% This work of fiction is set in the format of real-world situations. Identifying details to real people, alive or dead, is entirely coincidental in nature.
% States and countries have various rules regarding reading or viewing adult material'. It is up to you, the reader, to research this subject, abiding by laws and conscience. The pages of this story contain adult material', intended for an `adult audience.' Bypass this warning at your own risk!
% If sexual scenes involving male-to-male relationships offends you, then why are you here? Seriously, if dude-to-dude sex stuff makes you wanna barf or is gonna screw up your mind, you should not read this story.
% Sexual safety matters. Guys, this is fiction. In real life, use protection and I don't mean going out and hiring a security guard...unless he gives your nuts and bolt a jolt!
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`GLaDiaToR EV'ry DaY' o8 WriTten by T. Chase McPhee
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Third destination, Kelly's `castle', had Flex Henley more acquainted with the trio, enough to know one of the three more fit than the others.
As he took private mental notes, it would be anyone's guess, Travis more fit than the other two. When running the terrain, mostly flat, a few hills no taller than car traffic speed bumps, Kelly and John's slacking off caused Flex to call time out.
Probably no secret to either, checking each other out, Flex adds some personal commentary, "I like a man who cares about keeping himself in shape."
It made Travis smile, "are you coming onto me, Flex?"
"No-o-o-o," it was obvious he was, "I was just admiring how you must follow a healthy regiment, eat right, exercise, uh, you know?"
Travis knew a line of bull when he heard it. Being a swimmer, there were those who had honest opinions and others who hoped he would pick up on the compliments and interpret them in a different manner.
Not which he didn't find Flex incredibly attractive, Travis went where the opportunity has taken him, "well, thank for noticing, but if that's the way you feel, how come you're standing over there and not over here?"
He giggled, like it was a joke and not a serious observation.
"Really," Flex was shocked that they both could possibly be on the same circuit?
They stood there, across from each other. Frozen in place, it was like they were testing the bath water for lukewarmness. However, each knew, the longer they stood there, chances are the trail could go cold.
One hand on his hip, Flex gives in, "well, why not?"
Same on Travis mind, he didn't allow Flex to make the first move, both mutually gravitating towards the other.
It didn't matter, their barechests smooshing together, sweat, grime, what have you, as they paired up lips.
Parting from the sweet short kiss, Flex says, "I wanted to do that the first time I saw you."
Confession time, Travis asks, "was that before you reached the dorm, or after?"
The audacity, Flex felt his pride stepped on, quickly recovering, "how did you know?"
Running hands up and down Flex's sweaty arms, "whatever chance I could, when I was a kid, I'd escape to the forest and camp out."
"I can sort of relate."
Though Flex was reluctant to explain his own camping experiences.
Not far from that truth, Travis had some story relics in the closet. He feared, when and if he did meet up with a guy, sharing might seal the fate of a relationship he hoped for.
It was apparent, each wanting to share, but in doing so, would it be so damaging, whatever they had started, it could cause hopes and aspirations to never get off the ground?
Fortunately for both, the slackers caught up!
Each leaning on the other for support, John says, "hey, you two wanna get a room?"
Kelly's laughter lent support for the stab at humor.
Smirking, Flex says, "yeah, maybe we should!"
It was left upended, the two taking off, leaving Kelly and John in the dust.
"Will we ever be as good as them?" John comments.
"Maybe," Kelly responds, "but who really cares?"
Kelly surely didn't care about `keeping up with the Joneses', standing there, cowered in the recess of John's armpit.
"Me? I don't."
When they first stopped, from where they were originally left on the trail, after catching their breaths, the two took time out for some sweet indulgences. So far, their nuances hadn't taken them down the road farther than some sweet, innocent kissing. Without saying, they knew they were taking their time to fall in love.
Though, with things heating up, Kelly proposes, "do you think we might want to escalate things?"
It made John smile, "I was thinking about it."
Things were getting serious, but without much experience and lack of having watched any gay porn, Kelly reckons, "maybe later we can find out?"
Each hadn't shared much with the other. If taking the time to find out, they would have discovered how much they had in common, regarding the subjects of brothers' and sex'.
"Sure," John was up for going beyond kissing and hugging.
That was that and they were on their way, running up the trail.
Way ahead of them, Travis had stopped dead on the trail.
With Flex not far behind, his chest met Travis' back and with chin sitting on his shoulder, "what's up?"
Travis was hoping Flex's cock, at the front door to his butt, "I think we're lost. Do we go right or left?"
Feeling too good to remove his chin from Travis' shoulder, Flex dares to weave arms in between, around the sweaty bod, until both palms lay over those taut abs, "um, take your time thinking about it?"
It was for certain, Travis discovering he was taller. He could feel the discrepancy, because as Flex sweetly kissed the side of his neck, he could feel a `rubbing,' and freakishly, it certainly did feel like sex in bed!
And again, like deja vu, just as things were beginning to get hot as hell, "hey, we found you again!"
Not really angry, just peeved, Flex breaks his hold he has on Travis and turning around, "not you guys again?"
Kelly and John's eyes were as wide as saucers, stopping dead in their tracks.
However, it wasn't them, but Travis who reveals, "uh, Flex? If I were you, I'd..."
Instead of Flex hiding it for himself, Travis cups a hand over his friend's crotch, keeping the `extension' from protruding from between his legs.
"Oh shit!"
Laughing and carrying on, the two make a joke of it, John saying, "if we had only been a couple of minutes later, who knows what we might have interrupted?"
Kelly, "maybe we should come back later, John!"
"Um," Flex turns to Travis, "I think I can handle it from here?"
"Oh sure," Travis says, not believing he actually did what he did.
As he backed off, no one could have been more sorrier, than Flex, stating so, "I mean...not which it didn't feel good?"
By this time, John and Kelly had gotten their jollies and headed off on the west fork of the trail.
"Yeah?" Travis' serious demeanor turns into a puppy dog grin.
This time Flex is a little more cautious, looking around before making his approach.
"Thanks for," he didn't know quite how to put it, "saving myself just then."
Travis didn't quite get it, "Saving you?"
The swelling had gone down, but Flex could feel things getting stirred up again, "though, I'm still feeling kind of...horned up?"
He had to look, even though Travis was taking his word for it.
Gym shorts, made for sports, they were so easy to show and truly, the fabric was keeping it's promise to cut down on the sweat, but not a man's erection!
"Like, how could I not tell?"
In seconds, Flex was right there, face to face with Travis.
Close enough to touch, "like, you're hard?"
He could tell, because from being hard before, Flex hadn't quite gone totally limp and with Travis going from limp, to hard, it wasn't tough for both their protrusions to make their own contact.
"Well, I didn't get there without a little help, dah?"
Rather than stand there, right in the middle of the fork in the road, Travis wisely says, "Maybe we should find someplace to take care of...each other?"
Mocking what Travis said before, Flex says, "are you coming onto me?"
Natural chain reaction, each had put a hand on the other, Travis with no recourse but to say, "uh, it's a little too late for that...more like, we're coming onto each other?"
"Where are we going to go...I mean...to do that?"
They had been lost, until Kelly and John had dashed off on the west bend of the fork in the road. Looking up at the tree at the end of the trailhead, two crude wooden signs nailed to it read east' and west', an arrow carved into the end of each respectively.
"They went west. I would say that's a start?"
