The story below is a work of fiction, set in the format of reality. Any resemblances to real people, alive or in the hereafter, is entirely coincidental in nature. It is not meant to accurately reflect upon persons, of continents or islands, in countries, counties, cities, towns, villages, neighborhoods, streets, cul-de-sacs, nor governmental or non-governmental areas, which the story is staged. If a sexual scene involving male-to-male relationships offends you, then why are you here? Seriously, if guy-to-guy sex stuff makes you barf or is going to screw up your mind, you should not read this story.
Various states and countries have various rules regarding reading or viewing adult material'. It is up to the reader to research this subject, abiding by their own laws. The pages of this story contain adult material', intended for an `adult audience'. Bypass this warning at your own risk.
% Sexual safety matters. Remember guys, this is fiction. In real life, use protection.
Hey dudes, if you have enjoyed reading NiFTy stories as much as I have, over the years, consider adding some support for `internet $pace'. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
^o^ Concluding remarks ~ reading this story could make you stiff or gooey, so I would suggest not reading it at work... just sayin'! :)
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FiRE iSLAND BiKiNiS ~ `beLLyhOLe ALeRt!' 04 WriTten by T. Chase McPhee
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Turning a corner, mid island, JZ could do nothing but voice his opinion of literally `almost' running into some shirtless dudes, 4-abreast, "Whoa-oa-shit, dudes!"
"Watch it!" one of them calls out to his buddy, shoving him into the side of Pinto's garage.
The other 2, to Jay's left, simply hopped out of the way, but one of them adding a shove, after his bud stepped on his foot!
All too-short lived, Jay wore a smile on his face.
"Give you two guesses to what that's about," Peter says of the smile not wearing off!
Of course, JZ didn't pass up a flirt, thanking the dude's buddy for an attempt of a collision, slamming his friend's bod up against the aluminum siding!
"Hey, what's all the commotion out here?"
`Commotion out here?' Peter asked himself, it registering rapidly, along with his heartbeat in his chest and pubes, seeing John Pinto, standing there in only some jock shorts.
"Uh, nothing. Nothing at all," his eyes remained glued to John's amazing, 40-ish physique, any young gym-freak would be proud to own!
Not formally introduced, knowing he was from the gym, John, aware Jay was a client, "How you getting on there, son?"
Looking up, upon the wall of hairy muscle, shiny from sweat, Jay replies, "Good, sir."
"Oh, heck with that formal stuff. Call me Pinto," John replies, "everyone does!"
"Hi, Pinto," Peter smiles, putting out his hand, "I'm Peter, Jay's trainer at Warrior One."
Peter always flashed the name of the gym, rather than settling on `the gym'. It was great advertising!
Right off, Jay knew he was losing his hairy trainer, terming it, `another man come and gone from my life...geesh, how they come and go so fast!'
Though, Pinto apologizing for dirty hands, working on a spray painter, clogged, he does offer, "Anyone up for a beer?"
"Me!" JZ's hand shoots up in the air. Turning to Jay, "Are you allowed?"
"Nah. Can't. It doesn't mix well with my depression medicine, unless I really want to freak out!" Jay replies.
Still, he follows JZ into the garage.
"Beer?" Pinto beats JZ to the full-sized fridge.
Peter takes a cool one, JZ grabbing up 2 bottles of water, "Here you go," handing Jay one.
"You can still have a beer," Jay says to him.
Cheerfully, JZ says, "I'm trying to cut back," taps his cute little belly with his palm.
Rather than dwell on it, Jay turns to the side window of the garage, "Hey, what's this?"
"That," JZ stalls, catching up to Jay, rolling across the floor, catching up, "is my cactus collection. I didn't have anywhere to keep it, so Pinto let's me keep them on his windowsill. Like them?"
"I have my own collection at home...well, at Nash's place, if you want to see it anytime," Jay picks over the collection, holding one up to the light. "Um, this little guy doesn't look so hot."
"Hold on. I'll get some water," JZ replies.
"No, no," Jay knows enough about the desert plants, "maybe the problem is, you're drowning them," for safety sake, Jay covers the needles with his hand.
"Ya think?" JZ holds a used water bottle, marked `plants'.
"Drown and..." Jay smiles, looking upon the `good-natured slob', "you don't feed plants water from the refrigerator. They're tropical, like Hawaii, not Alaska!"
"Wow, dude. How do you know so much?"
"From reading. I have a cactus book," upon which Jay dwells for all of 15 seconds, "had a cactus book. It got lost in the house that burnt down."
This led away from plants, Jay telling about his migrant history, prelude into the summer months.
Suddenly, upon hearing some rip-roaring laughter, echoing from within the confines of the garage, JZ gets the impression, "I think they're having a party!"
Sure enough, Pinto heads back to the fridge for a second round, pulling a steak out of the freezer, yelling over, "Hey, you hungry, Pete?"
"Ick!" JZ replies.
Jay says, "I thought you liked beer?"
"It's not the beer," JZ lets drop, "I'm a vegetarian."
Contrary, Jay says, "I eat meat."
"Hmm," JZ replies, smiles-on-the-sly!
"I mean, meat, like steak and bacon, not like," like Joseph is to blame for the education here, "bears and cubs?"
"Of course," JZ repairs his smile, "that's what I thought you meant!"
Perceiving it the case, Jay says, "I think Peter's taken care of. Would you want to see my cactus collection?"
"Yeah. Cool," JZ replies, adding, "Hey, would you mind if I brought my cactus along and added it to your collection?" Jay having equated the little plants to the human condition, "I'm not really a good father to them."
It stifled Jay for a moment, wondering where the paternal part applied. When he referred to cactus as `little guys', he didn't even realize what he was saying. Then, saying, "Don't they like it here?" Jay realizes how he treats plants like he would his best bud, Jake crossing his mind for a sec!
Mutual feeling, JZ makes it known, "They do, except that Pinto is always stirring up the dust and I don't think they like that!"
He got the feeling, the dust made the cactus look thirsty, so he couldn't blame JZ for inadvertently thinking they needed water. "There's not much room, but I could always have Homer make some more room," Jay saves the `little guys' from turning into swimmers!
Peter, he was taken care of, making sure Jay was okay with JZ, which he found it wasn't really necessary to ask, though felt comfortable making sure.
Pinto, like he was JZ's father, warns, regardless of this being JZ's day off, "Work tomorrow bright and early. We still have a job to finish?"
"I know," JZ replied, those jammed lockers still on his brain!
Continuing on their journey, Peter having invited Pinto over for some early lunch, JZ asks, "So, have you ever had any of Homer's chili?"
"No," Jay conscious of the fact, "but it might not be vegetarian, Homer not knowing?"
"Okay, so you got me. I'm only 99% vegetarian. If I'm eating out and I'm offered some meat to eat, I'll eat it."
Jay has field day with this, "Hmm, maybe I won't wait for Homer's chili!"
Of course, the plumbing out of commission, unless he had to tinkle, Jay figured it was the thought that counted, holding his small package.
Getting it, JZ call out to Jay, "Scallawag!" He gives Jay's shoulders a little drum roll from behind.
"Oh my god!" Jay calls out, almost getting whiplash, JZ suddenly applying the human brake.
Oncoming, JZ had to stop, stutter, inform Jay, "Did you see that?"
Jay did see the contoured and messy bellyholes, but couldn't do what JZ was doing right now, looking back, at a young fish-dude, toting a rod over his shoulder.
"I saw, I saw. Can we go?" Jay replies.
However, enjoying his selfish moment, Jay had some `incoming' eye candy right in front of him. Most likely he didn't pick up on himself licking lips, seeing the dark-haired dude, hairy pecs giving way to a single stripe, nonstop over the bellyhole and dipping under the speedo line, "Slow down, will ya?"
This time Jay was prepared for the `whiplash', it being reduced by the snail's pace JZ had resumed.
