I felt very well-rested as I awoke the next morning. I looked to my right and saw Tanner's alarm clock which read "9am". I bolted upright as I realized he wasn't in bed with me, then saw his gym shorts in the floor and realized he must be doing chores. I jumped up, put my clothes on, and ran outside without even messing with my hair.
"Babe, don't run, you'll excite the horses." Tanner laughed as I ran right by him.
"S-sorry." I panted. "I overslept." I said.
"Somethin' tells me you wouldn't wake up at 9am on any weekend." he said.
"Are you making fun of me, mister?" I poked him in the side.
"You know I cain't resist." he winked at me. Whereas I was still wearing wrinkled clothes from yesterday, Tanner was wearing some dirt stained jeans, some brown work boots, a tanktop, and a greasy looking brown ball cap that said `Teskey's' on it. I assumed it was just some brand related to rodeo. Whatever it was, it looked good on him. I was slightly envious; Tanner actually looked hot in this dirty, beat up clothing whereas I'd just look like a bum if it had been on me. Of course, Tanner would probably disagree.
"So hey, Davis and them wanna meet up and go to the lake later today. You wanna go?" he asked me.
"Sounds fun. I'm down for whatever." I said.
"Damn kid, if I asked ya to jump off a bridge with me you probably would." he said.
"First off, kid'? Look bubba', you're only a year older than me." I got chest to chest with Tanner, who towered over me at 6'4. "Secondly, I like going with the flow." I looked up at him with narrowed eyes.
"Calm down tiger, I was just kiddin'. Besides, you sure you wanna buck up to me? Keep it up and I'll bust your ass so bad you'll be wishin' you'd stayed in bed this mornin'." he smirked down at me.
"We'll see who's wishing they'd stayed home when I'm dunking your ass underwater at the lake later." I winked at him.
"If you dunk me, it's over. I don't care how cute you look in a pair of swimmin' trunks," he said reassuringly. "Now let me turn these horses loose and we'll get somethin' to eat."
I watched Tanner lead the two horses he had with him into the pasture where the other horses were galloping when his red heeler, Bud, ran up to me. As usual, his paws were filthy and as usual, he jumped up on me because he wanted a kiss. Bud seemed to love me. I would go so far as to say that he liked me more than Tanner liked me. Tanner had told me that Bud was usually aggressive to strangers, but he treated me like I was the one who fed him. I didn't mind the attention right now. It's not like the clothes I was wearing were clean anyway.
"Bud, get down!" Tanner yelled out as he was walking to where I was. Bud instantly laid down next to me and Tanner mumbled, "Crazy dog."
"C'mon, I know you're hungry. You eat more than anybody I know." Tanner said to me.
"Says the guy who was eating a 20 oz steak the first day I met him!" I said incredulously.
"Babe, you oughta know by now that I could eat my entire weight in steak and still want more. Let's get cleaned up and see if Davis and Amy wanna meet us somewhere for food." he said as he lead us into the house.
"Mind if I shower first?" he asked me.
"Tanner, you just got done doing chores for 4 hours straight in the Oklahoma heat.. that shouldn't even be a question." I said.
"Well, I figure it's too early for me to be TELLIN' you what's gonna happen.. gotta let you think you have some choice left. You know." he grinned.
"I hope you're kidding." I said, only half-seriously.
"Shut up. You know I am. Read a book or somethin' while I wash off this hard work." he imitated a seductive gesture of running his hand through his hair, exposing his sweaty armpit before entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.
A normal person would have said, Gross!' or Ew! Take a shower!', but if anything, I wanted to tell him, `You don't have to shower.' Then again, I wasn't normal, but something told me that Tanner wasn't either.
Furthermore, I was pretty sure that short of newspaper clippings telling of his victories in bullriding competitions, and old PBR scores, there was nothing in Tanner's room that I could read except random signs like the one that said "Cowboy Up!".
About five minutes later, it suddenly hit me that I had to piss. Tanner had this thing where it only took him a few minutes to take a shower. Must be a country boy thing where he isn't concerned about relaxing in the hot water, or maybe he just didn't see the need to waste time. Regardless, the water was off and he was presumably drying off, but I couldn't hold it and I felt too awkward to use his parents' bathroom.
I knocked on the door and asked, "Tanner, can I come in? I really have to pee."
"Tyler, you ain't a stranger to me. Come on in." I entered his bathroom and found Tanner in front of his mirror with only a towel on around his waist. I stood there a second before moving towards the toilet to piss.
