You have hinted about Kai's other life, but when are you going to let the rest of us in on the that secret??? Kai hasn't been with that many people, but he is so smooth, so that that mean that he is regularly servicing on the few that he has had. He did mention that he was an experienced top. Will is very versatile.

 

Thanks for sharing your talents with us!

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Is Kai a father??? I am starting to wonder if he has a kid that he is taking care of in the evenings where the mother can go to school or work or just have some time to herself. The fact that he admits to a girlfriend last year makes this even more of a possibility.

Are you sure that is all the guys that Will has been with? I am going to have to think a bit and see what I come up with.

Really happy to see Jeanine, Hank, and Maddie coming out to Hawaii and to see Will. I hope that this calm before the storm helps center everyone.

It is so great to see Will and Brad doing well, plus we have Stef around so much to help with the hosue and just getting to spend time with Will.

Great job as always...

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Will has been a busy boy ... he has learned many lessons and grown from his experiences though. But, what will happen when he discovers that Kai is really a moonlighting superhero vigilante crime-fighting on the island? :)

I always love the Will and Brad father and son moments. Great chapter as always!

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On 07/18/2013 08:01 PM, B1ue said:
I loved the last lines. It's pretty much the only good response, right?
For Will, that's true. Anyone think Kai's going to get that next spot?
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On 07/18/2013 09:25 PM, Mari said:
too funny! hurry up Kai :) just curious, what about Patrick from the college party Darius took him too, the guy in the VIP section at the Chicago club, Trevor and Hayden?

 

One of my favorite things are Brad and Will talks. The only thing is top it is Stef added in too, I like how Brad and Robbie are shallow like a 19 year old,lol. I'm sure Robbie will be thrilled to see that he at least acts young.

Looks like Will forgot a few dudes along the way. He needs to keep a journal.
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On 07/18/2013 11:09 PM, Six.Gauge said:
Telling Kai to hurry up may just be a cold shower! Seriously, the way I am reading these two, they want it but at the same time, they are not 100% sure if it would be the best thing for their relationship. After all, their relationship started out fairly rocky.

 

You have hinted about Kai's other life, but when are you going to let the rest of us in on the that secret??? Kai hasn't been with that many people, but he is so smooth, so that that mean that he is regularly servicing on the few that he has had. He did mention that he was an experienced top. Will is very versatile.

 

Thanks for sharing your talents with us!

Will gets that there are guys you fuck, and that's all it's going to be, and there are guys you are into, and it will be so much better, but for those guys, you have to wait until the emotions match the sex.

 

To answer your question: Chapter 23.

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On 07/19/2013 12:31 AM, centexhairysub said:
Is Kai a father??? I am starting to wonder if he has a kid that he is taking care of in the evenings where the mother can go to school or work or just have some time to herself. The fact that he admits to a girlfriend last year makes this even more of a possibility.

Are you sure that is all the guys that Will has been with? I am going to have to think a bit and see what I come up with.

Really happy to see Jeanine, Hank, and Maddie coming out to Hawaii and to see Will. I hope that this calm before the storm helps center everyone.

It is so great to see Will and Brad doing well, plus we have Stef around so much to help with the hosue and just getting to spend time with Will.

Great job as always...

I'll bet Will's not as glad as you that his mother is coming to visit. :-) Should be a wonderful visit.
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On 07/19/2013 02:23 AM, Arabesque said:
Will has been a busy boy ... he has learned many lessons and grown from his experiences though. But, what will happen when he discovers that Kai is really a moonlighting superhero vigilante crime-fighting on the island? :)

I always love the Will and Brad father and son moments. Great chapter as always!

Super Kai! Surfs by day, and fights crime in the underworld of Gotham-lui. That would be pretty hot. Will's never done a super hero before. :-) Kai better hurry.
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Oh centex you are good..... I'm think you nailed this.... mom is working as a waitress so Kai is watching the kid, I like it!

 

I liked the chapter, it continues to build complexity and set up future stories and story lines. Everyone assumes Brad and Robbie make it to "old age", but maybe not. I like it when Will gets introspective and Brad follows suit.

 

Not much in the way of hotels close to Spreckelsville other than the Inn at Mama's and Pai'a Inn. Those could be two interesting places for a lesbian from NYC.

 

As to keeping track of guys, one of my roommates in college kept a spreadsheet with names, dimensions, acts and fun tidbits. I think he was up at around 35 or 40 when he was 19.