"Oh man," JZ realizes, not paying attention, to what he's missed, oncoming.
However, on the trek to Nash's pad, they got more than one day's share of smooth bods, hairy, tall, short, muscled, cubs, skinny, shirted and unshirted, speedos, boardshorts, all kinds.
JZ, he was ready to pop a boner. Jay, thinking maybe he did, not feeling it!
Twice, Jay had to grab the cactus tray, forgetting he was holding it on his lap!
"Uh-oh," Jay says.
"What's up?" again, JZ almost dumps the cactus on the ground, sends Jay's head reeling forward.
Jay slowly warns, so JZ can catch his words, "You gotta make a u-turn, a careful u-turn, without any braking?"
"Oh, did I do it again?" JZ says of the whiplash stuff.
"Like I told ya, it takes a time to get used to us `cripples'?" Jay looks up at JZ!
Without looking down, paying attention to bellyholes and other stuff, JZ says, "Okay, I get it, dude!"
In no time they were headed back on course, Jay having missed the turn off at Surf Walk Lane.
Almost every dude on the lane was headed for the beach. Regardless, the view from the rear could be just as impressive.
Like comparing notes, Jay would comment, "Nice swivel!"
Seeing a couple of surfers run by, boards under arms, running, like they were afraid of missing the next big wave, those tight buns gave way to juggling around.
Funny thing, as two ran past a flock of surfers, it caught on. Like one surfer had spotted the perfect wave, they all wanted in on it!
Both Jay and JZ saw the hilarity of it without comparison, laughing their asses off!
"Oh man, that's the funniest thing I've ever seen," JZ says, in between hardy laughter.
Knocking on the fence, Jay announces, "We're here!"
JZ, amazed at the house being the last one on the block, "Oh man, you've got it made, Jay!"
"I know," Jay holds up a shiny object, reflecting off the sun's rays, "Nash gave me a key!".
Even though he had an open invitation to come and go from the house, Homer had acknowledged it might be a good idea to `ring' before entering the house, in case he had a surprise guest!
Of this very thing, JZ inquires, "How come you have to ring the doorbell, if you've got a key?"
To the point, Jay says, "In case Homer, and friend, are sunning in the backyard?"
Being funny, JZ says, "Hey, I know what boys look like," and surely he would not feel embarrassed coming across such a sight!
"Same-o, but when you live with other people, you've got to respect their privacy as well."
"I suppose it's only right...manners," JZ sides with Jay.
However, it was not the case at all, Homer appearing at the gate, holding it for Jay, saying, "Oh, did you bring home dinner?"
Jay knew he meant JZ, but one up on the caretaker, "Cactus can be a little prickly on the throat, Homer!"
Still, Homer was checking out Jay's guest. First, front, head to where the chair cut off the view, but then the rear, JZ rolling through the gate opening.
He did have a question, "Um, where's the rest of the chili-eaters?"
"Pinto's garage," Jay replies.
Five minutes was spent explaining about JZ's cactus, which, as Jay supposed, Homer would need to build more shelves, during the winter. Now, weather permitted them to sit right out on the deck.
JZ did have a beer, explaining to Homer how he and Jay met, while Jay went to freshen up. Twice JZ had asked if Jay needed help, second time going to find him stripped to waist, in the bathroom, giving himself a washcloth bath.
"I see you took your shirt off all by yourself. Um, need help with anything else?"
"Nah. I got a new system," Jay says.
Standing there at the door, arms folded, one calf over the other, leaning, JZ questions, "Oh and how would that go?"
"I'll show ya!"
Jay knew this could most likely get any man hard, pulling the elastic of his gym pants, taking a wet cloth, sticking it down the front, moving it around...
"Whoa-oa-shit, man!" it made JZ perk up!
Laughing, Jay says, "I knew it would get you going!"
From his relaxed pose, JZ had to readjust himself, feeling the sensations of watching a man touch himself. It didn't matter Jay could not feel it, just the act was giving him life-awakening reaction, "Don't stop on my account," he says of Jay removing the washcloth, wetting it, wringing it out.
"Done!"
"So soon?" JZ knew Jay `knew,' "You just got me going!"
"I know," Jay says. "Aren't I terrible, to leave you hanging?" Then, discovering the implications, "Literally?"
Modestly, JZ says, having felt himself up, "I was only a little hard."
"Too bad. Would've felt cool if I had taken you all the way!"
In a nasty, but nice tone, JZ awards Jay, "Sexy bastard!"
"Chili's on the table!" they hear ringing from the kitchen.
Much to their surprise, who had entered the home without their knowing, Jay exclaims, "Jare, what are you doing here?"
"Funny thing, I was on my way here to see you and my cell rang. Homer called to say he had made up a batch of his homemade chili and, if I didn't have any lunch plans, he was about to put it on the table. Voila!" Jared throws his hands up, "Here I am!"
"Cool!" JZ says.
Of course,' Jay thinks, anyone thought his hot brother was cool', but in this case, making like he's jealous, "Uh, don't get any ideas, JZ?"
"About what?" JZ tries to hide, checking out Jay's bro.
Homer, seeing Jared, gives him a hug, saying, "If you want to wash up, you can use my place, out back?"
"Oh? Who's going to be watching the chili?"
"I can," Jay volunteers, "with JZ helping me?"
Putting one and one together, Jared realizes, "Do you work for me?"
He could've answered for himself, Jay saying, "JZ works for Pinto. They've been working on the locker rooms down at Warrior One."
"Oh right," Jared replies, eyes still lingering on the hot cub, "that's where I must've seen you."
Homer strongly suggests, "Shower, Jared, before the chili becomes refried?"
"Right," Jared replies, making for the exit, left side of the kitchen.
Wondering about all this hotness floating about, Jay sensed some jealousy in the air. After Homer and his brother leave, he says, "Did you get the feeling Homer was thinking you were stealing the action away from him?"
"Huh?" JZ questions, his mind still on that exit out to Homer's cottage.
Rather dwell on what meaningless thought, Jay asks, "Are you going to help me with the chili? Or," what the scene suggests, "do you feel all sweaty and need to shower, too?"
Astonished, JZ asks, "Are you proposing I follow them?" his thumb leads their eyes towards the left of the kitchen.
Giggling, a slight, sinister tone to his laugh, Jay replies, "Wouldn't that make for a steamy porn scene?"
Waking them both up, they hear a buzz.
"What's that?" JZ remarks, like a scary noise in a horror movie.
"The gate. If you don't got a key, you don't get in, unless someone goes to fetch you."
Not which he didn't slip himself, on the banana peel of grammar, JZ says, "I didn't know you was so learn-ed, Jay."
Rolling towards the front door himself, "One of us should get that. Could be some hot guy looking for a free meal!"
One track mind, JZ mutters, "Hold on. I can get that for you!"
Not wishing to give Jay another case of whiplash, JZ wheels Jay to the front door.
Expectant, of two or more hot dudes, shirtless, in speedos, their bright smiles dim, JZ reporting back from the gate, "Oh, it's only Pinto."
"This here the place where they're serving up hot chili?" JZ's construction boss asks.
Making a beeline for Jay, Peter says, "How you doing, Jay?"
Placing both hands on the chair, he leans in, Jay recalls, "That thing you talked about at the gym, does that mean at home too?"
Knowing the very idea, Peter smiles, "Of course. Doesn't a gymrat need to train, to stay bulked up?"
"Yeah, yeah," Jay says, wishing he could get cut a break.
Trying to lean around Peter, which was a chore to do, Jay's eyes can just about see Pinto, "Hey you guys, you coming in, or what?"
A switch up, instead of JZ taking the reins of the chair, Peter does the honor, rotating Jay as if on a turntable, "Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this!"
Of no importance to anyone, except Jay, he renders, "I hate this walk!"
"You should think of it as a massage!" Peter laughs, looking down at the occasional pothole.
