Berto's Roses
By Ben
Part XXIII
I needed to change the subject because both Berto and I were uncomfortable. "Berto, can we call Carlos and have him look at the plans today?"
"It would be better to take the plans to him, Senor Ben. He could tell you the cost and how much wood he will need to do the job. He can also show you where to get the best wood."
"Okay. Would you please go with me? I'll let Bob know."
I found Bob lying on a deck chair on the patio. He had a wet cloth over his eyes. I told him about taking the plans to Carlos and he told me he trusted my judgement in the matter. If I felt that everything was reasonable then go ahead and hire Carlos. He also suggested that I take the truck and pick up whatever lumber Carlos might need to get started.
Manuella came out carrying a tall glass of thick green-brown liquid. "Here, Senor Roberto, drink this. It will make you feel better." Her face was full of concern. Bob drank and his face twisted in disgust.
"Ugh! God, Manuella, that tastes worse every time you make me drink it." Manuella clucked softly and rubbed Bob's head. "There, there, nino. You will be up and running in no time." She took the glass after she made sure he had swallowed the entire contents and waddled her way into the house. I followed.
"What is that?" I asked. Manuella turned to me with a smile. "It is a mixture of the worse tasting things I could find. Smell it."
I took the glass and sniffed. It was horrible. I had smelled some absolutely foul concoctions in the Navy during my "Blue Nose" and Chief Petty Officer's initiations, but they didn't come close to this.
"Whew! You are a cruel woman, Manuella." I laughed. "Will it really help him feel better?"
Manuella laughed too. "Only if he is constipated, Senor Ben. He will be in el sanitario all afternoon!"
My mouth dropped open in surprise. "Remind me not to get you upset with me!" We both laughed until we had tears rolling down our cheeks. I hugged her and said, "Manuella, I love you."
"I know, Senor Ben. I love you, too. What will you be doing today?"
" Berto and I are going to see Carlos with the plans I drew. I hope to get him started in the next few days. " "Carlos is a hard worker. You will be pleased with him. His mama is my hermana. B-E-R-R-R-T- O-O-O!" I was learning when to cover my ears. As soon as her head rolled back. I was prevented form permanent hearing loss-this time.
Berto hurried in and Manuella began fussing about "keeping Senor Ben waiting" and "his important job to do". We made our way to the truck to the sound of her rattling on in Spanish. Against my sense of self-preservation, I handed Berto the truck keys. I really think he tried to scare me. He was as ornery as his mother.
Carlos was very excited with the plans and, after a few questions, quoted me a price. I sounded much more than reasonable. I inquired about a source of good lumber and was told that I would probably have to go somewhere like San Augustin to get what I needed. I decided a call to Ricky was in order.
Using my cell phone, I called Ricky and explained what I needed and how much. He told me that the lumber would be there the following morning. I couldn't believe the clout that he had. Or, I guessed, his father had. Either way, the Chavez name carried a lot of weight.
I thanked Carlos and told him I would let him know when the lumber arrived so he could get started. When we got back to the house, Mack had finally made his way into the light of day. He looked like hell and probably felt worse. I asked Manuella is she was going to fix him up with one of her special "remedies".
"Oh, no, Senor Ben. I think he feels bad enough without my help" I did notice that she was particularly loud with her voice and that she bumped, thumped and slammed things a lot more than usual.
I asked Mack about the paperwork and he just pointed upstairs and mumbled something about taking his laptop and printing out the documents. I retrieved the small computer and hooked it up to my printer. I assumed that I would need legal paper in the printer. After all Mack was a lawyer!
After I had it all hooked up and running, I steered Mack into my room and waited for an eternity until he finally logged in and the printer came to life. While the million-page document printed out in triplicate, I made calls to my bank in Charleston, Bob's bank in San, Diego and set up a partnership account. It would be necessary for both Bob and myself, or either one of us and a senior partner in Mack's firm to make any sizable transactions.
I transferred the agreed upon funds to the account and we signed the papers. Mack witnessed the signatures and so did Manuella. Bob and I each got a copy. Mack got the file copy and he promptly closed up the laptop and stumbled up the stairs and back to bed. Bob hurriedly excused himself and ran up the stairs behind him.
It felt good to get all of that taken care of. I immediately felt some ownership in the house. I was looking at it with a new perspective. So much had happened and so quickly, that my head was spinning. On top of all the plans for the house, was the fact that Jake was coming, and Berto was leaving. I had so many mixed emotions that I didn't know whether to scratch my watch or wind my ass.
Berto noticed my restlessness and asked if we could talk about plans for the sprinkler system in the garden. I was all for it. The sooner I could quit lugging that huge watering can around, the happier I would be. I got my pad and measuring tape and we spent a solid two hours, measuring and planning and rethinking the best way to go about the project.