Later the two would claim they never ran that fast in all their lives. Particularly Flex, who was a triathlete, at 29-years old could boast of doing a hundred triathlons. John, in olympic training for quite a few of his college years, had kicked his legs to qualify for the equivalent.
Landing eyes on a stone wall, laughter coming from behind it, there was no mistaking it for Kelly and John!
The wall wasn't high enough that two tall men could not stand on their toes and look over.
Flex was the first to admit, on account of the tip of his shaft wasn't scraping on the stone, "uh, I kind of `lost it'?"
On the other hand, or by hand, Travis had to agree, jogging along the trail, his balls and baloney bopping up and down had made the vein relax, "yeah, me too."
"But I could use a swim?"
Travis agrees, "yeah, me too."
As they jog the perimeter of the wall, round the side, Flex reaches over to unlatch it, "but lets not forget about it?"
Initally, Flex had thought he was pressing his luck.
He was on edge until Travis smiled, saying, "I'll be looking forward to it."
From an unsure reaction, Flex changed like day and night, "me too."
Pushing through the gate, the pair let themselves in. All that was needed is kicking off boots, required footing, socks, and then the matter of going in with short, or shedding them.
"Oh what the heck," Travis made up the decision for both of them, setting his cock free!
Of course, Kelly and John were laughing at them, giving them their thanks for putting on a free peep show!
"Peep show? Where?"
Walking in the garage side of the fenced in pool, JC approaches the pool and whereas Travis and Flex had to think about swimming apparel, Kelly's limo driver was all prepped to dive right in, after dropping his towel on a chair.
Travis joked, "he didn't give much time for us to shop, did he?"
"Ready to cheat on me already, Travis?"
"No, no, no, never would I...do that. Really. Trust me, I don't do what other people do."
Not realizing how a short comment can turn up the heat, Flex says, "calm down. I was joking. I didn't really mean it."
"Oh," Travis then realizes how serious he was, "right. I knew that."
During their little conversation, they hadn't realized a person sneaking up on them, "hey, we haven't met, have we?"
With nothing to be ashamed of, a person who didn't shame easily, JC stood there, a hand on his cock, holding it like it was feeding time.
Talk about `cheating,' Travis had to nudge Flex for staring too long, which had him immediately snapping out of it, "Frank Henley, or Flex, whichever you want to call me."
Seeing Flex was a little nervous, Travis steps in, "Travis McIntosh. We're glad to meet you, uh?"
"Juan Carlos, but you can call me JC."
With `nothing here,' JC turns right around, "dinner soon and I really wanted to cool off."
The two nudists standing there, Travis says, "I have a feeling JC came over here for more than getting to know us."
More than JC, Flex was liking the way Travis was referring to not only himself, but the plural, "I was hoping our first wild time together would be only us?"
"Wild time, eh?" Travis eyes Flex from face to crotch and back, "just how wild were you thinking?"
It seemed like, between the boy's dorm to the pool they had little time to themselves, other than the last leg of their journey to Kelly's pool.
Even now, it was tough to project intimate thoughts, what with boys walking through the back gate.
it was Rhuan's new border, Richard Kyles, who Kelly had JC pick up on the road, on the way back from town.
"Hey guys," Kelly yells, "c'mon in!"
"Hmm," Flex snarls, "I don't seem to remember getting an invitation like that?"
They had sat on the side, then slipped into the pool, deep end, Travis and Flex keeping their heads from bobbing underneath. For a few moments they remain at the side, until it began to get crowded.
Or, that was the excuse Travis uses, "we better give them some room," at which time he taps Flex on the shoulder and slithers in between him and the pool wall.
When he had mentioned the `wild side' of sex earlier, Flex hadn't a clue which way it was going to go. At 29-years old he had had a few short romances, which didn't even last a month each. Really, he had given up on finding anything permanent, but was always on the lookout.
Travis, he had Olympic training to consider, so there was virtually no time for dating. He didn't count what happened in high school, leaving the past behind after graduation. So, really this was his first attempt at romance. Travis never thought about a guy 5 years older than him, but from what has transpired in the past couple of hours, he saw age as just a number!
"What are you doing?" Flex asks, feeling Travis' chest on his back.
"Told ya. Making more room in the pool."
Not which Flex was opposed to it, not one to put labels on the positions of sexual activity.
"Right," he went along with it.
He wouldn't care either way, Flex being at one time or another both, sucker or fucker!
"Good thing the water is cool."
Travis was sending a message. Both had already been there, hard in the woods.
"Yeah, it's amazing how water temperature can keep kill the sex drive!"
Though, Travis wasn't betting on it, not with his cock lodged in recess of Flex's ass, "don't you feel something?"
They were both kicking to keep afloat, even though Flex shows reassurance, taking Travis' arms, forcing them to cling to his bod, "oh, I feel it alright!"
"Well, I think I just shot a hole in your water temp's theory."
"Mine? I thought it was yours?"
Another disturbance occurs in the force. The two minding their own business, Flex gets bopped on the head with a volleyball!
Making like it knocked him clear out, he grabs a breath and sinks. In doing so, with Travis not having a clue and arms cemented to Flex's sides, goes under too.
All the boys, Rhuan, Richard, Kelly and John, rush to deep end of the pool, JC exclaiming, "I didn't even hit it that hard!"
Before they reached the place in the pool, Flex having lost his ballast, has zipped up like a submarine, breaking the surface, "gotcha!"
Travis was not sorry that not only did they gang up on Flex, but he was included in the horseplay.
So busy were they, getting even, none of them noticed the garage side of the pool gate opening.
It's then JC who recognizes, "well, well, where have you been all afternoon?"
Last minute, Carlos had decided to stay in town, now that he's bonded with the Magonagle store manager, Billy Higgins. Never mind the 2-years difference in age, what did matter, as Billy put it, `us cubs gotta stick together!'
Between the store grand opening and free time in the afternoon, Carlos and Billy had bonded. Much so, Billy pulled his car over to the side of the road, right before coming up the `lane with no name'.
Right now, they were breaking the ice and making waves, sending a tsunami of water across the pool surface.
They heard remarks like `surfs up' or other derogatory comments, but neither cared. For one thing, Billy, having been employed at the Magonagle store even before it was filled with merchandise, he knows just about everyone who has set foot on the property. They know him as well and such is the camaraderie, things aren't taken in a malicious manner.
At work, for the 28-year old, things could be different. When it comes to business, Billy is just that - all business. There's a difference between business and pleasure and Billy knows how to balance out the two. He doesn't honor favoritism, delivering praise and criticism as it is deserved.
However, when it comes to personal time, well when he first lay eyes on Carlos, his reaction was a confident `woof!' He had to find out who Carlos was, what he did, everything about him. In doing so, Billy knew he had fallen for the cub.
Carlos, two years younger, didn't know much about love. He didn't think a person could fall in love that easy. After stopping along the lane and a few kisses, Carlos was realistic, telling Billy he wasn't sure he was in love.
Billy was okay with it, saying they had a lot of time to find out.
Regardless, the others could see it happening, the two bonding beyond just friendship. It could have been mostly on Billy's part, picking up a towel and not just handing it to Carlos, but physically drying him off!
"Yeah, they're ready to tie the knot," Flex says to Travis.
"Oh, you can tell things like that, eh?"
"I think I'm a good judge of people."
After a few rounds of pool volleyball, Travis and Flex had settled into their little rut at the side of the pool. Though, it was in water in which it rippled up around their navels, the rest hidden.
