Lawn Boy, Chapter 4
The minute his morning classes were over, Perrin went to the bank with the key to the safe-deposit box, and his savings account number. He might miss lunch by the time he opened a new account at another institution, but it was worth it. He didn't trust leaving a large check in an unattended car, even securely locked in the trunk. Cars like his tended to attract thieves.
He carefully searched through the box so as not to miss anything. His car title, passport, and a couple of collectable coins he'd been given by his grandfather, John, were there too. He also found his life insurance policy which he could cash in for extra money if he were desperate. With those things stuffed in his backpack, he went to the teller's window and withdrew all but $20 from his account. He was afraid that if he were to close it out completely, the bank might notify his mother.
Quickly, he drove to a nearby savings and loan where he opened a new account solely in his name.
He had operated efficiently enough to have time to go to the McDonald's drive-up window and grab a burger and fries to eat on the way back to campus. It wasn't his first choice, but it would keep his stomach from rubbing against his backbone until he could get a snack after class.
His concentration in the afternoon was better than it had been in the morning, despite the fact that he arrived, panting, just before his class began.
Now that Perrin had done all he could to prepare for the worst, he was a lot more at ease. He would no longer look over his shoulder to see if he was being followed. He would come and go as he pleased with Liam, and the devil take the hindmost!
He grinned as he realized he was using an old expression his grandpa had loved. It had delighted John Dibel to piss off his sanctimonious son-in-law by quoting things that had the word "hell" or "devil" in them.
Thinking of him made Perrin nostalgic. Grandpa had passed away three years ago, but Grandma was still alive and in possession of her faculties. He made the decision to visit her over the weekend, and take Liam with him if possible. Perrin was pretty sure that he could count on his grandmother to be in his corner when he came out to the rest of the family. If Liam were amenable, they could tell her about their budding relationship. They had to start somewhere.
At the end of Tuesday's classes, Perrin drove Liam to Holub Motors to complete the deal on his pickup. It was a proud moment for Liam to be able to pay cash for it. Having no payments meant that he wouldn't feel strapped for money, so long as he had enough income for insurance and gas.
Perrin took several photos of his friend, smiling, as he stood by his pickup. It was the first thing of value that Liam possessed, and his expression was one of pure joy.
Liam's parents invited Perrin over for supper that night to celebrate the new truck. The males in the household inspected it from stem to stern, while Cindy took pictures of them. She admired it briefly, but to her, the purpose of any vehicle was to carry a person and/or goods from point A to point B, and its value beyond that wasn't a big deal.
The guys had to check out such things as horse-power, traction control, ABS, mag wheels, and the like. While they appreciated its functionality, they tended to have more of an emotional attachment to vehicles than their female counterparts. For males, the appeal was the freedom they provided, and the status they bestowed upon their owners. Boys and their toys!
Liam and Perrin found it difficult to rely only on texting for maintaining their connection during the days they didn't have reason to be together. They managed to meet more often at the student union, or some out-of-the-way spot on campus. After they discovered a private spot under the bleachers by the sports field, they met there to make out on occasion. It wasn't a safe place to take care of their sexual desires, but it did provide for some serious bonding.
On Wednesday morning, Liam received a message asking if he were up to some mowing and blowing after class. It was accompanied by a closeup of Perrin's tenting shorts. Liam responded quickly in the affirmative.
Around 4:00, he pushed the remote button on his rearview mirror that Perrin had set to the code of their privacy gate to gain access to the property. Now he could come and go as he pleased. He promptly closed the gate again, knowing Perrin was already home.
As always, they played in the pool after the lawn was finished. Then came the "blowing" part after they showered off the chlorine.
Thoroughly relaxed, they treated themselves to Chinese at The Dragon Restaurant.
The boys mowed earlier than usual on Saturday morning. They started the minute they could without its being socially unacceptable. That got them through the shower, and more than halfway to Grandma's house before lunch.
They might have had a slightly quicker start on their trip had they showered separately, but they were hungry for each other and horny as hell.