Looking up, at the underside of Peter's chin, Jay says, "Thanks for the massage!"
Thinking, like he's not supposed to think at the gym, Jay thinks about how a massage used to feel in the olden days. Now, a dream not coming true, now or maybe not forever, Jay pawns the idea off, "Your boyfriend used to give you hot massages?"
Overstepping, into Peter's burial ground, Jay hadn't realized the implications, his trainer still trying to regain harmony in his life, slows the chair, standing straight and tall.
Hands on the wheels, one going forward, the other backwards, Jay moves around, full circle, "I'm sorry I'm such a moron," he laments.
As can happen, sad thoughts can overwhelm Jay, eyes getting glazed over.
Not ignoring the fact, Peter tilts his chin, forcing a smile, "Uh, I'm just a little sensitive about Austin leaving, which is nothing for you to worry about."
"Still, I'm sorry for saying it," Jay is reduced to pouting, on the verge of full emotional release.
Placing his left hand on the chair, not putting his whole weight on it, which he knew could make it skate out from under, Peter says, "Besides, now I have someone new to take care of."
It made Jay feel better, and as he supposed, "You and Pinto hit it off?"
"Pinto? I'm not talking about Pinto. I'm talking about you!"
Reaction of happiness, set off by Peter's sweet smile, it made Jay perk up, "Me?" he smiles back.
Looking up, seeing Pinto and JZ in the immediate distance, conferring over the pot of chili, one of them tasting it for seasoning, Peter says, "We had a nice time, but it wasn't about starting up any romantic relationship."
"You fooled me. It certainly looked like it was going that way?"
Light laughter, short and sweet, Peter says, "For a minute there, it did seem like we were rewriting some old porn novel, but instead, it turned more into...a friendly chat!"
"Wow," Jay relaxes, thinking, "so you didn't do anything?"
"Are you kidding? For my services, playing Dr. Stork, I did get a hug and kiss out of him!"
Going back to the original conversation, Jay asks, "So, if Pinto is not a love interest of yours, then you don't have one?"
"Not yet, but I'm working on it!" Peter stares deeply.
Thinking he was getting an impression, Jay thought, `nah', Peter being a full 8 years older, besides, who would want to pair of up an old burial skiff sent out to sea? "Well, let me know if and when you hook up with some guy!"
Maybe he was crazy, head not screwed on right at the moment, Jay answering Pinto's question, before JZ could jump at it, the whereabouts of Homer and Jared, out back of the beach house, getting refreshed.
Saying he could sure use some freshening-up, JZ cordially invites Pinto to a place he's never been.
"They could be awhile," Peter walks over to the stove, turning the pot of chili off.
Not that he wanted to send Peter off, to be alone, Jay made sure he was prudent in his suggesting, "I'd hate to even suggest this, because some people would get grossed out with it..."
"In case you haven't noticed, not much would bother me," Peter replies. "You need help with something?"
It did occur to Jay, spur of the moment indulgence in his own intellectual sphere, Peter a `therapist', he might have done this, "Help me go take a leak?"
"No sweat," Peter swats the very idea away with his hand, "lead and I'll follow!"
Even at the gym, he was trying to get Jay to do stuff on his own, part of his private curriculum. On the rippled walk out the front door, that was a necessity, but flat hallway, "Good job getting here," he held the door open with one arm, paving the way.
"This is the tough part though. The door barely wide enough?"
First try, sure enough, Jay butts a wheel into the door frame, "See?"
"I see. If I had my hammer, I'd make it bigger!" Peter laughs, like a hilarious joke.
Making his own, Jay says, "If I had my hammer, I'd rip the door off the hinges!"
The door was part of the problem, not fully opening, some architect's blunder, the wall behind it leaving a very narrow space.
Forgetting about Jay for the moment, him going to do his business, Peter closes the door. Taking off a shoe, he pounds at the top hinge, muttering, "Good idea, gone bad!"
Jay, at first paying attention, turns to Peter, "Take more than that off, if you want?" he laughs, then condemns himself, `oh shit!'
"Serves ya right for not paying attention," Peter says of Jay's piss streaming down the wall!
Reflecting on days gone by, Jay relates, "Oh, you don't know the half of it. You don't know what Jare had to take, before I could ace the toilet from way back here!"
"Two inches?" Peter, one shoe on, says, peering over the top of Jay's head.
"More than that, before I got the hang of it. Y'see, if I don't lean my legs up to the toilet, I'm too far back. That's the problem," Jay goes on and on, "if I'm too far, I'll wind up squirting it all over the rim and then down the rim. Jare, I don't know how many times he had to clean up after me."
"You didn't have a nurse?"
All it took, was to drag his cock and balls out, balls anchoring the pants while Jay's hands handled his flaccid shaft. It only got semi-hard when he was ready to let loose. Backing away, it was easy as pie, dropping everything back into his gym pants, talking as he pocketed it all, "First, you got to know Jare and me and what we meant to each other."
After saying it, Jay thought maybe he revealed too much!
Opening the door, seeing Jay all packed away and ready, Peter says, "I'll come back for this door later," said as if he held a personal vengeance against it.
Outside in the hallway, Jay says, "Oops! Forgot to wash up!"
"Well, in and out of that room is enough for one day," he wheels Jay over to the kitchen sink.
While Jay washed hands, he gave a little history of him and Jared, leaving out the steamy parts.
Peter, getting a steamy whiff from the pot of chili, lifts the lid and stirs, saying, "Mm, this smells good enough to eat!"
Happy about it, because it got them off page, Jay says, "Think we should start without them?"
Eyebrows crinkling up at the bridge of his nose, Peter replies, "Gee, they have been gone a long time, haven't they?"
"Homer and Jare even longer! Hey, maybe you should go see what's keeping them?" Jay acts as alert as a pup being offered a steak bone!
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Peter stands there, allowing a giant spoon of chili to cool.
"No. I just thought..."
Way ahead of Jay, Peter explains it, like telling his side of the story, "Why would I want to get involved in what we both think is happening, when I've already got someone interesting to be with?"
"Well," Jay surrenders his thoughts, "you'll see. I'll get real boring, because in case you haven't noticed," he was ready to mention something a plumber wouldn't be able to fix...
"Are you forgetting about what I mentioned to you at the gym?"
He knew, "That was the gym. Look, here we are, two guys...no, two gay dudes, um, doesn't that like, bother you, that you can't...um, like...get it on with me?"
Shaking his head, Peter had it on his mind, same thing as this morning at the gym.
"What?" Jay looks up.
Dropping the spoon back in the pot, placing the lid, Peter hunches over the chair, readying himself for a `father-son' chat, "You, mister," truly spoken like a dad, "need to get your mind busy on more things than sex!"
Interestingly, Jay puts things into perspective, "You think I'm talking about me? No. It's not me. I'm more concerned about you. Like," he searches for words and meaning, not just pertaining to Peter, "other guys, you could be having fun with, but you'll never have that with me?"
Standing, like Jay saw today, Peter all business, arms folded across his pecs, dictates, "There's more to me than wanting to exercise my cock and balls, you know?"
Thinking how he could play a part in this, Jay's disabilities not hampering him, "There would be no problem in me helping you out with that?"
Caving in, butt against the counter, dropping his arms, more an act of frustration, Peter knows he can't let his guard down, "That's not what I'm talking about. Forget about sex right now. That we're even gay. Think about two guys as friends....and not' boyfriends. Use your brain to figure out what two friends could be doing together and not' in the bedroom?"
"You mean, like," Jay treads on egg shells, "on the boardwalk, walking along, two guys seeing a miniature golf course and they stop to play?"
Running a hand over his face, Peter exclaims, "Thank God, I think we have a breakthrough!"
From serious to being a little happy, Jay asks, "You like miniature golf? I used to like real golf, but I think it could be tough on the turf with wheels."
Ready to dive into the ensuing quality conversation, they are interrupted by voices just outside the kitchen door.