"You are? Hmm, then what do you think about my arms around you and you're not fighting me off?"
"Must be magic!"
"Oh yeah. Right. I'm using a magic spell to keep you from tearing away from me?"
"What else would you call it, rubbing up and down my abs?"
Travis giggles, "making you hard?"
"Water temperature. Remember?"
Though, Travis' hand had traveled south and knew that not to be the case, "all I can say is, you better lose it, before it's time to get out!"
Lo and behold, as Travis has said it, the boys have started the exodus.
"Do you think they're giving us a hint?"
Flex laughs, "do we care?"
"No offense," Travis calls off the magic spell, "but I'm kind of hungry and," he sits up on the side of the pool, "don't want to miss dinner."
Looking up, Travis drips down into Flex's face, "I hope that's not what I think it is?"
"You think I would piss on you?"
"Not that I would mind?"
That floored Travis, "I'll have to think on that one."
He could have very well hoisted himself up and out, Flex saying, "want to give me a hand?"
"Did you deflate?"
"Hold on. Let me check," Flex feels himself up. "Yup. It's flaccid!"
He thought it funny, Travis saying, "you couldn't tell that, Flex, like, you had to check?"
"No," he thought briefly on it, "just wanted to see your reaction, is all!"
What Flex was already experiencing, were certain quirks about Travis, which seemed to define his personality. When he smiled, it wasn't just curved lips, but bright, shiny teeth and a definite giggle preceding his laugh. Still the frat-boy image about the college graduate, Flex found a conflict of youth and transformation into a man of the world.
At 29-years old, Flex had wished he took the right' road after graduation. Then maybe he wouldn't be in the position he is in, reduced to leading a bunch of athletes, much like at a day camp for adolescents. Though, looking upon what he had to work with, in the past two days he found reasons for life taking him from then', to the circumstance he is in now.
Meeting Travis has been part of that. Even though he's rightfully only known the 24-year old former frat-boy for a few hours, the idea of being with him has sat comfortably with his mental preparedness.
Being a super-athlete, people often liked to associate themselves with `superman.' When the luster is stripped away, a guy finds out who his true friends are. After his downfall, due to drugs and alcohol, mostly heavy party drinking, Flex found himself out of a job, at the university he spent 4 years at, and without a cent to his name.
Down on his luck, he befriended an older guy at a soup kitchen, who helped him find lodgings. After a few weeks of counseling with a doctor at the shelter, Flex saw that he didn't want to spend his life living out of a cardboard box, underneath a highway overpass.
This doctor had pulled him out of his deteriorating lifestyle, brought him back to the reality of how the next fifty years were going to go, if he lived that long. What he also found, it wasn't that they shared being gay, but the doctor was also a very compassionate man, something which began to rub off on him.
The other part of his future, other than landing a new beginning at with the Magonagle business, has been finding the right counselor to be paired up with. Leaving his therapist in Chicago, it was his shrink who found him not only his present job, but hooking up with Doc Watson for counseling. It was the doc's own words which were exactly what Flex was thinking, this a `new beginning', where he could take his present and carve it out to building a new future.
Looking upon Travis, this sure would be a good man to help transform life, make it anew.
"What?" Travis interrupts Flex's thoughts, as he worked the towel in between his legs.
"Nuthin'," Flex replies, just smiling.
Nodding his head upwards, like asking, `what's with that look,' Travis says, "you look like you're in deep thought, so I just thought I'd ask what you're thinking about?"
Right now, Flex wasn't ready to share. For certain, they had hit it off and he didn't want to tell things out of sequence, without first assembling a timeline in his mind.
"What I'd like to share, it would take more than a couple of minutes."
Travis understood that. In his past there were a bunch of facts, which could be taken as not exactly the right thing to do and taken out of context, "I know. It's complicated, right?"
With Travis being understanding, Flex says, "yeah," he reaches for a hand.
Pressing with his left hand against the pool apron, Flex is launched to his feet, Travis pulling on his right.
"Thanks."
That beautiful smile was relaxed, as the two stood inches apart, looking deeply into each others eyes.
For the `tenth' time they hear, "hey, you two wanna get a room?"
With the wisdom to say so, Travis says, without flexing a muscle, "why do we put ourselves in this position for ridicule?"
"Maybe we should do something about it?"
They were already dried off, ready to go off to dinner, but some things just could not wait. Walking over to where Kelly and John were chatting with Carlos and Billy, they made friendly talk, something about `getting a room.'
When they casually `waltzed' the pair around, by making conversation, to where there backs were to the pool, Flex yells out, "bon voyage, guys!"
With Flex's hands against Kelly's shoulders, Travis' hands on John's chest, they give a shove!
There wasn't much time to curse the two out, falling back into the pool, making a giant splash.
Travis and Flex were laughing their asses off, proud of themselves for `getting even.'
Even though Billy and Carlos had no quarrel with Travis and Flex, they instantly thought, `why let a good moment slip by,' doing the same to Travis and Flex!
Only, it was the pair going head-first into the deep.
Kelly and John were the first out of the pool, giving high-5's, low-5's, whatever hand signs which congratulated Billy and Carlos on the good deed they had done.
"We owe ya one," John says.
On the sly, Billy says, "I'm sure we can find a way to compensate ourselves!"
John wasn't sure how that went, so just shrugged his shoulders, saying, "okay."
However, Kelly saw exactly what was happening and if it wasn't for his roommate back at college, Willow, explaining the `facts of gay life' to him over the course of 4 years, he might have been as moronic as his buddy, "don't agree to anything, unless it's in writing, John!"
Hanging over John's shoulder, put Kelly right in the inner circle of the four friends.
Billy was cute, standing there, rubbing his rounded, hairy belly and saying, "oh c'mon Kelly. You don't think that `I' would try to con your boyfriend?"
It was the first time anyone referred them to more than friends. Right off, the two start giggling, John naming it, "did you hear that, Kelly? He thinks we're boyfriends!"
Not so far-fetched, it's not that Kelly was thinking that himself, "so? We are, aren't we?"
John loved the idea, "yeah. Cool!"
Though, John had conflicting thoughts, ones he felt both reluctance and guilt to share with anyone other than maybe Kelly, those about a `boyfriend' relationship with his own brother, Ryan, if their adolescent fooling around meant the same?
Surfacing, Travis and Flex approached the quad and instead of with blame, they congratulate.
"You two pulled that act of revenge off rather well," Flex says to Billy and Carlos.
Seeming like the `alpha' counterpart of his relationship to Carlos, Billy says, "no sweat. It's like Kelly says, I was just being a gladiator!"
Flex didn't say, but already the wheels of his brain were turning, thinking up some crafty means of getting even. Like, he'd sure like to turn that belly and those packed pecs into a drum set and play some beats which Gene Krupa would be proud of him for!
Then, piercing the gathering at the pool they hear a tone sound.
"Is that a tsunami warning?"
"Other than the pond," Kelly replies, "there's not an area of water which could generate a tsunami, Flex?"
Like one of the younger guys, Flex says, "I knew that."
Accordingly, it didn't even sound like a warning of that sort, something more lower in tone, as of a doorbell chiming, but it served the purpose, calling the pool-swimmers for dinner.
With wardrobe almost assembled, they were ready to head off through the back gate, when a man appears.
John got a giggle out of it, the guy dressed in white, wearing a tall chef's hat on his head.
Kelly called it, "he looks like a chef."