Near the halfway point, there was a McDonald's just off the highway which provided a convenient stopping place. Perrin was certain that his grandmother would have had them for lunch, but he didn't want to inconvenience her, and by the time they got to her house, he would have been starving.
They made the trip in Liam's pickup. It would have been fun to have driven Perrin's Audi with the top down, but he knew his lover wanted to try out his new ride. The truck handled very well on the road, and was a lot quieter than an open car for carrying on a conversation.
Perrin's grandmother became Liam's instant friend when they met. She hugged him as if he were her own.
"It's not every day an old lady gets to entertain two handsome young men!" she chuckled. "It's also rare to have them without the parent generation around to stifle our conversation."
"Liam's parents aren't suffocating," Perrin grinned.
"Sorry, Liam, I don't know them, so I didn't mean to include them in my remarks. I do know my daughter and Perrin's father quite well. They're the ones I was thinking of."
"Okay Grandma, what is it you want to say without the rest of my family here?"
"I'm getting more and more weary of listening to your father spout off about anyone who isn't just like him. He's spreading hate in the name of religion, and that's not right. Therefore, I've changed my will so it skips that generation entirely. If I leave anything to your mother, she'll just give it to him, and he'll use it to try to force his ideas on others. So, you and your siblings will divide it equally. Now that you're of majority age, I want you to be the executor because I trust you to be fair. If you agree to it, my lawyer will make a house call this afternoon and you can sign the papers. He'll bring a notary, so it can all be done at once."
"Of course, I'll do what you want, but I need to confess something first, so you know everything about me. It's the main reason I came to see you today, to tell you face to face. I'm not like my father and my brother. I'm gay. Now, if you want to wait a few years for Max to become an adult, I will fully understand. If you cut me out of the will, that's your prerogative too."
"Goodness child! You're way more transparent than anyone in the government. My decision hasn't been changed by your revelation. It's really more of an affirmation than a revelation anyway. In her emails, your mother has been telling me that your father suspects you might be `turning' gay. He feels it's because of a certain young man you've been hanging around with. I have no problem with your orientation at all. You are as God made you."
Big tears of relief rolled down Perrin's cheeks as Grandma embraced him again, and Liam hugged him from behind.
"Liam, may I be so bold as to assume that you might be the young man in question, and might be in love with Perrin?"
"Yes, ma-am."
"This is wonderful. I would say it's "awesome," but I read that millennials aren't using that word anymore."
"Some of us still do," he grinned, as he embraced her too. "And I have to say that you're awesome!"
"Well, come on in. It's too hot for us old folks to be out here in the driveway. I have fresh-baked brownies in the kitchen. Perrin said you were stopping for lunch on the way, but I have things in the fridge we could get out if you're hungry for something more substantial."
Florence Dibel brought out fresh peaches, sliced watermelon, iced tea, and milk in addition to the brownies. Despite having had a fairly full lunch, the guys couldn't resist a peach and some melon. They chose iced tea for their beverage. Of course, the brownies were also irresistible.
Before she sat down with them for a longer visit, she called Mr. Sheffield to bring over the papers making Perrin her executor. She wasn't going to waste the opportunity to have her legal affairs in order in case anything happened to her.
With the additional time involved in dealing with the paperwork, their visit with Grandma seemed to fly by. The guys could have spent another hour or two without feeling like it had been long enough. However, they were also eager to get back to Perrin's house for the usual pool fun they'd missed.
At their parting, Grandma Flo hugged both boys again, and handed Perrin a small envelop which she said he mustn't open until he got home. He was curious, but promised to respect her wishes.
"What-cha doin'" Liam asked when Perrin went into the coat closet by the front door the minute they returned to his house.
"I'm turning off the security cameras like I always do before we go swimming naked."
"I know you mentioned it before, but I never thought much about the camera. I suppose a place as fancy as this needs security."
"It does, but it's `cameras' plural. There are several so all sides of the house are covered. My father takes no chances."
