Cheddar's, Chapter 28
As the days grew shorter and cooler, Adam was reminded that it had been nearly a year since his life had taken a dramatic shift in direction. It especially hit home when Parker pulled off a surprise party on the weekend of his 19th birthday.
It was an overnight affair with pizza and lots of games to play. The guest list was small. Besides the other guys who lived in the house, Parker included Jim and Paul from Adam's high school swim team, and Jason Elliot their favorite waiter from Cheddar's. With only eight total, there was room for everyone to sleep in a real bed instead of in sleeping bags on the living room floor.
Before firming up the list, Parker checked with Toby to make sure he'd be okay with sharing his room with a virtual stranger. Toby was fine with the arrangement because he'd met Jason on several occasions, and found him to be a nice guy.
Since three of the party guests worked for the restaurant, they had traded time-slots with other employees to get subs to take their places before asking for the time off. Mr. Gordon, the manager, was happy that they were responsible, and granted their requests without any hassle.
Adam truly was surprised. He didn't suspect anything because Rob and Darrin had left the house at the usual time to get to their jobs, but had gone to pick up Jason instead. Parker had taken Adam into their bedroom to try on a new shirt he'd given him for his birthday so he could wear it to Cheddar's when they went for dinner. That kept him occupied while the others slipped into the house.
As the two of them walked down the stairs, all their guests emerged from the kitchen yelling, "surprise!"
Adam's tears flowed freely as he reflected on the contrast between this birthday and the one a year before. He had been thrown out with very little to his name, fearing that he'd be on the street. Now he was surrounded by "family" in a warm, comfortable home with the guy he loved beside him as well as his brother. He was overwhelmed by the sense of love. Wow!
Having eaten their fill of pizza, the guys were deep into a Monopoly game marathon at the dining room table when the doorbell rang. Parker called a time-out as he went to see who was calling at 10:00 p.m.
"Officer Valentine, are you here to wish Adam a happy birthday? I don't think I've met your lovely partner."
"Oh, this is Shannon Prendergast.
"Uh, I'm afraid this isn't a social call; we had a report from a neighbor of an unruly party going on, with booze and loud music."
"And, I'm afraid we don't have either, but I could warm up a couple of slices of pizza," Parker grinned. Really, would you like some? It's from Pagliai's."
"I'm sorry we bothered you over a false report," Valentine said.
"I'm sure dear Mrs. Cooper must have called," Adam shook his head. "She's intent on making our lives as miserable as possible. I'm certain she'd like to drive us from the neighborhood."
"I can neither confirm nor deny your supposition, but if you're having problems with a particular neighbor, you could file a grievance. I'm not sure how much it would help. Proving harassment is sometimes difficult unless you have a lot of solid evidence.
"Anyway, Happy Birthday, Adam. We'll be going now; have fun."
The officers had barely left the porch before they were accosted by the lady in question.
"Why haven't you arrested anyone? I pay plenty of taxes and I want some action."
"I'm sure Mr. Baxter pays a similar amount, if not more, in taxes."
"Mister, my butt! He's a punk kid. I won't be satisfied until someone gets arrested."
"Are you sure? I think it would be in your best interest to let this go."
"NO! I demand an arrest! I want it on record!"
"Okay, if you insist. Madalyn Cooper, you are under arrest for making a false report, and tying up officers' time when we could be patrolling the Pedestrian Mall to keep it peaceful on a Saturday night. You have the right to remain silent..."
"This is an outrage!" Madalyn screamed as she slapped Valentine across the face in her anger.
She didn't get a second chance to strike him because Office Prendergast had her securely cuffed before she knew what was happening.
"Now we can add interfering with official acts, and assaulting a policeman to the charges," Ms. Prendergast informed her.
"Darwin, go tell your father to come to the station to bail me out!" she shouted to her son as she was put into the squad car. "I'm going to sue! I'll get even with those fags!"
Parker had another surprise for the birthday boy after they got to their bedroom. After their shared shower, which nearly led to an orgasm, they fell into their bed in their birthday suits and made out for a while. Then Parker handed Adam a package the size of a shoebox covered in the Sunday comics as wrapping paper.
Upon opening it, Adam discovered a box of condoms, a fancy lube applicator, and a battery-powered dildo that was nearly the size of Parker's dick.
"I'm not planning to take your cherry, but I want to see if I can please you with this new toy."
"I'm up for whatever you have in mind," Adam nearly purred.
Parker used his fingers to open Adam up a little before injecting a squirt of lube deep inside his chute. The process stimulated Adam's prostate, making him even stiffer than he'd been a couple of minutes before.
After further stimulating with his fingers, Parker rolled a condom over the vibrator. He switched it on and steadily, but gently, inserted it. Adam moaned with pleasure.
"That's awesome, but I think I'd rather have the real thing," he panted.
"Are sure? I hadn't planned on it."
"Yes, please!"
Parker reached for another condom, but Adam stopped him.
"Unless you think it's gross, I'd like to feel your skin against mine. I know we're both safe."
Parker reluctantly interrupted their lovemaking to find a big towel to put under them to save the sheets.