Flex and Billy had some of the same thoughts, suddenly becoming good friends over slapping palm to palm in agreement, "hot chef!"
Having already been introduced to Chef Pilleaux', Kelly was kind of shocked over the outfit'.
Wearing the tall, white chef's official' hat, that was the only part of the regulation' outfitting!
Over Chad's shoulders hung a white apron. From the tail of the apron, they could see knees and shins give way to wearing flip flops.
Billy leans into Flex's ear, "I wonder what he's wearing underneath?"
Flex softly giggles, "uh, nothing?"
All this time, Chad is explaining to Kelly, the sound of the gathering for meals, "oh that. That's for the others. Jared has me cooking all of your meals and if you want, those whom you wish to have join you?"
"If you have enough?" is Kelly's way of inviting the others.
"Of course," Chad confidently says, "I always cook for an army!"
Walking away, Billy and Flex's wishes came true, seeing that Chad wore simple white tennis shorts, or could have been basketball!
Billy shares his disappointment, "At least it could have been a speedo!"
Snapping his fingers, Chad returns, "I just thought of something. The house, it's kind of nippy, with the a/c on. Maybe you would like to dine luau style?"
Chad was addressing, Kelly, who hesitates with lack of decision, "um. I dunno."
Placing the burden on John's brain, he tosses it back, "whatever you want."
Seemingly with a connection, JC says, "a luau, Chad."
A smile between them, Chad responds, "thanks for helping with that crucial decision, JC."
It worked out, this turning into a meet-and-greet affair for Kelly.
In setting up for the luau around the pool, Chad enlists the help of everyone who works around and about Kelly's `castle'.
Even though Kenny is the house manager, in lieu of his being away, the delegating goes to the `master chef'. Not one to flaunt the high distinction which goes with his title, Chad can be an easygoing guy.
From day one of employment, which has been about 2 years, Chad he has set the dressed-down' standards. This was a change from the places he learned his craft, New York City, traveling Europe, the Far East, Australia and South America. He has seen the royal' side of living, but Chad much more prefers the simple scene. Not which his training and experience he's allowing to slide by.
For sure, assuming the position of filling Kenny's shoes, as house manager, Chad has had to be an `actor' of sorts.
At sex, in bed, he could purr like a kitten, but when it came to handling the house staff, he had to maintain a lion's attitude. That bothered him, because Chad was never the `bullying' type.
However, when duty calls, he morphs into a tiger, "okay, you guys, wrap it up there?"
Kelly, John, Travis, Flex, Billy and Carlos wondered what was happening, when Chad broke their little grouping and began walking towards the gate leading to the garage.
Billy supposed, turning to his new friend, Flex, "maybe he forget an ingredient and needs to run to the store."
"You kidding?" Flex made light of Chad's outfit, "I wouldn't be caught dead, walking into town like that!"
"Um, if you were dead, you wouldn't be walking...that is, unless you were a zombie?"
That set off a hilarious act of Flex behaving like a creature, upper teeth dropping over lower lip, creating instant fangs. Walking like a cardboard caricature, he made gurgling sounds.
Travis, seeing it, wondered what was up with him. Recalling an hour ago, when Flex had to check if he was `hard', he says, "kind of stiff there, Flex, uh, right on down to your...you know?"
"Really?"
They all got a laugh out of it, Flex looking down, between his legs. More than if he had a stiffy, Flex suddenly covers his cock with one hand, scooping up his balls with the other, "Hey, are we allowed to be out here like this?"
Good question, which they all wondered the same, being the lot of them had gone skinny-dipping.
All except Kelly who was bold enough to keep following Chad, saying, "my castle. The king can do as he pleases!"
Having all stopped in their steps, agreed, being attached to the king's entourage, had the right to parade across the grounds, allowing their cocks to flop back and forth with movement of their feet, balls bouncing at random.
Chad, who walked ahead of them, having an apron to coverup, plus the white basketball shorts, had a grin on his face.
The closer they got to a flock of workers, presumably landscapers, the boys suddenly grew conscious of their condition.
From a distance, which anyone could make them out and what they wore, or lack of, Kelly was the one to break the news, "Willow?"
Flex was comical, screaming like he had actually seen zombies racing towards them, about faces and runs back towards the house.
Kelly laughed, watching them all run away. He wasn't shocked out of his gourd, seeing his old college roommate, working with the landscaping crew. When he and Willow shared the house Jared rented for them, the first time he was scared out of his whits, when Willow caught him coming out of the bathroom, having forgotten to take towel with him. When it happened, Willow respected Kelly's privacy and ran to her bedroom, yelling, `let me know when it's safe to come out!'
Kelly knew, from experience, things don't happen without a reason and when he caught Willow without a towel, he knew exactly how to approach the circumstance.
It was a long way back to his bedroom, plus Kelly hadn't seen Willow in a few weeks, so picked up an empty burlap fertilizer bag and used it for a towel.
"Willow?" Kelly signaled seeing her.
Tilting her sunglasses, Willow says, "I saw you and your friends coming from a mile away."
"Oh," Kelly said in a low tone, hoping she hadn't.
What he really hoped she didn't say, "don't worry Kelly, there's nothing about you I haven't seen!"
Would have been fine, if only in front of Chad, but surrounded by her co-workers?
When hired, any applicant was told Kelly was the boss' brother and he was a person of interest to be nice to, extend kindness towards. However, they crew couldn't help but whoop it up, rib-tickle Kelly over the issue.
"Thanks, Willow," Kelly says.
Willow could tell Kelly wasn't angry. They had been over much in four years of college, living in the same house.
Apologetically, Willow says, "I guess I shouldn't have mentioned that, should I?"
Despite everything which had already transpired, there was their mediator to pull them out of the laughing spree, "okay guys....and Willow," Chad starts in, "I'm relieving you of your duties and allowing you five minutes in the pool, before you pull together a luau in the backyard."
Walking away, Chad said a quick, `whew', it seeming like he got the point across, without a single contradiction, that anything other than mowing the lawn, trimming tree and bushes, fertilizing, or any other landscaping detail wasn't part of the job description. He smiled, thinking the pool a good lure. Too, he knew he had plenty of food on the grill to accommodate them all.
Willow was granted leave by her fellow workers, left to clean up. Walking back, she pulled her gardening cap off, working the long, tied ponytail from being caught up in it.
"Still have the `waterfall', I see?" Kelly says.
"Yep. I thought about cutting my hair," she unbraids it, "but it's such a part of me, I'd feel naked without it."
"Naked, eh?" Kelly says, rubbing it in, about snagging his bathroom trek in the rental unit.
"Truly I'm sorry about that, Kelly," she stopped fooling with her knee-length hair, latching onto an arm. She also handed over her hat, "here."
Kelly took it, smiling back at her, "thanks. I guess you do have a heart!"
Willow's jaw dropped open, but as they both knew, it was a fake gesture. After getting to know each other, part of knowing each other, was mocking each other, which could get quite `nasty'. Just the same, one lewd comment would lead to the next.
Right now though, Willow wasn't in that kind of a mood. Still with her hair going where it wants, she clung to one arm, "Kelly, I want to thank you for getting me this job."
"Me? I think it was Jared. He knows you about as much as I do?"
"Only, I didn't live with Jared for four years?!"
"Um, I wouldn't put it that way in front of people," Kelly laughs.
The hat worked good, covering up Kelly's lower anatomy, only he felt a little strange that it had just been on Willow's head. Reason he still kept a hand on things.