Like at Warrior One, strike of the clock on the hour, when everyone heads for the doors, Peter says, "Sounds like the harem is getting out!"
Smiling, Jay says, "I wonder what steamy stories could be told!"
Acting serious, because he was, Peter states, "Let's move forwards and not backwards?"
"Okay, dad!"
Last dwelling on that subject, the four pouring into the kitchen, Peter mentioning, "How I love the smell of being freshly out of the shower!"
Pinto, like the rest, only in shorts, gloats, "Yeah, I worked up quite a sweat at work today!"
Jay did get one last dig in, before turning his life around, "And after work, guys?"
Pinto turns on, not Jay, but his brother, "Jared, you didn't tell me your brother was such a wiseass?"
Simply said, Jared replies, "You didn't ask!"
He and Jay high-5ed!
They ate out on the deck, Jay the first to sit at the table. Peter arranging him to sit on the bench, leaning against the railing, strap under Jay's pits, fed around the deck supports.
One minor adjustment was needed, "Uh, I can't come to the table, so the table has to come to me?"
Not meaning to show brute strength, Pinto's whole bod flexed, bending over, grabbing both ends of the pvc table, lifted it, setting it down right in front of Jay.
"Thanks," Jay says.
"Anytime," Pinto holds arms up, L-shaped, "you want me to show off for you?"
Jared jokes, "Maybe later, Hercules?"
Well, JZ could attest to that. A few moments ago, Pinto standing behind him and flexing his `muscle', "Hercules is always showing off!"
"Shaddup, JZ, if you know what's good for you!"
Not an avid club-goer, there have been a few things Pinto has picked up from Joseph!
Honestly, Jay did not pick up on it, rather switching the subject, "Peter says that someday I might be able to play real golf, Jare."
"Really?" Jared says, sitting down across from Jay and Peter.
"Yup and tomorrow I'm going to try climbing the wall!"
About ready to sip a beer, Jared stops, gulps, gasps, "Is that safe?"
"Of course," Peter has already thought it out, not only reconditioning Jay, but those around him. "I have great confidence in him. All he has to do is understand how it's done. The real obstacle is Jay believing in himself."
For a second, Jared sat there and let it sink in. Too, he was wondering why he wasn't hitting on Peter, thinking what was there not to like about him!
"I'm turning over a new leaf," Jay says, smiling. First spoon of chili, "Wow-wow-wow-wow-wow, that's hot!" he fans his mouth.
"Beer!" Homer shouts.
"No," Jared says, correcting, "water!"
Ripping a top off the bottle, Homer says, "Hmm, you do have quite a strength about you, Pinto!"
"That he does," JZ says, not the first time he's `felt' Pinto's brute force!
Homer could have said the same about Jared, but kept it personal.
For the rest of the meal, short-lived, because they all, except Homer, thought the chili hotter than a swarm of surfers, begged for dessert.
Before they indulged, Homer says he always offers ice cream after one of his Mexican meals. Chili, heavy on the hot peppers, they were all cashing in on it!
During dessert, they chatted about the plants on the deck, Jay claiming ownership. JZ could have said he owned some of those `little guys', but let it slide, figuring he gave the bundles of thorns a good life, ready to pass them on to the next owner.
Though, Jay gave the heads up, "Three of `em are JZ's."
It's then, JZ put them up for adoption!
Out of it came Jared mentioning Homer's idea for remodeling Westside Marketplace.
Jay brings up, "Well, Peter's handy with a hammer?"
Gloating about himself, Peter replies, "Yeah, but I'm better with a shoe!"
They all knew it an inside joke, Peter and Jay the only ones laughing!
Though, Jared was getting an impression here, about Peter, bringing cheer into Jay's world and a genuine, caring attitude, something beyond his position at the gym. For now he watched from the sidelines and waited to see how things would evolve.
On his mind were ideas of how to keep Peter around, which made him think, "Well then maybe we should listen to some ideas you might have, Peter?"
"Me? Like I said, the only tool I know how to use is a shoe!"
They could all appreciate the gesture, without knowing the whole story, JZ snidely saying, "Well maybe you need the right teacher."
Like having ownership, Jay says, "He does. Me!"
No one exactly knew what Jay meant by this, but Jared liked the sound of it. It's just a shame, he deeply thought, he didn't have first dibs at getting to know Peter. Appalled at himself, he rethinks never thinking of stealing from his own bro!
Pinto and JZ, it was in the bag, the two apparently more connected than building things brick by brick. Picking up some major business, Pinto Construction would be handling the remodel of Westside Marketplace and doing other little jobs for the Evans empire, on the island and J&J stores.
Pinto claims, "Oh, and for you, I'd be much, much cheaper in price than the competition!"
"With fringe benefits, no doubt?" Jared says with a smile.
Bolting through the front door, Jay announces, "Thor! Where have you been, boy?"
The distraction caused Jared to come alert first, adding the last word to their conversation, "Later, perhaps," not forgetting to end it on a happy note, a cursive smile.
Stepping away, to pay attention to who was at the door, Pinto felt a small void. Sensitive hands, he could `squeezed the Charmin', staring at the uninvited guest.
"Hey, what's up kiddo?" Joseph asks, entering the house, `smelling' something like a scam, like why were there so many men about, flaunting their hairy bellyholes?!
Knowing the routine, by the time Joseph and Homer made it from the gate to the front door, they were already pals!
"Nuttin' much," Jay says, trying to talk while getting kisses from Thor!
Joseph thought otherwise! "Nuttin' much, huh?" Then, noticing a very familiar face in the kitchen, "Pinto, you ole dog! What're you doin' here?"
It didn't phase Jared one bit, knowing Joseph knew more people, no doubt a result of Thor, dogs and cats as well, those he's befriended personally and occasionally, "Oh, you know each other?"
"Of course," Joseph says, like he was shaming Jared, giving Pinto a big, big bear hug.
"Mm-m," Pinto responds, Joseph lingering, one arm still over the 40-year old `nail and hammer' guy.
Many liked the Rocco' look, the attire Joseph mostly dressed himself up in, leather, sometimes a vest or harness, of which his closet held quit the variety, always worn above leather bottoms, which could be chaps or scant leather briefs. If it were proper, Joseph would be the first to wear a leather security uniform. That's why he liked to think of himself undercover'. From early teen years, leather against the skin than some cheesy linen. Joseph would take it as a compliment, `reeking of leather.'
At this moment, Pinto's focus was on the vest, the space between. Side by side, Joseph did not mind it at all, Pinto's hand strumming the thick thatch above his bellyhole!
"So, what brings you here, Joe?" Pinto asks.
"Um," acting dumbfounded, Joseph reveals, "food?"
Great, because Homer was all ready to pawn his chili off on another unsuspecting stomach, "Have a seat and I'll bring it right to you," thought he was being `cute', "sir!"
Busy in his work, since expanding to the island, from the occasional job, Pinto, having not seen Joseph for quite some time, "You still `play around', Joe?"
"Play," Jared says, stealing Jay's water, left unattended, "uh, it's not exactly an occasional thing with Joseph these days."
Meanwhile, in the other room, Peter had put so many questions to Jay, first about Thor, then, in a skeptical manner, "I see Joey is wearing a leather outfit?"
It made Jay laugh, seeing Peter act so `in the leather-closet', also leaving him with the impression, "It takes one to know one, but if you want to play with him, I think I can arrange something!"
"Really?"
Jay had to laugh-out-loud, his gym trainer not at all like he was this morning, routing out his ass over how to be' or not to be' at the gym, regarding frivolous vs. serious behavior!
"Come on," Jay tells Thor to stay put, which the dog does, "let's go get you started, Peter!"
It's not the first time Jay has come across a dude, a wannabe, want to get into something, afraid to take the first step. Though, he had to admit, knowing someone could make the difference, entering into a field of interest, a friend like Joseph showing the way, instead of a stranger.