"So, does it store up info for a long time?"
"Nope, my dad's too cheap to pay for more gigs of storage. This records over after a week's worth. I suppose there's more room available when I disable it for our playtime, but I'm not an expert on these things.
"Wait, something's different! This isn't the same unit that was there this morning. Someone's been in the house. Damn! Now I really feel paranoid. I wonder who it was, and if my father will say anything about it in his weekly rant."
"Maybe the security company noticed that there were gaps in recording and assumed it was malfunctioning."
"I doubt they'd know that. This isn't part of their deal, and they couldn't get in without a key. Hmm... I'll bet the Bachmann's have a key. They're the only ones I know that my father might consider trustworthy enough. That makes me suspect it's Ted Bachmann who's been filling my dad in on my activities."
"If this equipment is new, do you think there might be additional cameras in the house?"
"If there are, I'd bet my room is under surveillance. Let's check it out."
The installation must have been a hasty one, because it didn't take the guys more than a couple of minutes to spot the camera attached to the ceiling fan with a little piece of clear shipping tape. But it was tiny enough that it might have gone unnoticed had they not been searching. There were no wires to trace; however, Perrin went to the closest logical spot for a receiver to be located, and could see that things in his closet were slightly out of place. He soon found it there, plugged into an electrical outlet near the floor. He pulled it out and hit the "play" button. What they saw was a rather good quality video of a man's face, up close, standing on the bed checking the positioning of the camera, and then a scene of the two of them walking around the room.
"Old Ted is as dumb as his ugly daughter," Perrin giggled. "He should have erased the first part so he couldn't be spotted."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm not sure. This is an invasion of my privacy, and it's totally unacceptable, probably illegal. What if I'd been lying there jacking off? How many people might have had access to those images?
"I wonder if there are more in the house. It would be more difficult to spot them near the pool. There are lots of places to conceal them out there, even in trees."
"I guess that will cut out our skinny dipping," Liam frowned.
"Not necessarily. It might be fun to give him, or whoever, a show, unless you'd be embarrassed to do it. I mean, I can't ask you to bare it all to the world, but you have nothing to be ashamed of in the, um, dick department."
"Thanks, neither do you.
"Hey, I just had an inspiration. Since your privacy's been violated and you're uncomfortable about being here, why don't you move in with me right now? You know my family would love it."
"That's an awesome idea. Staying here now is gonna creep me out. I know I'm gonna get tossed as soon as they come home anyway."
"How long would it take us to pack up everything in your car and my pickup?"
"We might do it in a couple of hours if we got right on it. Are you sure this isn't too short a notice for your parents?"
"I'll call them immediately and find out."
Liam didn't put his phone on speaker, but his grinning face let Perrin know the gist of the response on the other end.
"Mom says if there isn't room enough in my closet, we could put our winter stuff in the guestroom closet. I don't think we'll have to since mine was meant for two people.
"She's going to make dinner in the oven so it can be held a bit if necessary.
"Dad says we should take the thumb-drive, or whatever the file is, out of the recorder so you have proof of Bachmann's involvement if you want to take him to court. He said to see if the security camera in the front picked up his movements. If so, we should grab that file too. It's possible you could get him into trouble, and maybe get a monetary settlement for emotion distress."
Perrin had quite a few possessions, but most of his electronics were rather compact, and didn't require a lot of space in the car. The bed of Liam's pickup held his bicycle, and clothes. They threw underwear, socks, shoes, and the like in plastic garbage bags rather than pack them neatly in his luggage. They laid his dress outfits flat on top and put a tarp over all of it. He dumped the contents of his top dresser drawer into a box, and would sort those odd bits out later. The whole operation took only a little over an hour.
As he was about to lock up the house and set the alarm, Perrin decided to change the codes on the security system and the gate. Then, if anyone tried to get in, it would send an alert to the company. He reprogrammed the systems in both of their vehicles to recognize the new numbers for opening the gate.