"I realize that now," Willow says, "that I'll have to watch my words."
Right at the back gate, Willow checked to make sure no one was watching, standing on her toes to give Kelly a peck on the cheek.
"Oh my god, Willow?"
"I checked. No one was watching."
It's not that that would bother Kelly. The one thing that did, "in all of four years of living together, never once did you do that."
"I know," Willow smiles. "I had wanted to, but I knew you were going through some rough times, Kelly and I didn't want to do anything which was inappropriate. You had enough on your plate to deal with."
Kelly didn't have many friends in college. Social life was cut back, to accommodate his feelings of not being able to trust people. For certain, since a tyke he had loved, trusted his own mother and father. For his father to turn on him like that, even though revealing himself gay to be the foundation for all the upheaval, it put a spin on whom he could or could not trust. Surely, the mistake, he and Willow both having to deal with living with a housemate of the opposite sex, they learned much even within a 24 hour period. Even though Kelly had been counseled for 4 years by Doc Watson, he credits Willow's understanding and the loving way about her as part of his completed therapy.
So, it goes to say, "That I did, but I probably wouldn't have been able to dump that plate in the garbage, if it hadn't been for one."
"Oh!" she says out loud, like she's got a hunch about something, "good metaphor, Kelly!"
With the pat on the back, something which would have freaked Kelly out four years ago, he says, "thanks," proud of himself!
By this time the rest of Willow's co-workers had caught up. Even though they knew Kelly was gay, some of them the same themselves, they joked, "hey, wanna get a room?"
Willow hadn't checked that time, giving Kelly a peck on the cheek.
She was about to say something, Kelly beating her to it, "don't apologize. You never have to feel like you do."
Then, from within they hear, "they told me you were out here."
Kelly was as in the dark as Willow, looking upon the tall stranger.
"Hi. I'm Brice Carnes," he first shakes Kelly's hand, "we haven't met yet. I'll be working the fields back by the barn," he skips over Kelly, same hand moving towards, "and you must be Willow?"
"That's me," Willow says, taking Brice's hand.
Strangely, back in college, Kelly was under the impression Willow might be gay, but after quite an embarrassing moment in time, he was set straight...she was straight. He knew there was a period of doubt, soul-searching, but when it came out in the wash, Willow herself had said she was, 'straight as a nail!' Which, at this moment, Kelly had started to pick up some strange vibes.
"Uh, I better see about getting some clothes on," he excuses himself.
"Hey," John pries himself out of a chair, `with' a towel around his waist, "I was waiting for you."
Kelly had that impression, that from this day forward, John would be a permanent fixture in his life. Not which he minded having that feeling. John was fun to have around. Though, he didn't have a clue where he would fit in. Up until now, even though he himself had a title, head guy,' or some other fancy name, Kelly had yet to take on any kind of responsibility which would contribute to the Magonagle business. He just took on the attitude, live for today'!
"Let's go see if we can find some clothes."
It felt good to Kelly, putting an arm over John's shoulder. Twelve hours ago or so, it could have felt like he had a new pal, but that feeling had become more. Much so, that after walking through the kitchen, having traded Willow's hat in for a towel, he stopped at the bottom of the stairwell, saying, "maybe someday one of us will have to carry the other up the stairs!"
John looks down, saying, "why? You got a sore leg?"
"No, John," Kelly giggles, "I meant..." he was about to say it, but maybe he was being premature, about marriage, "never mind what I meant. The food smells good and if we hope to get any of it, we better hurry!"
%
Meanwhile, downstairs the landscaping crew had taken their dip in the pool, but needed reminding to get out.
Chad applauded himself, feeling good about demanding they all get out and start setting up for the luau.
He had never been to Hawaii, though Chad thought, if it ever occurred, meeting the man of his dreams, if might be a good honeymoon destination.
While at the Culinary Institute in NYC, he and his fellow class mates needed to put on a spread for Polynesian dignitaries at the United Nations. That went well and scaling down the variety and ingredients, he had planned out what would be plates tonight.
After delegating out where tables can be found and set up, Chad reports back to the grills. He had one going, but found another needed, so rolled it out of the shed. Much to his surprise, he's `manhandled' out of the way.
"Here, let me get that for you, chef."
First thing which struck him, was hot the open shirt and what was exposed, but the dignity, calling him like royalty, "Chef? Thanks."
Chad didn't know whether he was thinking Mr. Muscled-smooth-hunk for the illustrious title, taking over hauling the grill out of the shed, or his parents for lending their genes!
"Uh, I figured on an angle would be good?"
Smiling, Chad thought if he left it on the other side of the pool it `would be good!'
"That's fine, uh?"
Knowing it was his cue, "Thomas Cahoon," he forwards himself, extending a hand, "it's good to meet you Chef Pilleaux."
Reading an angle into all of this, Chad says, with taking the offered hand, "you know of me?"
After all, it's not to go without saying, Chad's long list of awards, lectures, invitations to some high end affairs, which he knows he has gathered a following on Facebook and elsewhere.
"I've been following your career since that Polynesian spread you put on at the United Nations, when you saved one of the dignitaries when the ice sculpture tipped over?"
"You heard about that?"
"Who hasn't? You saving that VIP...what was it like having the president of the United States congratulate you for saving the day?"
"Oh," Chad chatted, "somewhere between excellent and martyrdom!"
"I don't blame you."
"Well, Thomas you handle that grill like a pro?"
Another cue, "You can call me Tom, if you like. About the grill, I used to work at a luncheonette while in high school. Every Saturday afternoon, weather permitting, food was prepped on the grill. Even though I wasn't of legal age, being 6-feet tall has its advantages."
Chad had already noticed. He himself was 6'4 and Tom wasn't that much shorter. "So, you had to be of legal age to operate a grill?"
"That's what my boss tried to pull on me, but after he was left short handed one Saturday afternoon, he didn't have a choice."
"And let me guess," Chad sat there with his bum on the edge of a table, arms folded across the middle, leisurely watching Tom handle the cooking, "you barbecued everything to perfection?"
"Yep. He was impressed. For myself, I was impressed that I could pull it off, because after I opened my big mouth, I wasn't sure I could do it. But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!"
A momentary thought there, Chad wondered just how big Tom could open his mouth!
"I hope it got you a raise?"
"It got me out of the luncheonette and into the fresh air every Saturday!"
At that moment, Tom gasps, hopping back from the grill.
The emergency response had Chad's ass off the table, saying, "what's the matter?"
"Nothing," Tom says, pulling on his abs to look.
Knowing very well, the reason he wears an apron while grilling, "grease getcha?"
"Yeah," Tom says, allowing Chad to take a look.
"You're lucky. I don't see anything."
Though Chad did take the liberty to examine more than above Tom's bellyhole!
"You wouldn't happen to have another apron, would you?"
Inhaling, biting a lip, Chad knew he had the last apron on, the rest in the laundry.
Making an executive decision, "take your shirt off."
It made Tom smile, liking that, "if you say so, but it's not going to help the next time the grill spits at me!"
Same time, Chad took to removing his apron, "try this on for size."
Felt kind of sexy, Tom putting on the sweaty apron which had clothed the chef's bod.
Chad had hoped this wasn't the shirt Tom had used, landscaping, though he did notice he was more in a supervisory position, which made the shirt give off a sweeter scent.
With it, Chad says, "congratulations, you've just graduated from being Saturday afternoon barbecuer to assistant luau-chef!"