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On 07/19/2013 10:03 AM, PrivateTim said:
Oh centex you are good..... I'm think you nailed this.... mom is working as a waitress so Kai is watching the kid, I like it!

 

I liked the chapter, it continues to build complexity and set up future stories and story lines. Everyone assumes Brad and Robbie make it to "old age", but maybe not. I like it when Will gets introspective and Brad follows suit.

 

Not much in the way of hotels close to Spreckelsville other than the Inn at Mama's and Pai'a Inn. Those could be two interesting places for a lesbian from NYC.

 

As to keeping track of guys, one of my roommates in college kept a spreadsheet with names, dimensions, acts and fun tidbits. I think he was up at around 35 or 40 when he was 19.

That whole journal concept has a lot going for it, and it totally sounds like something Will would do. And he'd definitely use a spreadsheet.
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Mark,

I cannot believe I have not reviewed 9.11 since chapter Six. My only excuse was that I had finals, two Graduate college visits, and an employment application. Somehow, even though I had all that, I always knew when you would update a chapter. Currently I am studying for my GRE. Anyway I’ll posts my thoughts on the missed chapters.

 

Chapter Seven

Will is justified in his views; Claire and Isidore were taking Marie’s word at face value. I did not think about the bias in the guest list. Will would have made Tonto proud by speaking out against the inequality. I get that they may have seen Erik and Cater as teenage scuffles, but it is a gender bias. Isidore thought it was bias to exclude Jake from sleeping with Claire while Ace and Brad had no rules. It shows even she has a double standard.

I hope that when Will gets his signet ring back that JJ will ask for his back at the same time or right after. It would show how much JJ has Will’s back and signify (even more so) how important Will is to him.

 

Chapter Eight

JP’s POV is becoming more interesting perspective wise as the story has developed. I loved his reflection on who should lead the family when he is gone. Such as:

  • Ace: Due to his temper (as JP stated) says it all and disqualifies him for the position.
  • Brad: Brad still seems like the most likely choice out of the three. While he may demand respect I still see JP as having this quality as well. His moral compass may improve through the years, but if he is the heir I am sure Will will keep him in line.
  • Claire: She does have the best qualities out of the three. However her image issue is shocking. She is a great PR, but any PR needs a leader to represent and therefore I don’t think she could both lead and protect the “family” image.

Personally my vote is for either Wade to be the heir or the confidant to one of the other three. Brad respects his input and opinions on issues; whereas Claire would appreciate that his decisions usually resolve the issue and it doesn’t harm the image.

I had to agree with JP and Stef that Claire and Isidore’s actions and words put Will as an interloper and not a full family member. Claire’s comment on Will’s “bad” behavior is hypocritical in that Marie’s behavior is just as shameful. I loved that JP’s eye twitched when she said she would bear Will no ill will. I am glad JP was fair in punishing both groups with the ban and Marie’s removal of her ring. The difference between her and Will was seen when Will called to apologize.

 

Chapter Nine

I am glad the development in Claremont is progressing smoothly. Nick and Gathan Truly want what is best for their home. I wonder what words Mrs. March would have used for Tonto. Humanist, strong-willed, stubborn, feisty come to mind.

  • GP & Will: I love the bond between the two since it reminds me of the bond between me and my mother. I am glad they discussed the issue and that Will said he would try to do better. That is something I have learned to do in my life from the stories. I cannot promise to not do something, but one can try to do better. However, I do not see Will’s “volcanic tendencies” being gone anytime soon.
  • Claire: While it is nice to see she might go to Claremont it goes back to the image issue. I would like to know as to why she lifted the grounding of Marie. Just because she promised to apologize does not indicate that she should not be punished. She has not shown any commitment and Claire’s lack of addressing the core issue is astounding.

 

Chapter Ten

I am glad Will and Gathan still care about each other and hat Stef took Will to see Chicago. Other than that it was interesting to see the J-Bar again.

 

Chapter 11

I loved that Will got to see what some of what Missouri has to offer. However, only three towns are worth visiting: STL (i.e. St. Louis), Como (i.e. Columbia), and KC (i.e. Kansas City). While I have lived in MO all my life I have only been to KC twice and STL a couple, but I lived in Como for 3.5 years. As for MO:

  • Weather: First off muggy is right on the target for MO summers. Heat that is not hot but humid with little to no wind.
  • Sights: The Arch is an iconic image. I have only been once, but my mom did not want to go due to the elevators. She has extreme claustrophobia. I had a laugh at Will’s comment to the IL side of STL. It is considered to be the “red light” area of STL. The Vince Café was the only eatery that I had been to. I thought it was beautiful and artsy.