"You can trust Joey. It'll make all the difference in getting you started. You'll see."
Thinking he really should not get involved in the leather thing he longed to do, for the right reasons, "I don't know if I'm ready."
"Oh?" Jay stops, does a half-moon turn, looks up at Peter.
In all of a few seconds, Peter thought about the real reason he wanted to stroll Jay home, only to leave him by himself, for what? His own, personal, selfish pleasures, "I'm sure there will be plenty of time to get to know your friend?"
It wouldn't be the first dude who has chickened out, Jay not seeing through Peter, "Yeah, another time. What do you want to do now?"
It's when Jared enters the room off of the kitchen, Joseph realizes, his big mouth saying in a humorous manner, "Hey, not to be nosy or anything, but how come you two have so many clothes on?"
From the gym, Peter never had the chance, reason, nor the inclination to strip down. Jay, he jumped to it before Peter could think of a reason, "Lay off, Joey. We're not all perves like you!"
Homer laughs. They were just talking about The Spin Club in the kitchen, after Pinto had brought up Joseph's `old hobby'.
"I have a good mind to take you over my knee," Joseph warns Jay!
Approaching Jay, all in fun, Thor lets out a mighty growl at Joseph.
"Word!" Joseph says having heard the younger `boys' at The Spin Club use the term over and over. "In what? Fifteen minutes, he's turned my bud against me?"
Like brushing dirt off Joseph's vest, Jared says, "You should know better than any of us, Joseph, to never attack the master?"
As if talking with a person, Joseph reasons with Thor, "Next time you need taking care of, they can stick you in a closet!"
"Are you talking with me or Thor, Joey?"
Jay could never do wrong according to Joseph, but in this case, since it was all joking, "And you can go in there with him!"
Still in the kidding around, Jared acts appalled, "Oh really Joseph? Maybe I should take you over my knee!"
"This I gotta see!" Jay cheers his brother on.
Backing down, because he wasn't being at all serious, Joseph lets it be known, "Well maybe I'll still take care of Thor."
"That's the spirit," Jared accepts Joseph's apology.
However, it still stuck in Pinto's mind, "A spanking? If we're going down to the club, I could handle Joe's discipline?"
"You can get that off your mind real quick, Pinto!" Joseph warns.
Jumping in, instead of allowing the opportunity to slide, Homer yields, "Someone can tie me up?"
Coming back from taking a leak, a long leak at that, JZ says, "Did I hear someone mention a `spanking?'"
Jared laughs, "It sure made you come out of there quick, JZ. Have a nice jerkoff?"
As if he was pulling his pants up, from the crotch, JZ says, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!"
"Hey, I got an idea," Jay sits, smiling.
"What?" his bro is the one to answer.
"Why don't you guys all go down to The Spin Club tonight and me and Peter can hang out here?" Turning to his trainer, "Unless you want to go with them, Peter?"
Not really crazy about the dungeon activities, Jared says, "Why don't you come with us and we can hang out upstairs?"
That was not in Jay's plan, stating, "I dunno. I just feel like being home for a change."
Jared was honest, "Me too."
"No," Jay replies, knowing how boring it could get for his brother, after experiencing the past year of care-giving, "go out with Joey and have a good time."
Joseph promises, "Yeah, come with us. I promise, we'll stay upstairs, have a drink together, dance and..."
Finishing, because he knows his friend like the back of his hand, "And when some twink comes along it'll be the last we see of you for the evening, Joseph?"
Acting like someone has called him a liar, Joseph, hand on hip denounces, "I'm appalled!"
Jay again goes where few men have gone, talking Joseph down, "Jare speaks the truth!"
Patting Joseph on the belly, Pinto says, "You're slipping with the boys, bud!"
Homer had run to get some clothes on, only a few, JZ saying, "I'm no twink, but game for a little romp in the dungeon?!"
Seeing an opportunity, Pinto says, "Might be nice. Like old times, huh Joseph, two on one?"
"Better yet!" JZ calls it.
Silent for the moment, Jared says, "And what about me? Left alone to play with myself?"
He had walked into that one, Jay saying, "Have you ever seen Jare play with himself? Huge explosions!" he laughs.
"Oh really?" Peter remarks. "Maybe we should go to the club for the show!"
"I'm staying home," Jared replies.
"Oh come on," Pinto throws an arm around Jared's shoulder, "don't be like that. We'll take care of you."
"I'm ready. You all ready?" Homer appears.
Pinto could be very persuasive, taking Jared under his shoulder. Not one to hang back in reserve, JZ clung to Jared's other arm and it was like forcibly walking Jared out the door.
"Do you think he's going to have a good time?"Jay asks.
Peter says, "Probably not as good as we're going to have!"
Back in his little world, Jay says, "I have to warn you, it's probably not going to be even half as exciting as going out?"
"Nonsense," Peter says. "First though, would you mind if I got out of my work clothes?"
Smiling, Jay says, "If you help me out of mine?"
It didn't take nearly as long as he thought, Jay following through on some ways Evan taught him about undressing himself.
"I'm impressed!" Peter says, after stripping off his Warrior One tank.
He knew what Peter meant, but Jay was fascinated by something else, "And I'm impressed with you!"
Not staying home with Jay to take advantage, Peter could very well read Jay's mind, "Did you forget everything I told you at the gym?"
Jay having `jumped' out of the chair, leaping onto the mattress, much like the foam pit, only to slither out of his pants, lay there in briefs.
"We're not at the gym," Jay knew better, but felt numb enough to say.
Walking over, Peter says, "I know about your, `special interest', but can we get beyond that?"
Almost like he was lusting to touch, maybe more, Peter's impeccable chest, filled with a covering of rich, dark hair, molded around the bottom of the pectorals, a thick swatch down the middle, thinning near the bellyhole, "You mean my `addiction?'"
"Well, don't get me wrong here, but we can either take an intimate shower or, it's still light enough out to go down to the water and take a dip?"
"Take a dip?" Jay gulps down spit.
"Sure. Don't tell me no one has been doing that?" Peter says calmly.
"Are you joking? Jare wouldn't dare let me near the water. He even said, if I did, I would float away," Jay says, as nervous as it sounds for a handicapped dude.
"That's hogwash. So, what do you say, the shower or the beach?"
Still uncertain, Jay lays there eagle-spread, "I dunno."
"Good," Peter turns for the bureau, "it's the beach!"
One problem, it wasn't Jay's bureau, nor his clothes in the drawer, "Um, that isn't my stuff. It's Nash's."
"No matter. Let's just hope you and Nash have the same size ass!" Peter laughs as he rifles through the drawers.
"Probably," Jay says, still mesmerized over the issue of being in the salt water, more, the tiny hair fibers at the small of Peter's back!
"How about this?" a speedo spills off Peter's index finger.
"No boardshorts?"
"Or this," Peter whisks the speedo away, boardshorts hanging by the white lace, off a finger.
"That," Jay replies.
"Great. Here you go," he tosses the shorts, landing right on Jay's face.
Tearing it off, Jay says, "What about you?"
Shedding his gym shorts, Peter says, "Got it right underneath!"
Jay just lay there, not which he could go anywhere anyway, admiring, "Oh man, you're double beautiful!"
With the gym shorts, Jay could pick out a small trail, but opening up, fanning out, all Peter could do is talk down that `beauty', "What's beautiful?"
Sarcastic, Jay says, "The speedo," when he meant all that beautiful hair, contoured to perfection, into a slick path to the treasure!
"Kind of like it myself. Keeps it all together and close for comfort!"
"Great," Jay then turns the tables, "I'm glad you're so into yourself!"
"Is that so?"
Turning around, Peter returns to the draw. Without turning back he unveils his ass cheeks, steps out of the speedo and into a pair of boardshorts. Turning back around, says, "Hey look, Nash and me have the same size asses!"