"Really? This is like a dream for me!"
Thinking there was more than meets the eye, even though Tom was very pleasing to look upon, "how would that go?"
Chad was impressed, not only that Tom had some barbecuing skills, knowing to take the tray from underneath to cook the shrimp, whereas someone else would try to place each crustacean on the grill, which would likely make them `go to a hellish grave', but that he had aspirations one time of attending the Culinary Institute himself.
"Is that so? What kept you?"
"Money, plus my folks were more the controlling type. Dad, he wanted me to follow in his footsteps of the family business."
"Which, is?"
It made Tom smile, "to think I could have, right now, be in the dry cleaning business, delivering uniforms to the Waldorf." Then, on a sly, more adamant tone, "no. I wasn't going to live out their dreams. I had my own and even though I never made it into the cooking field. Just maybe I will be able to put my management skills to work...get a job in the food industry. Maybe even..."
From the tough tone, Tom broke out into a quaint smile.
"Maybe, what?"
"I know this sounds cruel, especially when you've been really nice, but maybe work into your job someday?"
Knowing there was still some humor in this, Chad says, "take my apron off...I want it back this instant!"
"Really?" Tom set a sausage-laden fork down, reaching behind his back.
"Don't be silly," Chad waived all that away, "why should I be working, while getting paid for it, when I can have you do it!"
Tom had learned his first thing about Chad, not to take him serious every hour of the day.
Chad was glad to have time off and truthfully felt confident Tom could handle the grill. Not only the chef responsibilities, he thought he was quite the handsome of fellows and wondered about other attributes.
`Yeah, me too,' Tom thought on it, knowing Chad was checking out the bottom fold of the apron where a pointed object was causing the linen to poke-like-a-pup-tent!
Breaking the edge everyone had on individual conversation, Jared walks in the back gate, toting another unknown along with him.
It slowly had become habit, anyone bringing home a stranger, these days.
Outside the realm of the Magonagle estate, until Carlos takes his focus off of Billy and in Spanish, exclaims something only those whom spoke the language could understand, racing towards Jared.
The tall, hunk of a man next to Jared races towards Carlos. Meeting each in the middle, they hug.
Only one person, other than Jared would suspect, Kelly turning to Billy and John, "Teyo, I bet."
Billy asks, "who's that?"
Though, Billy was thinking, the way the two fervently hugged, they were of past love interest and not, as Kelly clues him in, brothers.
Without knowledge of knowing they were related, brothers at that, one would think they were just friends.
Teyo was over six feet tall. Carlos was under six. Shaggy hairstyle and beard dominated the face of the older brother. The younger preferred clean-shaven chops and a stylish cut, pompadour with buzzed sides. Form also play a part in the discrepancy, Carlos short and chubby, Teyo stealth with his height in play.
Some knew, by experience, whenever a newcomer appeared, eventually, if they didn't act to greet them, Jared would give hint to do so.
Based on this, guys making their move towards Teyo and Carlos, Jared was freed up to see what else was going on. Having others to take up the slack whereas personnel was concerned Jared was relieved he didn't need to remember everyone's name. Faces fell under that category as well. He knew Chad Pilleaux, his own private chef, given up to his brother's household. But that wasn't Chad behind the grill!
It was a good line, so Jared thought, "you must be new around here?"
He had already been hit twice by that pickup line, from those at the pool, wanting to stir up food-talk, which had Tom boldly reciprocating, "I haven't seen your face around here?"
It left Jared jaw-dropped. It could've been the way the apron pulled taut around the frame of Tom's bod, each time he leaned this way or that to turn the sausage over the flame, that Jared would let this one slide, if he got some good answers.
He didn't have the chance, Chad stepping into the pair's perimeter, "Jared, have you met Tom?"
"No, but I was about to..."
Placing a confident hand on Tom's shoulder, Chad states, "other than myself, best griller I've seen in a long time."
Sounded corny, Chad knew that, but it also was a lead in to, "in case you're wondering, Tom, this is our illustrious leader, Jared Magonagle."
Chad knew he hadn't gotten there in time, to introduce Tom to the boss and had overheard the conversation, but was sure he could smooth things over.
Tom Cahoon had a brashness about him. Having grown up in a fairly large family, he wore an arrogant edge. Sometimes it came across as cocky, other times one would think he was on the defensive. Not always the case, it was only through time and growing up, he earned his way, Tom taking his share of bad things which came his way. At 28-years old, he saw that he wasn't getting any younger, and being he hadn't found a destination in life, found working for the Magonagle business, he could find his niche.
Suddenly realizing he might have offended the boss, he takes on Chad's lead, "hey, sorry about being an asshole."
It made Jared smile. Surely there was more to this than an apology, "no harm done, uh?"
Chad filled in the blank, "this is Tom Cahoon, Jared. Quite by surprise, he's shown to be quite the chef."
Glancing at the grill, back at the fork in Tom's hand, Jared says, "looks like your sausages are nice and plump. Sign of a good chef, I suppose?"
He would liked to have stood around, perhaps until the sausages had completed to a doneness stage, except feeling a pat on the back, "Jared, thanks so much for bringing my brother to me!"
It was Carlos, wanting to grab his hand, shake it, only Teyo beat him to it, "yeah, thanks, boss."
Truthfully, as he pictured through his car window, from standing in the no park zone in front of the police station, it was like the differences came into focus. Jared had instant recollection of when he saw Teyo approach his car, remembering he gasped, `no way,' when comparing the short, chubby cub, with the stealth frame of his brother.
Shrugging a shoulder, Jared says with modestly, "eh, it was nothing. I would have done it for anyone," he smiles more at Teyo, "in need."
"Just the same," Teyo shakes Jared's hand more profusely, "bringing my brother and me together, I owe you big time."
It had a nice ring in his ear, to hear that, but Jared also had it in mind, like himself and Kelly, John and his brother, Ryan, there was something keenly special about the Aguado brothers' relationship. He would have loved to embellish on that `big time' favor, but kept it cool, more in a business sense, "you're not the first and I'm sure not the last."
Whatever that meant, Jared hadn't a clue himself, but certainly, Teyo wasn't he first hot man who had been hired and with certainty, not the end of the continual stream of newcomers.
"Oh, one thing," Teyo says on the side, "Carlos, he has a really good singing voice and plays a mean guitar, if you ever need someone to break up the monotony of a corporate affair?"
Right then and there, Jared wanted to caress Teyo, throw him into a romantic hold and line his lips up. However, it was an instant daydream, which even though it got his loins pulsing, he knew he had to hold back, keep such thoughts in limbo.
"I'll do that."
"So," Teyo says, "what does the limo driver do, when he's not driving the boss around?"
`Hmm,' Jared thought on it, maybe this could be in his favor!
Only, a wrench had to be thrown into Jared's plans, to thwart his wishful thinking, when a sudden commotion takes place over by the grill.
Just goes to prove, talking with your mouth full is not only uncouth, according to politeness, but not good for one's health. Talking, eating and breathing not always provide the ideal condition for one's health, as Kelly proves it, eating a sausage on a bun and speaking to John.
"Kelly?"
With something wrong with his brother, Jared doesn't hesitate. That HG training pays off sometimes, when not even connected to its intended purpose. With leaps and bounds, he hops over Billy and Carlos, sprawled out on a beach towel. A lounge chair becomes no competition.
In a rush, Jared continues to freak out, "just don't stand there," he confronts everyone, "do something!"