As for Tony, I was not surprised that he did not break-up with Dana until Will was there. He seems to seek approval (probably from being in the closet so long). I cannot believe Dana does not understand relationships. Yes, spending time together is important, but you need to give the partner space to breath. I loved that both Tony’s mom and sis hated Dana.

 

Chapters 12-14

Things started out well, but I knew Rick was going to be an issue. Again I am reminded of how much Tony and Robbie have in common. Rick is similar to the jock Robbie had in high school. Tony’s lack of awareness is baffling. He promised to not sleep around when he was with Will, but he had to go and sabotage their relationship. Tony is turning out to be just as hypocritical as his father. He gets pissed Will had so fun after he blew Rick. Same can be said for Teresa and Mike. Will seeing that Tony needed a mistress is an apt description. Thankfully Mason allowed Will to rescue the visit; leaving MO with at least a fair memory. Lake of the Ozarks is a great place. I don’t see him and Mason become more than friends tho.

As I have lived in Como I have to agree with Mason, it is an awesome place. However, don’t forget that MU (i.e. Mizzou) is only one of the colleges in Como. There is Stephens (the fashion/art college that is all female except for ten male students for drama production) and Columbia College (the first female college west of the Mississippi that is currently co-ed). I graduated from Columbia College (CC), but people still ask me if I went to MU when I say I graduated from CC.

Personally I spent a lot of time going to parties, eating at Shakespeare’s, Sky HI bar and Trops (i.e. Tropical Liquors). However if Will does go to Como he should visit Soco. Soco is one of the two gay bars (Arch and Column being the other), but it is the one geared towards the younger individuals. Also it hosts Drag shows on Thursdays.

Between the three Como is the more progress area in terms of gay acceptance. Will should be thankfully that he did not visit the boothill or the Bible belt area. While MO has progressed the southern MO is still strong in homophobia and the STD rate has increased (especially AIDs) since 2006. However, looking at the Ch. 14 review the top to bottom ratio in MO is about 20% top to 80% bottom. Tops are usually the “used” ones (at least in my experience in Como).

 

Chapter 15

I think it is funny that Brad would assume that Will (or any teenager for that matter) would ignore the conversation a loud person has on a phone. I do see the similarities between the handling of BillyxBrad and WillxMarie by Isidore:

She sided with one child (or grandchild) over the other without getting the full story or the other child’s view. Both Billy and Marie have the same aptitude for not saying sorry and a stubborn resolve. She seems to be slightly defensive of the one who she is around the most. Billy gravitated to her and since she and Claire spend so much time together she would gravitate more to Marie. It may take a while, but she will eventually see her fault like she did after Billy’s death.

Brad had good insight and advice into the WillxTony issue. I guess Brad doesn’t want Will to experience a high emotional rollercoaster like he did with Robbie when he was younger.

Chapter 16

I always love the Bastille Day party. I was glad to see that this year the Eiffel Tower was rainbow for the day. JP has never skipped a year and I’m glad he did not do so this year either. Observations:

  • Boycott: It is really a childish level (I mean middle and high school level childish) for Claire and Isidore to spread the word to “boycott” the party. I am glad Stef countered with more invites. I am surprised that Stanford professors and individuals who improved the community were not invited previously. I had to laugh at the invite for NSYNC. What I wondered was why Angelina Jolie was not invited since she is one of the most prominent humanitarian and gay rights activist. I have to agree with Stef that to allow those who declined previously to attend in support of the “boycott” (although forgiving) shows they were in it for the prestige and recognition.

Dinner:

  • Nana: Nana is the third best addition to the family since the death of Tonto (after Will and Wade). I love her humor and her ability to know when someone is BSing. Body language indicates a lot and I think Nana can read it just as well if not better than JP. I liked that she informed them of her conversation with Will about female role models. However, if Claire is feeling guilty I would attribute it more to the role model comment. That is another image that is hurt from this issue.
  • John: I am glad JP asked John to help Darius. I have always thought that JP has not given (not intentional I am sure) his full attention to John and (to a degree) Marie. They seem to be at the background to Will and JJ. I highly doubt Claire would have barred John from attending the party. It would improve his social image to be there. I believe she grimaced due either to realizing how bad it would look for her to be absent while her child was there or that JP had no issue with her family, just with her and Marie.
  • Jack: I can see why he was apprehensive to JP, Will, and Stef’s comments on Claire and Marie. It was, in a sense, insulting his wife and daughter which questions his fathering skills. You do have to stand by your partner, but he does know he is fallible. It may be a struggle for him. Brad is not his wife, but he was the one to help them when Claire was pregnant the first time. I do not think he is a snob, but I do not know how his family acted when he was younger. If I remember correctly Jack also came from a wealthy family, but there wealth depended on all social economic classes since to was a grocery store. I assume they did not prefer one class over the other.