When he returned, they kissed deeply for a few minutes, and then Parker greased up his throbbing shaft and lined it up with Adam's canal. Very gently, he broke through the muscle ring, coaching Adam to push against the intruder.
Having already been relaxed by the vibrator, Adam felt little discomfort. Tears of joy filled his eyes at the realization that Parker and he were finally one.
"Am I hurting you?" Parker responded to the tears.
"No! I'm so happy to be sharing our bodies at last. This is awesome! Feed it in all the way."
Parker continued until his trimmed bush came to rest against Adam's perineum.
"The feeling's incredible for me too. You'll have to try being on top next," Parker insisted.
Even thrusting as slowly as he could bear to do, Parker couldn't hold out for long. With a final plunge, and a few naughty expletives, he unloaded like there was no tomorrow! Cum oozed out of Adam's chute and onto the towel.
After more making out, Adam put a new condom over the dildo and preceded to give his lover the same treatment. Parker seemed to enjoy it as much as he had. When he felt that Parker was ready, he inserted the real thing.
Adam was really on fire when his cock eventually hit bottom. Like Parker, he didn't have the self-discipline to last very long. He had been on the verge of coming when Parker had. Another half a minute and he would have cum with him.
After several minutes of kissing in the afterglow, they got up to clean off in the shower. No need to get the sheet too messy.
The other pairs of boyfriends had their own fun. Jim and Paul had asked ahead of time for permission to move the twin beds together so they could cuddle without falling on the floor. They were used to sleeping that way in their dorm room.
Rob and Darrin had a queen-sized bed in their room, so they could do whatever they were used to doing.
In the fourth bedroom, Toby and Jason were getting acquainted. Toby thought that Jason was adorable. He was about Toby's size, but his coloration was like pepper in contrast to Toby's salt. While Toby looked Norse, with blue eyes and blond hair, Jason's eyes and hair were both dark brown and his heritage seemed more southern Mediterranean. The length of his hair was just right to go curly with little provocation. Toby could imagine a cord tied around it like an athlete or hero from ancient Greece. No doubt he received generous tips because of his looks as well as his attentive service.
As they changed into sleep-shorts, they didn't hide their assets, nor did they overtly show off. But each assessed the other with a quick glance.
Toby felt flushed, and wondered if he was glowing red in the low light of the lamp on a table between the twin beds. He was acutely aware of his attraction to Jason, and he speculated that Jason had similar feelings toward him.
After they'd climbed into their respective beds, they continued to talk.
"Um, are you dating anyone?" Jason asked tentatively, holding his breath until Toby answered.
"Nope, I'm single; how about you?"
"Me neither. Um, would you like to see a movie with me this week? The Accountant is playing in Coralville. I know it's been out awhile, and maybe you've seen it."
"No, I haven't. I was going to, but I kinda hate going alone."
"Cool! I'll get the tickets. We can get pretty close on the Cambus."
"I might be able to borrow a car," Toby said hopefully.
Their conversation was interrupted by the motion-activated floodlights at the front of the house. They got up in time to see some movement, but didn't think too much about it. Sometimes a stray cat set them off.
In the ambient light of the room, Toby could see the bulge in Jason's shorts. No doubt Jason could see his. He hoped that he was the cause of it. He longed to try kissing this boy to see if it stirred him further. However, they were just getting acquainted, and it would be inappropriate.
At breakfast, Parker and Adam looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. Every time their eyes met, it was like they shared a secret. Being close genetically to his brother, Rob suspected that the pair had "done the deed" as part of Adam's birthday celebration. He figured he'd better not say anything, lest he become a target for teasing in the future.
Parker went out to get the Gazette. Yes, they took the paper despite getting most of their news off the `net. They liked working the puzzles and reading the comics.
Several egg shells lay on the front steps and lawn. As he looked upward, he saw the mess all over the front of the house.
"I hope our cameras were rolling last night! We've been egged!" he exclaimed, coming back into the house.
"I'd better call the police; that IS considered vandalism. I hope the insurance will cover the cleanup," Adam said.
"Look at that!" Madalyn Cooper exclaimed to her son. "The police are back at the Baxter house. I'll bet they're going to do something to those boys. I certainly insisted on it before your father and I got out of there last night.
"I'm planning to file suit against the cops for excessive force when they cuffed me. I know that's how I broke my fingernail, and right after having my manicure to boot.
"Come to the window, Darwin, and check it out."
"Um, I've got to go study with Kevin today. I forgot to tell you. I'll be home later," he scurried toward the garage to get his bike.
"So, do you have any idea who might have done this?" Office Valentine asked.
"Better than that, we have a video. Come in and review it. The quality is great."
One of the early frames of the egging incident showed a startled Darwin looking straight toward the camera which was situated between two flood-lights. There was no doubt as to the identity of the perpetrator.
"Do you have any footage from earlier in the evening?"
"Are you talking about when Ms. Cooper attacked you on the lawn?"
"Yeah, my body-cam malfunctioned and it's like my word against hers."
"Come feast your eyes on this, my good man!" Adam exclaimed.
Officer Valentine bumped fists with him as he looked at the evidence.