Earning another `stripe', Teyo rushes over to where Kelly has dropped his plate and food, stands behind him and does the Heimlich Maneuver. In seconds Kelly is heaving his guts out. A piece of sausage comes shooting out of his mouth, rolling into the pool. Right now, pollution is not the concern.
"Are you alright?" Teyo says to Kelly, sticking a finger in his mouth to make sure nothing else is lodged in there.
Seeming a little light headed and slow to respond, Teyo applies CPR, with saying, "not which I think there's a real problem," he quickly explains himself.
Surely there wasn't, but so dire the circumstance, Jared was on his cell, not asking, telling Mike Ewing to `get his buns over here!'
Fortunately, as with Teyo, Mike Ewing could keep a cool head, in times of anxious moments. When duty calls, he cautiously attends to others' needs, like zipping up the road, cutting right in front of Officer Adamson, but making sure the intersection was clear. Only difference, Mike didn't have a car, relying on his running skills to carry him from the boy's dorm to Kelly's back yard.
Working around the estate, whether inside or out, the required clothing were a choice of colors of khaki pants and a white shirt. Shirts were not of executive standard, roomy and not taut to the abs, material more to that of a relaxed vacation scene. About the pants, it soon caught on how it was more of a comfort to wear a kilt and even though he didn't plan it, the `kilt' became the standard for Jared's workforce. He had wondered why it never caught on in his fathers' day. Times change.
So, when Mike Ewing shows up, with only a kilt, socks, sneakers and a medical bag in hand, no one pays him much mind at what he's wearing.
Okay, so one, Teyo, he's the only person there who is a stranger to seeing a shirtless dude and hairy legs!
It wasn't as dire as Jared had thought. Kelly was in no danger of expiring. In no time, after taking his vitals, Mike had him on his feet.
"I'd suggest you take it easy for the rest of the day, Kelly?" Mike puts his stethoscope back in his bag.
"Truthfully," Kelly relates, "I feel like I went to hell and back!"
That was enough diagnosis for Jared, telling Kelly, "sit."
Concern enough for John, "Don't even say something like that," he pouts.
He hadn't noticed before, Jared picking up on it now, John sitting on the chair next to his brother, holding his hand and lamenting. Had he been this dense all along not to notice the developing relationship, or had things brought them closer together out of tragedy striking?
Acting positively, Mike says, "let's all be thankful this situation hadn't made a turn for the worst?"
Probably because duty called, Mike hadn't a thought on a pair of eyes stalking him. If he did, he'd had found Teyo paying more attention to the doctor, than the patient!
A remote thought, Teyo did wonder, about the kilt, did guys wear something underneath, or go `without'?
"So, I hear you're quite the hero?" Mike pops the question.
After packing his bag, Mike, whom had been employed as medical officer, slash, helper in the farmyard, slash, Highland Games trainee, helped himself to whatever was available, being comfortable with his surroundings, relaxed with protocol.
Funny thing, after saying something, a person gets to thinking about it, Mike, after noticing a pair of eyes on him, "have you eaten yet?"
In deep thought, Teyo is shaken, like this wasn't about the `kilt', but his own integrity, "hero.... oh right. Uh, no. I mean," he coins Jared's phrase, "it's nothing which I wouldn't have done for anyone else!"
Indeed, Teyo had been checking him out, "no, what I said, is have you had any food?"
"Um," Teyo wakes up out of his dream world, "I haven't, matter of fact." Keeping his cool, he grabs a plate, though still stuck in the deep recesses of his mind, he wonders about `under the kilt!'
Approaching the grill, Mike says to Tom, "you're new around here, if I'm not mistaken?"
Tom was taken aback as well, "been here for a few hours," he formerly introduces himself, "Thomas Cahoon, but call me Tom."
Right off, Teyo felt Mike slipping through his fingers, even though things hadn't gotten off the ground. He was hoping for further conversation.
"Doctor Mike Ewing, but it you don't call me `Mike', you're not my friend!"
Kelly, who remains on his lounge chair, like it's his death bed', John making sure of it, pipes up, "and don't dare call him doc'!"
A good in for Teyo, "I'm sure there's a story there," he dares say, "doc!" then laughs his ass off.
Even though he had all the medical degrees, Mike wasn't one to place them in picture frames and hang them on a clinic wall. It's one of the reasons the 34-year old medical professional settled on `smalltown USA', rather than a sprawling metropolis.
"I'm gonna do you a favor and let that one slide, this one time," Mike says.
"Thanks," this time Teyo minds his manners, "Mike!"
Even though the sausage was good and Tom a good chef, Mike seemed to gravitate more towards Teyo, accepting the invitation to sit at his table.
"You keep yourself in good shape, Mike," Teyo opens the conversation.
Mike was happy Teyo chose to stick to the `doc' rule, "kind of goes with the territory."
"Oh?" Teyo replies, "how does that go?" "I take it Jared hasn't tapped your resources, for the Highland Games?"
"I don't recall him mentioning it?"
Conniving, Mike starts to work at a plan, to get Teyo out of his shirt, "you know what it is, right?"
"I take it, it doesn't have much to do with the `Legend of Zelda'?"
"What's that?" Mike returns.
He wasn't that type of a game follower, Teyo having heard Carlos mention it, "beats me. To tell you the truth," he pauses to smile, "I don't into that kind of entertainment. Computer games, you know?"
"Oh, it's one of those," Mike says, "but of the Highland Games, or as others like to call it, `HG', it's all about physical strength and mental fitness. You have to have both in order to defeat your adversary."
Teyo flexes both arms, which pulls the `V' neck of his shirt across his pecs, "well, I might excel at one, more than the other!"
It's then Mike felt it was time to pull his trump card, "how about a race across the pool?"
"We just ate," Teyo recalls protocol, after stuffing a face.
Mike smiles, "we've been talking for forty-five minutes, should be enough time to let things settle, but if you're not up for it?"
Teyo had a feeling he was being conned, but for whatever reason, he liked Mike's angle, "of course not."
Getting up out of his chair, Teyo unbuttons the last 3 buttons of his shirt, parting it to reveal the remainder of the rug on his chest.
"Well, you certainly seem fit!"
It didn't stop Mike's thought, standing, working the kilt from his hips.
`Oh well,' Teyo thought, when underneath...Mike was wearing briefs!
It stunned him briefly, Teyo realizing, if he didn't get in the water, he would remain a spectacle at poolside, to be admired at, getting undressed.
Unbuttoning a shirt, even though a few fasteners, unbuckling a belt, unzipping, stripping off pants, it wasn't an easy task.
Then, chaos hits!
In an effort to expedite removal of his clothing, he stood there with his pants at his ankles.
Paddling over to the side, Mike spits a stream of water, saying, "having some trouble there, Teyo?"
He imagined himself turning beet red, looking down upon both Mike and his legs, "uh, no. Just forgot the cardinal rule of pants removal. Shoes first?"
To accomplish the task, Teyo sat, pulling pants up over his thighs.
Mike didn't mind waiting, hanging onto the edge of the pool for ballast, lightly paddling legs, "I just wanted to let you know something?"
Carrying on with boot laces, having preferred them over sneakers when traveling, Teyo didn't look up, "yeah?"
"Not sure if you picked up on it, but I'm more into...guys, than the ladies?"
While hands froze to the second set of laces, Teyo looks up and with his meanest look, "you're joking?"
Now Mike had the red face. Dammit,' he thought, and we were getting along so well!'