 

Chapter 17

  • Will: It goes to show that while he is mature he knows that he still needs guidance in life; as seen in the housing contract needing Brad’s and Stef’s approval. Personally even if I had the money spending $2 million on a house would leave me with major shopper’s remorse. I knew Brad and Stef would be upset, but I think they realized this as a sign of Will’s respect for their support/views.
  • JP: I am not surprised at his reaction to Will buying the house. Even though he was worried about Will living with them he did not let it cloud his judgment. I know Will does not plan to live in Maui. I am sure that JP will talk to him privately and Will will clear his woes.
  • Isidore &Claire: I am still baffled by how long it has taken them to see reason. They have shown where Marie has developed her personality from. I think Will is going to be the mature one and seek to repair the relationship. They may not change until he apologizes even though his views are valid. I know Jack has to side with Claire, but he should try to push her into seeing reason. He may have not liked being told how to raise Marie, but I think he knows Claire and Isidore have to take responsibility for their part in the argument.

I am wondering why Brad did not remove his ring after his argument with Isidore and Claire? It would have signified how he felt toward the issue. Granted it would have hurt JP more, but a family means everyone. To exclude on is to cut the family into parts. It would have indicated that Claire and Isidore’s actions may have initially hurt Will, but the pain is spreading.

 

Chapter 18

First off the house in the pics were beautiful. I am glad Stef and JP went in with open minds; sadly Brad did not.

I think it would have been a great investment in the long run. As to Scott, I love his flirty nature, but he has become ugly in blackmailing Kai. He may have been embarrassed, but the issue was with Will. It is insulting to think how he is treating Kai could have happened to Jeff before he worked for Stef.

 

Chapter 19

  • The therapy sessions for the family are always so perceptive. It made Will seem a bit hypocritical.
  • Tony: His philosophy with Kyle was that he was responsible for being faithful, but with Tony he blamed the “mistress”. It is simple transference; he could not have cheated on me so you seduced him.
  • House: I could see the rationality in buying the house. I personally have bought items to cheer myself up after a confrontation. On the independence factor, the ability to buy something you would have previously needed permission for is addicting. That is a trait he probably got from Robbie.
  • Advice: I hope Will listens to the advice to not fall for a straight dude completely. They could be in the closet like Tony, but it’s a risk. Most see you as friends or friends with benefits. The ones who value the friendship the most (like John and Ryan) will distance themselves to not hurt you.
  • Robbie: The party was interesting. I think Will and Robbie need to spend more time together. It could help in the miscommunication they had. While I do not see Will following the job path of his dads I do think he should go to the meetings more often. It would show to the family he is more responsible them some of them give him credit for. I have to agree with Will; Jurassic Park III was dull to put it lightly. It was just the same thing over again. It is nice that Will trusted Robbie to keep his stand against the twink’s advances. It does show the ramifications Robbie’s action had that people thought Will was his date.

 

Chapters 20-22

It’s kind of annoying that Robbie is not pressing charges, but nice that Brad told Will how proud he was of him. The resolution to add him and Darius adds to that pride and shows they are seeing him as an adult. He did realize that a driver is not to control him, but more to ease their worry for his safety. It is re-enforced when Brad lets Will discuss his past in France to Kai. However, I was surprised Stef allowed Will the final word. Normally when decorating he has veto power.

  • Tony: While I applaud Stef for suggesting to help Tony out I do not see that going well. He may not see his problem and that may lead him to resist. Tony’s letter was passive aggressive. He apologized, but it seems insincere when he blames Will for leaving with Mason. His talk of love and care is diminished when he puts it after saying he is dating Rick. It is like “hey, I’m not suffering because I have Rick and I am a catch, but I say this because I love you”. It seems similar to Cody, he pulls you in and then pushes away. However, when Brad discussed his pattern with Robbie (getting mad and find someone else) it is similar to Will finding Mason.I don’t blame Will for his first e-mail. It was a way to vent and point out Tony’s fault in his e-mail. His second e-mail was better, but it seemed to lay on the guilt heavily. I cannot wait for Tony’s reply.
  • Kai:I think the Kai issue will be fine. He may have a shady reputation, but it is not different than Stef or Jeff. Will’s help may be similar to Jeff who improved after working for Stef. It does worry me about his need to be gone from 6 to 11. Discussing it with JP is both smart (since he will probably do a background check) and it reassures JP that Will still trust his judgment at the level of Stef and Brad. Kai’s defensive nature could mean he does hustle or that he is feeling pissed at how much these rumors are impacting his life. It is good that he trusted Will to tell his version, but the issue is if it is true or not.