"Yeah, but you look a lot less sexy!"
Nudging one shoulder up, Peter replies, "I've already impressed you with my nudity. Who else would I want to show my booty off for?"
With attitude, Jay says, "You're weird!"
Coming over to the bed, hands all ready to hike down Jay's briefs, "Want some help with that?"
"No," Jay says adamantly, clutching his junk, "I can do it all by myself!"
"Fine. I'll go get some towels and meet you back here in 5."
It took more than that, because Jay had to first think what a total kook Peter was! After those thoughts dissolved he remembered needing his chair to pull himself up when removing anything below the belt, there being no support at the bottom of Nash's bed. He tried squirming, but it wasn't working, coupled with feeling a little fatigued.
"Your 5 minutes is up!" Peter walks back in, two towels around his neck.
"Cold?" Jay asks, perhaps throwing off the reason why he not morphed into a swimmer.
"You're not ready?"
"This is not the same set up I had with Evan. His bed has a rail and there's nothing at the bottom to grab. Besides, Evan's bed has a big, bulky pillow at the top." Pouting, "Everything is wrong."
He's a physical therapist, with a degree in psychology. Knowing Jay was tired, it being the end of his day cycle, "Need some help?"
"Ok," Jay wasn't sure. Guilty, because he should be doing it himself, "I wanted to do it myself."
"I know. Someday you will be able to impress me."
"I wasn't doing it to impress you. I was just doing it, to do it."
"I know, but I don't know much about you," Peter went on cheerfully saying, "and along the way I need to learn what you can and cannot do. Like," Peter thinks upon it, while bringing the boardshorts up to Jay's knees, "how do you stand up on a surfboard to catch a wave?"
"That's stoopid!"
"I know you can't do it, but how did you do it, when you could?"
"Oh," Jay got it.
Explaining the whole procedure, he brought into the picture `Jake' and how they used to surf every morning before school and every afternoon, even when the weather wasn't so perfect.
Peter questions, "Not the same `Jake' from the gym?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"I had a suspicion you two were friends," Peter says.
Ready to go, Jay asks, "How am I going to get down to the water?"
He knew how Jared would do it.
"Piggyback?"
Giggling, Jay says, "The two times Jare took me," rounded off number, "that's what we did."
Getting Jay up on his back, Peter did caution, "Uh, don't make your hands too obvious that you like my hairy chest?"
"You mean like this?" Jay purposely rubs a hand over a pec, while holding on for dear life with the other.
"If I drop you, it's your fault!"
Jay holds on with two hands.
Going out the door, Peter exclaims, "Oh look, a surfboard!"
Jay says, "It's Nash's, but we're not going to need it, remember?"
"Nonsense!" Peter says.
Peter had quite the load, Jay, two towels and the board under his arm.
Joking, because he already knew Peter was muscular under the shirt, "You go to the gym?"
"Every day!" Peter replies, walking quite swiftly to the end of the avenue.
On the sand, progress slowed.
Even though the sun was ready to kiss the horizon, people were on the beach, dressed like it was still in the 90's.
"I think I see some more beautiful things," Jay hints.
"Should I be jealous?"
"Nah," Jay says of the majority, "they're mostly smooth!"
"Here comes a bear," Peter says.
"Oh, nice," Jay says of the two dudes running down the beach.
"Should I run over and trip the bear?"
"Run? With me on your back, 2 towels and a surfboard?" Jay laughs.
Nonchalantly, Peter says, "I could dump you?"
"Great," Jay says sarcastically, "just like the other 50 dudes I met in the past few weeks!"
Totally ignoring the comment, Peter asks, "Where do you want to sit?"
"Where I can see all the bellyholes?"
Time to blast Jay's addiction was over for the day, Peter saying, "You're pathetic!"
Even though half the beach was empty, most who stayed were still near the water, which he judged, "I think I see the perfect viewing spot."
For the first few minutes, while Peter set up, both sitting on the board. Peter held Jay from falling back, slid behind, lying down. His stomach literally became a backboard for Jay to sit up.
"Comfortable?"
Lying back, the only direction to fall, Jay lay his arms out, along the sides of Peter's bod, "Very!"
"Um, let's not make it too sexy looking?" Peter smiled.
"Oh. Right," Jay replied, withdrawing the comfort, placing both hands on the board, now bracing himself from eating sand!
They talked about all this `bellyhole' business, which Peter, first hearing the term, agreed with Jay wholeheartedly, it was more than a sexy term.
"Hey, got a seat for an old friend?"
Looking up, even though he knew the voice, Jay exclaims, "Jake! What's up?"
"Me."
"Hi, Jake," Peter says.
"Uh, don't get me wrong," Jake says, "but do I know you from somewhere?"
"Hey, moron," like old times, Jay busting his friend, "it's Peter, my trainer from the gym!"
"I'd shake your hand, but don't want the goods falling off the shelf," Peter greets.
"No problem," Jake climbs down to the board, which put him right in front of Peter's crotch. "Um, just so you know, if my back or butt touches something, it's unintended?"
Peter jokes, "If I tell you not to get up, you'll know what happened!"
"Uh," Jay says, "maybe Jake should sit on the other side?"
Peter has an answer for that, "Um, I'm not into eating ass?" Though, Peter has not turned it down on occasion.
It had both boys laughing, along with Peter, not which he meant to be such a comedian.
Conversation, mostly Jay and Jake, they talked about times before the accident and how they seemed to drift apart after, Warrior One bringing their friendship back in focus.
The sundown turning the beach into a ghost town, Peter asks, "I think it's safe for you to stand up Jake!"
Laughing, Jay says, "Another fail, Jake?"
"Shut up," Jake says, offering Jay a hand.
Taking both, Jake lifts Jay up, Peter saying, "Remember diving into the foam, Jay!"
Too tired to do much jumping, Jake more grabbed his bud, winding up like lovers on the beach, lying there, Jake's back to the warm sand, embracing.
"Don't stop on my account," Peter picks up the board.
They tried one way, Jake carrying Jay, but it turned to failure, Jake winding up tasting sand, "Oh man, dude, you better go on a diet!"
"Me? I'm not the weakling!" Jay countered.
As it wound up, Jake carried the board, Jay with his arms around Peter's neck.
Back at the house, Jay talked Jake into staying. Still a nice evening, they sat out on the deck, candles lighting the night.
Knowing Jay couldn't imbibe, Peter offers, "Water or something to drink, Jake?" like it was `his' house!
"Got a beer?" Then, thinking about his best bud, "Uh, I mean, water?"
Exchanging smiles, Jay says, "You can have a beer?"
"Nah. Got to be to work early tomorrow. Sean is really giving me a lot to do," Jake replies.
From there, Jay's thoughts started to fall into place, hearing about Jake, whom he only thought of as a `surfer', had changed his ways, taking on more responsibility.
"After the summer, I was thinking of going back to school and getting a degree in business management. What do you think, bro?"
Peter, he allowed the friends carry the conversation, hearing some things out of Jay's mouth, which confirmed the fact, the speech he gave at the gym this morning was paying off.
"Sounds great. I think I should too...go back to school. For something, but not sure what that is."
As it's been for the past year, around this time, Jay would be nodding off. Instead he was all fired up.
Turning to Peter, Jay asks, "What do you think, Peter?"
"I think you can do anything you set your sights on. You have my support!"
Jake to his bud's left side, turns to him, "Oh really?"
All Jay could do is smile, shrug shoulders, say to Jake, "I dunno."
Peter heard it, smiling as his mouth rounded the top of the water bottle, sipping.
"Like I said," Jake stands, "I've got an early day tomorrow."
Untouched subject, "Where are bunking down these days?"
"Remember Derek Gardner?"
Having met him once, "Artist-dude from Jersey?" Refining it as he remembers it, Jay answering, "Chester?"