The mystery, Mike thought he would get a reaction out of Teyo, but he went right along with shucking his boots.
It's only when Teyo, towering above him, Mike realizes the skimpy briefs. If he had gotten a definitive answer, `gay, too,' he might have joked about the tube, lying sideways, inside Teyo's loin covering.
Playfully, Teyo stood there looking like a muscle-man about to work out, pulling at each elbow, then working arms around in full circles, "I guess I'm as loosened up as I'll ever get."
Allowing Mike off the hook, Teyo finally acknowledges, "I like a lot of foreplay. How `bout yourself?"
At that point, Teyo takes his dive off the edge.
Catching up, Mike says, "I hope you didn't eat too much sausage!"
He wanted to keep Mike in suspense a while longer, but Carlos and Billy jump in the water.
His brother was quick to bob his head up out of the water, teasing, "making friends already, Tey?"
Apparently, they had this all planned out, Billy butting his rounded belly up against Teyo and playing `kissy-kissy', "moi-moi-moi-moi-moi," with him.
Teyo repels Billy, "get away, Shamu!"
Shooing Billy away, same time Teyo had lunged towards him, both going under, into the deep. In an attempt to flee, Billy had rotated his bod around. Coming up from behind, Teyo grabs the cub around the upper bod.
Like they were watching wrestling on Tv, everyone gazes through the wavy surface.
Calling it like it is, Carlos says, in Spanish something to the effect, his brother save the `dick poking' for later on. Why though, when Teyo was underwater and couldn't hear?
Mike understood Spanish, which gave him ammunition, "I can't believe your brother would think such naughty thoughts?"
"Remember," Carlos places a hand over Mike's shoulder, "I've known him longer!"
Short-lived was the pranking, Carlos and Billy making a go of their frolicking, leaping up out of the water.
First it was Teyo. Because of the buoyancy water can lend, coupled with his 6'3 height, those strong, long legs at as a jackknife, lifting Billy clear out of the water and then sitting, take them both under the water. Standing there, shooting the bull, Mike says, "powerful legs, your brother has there?"
"He works out, you know?"
Like he didn't gather, from Teyo showing off, Mike says, "oh really?"
"Religiously. Every day."
Too bad the two quit their horseplay so soon, or possibly is could have been a forced reaction, Billy coming up when he tried zipping through Teyo's legs, his head bopping Carlos' bro right in between the legs?!
Something Mike saw, of Teyo's personality, ever though he made a big deal of it, apparently he had `balls of steel', "maybe I should give you a thorough examination?"
"Yeah and right away. If something is damaged..."
Mike was detecting ulterior motives, but how different were his thoughts, "from a medical standpoint, I think that's a wise choice."
Teyo's smile spoke for him.
"So, exactly what were your plans for later on?"
Certainly, it wasn't as his brother and Billy had supposed, "you tell me. I'm the newcomer here. What goes on in the evenings around here?"
"Depends on what you're up for?" Mike left Teyo in limbo.
Tired from a long day of traveling, swimming, trying to get used to a new environment, romp in the pool with Billy, it left Teyo fatigued, it should have been enough to wear him down, but instead felt energized, "I'm up for whatever you're up for?"
Relaxing in the pool, Mike says, "well let's see, for the past week, it's been treating the occasional cut, sprained limb, someone dropping a rock on someone else's toe, breakfast, lunch, dinner and then evening activity, which has been either reading or taking long, long, lonely walks...kind of mundane, I'd say."
Tired he was. Stupid? Not, which had him closing in on Mike, "yeah, I can see how that could become a little boring."
"I was thinking of maybe changing up that routine tonight?"
Whether anyone pay attention now, it was unlikely.
Carlos and Billy had wandered off, through the back gate.
Kelly and John sat there for awhile until John nudges, "hey, you're falling asleep on me."
Popping his eyes open, Kelly says, "was I?"
With stomachs appeased, Chad and Tom had turned off the grills and taken to clean up. Not alone, it took much effort to clearing away serving utensils, paper garbage, packing extra tables and chairs away. Along with himself, Chad saw Tom a natural at instructing the `landscaping crew-turned-kitchen helpers' on what had to be done. Just as he would have, Tom kept a stern tone, but injected laughter and when all was said and done, the outcome was the same, the crew hanging around, asking what else needed to be done, waiting to be excused.
"Impressive," Chad called it.
"What might that be?"
"Your `authoritarian-ship'?"
Using a paper towel to finish wiping down one of the grills, closing the lid, Tom says, "don't forget, I worked with those guys. If Jared okays your plans for me, maybe I won't be stuck pulling weeds for the rest of my life," he chuckles.
Little did Tom know, "that is about to change. I had a little powwow with Jared and if you're up for the challenge, you can work the kitchen over at his place?"
Tom had already known, Chad was Jared's chef, having given him up so Kelly could have the best of the best, where food service was concerned.
Sending a message, Tom says, "oh, I thought I'd be working under you?"
Leaving it open for a field goal, Chad says, "it's not that I haven't thought about it!"
For many, life had gone along on it's own path and whereas some at the Magonagle estate had made lifelong friendships, others had to wait their turn.
Teyo felt he no longer had to worry about Carlos, seeing he and Billy had struck up a friendship, looking like more than friends. Quite a few hours ago, he thought maybe there was something in it for him and Jared, besides the `taxi ride.' Nevertheless, he was happy with making Mike's acquaintance.
Kelly and John, they were two pieces of a puzzle, set into place, just waiting for things around them to mold into the life in which they had no clue as to how it would turn out.
Of the helpers, Tom says, "nice guys. I didn't come across a one of them who had a problem pitching in and cleaning up?"
"That's the way it is around here," Chad says, grabbing two beers out of the fridge, taking to sitting in a lounge chair.
Tom takes the chair next to him and the other cold one, "nice feeling to have."
"That was one of my concerns, finding employment here under Jared. The knowledge of cooking was there, but when it comes to whether a person enjoys a certain cuisine, well I was fortunate Jared is not a real connoisseur when it comes serving up food. One of the things you don't need to worry about," Chad lay a hand of confidence on Tom's arm, "is trying too hard to please Jared's tastebuds."
Whether it was meant to be a play or not, Tom liked the warm hand on his forearm. About whether he fit in with Jared's household, or pleased him with his cooking, for certain he had warmed Chad's heart. He didn't know how to do it, just went with it, how his arm turned about, so it was holding Chad's hand, but uses it as a levy to pull him towards the other chair.
"Oh!" Chad responds to Tom's kiss on the cheek.
Sitting his butt back down in his lounger, Tom says, "I hope I didn't act prematurely."
Chad wanted to do the same, only probably Tom's opportunity to do so had come first. "Not at all," he sets his bottle down on the ground, using the chair arm to boost himself up, launching towards Tom.
The lounge chairs were of good quality, enough to handle one man, pancaked on top of the other.
They had spent much of the late afternoon into evening, talking about each other, where they had been in life, where they hoped life would take them. Now they were lighting the fire, seeing where that path would lead.
As for Teyo and Mike, when it looked like the party was over, they had too wandered through the back gate. Mike helped carry Teyo's luggage, the backpack over one shoulder.
Teyo at this point didn't have any doubts of where he was going to lay his head tonight.
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Copyright 2018 T. Chase McPhee
`GLaDiaToR EV'ry DaY' and developing segments of this story, may not be sold, nor made part of any collection, without prior consent from the author.