I know Brad would not hesitate to get Kai a better car, but it could be a way to monitor Will as well (such as GPS). Personally I think an old car would draw less attention than a new car. It may not benefit Kai’s reputation. It is good Kai is a great surfer. It will help Brad warm up to him. God forbid that Will’s mom or her girlfriend find out about Kai’s reputation.

 

Random Observations

  • POVs: I am glad Will and JP are the POVs for 9.11. This will allow for insight into the differences between the generational views of the 9/11 attacks. Personally I was 12 when the attack happened so I am looking forward to JP’s thoughts.
  • Dana: Since she felt Will took Tony away from her is she going to go after him or Rick since Rick is dating Tony now. I do not think Rick and Tony will be able to keep their relationship hidden. Will and Mason saw it easily that Rick was into Tony. Rick may reveal it more like Jake did with Brad when they started dating. I do not see Tony handling an individual how flaunts his sexuality. It may remind him to much of Jake to do so. I could see him falling for a Neil guy. That may actually be what is happening with Rick. Tony’s need to belong overpowers his mind.
  • Will: We share many aspects and if he is like me I do not believe his sluty ways will end. He will probably be like Stef is with sex; an expression of love. If that is an indication it may take him a while to find a good partner.

 

Waiting for the next chapter,

Kody

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On 07/21/2013 02:10 AM, KodeOwl said:
Mark,

I cannot believe I have not reviewed 9.11 since chapter Six. My only excuse was that I had finals, two Graduate college visits, and an employment application. Somehow, even though I had all that, I always knew when you would update a chapter. Currently I am studying for my GRE. Anyway I’ll posts my thoughts on the missed chapters.

 

Chapter Seven

Will is justified in his views; Claire and Isidore were taking Marie’s word at face value. I did not think about the bias in the guest list. Will would have made Tonto proud by speaking out against the inequality. I get that they may have seen Erik and Cater as teenage scuffles, but it is a gender bias. Isidore thought it was bias to exclude Jake from sleeping with Claire while Ace and Brad had no rules. It shows even she has a double standard.

I hope that when Will gets his signet ring back that JJ will ask for his back at the same time or right after. It would show how much JJ has Will’s back and signify (even more so) how important Will is to him.

 

Chapter Eight

JP’s POV is becoming more interesting perspective wise as the story has developed. I loved his reflection on who should lead the family when he is gone. Such as:

  • Ace: Due to his temper (as JP stated) says it all and disqualifies him for the position.
  • Brad: Brad still seems like the most likely choice out of the three. While he may demand respect I still see JP as having this quality as well. His moral compass may improve through the years, but if he is the heir I am sure Will will keep him in line.
  • Claire: She does have the best qualities out of the three. However her image issue is shocking. She is a great PR, but any PR needs a leader to represent and therefore I don’t think she could both lead and protect the “family” image.

Personally my vote is for either Wade to be the heir or the confidant to one of the other three. Brad respects his input and opinions on issues; whereas Claire would appreciate that his decisions usually resolve the issue and it doesn’t harm the image.

I had to agree with JP and Stef that Claire and Isidore’s actions and words put Will as an interloper and not a full family member. Claire’s comment on Will’s “bad” behavior is hypocritical in that Marie’s behavior is just as shameful. I loved that JP’s eye twitched when she said she would bear Will no ill will. I am glad JP was fair in punishing both groups with the ban and Marie’s removal of her ring. The difference between her and Will was seen when Will called to apologize.

 

Chapter Nine

I am glad the development in Claremont is progressing smoothly. Nick and Gathan Truly want what is best for their home. I wonder what words Mrs. March would have used for Tonto. Humanist, strong-willed, stubborn, feisty come to mind.

  • GP & Will: I love the bond between the two since it reminds me of the bond between me and my mother. I am glad they discussed the issue and that Will said he would try to do better. That is something I have learned to do in my life from the stories. I cannot promise to not do something, but one can try to do better. However, I do not see Will’s “volcanic tendencies” being gone anytime soon.
  • Claire: While it is nice to see she might go to Claremont it goes back to the image issue. I would like to know as to why she lifted the grounding of Marie. Just because she promised to apologize does not indicate that she should not be punished. She has not shown any commitment and Claire’s lack of addressing the core issue is astounding.