Madalyn opened the front door before Valentine reached the button.
"It's good to see you over there again. I hope you got them straightened out. I'd like nothing better than to see that place sold to a nice family. If you could help that happen, I would drop the charge of unnecessary force from last night's altercation."
"Are you attempting to make a deal with me to keep from being charged with assault?"
"Certainly not! I'm just saying... You know you can't prove it."
"My body-cam may not have been working last night, but it is now. Also, Adam Baxter's security camera picked it up quite clearly, as well as your son, Darwin egging his house.
"Where is he, by the way?"
"I'm not saying anything else to you without a lawyer!" she yelled as she slammed the door.
"Does anyone else want to see The Accountant on Tuesday night? Jason and I are planning on it." Toby announced at lunch.
It was just the four of them at home. Rob, Darrin, Paul, and Jim had left for their part-time jobs.
"We've seen it," Adam said. "I know you'll like it. It's way over in Coralville, though. Why don't you plan on driving my car? I'll be home studying all evening.
"Jason, you should plan to stay over. The walk to campus from here is about the same as from your dorm, and you've already used the sheets."
"Okay, maybe I will, if Toby doesn't mind."
"Darwin Cooper, how is it that you're back in my court for a second time in less than a year?
The boy sat with his eyes downcast, not being able to meet the judge's gaze.
"I thought you'd learned your lesson. The insurance company says it will cost well over $500 to clean the front of the house you egged, and you'll have to pay it. If you don't have that much in your possession, we can work out a payment plan. But, make no mistake, you WILL be responsible for the full amount, or serve time at the boys' state correctional facility if you fail to carry through. In the meantime, I'm sentencing you to 80 hours of community service. This can be fulfilled in a number of ways at charitable sites around town. The point is that I let you off too easy the last time, and now you're a repeat offender."
If Darwin wasn't chastened, he certainly had great acting skills. He was visibly shaking when the judge was finished. Adam almost felt sorry for him. The kid was likely a product of his environment.
Toby fussed over his outfit and his hair on Friday night to the point of being comical. Adam was certain he was trying to impress Jason. He must have a crush on him, though he didn't say anything to confirm it.
He left in Adam's car around 5:00 so they could have a meal at Cheddar's before the movie.
"Do you think we've influenced Toby's orientation," Adam asked after the boy had left.
"You of all people know better than that! We may have given him an opportunity to find a boyfriend who's compatible, but that's it."
"So, you think I was playing Cupid when I put them in the same room for the birthday overnight?"
"Maybe a little, but it was the only other comfortable bed in the house, and it's no different from sharing a dorm room. "One of them could have slept in the basement on a futon, but they seemed eager to get acquainted. They are s-o-o-o cute together!"
At Cheddar's, Rob was their waiter. Toby didn't realize that Darrin had taken the dishwashing job, and Rob had been moved to the dining room. Jason knew, of course.
"What may I do for you gentlemen tonight?" Rob grinned as he brought their water.
"Well, you can assure us the best possible service," Jason teased. "We expect to be waited on hand and foot."
"Good luck with that," Rob's grin grew wider.
In the middle of their meal, Toby was suddenly aware that his feet were being massaged under the table. Jason had slipped his shoes off to play footsie. Toby blushed, but also grinned.
"You're a bad boy, Mr. Elliot," he said quietly.
"But you like it, right?"
Toby nodded, unaware that he was licking his lips.
They held hands through the movie, sometimes tightly during dramatic scenes, and again in the car on the way home. It wasn't late when they got there, so they spent an hour on homework. When that was caught up, they sat on the edge of Toby's bed, not saying much of anything.
Eventually, Toby lay back on the pillow and pulled Jason on top of him. Jason didn't resist.
"I'm pretty naïve when it comes to romance," Toby blurted out, realizing it wasn't expressed the way he'd intended.
"Me too," Jason agreed. "Maybe we can learn together."
Their tentative kisses quickly turned passionate. By then, they were panting with excitement.
"Are we rushing things?" Jason wondered as he traced the form of Toby's cock through the denim of his jeans.
"Um, yeah, er maybe, uh, definitely not!"
"Which is it?"
"I guess we should hold back. I don't want to get my heart broken."
"I wouldn't do that to you intentionally," Jason shook his head.
"I don't think you're that kind of guy," Toby agreed. "But this is all happening so fast that my head's spinning."
"Yeah, I guess we shouldn't get too intimate until we know each other better.
"Would it be too much of a temptation if we cuddled, but kept our underwear on?"
"I'd like that."
When the guys woke up in the morning, they were still intertwined in Toby's bed.
Toby was no longer uncertain of his orientation.
Author's notes: I heard from Walt S, Tony F, Joe W, Ott H, Charles G, Skip M, Geoff S, Tom A, Jim F, Craig S, Wayne, Bill K, Steve C, Hotrod, Mendy D, Bill T, John L, Robert L, Anonymous, Frank K, Avid R, Al B, Joey J, Tony C, Jim W, and Paul R since last posting. Thanks!
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Thanks to my editors Tom and David, this is a better document than it would have been.