Afterward, he heaved a sigh of relief. He would sleep more soundly knowing he'd made his escape. He was looking forward to his father's communication on Sunday afternoon with pleasure. Whether by text or voice, it would be fun to know he was playing the winning hand. He might not tell his family anything about his move and let them discover it when they came home. Of course, Ted would probably tell them that he wasn't around the house, but if his father brought it up, it would be obvious that he knew Perrin had been spied upon. This could be entertaining!
Perrin received a hero's welcome from Liam's family. An outside observer might have assumed he was a long-lost relative who had returned from the dead. Mom and Dad hugged him, and Kellan bumped fists because he wasn't into hugging as much.
Dinner didn't need to be held, and was served at the peak of perfection. It was a casserole containing sausage, summer squash, sour cream, and cheese that was real comfort food. Perrin appreciated it to no end.
Liam's family enjoyed hearing about the visit with Perrin's grandmother. They were glad to know that he had at least one close relative who had his back.
It reminded Perrin that he'd forgotten about the envelope because of the trauma of discovering the camera in his bedroom. He would have to get it out of Liam's pickup later.
Toward the end of their meal, Perrin let them know that he wasn't planning to be a freeloader.
"Once school starts, I'll be living in the dorm and eating there too, so I won't be a drain on your budget. If I were to give you $350 for the time leading up to it, would that be enough to cover my food?"
"Perrin," Loren said, "you don't have to give us anything for being our guest."
"But I do! I don't know how to calculate the additional utilities it will take to house me, but I do know something about food prices. I have to pay my own way."
"I'm sure that's a larger sum than necessary to cover your food," Cindy remonstrated. "As far as utilities go, it doesn't take more to heat and air-condition this amount of space with one extra body in it. And, if you shower together, it won't cost more in hot water!"
"M-o-o-o-m," Liam exclaimed.
"Oh, sorry, I was just trying to prove a point."
"You've made a good point, Ma," Perrin said. "I've always tried to conserve resources, and you've given me another incentive."
"And you're quick on your feet!" Cindy smiled. "I like that in a son-in-law."
A little later in the evening, Perrin retrieved the envelop from his grandmother. Inside was a note and a check for $2,000. The message meant more than the money.
"Dearest Perrin,
Because of what I've heard from your mother, I suspect you may soon be in need of financial assistance. Please use this small gift to help you continue your education. If you need more, please let me know. I don't want you graduating with a load of student loans to pay off.
Don't you dare refuse it or think of tearing it up!
I love you unconditionally,
Grandma Flo"
Perrin felt tears well up in his eyes. Grandma had suspected about his orientation and had written the check before he got there. Wow! It felt great to know he wasn't completely abandoned.
Before bedtime, the guys shared a shower.
"I'm glad Ma suggested we conserve hot water this way," Perrin grinned.
"She loved your response, and that you called her `Ma.' You're such a charmer! You could coax bees to give up their honey."
"Um, could I sweet-talk a little honey out of you?"
"I'd consider a swap."
"You always have the best solutions. We both ate quite a few strawberries for dessert, so our cum should have a sweet flavor."
"Sweet or savory, I love whatever you offer me."
Once out of the shower and dry, they cuddled in bed, making out until they were about to burst. It didn't take much 69-action to trip their triggers. Then, they shared the sticky nectar in a series of deep kisses.
Despite his distressing discovery in the late afternoon that precipitated his move, Perrin slept better than he had since the last time they'd shared a bed. He felt safe, and he felt loved.
Author's notes: Thanks to Derrick M, Max P, Jim W, Wayne, Tony C, Jim M, Randy Mac, John L, Tony F, Eric F, Walter Sz, Caleb, Vedang S, Geoff S, Hotrod, Joe W, Bill K, Tom A, Jim M, Gordon, Ron H, Vern, Ott H, John McD, Frank K, Mendy D, Jack, David B, Josh R, Jeremy R, Tim T, Paul R, and Paul F who contacted m this past week. I appreciate your encouragement.
For my USA readers, have a good Thanksgiving!
Love and peace,
David