 

Chapter Ten

I am glad Will and Gathan still care about each other and hat Stef took Will to see Chicago. Other than that it was interesting to see the J-Bar again.

 

Chapter 11

I loved that Will got to see what some of what Missouri has to offer. However, only three towns are worth visiting: STL (i.e. St. Louis), Como (i.e. Columbia), and KC (i.e. Kansas City). While I have lived in MO all my life I have only been to KC twice and STL a couple, but I lived in Como for 3.5 years. As for MO:

  • Weather: First off muggy is right on the target for MO summers. Heat that is not hot but humid with little to no wind.
  • Sights: The Arch is an iconic image. I have only been once, but my mom did not want to go due to the elevators. She has extreme claustrophobia. I had a laugh at Will’s comment to the IL side of STL. It is considered to be the “red light” area of STL. The Vince Café was the only eatery that I had been to. I thought it was beautiful and artsy.

As for Tony, I was not surprised that he did not break-up with Dana until Will was there. He seems to seek approval (probably from being in the closet so long). I cannot believe Dana does not understand relationships. Yes, spending time together is important, but you need to give the partner space to breath. I loved that both Tony’s mom and sis hated Dana.

 

Chapters 12-14

Things started out well, but I knew Rick was going to be an issue. Again I am reminded of how much Tony and Robbie have in common. Rick is similar to the jock Robbie had in high school. Tony’s lack of awareness is baffling. He promised to not sleep around when he was with Will, but he had to go and sabotage their relationship. Tony is turning out to be just as hypocritical as his father. He gets pissed Will had so fun after he blew Rick. Same can be said for Teresa and Mike. Will seeing that Tony needed a mistress is an apt description. Thankfully Mason allowed Will to rescue the visit; leaving MO with at least a fair memory. Lake of the Ozarks is a great place. I don’t see him and Mason become more than friends tho.

As I have lived in Como I have to agree with Mason, it is an awesome place. However, don’t forget that MU (i.e. Mizzou) is only one of the colleges in Como. There is Stephens (the fashion/art college that is all female except for ten male students for drama production) and Columbia College (the first female college west of the Mississippi that is currently co-ed). I graduated from Columbia College (CC), but people still ask me if I went to MU when I say I graduated from CC.

Personally I spent a lot of time going to parties, eating at Shakespeare’s, Sky HI bar and Trops (i.e. Tropical Liquors). However if Will does go to Como he should visit Soco. Soco is one of the two gay bars (Arch and Column being the other), but it is the one geared towards the younger individuals. Also it hosts Drag shows on Thursdays.

Between the three Como is the more progress area in terms of gay acceptance. Will should be thankfully that he did not visit the boothill or the Bible belt area. While MO has progressed the southern MO is still strong in homophobia and the STD rate has increased (especially AIDs) since 2006. However, looking at the Ch. 14 review the top to bottom ratio in MO is about 20% top to 80% bottom. Tops are usually the “used” ones (at least in my experience in Como).

 

Chapter 15

I think it is funny that Brad would assume that Will (or any teenager for that matter) would ignore the conversation a loud person has on a phone. I do see the similarities between the handling of BillyxBrad and WillxMarie by Isidore:

She sided with one child (or grandchild) over the other without getting the full story or the other child’s view. Both Billy and Marie have the same aptitude for not saying sorry and a stubborn resolve. She seems to be slightly defensive of the one who she is around the most. Billy gravitated to her and since she and Claire spend so much time together she would gravitate more to Marie. It may take a while, but she will eventually see her fault like she did after Billy’s death.

Brad had good insight and advice into the WillxTony issue. I guess Brad doesn’t want Will to experience a high emotional rollercoaster like he did with Robbie when he was younger.

Chapter 16

I always love the Bastille Day party. I was glad to see that this year the Eiffel Tower was rainbow for the day. JP has never skipped a year and I’m glad he did not do so this year either. Observations:

  • Boycott: It is really a childish level (I mean middle and high school level childish) for Claire and Isidore to spread the word to “boycott” the party. I am glad Stef countered with more invites. I am surprised that Stanford professors and individuals who improved the community were not invited previously. I had to laugh at the invite for NSYNC. What I wondered was why Angelina Jolie was not invited since she is one of the most prominent humanitarian and gay rights activist. I have to agree with Stef that to allow those who declined previously to attend in support of the “boycott” (although forgiving) shows they were in it for the prestige and recognition.