When Manella finally called us for the afternoon meal, we had a well-designed plan. It was functional, yet very simple. It was a project that Berto and I could easily accomplish together, before I took him to school. Of course, this would depend on the availability of piping and hardware. Berto assured me that we would have no problem.
Manuella informed me, with a sly smile, that neither Bob nor Mack would be joining us for lunch. I wasn't necessary for me to invite them to eat with me. Manuella had set the food on the table in the kitchen and I ate with her and Berto there. I knew that she was paying me her highest honor in doing this. She had accepted me as family.
We ate and talked and laughed. I wished every meal in this house could be this way. I really loved these people. I wondered, not for the first time, about Berto's father, but I would never ask and possibly embarrass them or bring up painful memories. If they wanted me to know, they would tell me.
Siesta time and, once again, I was unable to sleep. I called Ricky again, this time about a plumber. He asked me if I could email him my plans and he would get them to the best plumber he knew. I assured him I would do it that afternoon. I quietly made my way up to Bob's office and used his computer to send the plans. I really had to get an ISP of my own.
As I came out, I noticed that Mack was lying face down on the bed, snoring lightly. His hairy, naked body showed in sharp contrast to the white linen sheets. I saw the light shining under the bathroom door so I guessed Bob was in there again. I crept down the stairs to the second floor.
I heard Manuella snoring, sounding like a rutting boar. I couldn't resist checking on Berto. I found him, as before, curled up on the balcony in the sunshine. I remembered what he had told me about Mack and I got pissed all over again.
Berto told me it had happened when he was sixteen. I didn't know for sure how old Berto was, but it couldn't have happened a very long time ago. In a way, I could understand how Mack felt. I would have loved to touch this beautiful creature. To hold him and feel his youth and vitality, but what Mack had done was completely inappropriate.
I quietly walked down the stairs and down to the beach. This area was not heavily populated, and because of the time of day, the only sounds to be heard were the surf and the seagulls. It struck me that the gulls here were particularly large and a mottled brown, as opposed to the stark black and white of the smaller variety in Charleston.
So much was different here. I was different here. As slow paced as life was in the Southeastern United States, this was immeasurably more so. I walked and soaked up the sunshine and the sea breeze. I knew not to stay too long as I burn very easily. I have always wished I had an olive complexion that would tan. Instead, I would look like a lobster if I lingered for more than 15 minutes or so.
When I walked back to the house, I saw Bob sitting by the window, nursing a large bottled water and looking much improved. He told me he wanted to go out that evening and celebrate our new partnership.
"Are you sure you're up to that? You were looking pretty bad this morning." He nodded and when I voiced my concern about Mack's condition, he told me it was Mack's idea. Moreover, it would be Mack's treat. I wasn't too impressed with the last, as we had written Mack a big, fat check for his law firm for handling the partnership.
I told Bob, okay, but I didn't think it was a good idea for him to be drinking tonight with his medication. He promised to be on his best behavior. I asked where we were going. Bob gave me a shit- eating grin and told me not to worry about it, that I would have a great time. I told him I needed to know what to wear and he simply said, "Wear something sexy."
As I showered in preparation for the night's activities, I wondered what Bob was up to. I chose to wear a my new black 501's and a royal blue satin shirt. On a whim, I had put on my wide chrome cockring before I buttoned up my jeans. It made for a nice bulge in the front. I pulled on my boots, grabbed my leather blazer and climbed the stairs to see if Bob and Mack were ready to go.
Bob had also chosen to wear black jeans, but with a red shirt with long loose sleeves. Mack had gone all out. He was wearing an ivory linen suit with a bright lime colored shirt. The shirt was unbuttoned to midway down his chest, revealing his gray and black carpet of chest hair. As we were heading for the stairs, he grabbed an ivory fedora with a wide black band. Sticking out of the band was a long red plume.
We got into the Jag with the miniature pimp at the wheel. I still didn't know where we were going, so I sat in the back seat and took in the sights. Mack headed for the Pacific coast and then turned south. He turned onto a road that led up to huge pink building on top of what appeared to be a cliff overlooking the ocean. The grounds were carefully landscaped and the building was awash in multihued spotlights from the ground.
A valet took Mack's keys and drove off. A hot, young doorman in a tight, white uniform greeted us. "Buenos Noches, muchachos. Welcome." Mack tipped him a $20 dollar bill and I gasped. Twenty bucks for holding a door?
We walked into to an immense room. The carpet was a bright design of warm colors-red, orange, yellow, and gold. In the center was a raised dance floor. Many couples (all male) were dancing to quick salsa music. Around the perimeter were tables for diners. We were led to a table on the far side of the dance floor. The host said, "Is this table adequate, Senor McDowell, or would you prefer the balcony?"