"Right. Right now he's shacking up at Sean's place. At first it was only Sean, Greg and Derek, but now there's this new dude, Tom."
"Tom!" Jay exclaims, "Right. Tim found him in the surfboard closet at Warrior One."
"Well, it was a regular zoo without Tom there. If you know of any place, I'm looking to move out," Jake shares.
"I'm in the same boat," Peter says.
It came to Jay, not having discussed it, "Where are you now, Peter?"
They talked about a myriad of things, Peter guessing, "Oh, I suppose I didn't mention this, Pete Jardine, one of the bartenders at HOODWINK'd, we're old high school buddies. I've been staying at his place," he looks to Jake, "but I share the same problem, the animals getting restless at night?"
Jake smiles at Peter, agreeing, "Yeah."
Brilliant plan, born out of Jay seeing how nicely his best bud and trainer are getting along, "Why don't you spend the night, Jake..." turns to Peter, "You `are' staying with me tonight?"
"Well, if Jake is," Peter was about to get himself out of it, not which he wanted to.
Like a face Joseph would put on down at The Spin Club, Jay says, "Jare would be disappointed if you went off and left me?"
"Well," Peter says, "we don't want to displease your brother, do we?"
"No problem," Jake, who had slid to the chair, stands again, "I'll just head on out."
Jay, whom had a little match-mischief on his mind, says, "I think the sofa opens up. Usually they fit two?"
Jake looks to Peter, Peter doing the same.
"Um," Peter says to Jake, "you don't snore, do you?"
"No. Never," Jake replies.
Jay, who is no stranger to spending a night with Jake, says, "Long as you aren't a cover-stealer, Peter. Jake hates waking up cold."
"Oh?" Peter's attention is drawn to Jay, "And you would know?"
Jake laughs, divulges something personal, "Where do you think Jay did his first fuck?"
"Shut up, moron!"
Smiling, Peter says, "Accidents do happen!"
After yawning, Jay says, like inconsequential, "Just don't go and make him pregnant, Peter!"
Rest of the night, after the trio came inside, Jake was amazed Peter liked watching `Star Trek', could imitate every male officer on the brig.
Jay fell asleep.
When morning came, Jay went to stretch, finding himself pinned down by Jake's feet, "Yech!" he pushes them out of the cradle of his chest.
It immediately woke Jake up, though arms folded across his chest, causes him to roll down Peter's thighs and legs like a waterfall, "He-ey-ey-ey, dude!"
"Someone say something?" Peter wakes, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Yeah, I was just about to say something about Jake's stinky feet under my nose!" Jay chuckles.
"Good thing we moved the coffee table," Jake says, kneeling on the floor.
Not something a guy can hide, Jay says, "You better hurry up and go if you gotta go, bro!"
They, Peter and Jake, had put away quite a few bottles of ale last night, "Oh yeah!" he jumps up, like Jay had to tell Jake he had to tinkle!
"How come you guys didn't sleep in the bedroom?" Jay asks.
Peter, getting up, firming up the sofa pillow his arm slept on, "We weren't sure `watching you' meant whether dead or alive!"
"As you can tell, I'm very much alive and ready to `go', hint?"
A bigger hint, Peter found Jay's chair and rolls it close to the sofa, "So? Go!"
"I'm not falling for that one, literally!" Jay remarks.
"This time," Peter, on the sly, says, "I remembered to put the brake on."
"Oh," Jay replies, looking up at Peter's honest face. "Um, aren't you gonna help me?"
"Nope!" Peter stands there, arms folded, slightly below those lovely, hairy pecs, revealing a glimpse of red nips.
"Very well," Jay focuses up to reality, placing one foot and then the other on the floor.
From gym perspective, Peter says, "Just like jumping into the foam pit."
"Sure," Jay says smart-asses, "only, without the foam."
It was tricky and for the first time getting from the sofa into the chair, Peter coached.
Launching, a perfect landing, "Oh my god! I did it!"
He would've high-5ed Peter, except Jay was holding on for dear life.
"Except..."
"What?" Peter asks, giving Jay his undivided attention, Jake returning.
"What's up?"
"You wouldn't believe it," Jay prepares his friend, "I just jumped from the sofa into the chair."
"Really?" Jake replies, showing something like enthusiasm, happy Jay has made progress. "That's so cool!"
"What would be cooler is, if you moved out of my way!"
Making his point moot, Jay also made his move, rolling towards Jake.
"You almost hit me!"
Peter jokes, "He would have, too!"
"Really?" Jakes confronts Peter.
"No, but when you get all dramatic like that..." Peter left off his true feelings.
Jake presses for facts, "What about it?"
Shrugging one shoulder, Peter says, "It's just a way about you, how you conduct yourself," he didn't want to mention how cute Jake looked!
Knowing Peter avoided the issue, Jake changes the subject, "So, who was it who fell asleep first last night, you or me?"
"Before or after you made like you were folding your arms, but your hand accidentally fell into my crotch?"
"Oh, I guess that means I fell asleep first?"
"Okay," Peter says, smiling, "I just wanted to make sure it was an accident!"
Looking up, even though it was just about time for the cock to crow, sees water beads on the windows, "Oh man, looks like my morning surf is a wipeout."
Walking over to where Jake stare out the window, Peter sums up, "Looks like it's going to be a wipeout for the handicapped brigade at the gym this morning."
"Well, that doesn't mean `I' don't have a job to do," Jake says.
Very well knowing, every morning, as Jay used to do before his accident, Jake, up at the crack of dawn to surf, wheels in, saying, "No surfing? Bummer!"
"I know," Jake says, turning from the window, "but I've started something new."
"What's that?" Jay asks, looking around, wondering where Peter has been off to.
"Running, when it's raining. At least it's keeping me in shape. And," Jake smiles.
Surveying his bud, with hardly any clothes on, Jay says, "I thought I noticed some more meat on those bones!"
"Do you really think so?" Jake tries to pop a bicep. Something else, well `someone else' was on his mind, "Um, about the running?" he couldn't wait to tell.
"What about it?"
"You're so mundane, bro. Couldn't you tell there was something else about me?"
Rolling over, looking closer, Jay studies his friend's bod, "Uh yeah, you've got more than the treasure trail," stares up Jake to his face, "is that it?"
"You're pathetic, bro. I've met a lifeguard on the beach. We got to talkin' and we go running every morning now."
"You're not surfing, like we used to?"
Jake missed those days too, especially the summer after graduation, when grief had gripped both of them, "No. That was `our thing'. With Dustin, we run and then I surf a little if I'm into it. Most of the time I follow him back to the Lifeguard station."
Right now, all was water under the bridge, Jay picking up on it, "Dustin? You met a sexy lifeguard?"
About to tell, Peter comes in, a tray in hand, carrying three mugs, "I hope I didn't make too much racket in the kitchen."
"Why?" Jay asks, "Is there anyone else here besides us three?"
"I don't know," Peter honestly says. "I didn't hear anyone come in last night. You, Jake?"
Joking, but being realistic, Jake says, "Was that before or after my hand dropped in your junk?"
"Wha-a-a-at?" Jay's ears picked up almost as fast as Thor's.
Seeing the dog as a buyout, Peter says, "I think your mongrel has to go out."
"I'll do it," Jake volunteers.
Not which he didn't have the confidence, only he's never seen Jake with an animal, besides one of the wild dudes they used to hang out with, "Jake, do you even know about walking a dog?"
"Don't be so mundane. Where do you think Joey dumped Thor half the time?"
Wondering, Jay asks, "Where?"
Picking up the leash, poop-bag, Jake replies, "Have you met our mascot at Warrior One yet?!"
With Jake out the door, Jay asks, "I don't remember seeing Thor at Warrior One. Do you, Peter?"
Sitting, sipping, Peter replies, "He's confined to the reception area. I have to admit, your friend is very good with discipline."
"Really?" Jay asks. "Are we talking about the same Jake?"