Dinner:

  • Nana: Nana is the third best addition to the family since the death of Tonto (after Will and Wade). I love her humor and her ability to know when someone is BSing. Body language indicates a lot and I think Nana can read it just as well if not better than JP. I liked that she informed them of her conversation with Will about female role models. However, if Claire is feeling guilty I would attribute it more to the role model comment. That is another image that is hurt from this issue.
  • John: I am glad JP asked John to help Darius. I have always thought that JP has not given (not intentional I am sure) his full attention to John and (to a degree) Marie. They seem to be at the background to Will and JJ. I highly doubt Claire would have barred John from attending the party. It would improve his social image to be there. I believe she grimaced due either to realizing how bad it would look for her to be absent while her child was there or that JP had no issue with her family, just with her and Marie.
  • Jack: I can see why he was apprehensive to JP, Will, and Stef’s comments on Claire and Marie. It was, in a sense, insulting his wife and daughter which questions his fathering skills. You do have to stand by your partner, but he does know he is fallible. It may be a struggle for him. Brad is not his wife, but he was the one to help them when Claire was pregnant the first time. I do not think he is a snob, but I do not know how his family acted when he was younger. If I remember correctly Jack also came from a wealthy family, but there wealth depended on all social economic classes since to was a grocery store. I assume they did not prefer one class over the other.

 

Chapter 17

  • Will: It goes to show that while he is mature he knows that he still needs guidance in life; as seen in the housing contract needing Brad’s and Stef’s approval. Personally even if I had the money spending $2 million on a house would leave me with major shopper’s remorse. I knew Brad and Stef would be upset, but I think they realized this as a sign of Will’s respect for their support/views.
  • JP: I am not surprised at his reaction to Will buying the house. Even though he was worried about Will living with them he did not let it cloud his judgment. I know Will does not plan to live in Maui. I am sure that JP will talk to him privately and Will will clear his woes.
  • Isidore &Claire: I am still baffled by how long it has taken them to see reason. They have shown where Marie has developed her personality from. I think Will is going to be the mature one and seek to repair the relationship. They may not change until he apologizes even though his views are valid. I know Jack has to side with Claire, but he should try to push her into seeing reason. He may have not liked being told how to raise Marie, but I think he knows Claire and Isidore have to take responsibility for their part in the argument.

I am wondering why Brad did not remove his ring after his argument with Isidore and Claire? It would have signified how he felt toward the issue. Granted it would have hurt JP more, but a family means everyone. To exclude on is to cut the family into parts. It would have indicated that Claire and Isidore’s actions may have initially hurt Will, but the pain is spreading.

 

Chapter 18

First off the house in the pics were beautiful. I am glad Stef and JP went in with open minds; sadly Brad did not.

I think it would have been a great investment in the long run. As to Scott, I love his flirty nature, but he has become ugly in blackmailing Kai. He may have been embarrassed, but the issue was with Will. It is insulting to think how he is treating Kai could have happened to Jeff before he worked for Stef.

 

Chapter 19

  • The therapy sessions for the family are always so perceptive. It made Will seem a bit hypocritical.
  • Tony: His philosophy with Kyle was that he was responsible for being faithful, but with Tony he blamed the “mistress”. It is simple transference; he could not have cheated on me so you seduced him.
  • House: I could see the rationality in buying the house. I personally have bought items to cheer myself up after a confrontation. On the independence factor, the ability to buy something you would have previously needed permission for is addicting. That is a trait he probably got from Robbie.
  • Advice: I hope Will listens to the advice to not fall for a straight dude completely. They could be in the closet like Tony, but it’s a risk. Most see you as friends or friends with benefits. The ones who value the friendship the most (like John and Ryan) will distance themselves to not hurt you.
  • Robbie: The party was interesting. I think Will and Robbie need to spend more time together. It could help in the miscommunication they had. While I do not see Will following the job path of his dads I do think he should go to the meetings more often. It would show to the family he is more responsible them some of them give him credit for. I have to agree with Will; Jurassic Park III was dull to put it lightly. It was just the same thing over again. It is nice that Will trusted Robbie to keep his stand against the twink’s advances. It does show the ramifications Robbie’s action had that people thought Will was his date.