"This is great, Tio. We want to see everything, and the balcony isn't convenient for that. "Mack tucked another twenty in Tio's front pants pocket. I noticed his hand went all the way inside. I wrinkled my forehead at the comment and looked up. There was a balcony all the way around the room with a beautiful carved white railing. I also noticed that the ceiling was painted flat black and there were a multitude of theater style lights and an enormous disco ball. I guessed that this was some sort of gay dinner theater.
Mack snapped his fingers and a very muscular waiter appeared. He was shirtless with a "Chippendales" collar. Unlike the dancer's uniform, however, he was not wearing black spandex pants. Instead, he was wearing a black thong and appeared to be completely denuded of body hair.
"Ah, hello Miguel." Said Mack as he put his hand on one of the bare ass cheeks. "Please bring my friends and I something to drink. I ordered bottled water, Bob wanted a Corona, and Mack wanted Tequila. I watched as Miguel turned and Mack planted a big wet kiss where his hand had just been. The waiter left to get our order.
As I looked around it became evident that each similarly-clad waiter serviced only two tables of patrons. Each one was hunkier than the last one. There were hot latin men EVERYWHERE! There were many Americans and Europeans (judging by the languages they spoke) as well.
When Miguel returned he leaned over me to give me a large bottle of water and a tall glass. I could feel the bulge in his thong pressed into my shoulder. He leaned over Bob and poured the beer into a frosted glass for him. He then placed a small bowl of limes, another with salt, a shot glass and a large bottle of Tequila in front of Mack.
"Are you ready to order, Senor?" asked Miguel, looking at Mack. Clearly, he knew who would be tipping him. Mack ordered "Mountain Oysters" because he was "in the mood to eat some balls tonight". Bob recommended the prime rib so I followed his order with an identical one. "Gracias, Miguel." Mack said as he tucked a large bill into pouch of the thong, from the side instead of the top. "And could you please send Paco to me."
Miguel smiled a knowing smile. "Si, Senor McDowell. Right away."
I sipped my water and soon a dwarf appeared at the table He carried a shoe shine box and greeted Mack. "Hola, Senor McDowell. The usual?" "Yes, Paco. And please take care of my friends as well." Paco bent over and disappeared under the long tablecloth.
Bob turned to me and said, "I should tell you that this is a game. The first one to smile has to pay for the shine." I wasn't sure I understood but didn't say anything. Paco was moving around under the table. I could hear the shoe brush working in the area of Bob's feet then it stopped.
Mack was looking intently at Bob's face. For his part, Bob was obviously trying to freeze his expression. His face became red and he let out a long deep breath. What the hell was going on? I was soon to find out. I could feel Paco at my feet now. He applied polish to my boots and then buffed them with the brush and then (I assumed) a cloth. I thought he was moving onto Mack. "W hat a stupid game. What's so funny about a shoe shine?"
I could tell Bob and Mack were holding back laughter as the looked at each other. Then I felt hands at the buttons of my jeans. I jumped in my seat. Bob couldn't control it any longer. He laid his head on the table and guffawed. Mack was cool as a cumber. Paco unbuttoned my fly, then reached in and pulled out my cock.
"Holy shit!" I thought. I was much too shocked to say anything, or to stop him, OR to smile. Suddenly my entire cock was surrounded by a hot, wet milking machine. Never had I felt anything like it. One minute I was soft, the next completely hard, then next I was cumming in the little man's mouth. I couldn't believe how fast I came. Paco moved on, leaving my wet cock sticking out of my jeans. Bob sat up, tears in his eyes from laughing. "I lost, but man it was worth it to see the look on your face." I could tell that Mack was now the recipient of Paco's ministrations. He, too, blew very quickly and broke out with beads of sweat on his wide forehead.
Paco appeared from under the tablecloth and approached Bob with his hand out. Bob handed him a five-dollar bill. I couldn't believe it. Twenty dollars for holding the damn door and only five for three blowjobs? Paco smiled and said, "Gracias, Senior!" He wandered away and was soon crawling under another table nearby.
Miguel brought our food and another bottle of water for me. He pressed his crotch against each one of us at every opportunity. Mack thanked him again and placed a hand on either of Miguel's hips. He turned him toward his face and licked up the entire front of Miguel's thong, up his hard belly and ended up with his tongue in Miguel's navel.
Miguel held Mack's head and asked, "Can I get you anything else? No? Then I shall return after the show." Mack grabbed two handfuls of ass cheeks and planted one last kiss to the front of the thong before Miguel made his exit.