Regardless, for the next interval of their morning, they talked about what they were going to do today.
"Are you going to work?" Jay asks.
"That would depend on you!"
"Oh. Right. Forget it then. You're not going to work!" Jay makes up Peter's mind for him.
"I still have to touch base with Sean."
Smiling, Jay passes the buck, "Can't you just tell Jake and he can tell Sean?"
"I can do that," Peter smiles.
Jay asks, "What?" thinking there's more.
"What do you normally do on a rainy day?"
"Um," Jay thinks, "watch Tv and then... watch more Tv and then... well if Thor is here I toss the ball for him, then... watch Tv?"
"Sounds like you have an exciting day planned?"
"Life isn't too exciting when it's a possibility, if the chair gets wet, it could rust."
"I'm surprised you haven't gotten one of those new fan-dangled ones?" Peter asks.
"I was. I did. Same day it was delivered, it was sitting outside the house and then the house fell into itself," Jay motions, hand overtaking hand, "deep-sixing the package with it. Jare has promised getting me a new one, but...he gets busy, you know?"
House falling in was another story, a short one, which brought up the fact, Jared having a hurricane-ravaged home on the ocean side of the island remodeled.
"Is that where you plan to live? With him?" Peter asks, a tinge of nervousness causing a shiver.
Unsure of anything right now, Jay shrugs his shoulders, "Jare didn't say."
Peter spruces up Jay's sudden dip in attitude, "Banking on what you told me about how close you two are, I doubt it very much he hasn't included you in his plans."
"I suppose," Jay's spirits did lift some.
For the past couple of hours, he was surprised Peter hung around so much. Like Jared had promised, having others who have stayed by his side, or followed him around, knew the caretaker had a monetary stake in it. There on his own free will, Peter was hanging out with him. I felt good, but Jay was a little paranoid, over how people seemed to come in the front door of his life and left by the backdoor, never seeing them again.
Still thinking of himself as extra baggage, for any guy, he asks, "What would you be doing all day long, if it was raining like this and you knew your...your subject wasn't going to show up?"
"Um, subject? You make it sound like I'm a painter!"
Peter chuckles.
Jay smiles, "I forget what you call me."
"Well, they told us at the gym, to avoid pinning names like subject' on those who were there for the therapy, refer to them as clients'." Then switching his gaze to the window, "You know, it's not that bad out."
Looking up, a horrid disguise on his face, Jay says, "You're not suggesting we go out in this weather?"
To answer his question, Jake busts in the door, screaming, "Trust me, you don't want to go out there in that monsoon!"
Being it the tail end of June, summer heating up fast, a rainy day out was not all that frigid. Reason enough for Jake to throw on a pair of boardshorts over his speedo and a surf-tee. Soaked, water dripped off his Quiksilver bushwhacker hat like from the roof to a gutter.
"Nonsense," Peter's eyes remained glued to Jake, as he threw the hat back, lanyard catching on his throat, only to decide that stripping the tee off overhead...that wasn't such a great decision?
"Go help him, Peter," Jay calls out, seeing Jake caught up in his shirt, like he was water-boarding himself!
"If I must," Peter replies, walking over there.
Jay saw the smile, thinking of the pleasure Peter was going to receive, doing such a good deed!
"Back, back, back," Peter alerts Jake to him being there to help.
Jake replies, voice muffled, "I don't know how I managed this!"
"I do," Peter had seen it coming.
The second Jake had flexed the hat back and gone for the tails of his soaked tee, began lifting it above his bellyhole, Peter knew trouble lay ahead.
Right now, Peter felt like the real hero. Though, a bit of humor, knowing Jay was watching them like a hawk, he played up the situation, "First we smooth the shirt back down like this," he planes Jake's shirt down in the front and back, feeling half a pec, stiff nip...
"If I didn't know any better, I would think there's a reason why you came to my rescue?"
Jay looked on, like it was a presentation put on for his benefit.
Little did Jay know, Peter had just winked and muttered, "You think there's not a reason why Jay sent me over here?"
"Oh," Jake pretended to act like a dummy, "I should play along?"
In doing so, Peter swipes over Jay's tee-shirted chest again, and stomach, left hand over the back, while standing, chest to Jake's right shoulder, "Why, you're soaked through and through!"
At which point Jake does what he should have done in the first place, removes the surf hat, "There. That should do it. Maybe I should get some help this time through?"
Like, they thought Jay would be surprised by their moves, he wasn't, smiling as Jake lifts his arms high in the air.
Peter grabs the shirt he just smoothed over Jake's pecs and abs, tearing it off overhead, "That should do it!"
Jay doubly knew they were faking him out, when Jake stands there, arms stretched so high, his dark pits were in full view! He yells over, "Hey moron, you can put your arms down now!"
"I knew that!" Jake closes up his pits.
While the two former high school buds chattered away with mocking banter, Peter `breathed in' the beauty of Jake's wet chest, for all of a half minute, before Jake dropped his arms and walked away.
"Thanks for thanking me," Peter stands with hands on hips.
"Oh," Jake slightly turns back, "Yeah, thanks!"
Coming over to the chair, Jake leans both hands on the arm, softly says, "I think I got Peter going!"
Standing, for the sole purpose of high-5-ing it, the clap of hands makes Thor bark!
Peter was glad, to break the monotony of knowing the hand gesture had something to do with him, "I think Thor wants out of his leash, unless you intend on going out again, getting soaked up and having me be your knight in shining armor?"
"That's okay," Jake says, "I don't think I can take it!"
After that, Jake alerts them to feeling a chill, needing to shower.
Releasing Thor from his leash, Peter grabs a dish towel to wipe the canine off.
Right near his chair, Jay says, "I wonder if a hot shower is enough to warm Jake up?"
"Don't think for one moment," Peter says, down on one knee, "that I don't get what you're doing?"
"What am I doing?" Jay acts skeptical.
"You want me to go in there, throw Jake a line like," Peter gets dramatic, "`I hope you're alright in there?' and then the way you're mind is thinking it, I'll step in the shower and..."
"What are you waiting for, Peter?" Jay throws his hands up!
Still on his knee, like proposing, even though Thor is seeking out his doggie dish, Peter says, "Look, I'm not going to..."
The words Peter picked out, `become good fuck-buddies with Jake', just to get some kind of three-way relationship going, didn't sit with him well, sounding too harsh, dirty...
"Sit here all day," Peter gets up, "while Thor goes hungry!"
"What?" Jay looked down on the situation, shaking his head, watching Peter walk towards the kitchen. In his mind, this should have kept on topic, Jake.
Always something or someone interjecting thought at the wrong time, it was kind of a miracle, two things in collision, "Ah-h-h-h-h, that felt good!"
That was Jake's words, coming out from the shower, towel around his waist.
Jared, entering from the corner of the kitchen, had a black pair of Nouguet briefs. Instead of felt good', his good feeling was described as awesome!'
"Oh Jake!" Jared exclaims, "When did you get here?"
Because he knew Jared well enough, Jake responds, "While you and your fuck-buddy were rockin' the shack out back?"
Even though the lewd comments, they met halfway and reacted to the deep friendship, hugging.
Of course, Jared tries wiggling Jake's towel loose!
"Forget it, buddy," Jake feels the slippage, "how long have I known you?"
Glancing to Jay, Peter remarks, "I'd sure like to get me some of that!"
"Okay," Jay confesses, "so I set you up."
Hand on hip, Jared asks, "Damn it! All that rockin' in the shack...what did I miss?"
"Not enough," Jake laughs his compact ass off!
Staying clear of the subject, Peter asks, "Coffee anyone?"
For now, what could have alluded to a Nifty porn novel, stray off course and onto what was up for the day.
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Copyright 2015 T. Chase McPhee
FiRE iSLAND BiKiNiS, and developing segments of this story, may not be sold, nor made part of any collection, without prior consent from the author.