 

Chapters 20-22

It’s kind of annoying that Robbie is not pressing charges, but nice that Brad told Will how proud he was of him. The resolution to add him and Darius adds to that pride and shows they are seeing him as an adult. He did realize that a driver is not to control him, but more to ease their worry for his safety. It is re-enforced when Brad lets Will discuss his past in France to Kai. However, I was surprised Stef allowed Will the final word. Normally when decorating he has veto power.

  • Tony: While I applaud Stef for suggesting to help Tony out I do not see that going well. He may not see his problem and that may lead him to resist. Tony’s letter was passive aggressive. He apologized, but it seems insincere when he blames Will for leaving with Mason. His talk of love and care is diminished when he puts it after saying he is dating Rick. It is like “hey, I’m not suffering because I have Rick and I am a catch, but I say this because I love you”. It seems similar to Cody, he pulls you in and then pushes away. However, when Brad discussed his pattern with Robbie (getting mad and find someone else) it is similar to Will finding Mason.I don’t blame Will for his first e-mail. It was a way to vent and point out Tony’s fault in his e-mail. His second e-mail was better, but it seemed to lay on the guilt heavily. I cannot wait for Tony’s reply.
  • Kai:I think the Kai issue will be fine. He may have a shady reputation, but it is not different than Stef or Jeff. Will’s help may be similar to Jeff who improved after working for Stef. It does worry me about his need to be gone from 6 to 11. Discussing it with JP is both smart (since he will probably do a background check) and it reassures JP that Will still trust his judgment at the level of Stef and Brad. Kai’s defensive nature could mean he does hustle or that he is feeling pissed at how much these rumors are impacting his life. It is good that he trusted Will to tell his version, but the issue is if it is true or not.

I know Brad would not hesitate to get Kai a better car, but it could be a way to monitor Will as well (such as GPS). Personally I think an old car would draw less attention than a new car. It may not benefit Kai’s reputation. It is good Kai is a great surfer. It will help Brad warm up to him. God forbid that Will’s mom or her girlfriend find out about Kai’s reputation.

 

Random Observations

  • POVs: I am glad Will and JP are the POVs for 9.11. This will allow for insight into the differences between the generational views of the 9/11 attacks. Personally I was 12 when the attack happened so I am looking forward to JP’s thoughts.
  • Dana: Since she felt Will took Tony away from her is she going to go after him or Rick since Rick is dating Tony now. I do not think Rick and Tony will be able to keep their relationship hidden. Will and Mason saw it easily that Rick was into Tony. Rick may reveal it more like Jake did with Brad when they started dating. I do not see Tony handling an individual how flaunts his sexuality. It may remind him to much of Jake to do so. I could see him falling for a Neil guy. That may actually be what is happening with Rick. Tony’s need to belong overpowers his mind.
  • Will: We share many aspects and if he is like me I do not believe his sluty ways will end. He will probably be like Stef is with sex; an expression of love. If that is an indication it may take him a while to find a good partner.

 

Waiting for the next chapter,

Kody

Are you trying to kill me? Damn, that is one awesome but long review. Wow. So in order to keep rolling along, I want to focus on one aspect you mentioned, and that's about your time in Como. I was there about the same time you were, and went to all those clubs, although I tended to hang with the frat crowd at Willies or Harpos, and even managed to make it to Tonic a few times. That was interesting. :-) Columbia, Missouri (Como) is truly an oasis in a sea of the red intolerance that is rural Missouri. Hope all your studies went well!
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Will has fucked or been fucked by more than twelve guys before he met Kai. If we discount Gustave and Raine (girl), he has forgotten the dude in Chicago and Patrick in the bathroom, Hayden and Trevor. So that would make Kai number 17 not 13. Just saying :)

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On 02/21/2014 01:35 PM, Timothy M. said:
Will has fucked or been fucked by more than twelve guys before he met Kai. If we discount Gustave and Raine (girl), he has forgotten the dude in Chicago and Patrick in the bathroom, Hayden and Trevor. So that would make Kai number 17 not 13. Just saying :)
Thanks for that, and for posting an update in the forum. I need to rack up his count! LOL.
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On 2/20/2014 at 6:35 PM, Timothy M. said:

Will has fucked or been fucked by more than twelve guys before he met Kai. If we discount Gustave and Raine (girl), he has forgotten the dude in Chicago and Patrick in the bathroom, Hayden and Trevor. So that would make Kai number 17 not 13. Just saying :)

I think this is about the time someone started a topic in the forums, "Will's loves and hook ups".

Will needs a combo of bamboo floors and Mexican paver tiles. Marble isn't good when it is wet.

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