We began eating our dinner and soon the lights were dimmed, leaving only the candles on the table lit. Surprisingly this was adequate for us to finish our meal. All of the other diners had been served at the same time and their waiters had also left the floor.
As I watched a mist filled the room and very loud Latin music began to play. Spot lights and laser lights flashed over the now deserted dance floor. The disco ball was lowered threw off reflections all over the large room. Then total darkness on the "stage", and the music stopped.
A single red spotlight shone at the far end of the dance floor. I recognized on of the other waiters bathed in the red light. The music slowly resumed and he began to dance, his beautiful muscular body rippling. He moved across the floor and stopped. Next to him, a blue spotlight went on, illuminating another waiter/dancer.
The two perfect men then danced to another corner with the red and blue lights on them, where they stopped and a yellow spotlight came on. Miguel stood in its glow and then the yellow light followed him as he danced across to the opposite corner of the floor. There, a purple spotlight shone on a fourth man.
The two couples danced, and moved and twisted and touched erotically in the colored lights. They were soon joined by many others; all waiters and the dance became even more sensuous. Bodies were writhing and brushing against one another. Cocks became hard and tented the thongs. The music and lights enhanced the effect of these gorgeous men. I was trying to stuff my cock, inconspicuously, back into my jeans, but it grew hard again as I watched the show.
They dance ended and the floor went black again. Suddenly, blazing white lights shined down at even intervals around the outside of the dance floor. Directly in front of our table and in each spotlight around the floor, a perfectly muscled young man stood perfectly still, like a statue.
As I looked closer, I could se that the one nearest to us was painted silver from head to toe. He was completely hairless, including his head, on which was a chrome mask, which caught and reflected the bright light. Each "statue" also wore a large chrome scallop shell over his genitals. Otherwise, their silvered bodies were nude.
Then I saw other similarly attired men dropping from the ceiling. They dove straight toward the floor, and just before they crashed, they were drawn up again by what had to be bungee cords. There began an aerial act like none I had ever seen. Graceful yet forceful jumps, twists and spins. Some men performed alone while others worked in groups of two, three or four.
This went on for quite awhile as the "statues" remained immobile. Try as I might, I was not able to determine how they all managed to stand there so still. Another thing that I wondered is how they kept the shells and masks in place. There were no straps on either.
When the act came to a close, and the stage, once again, went black, the room exploded with applause. I stood, as did the other patrons, clapping and cheering. I forgot, as had many others whom Paco had visited, that my cock was still sticking out of my pants. Bob and Mack pointed and laughed. I quickly put everything back in its place.
The lights came up and the dance floor was vacant. I looked across the table. The bottle of tequila was empty and the limes were gone as well. I looked at my watch and was amazed to realize we had been there for four and a half hours.
I was exhausted and was ready to go. Miguel returned and asked if there was something he could bring us. Mack was trying to ask for a second bottle of tequila and I told Miguel that we would take it to go. The little lawyer didn't hear that part, so when Miguel brought the bottle, Mack handed him several one hundred dollar bills.
Miguel was thanking him when Mack slipped his hand inside the thong and popped Miguel's cock out and immediately slurped it into his mouth. This was going a bit (okay, a LOT) too far. Miguel placed his hands on Mack's shoulders and took a step backwards. Relentlessly Mack's mouth followed the movement and the small drunken man fell forward out of his chair.
As he went down to the floor, Miguel's cock came out of his mouth with a loud pop. Miguel hurriedly tucked it into his thong and proceeded to help Mack to his feet. Mack looked around and grabbed the empty bottle from the table. "C'mon, lesh git outta here." He slurred. I handed Miguel the full bottle and said. "Gracias, Miguel. This is for you. I apologize for his rude behavior."
Miguel smiled and shook his head. "It was nothing, Senor." The host came and half carried Mack to the door. The valet held out the key and I took it from him. I reached into Mack's pocket and pulled out a fifty. The valet got a good tip that night, too.
The doorman and the valet poured Mack into the back seat and we were off. Bob had to give me directions to get home. My first inclination was to leave Mack in the car. It was late and I was tired. Bob was no help in getting Mack up the stairs. I was struggling with him and then, out of nowhere, Berto was beside me.
Despite his strong dislike for the lawyer, he helped me get his drunk body into Bob's bed. I hung Mack's head over the side of the bed, just incase he puked. I told Bob good night and thanked Berto. I noticed on my way down the stairs, that Berto was washing himself in the sink. I know just how you feel, my friend.
Hope you all had a great Christmas. Best wishes for a great New Year. Thanks for continuing to read and for your great messages to me. Let me hear more from you. ben_sc@hotmail.com. If you haven't read any of my other stories, check them out under the "Authors" link. Look for "Lyle Benton".