"What, like somethin' you see?" he joked.
"Maybe." I said, playfully tweaking his nipple and copping a feel of his hard pec.
"I'm just awestruck, that's all." I said.
"Babe, you act like I'm a Greek god. I'm just a farmboy." Tanner said.
"Tanner, look at me. You...," I started, running my hand up and down the length of his arm, and then over his chest, then finally I knelt down and felt his firm, thick calf muscles as he looked down at me. "...you are not just a farmboy." My hands shook slightly as butterflies soared through my stomach again.
"Guess you do like somethin' you see." He smiled as he looked down at my jeans, where a boner was visibly growing.
"I'm so sorry." I said as I turned my back to him.
"Hey, you ain't the only one. Ain't never had a guy touch my muscles like that." he said, and I noticed a bulge forming at the front of his towel.
I stood back a bit and started to say something, but I couldn't find the words. I felt so embarrassed.
But then he slowly grabbed my hands and pushed me against the wall. "You need to quit bein' so fuckin' cute," he whispered into my ear. "`cause if you don't, I'm gonna let my hormones take control." he finished by kissing my earlobe and then my mouth.
"What happens when your hormones take control?" I asked. And again, I couldn't help but coax him. It was so fun firing him up.
"Why don't we just put it this way," he started as he squeezed my hands harder and flexed his triceps. "I don't get tired easily." he whispered.
"Didn't you have to piss? I'll shut the door behind me, babe. Hurry up and shower, `cause Davis and Amy are waitin' at Vinnie's Diner." Tanner said abruptly with a smile as he let go of my hands and allowed me to move again.
I stood there alone in the bathroom, wonderstruck. My mind flashed first to how strong Tanner's muscles felt, and how easily he had held me up against the wall, and how quickly he could cause some damage if he wanted. `I don't get tired easily.' Just recounting those words made me involuntarily shake, half with excitement and half with almost fearful anticipation.
I thought about last night where he had told me `I ain't never gonna hurt you and you better don't forget that'. And I shook myself; Tanner would never do anything I wasn't comfortable with. He had told me that, and so far he had lived up to his country boy persona and kept his word about everything.
Then I thought about how embarrassing it was that I had gotten hard, but how I found it comforting somehow that Tanner had gotten a woody too. And even more, how he found me nearly irresistible, or so it seemed. I personally didn't think I was that attractive, but Tanner must have seen something in me that I didn't see in myself.
I quickly showered and cleaned up, and I found Tanner wearing a black tank top with crimson red swimming trunks on that had the Texas Longhorns' horns turned upside down on the ass. I couldn't help but laugh.
"I dare a Texan to say somethin' to me." he jested. "Anyway, you got some trunks at your house? We can swing by so you can change before goin' to eat." he said as he stood up.
"Yeah, I do. Let's get going. I'm starved."
We walked to his truck when I noticed Tanner was wearing flip flops.
"A country boy wearing flip flops? That's something you don't see every day." I smirked.
"Hey, would you rather me be wearin' rain boots? Hell, them cowboy boots may look good but they can be uncomfortable as shit. Besides, don't be knockin' my flip flops `cause I brought you some too, and you ain't gonna be laughin' if I take them away and you gotta walk on the sharp rocks at the lake." he said, almost proudly.
"Careful, don't get your blood pressure going or there won't be any swimming for us, just a visit to the ER."
"You're full of it today aren't ya? I guess you gotta be to counter my sarcastic attitude." he looked over at me and winked.
"Damn straight." I nodded.
"That probably ain't the best word to use." We both laughed as we pulled onto my street. My parents were home as we entered the house. I tried to tell Tanner to stay inside the truck and I'd just be in and out, but he refused. `No, that's rude.'
So he came inside with me and my mom came into the living room from the kitchen. "Oh, there's my long lost son." she said as she approached me with a hug.
"Hi, Mom." I smiled tersely.
"How are you, Tanner?" she turned to Tanner, who immediately took off his hat and smiled at her.
"I'm fine, ma'am, what about yourself?" he gave her a smile that'd melt any parent's heart to which she simply replied, "I'm great. I hope you two aren't causing any trouble, roaming the streets doing who knows what." she said half-jokingly, half-seriously.
"Never." we said together. She just shook her head and walked back to the kitchen where she was doing dishes.
I went upstairs to my room and got my swimming trunks, which were a light blue color with white stripes. They didn't really mean anything like Tanner's did, I just liked the way they looked.
"Okay, let's go." I said to Tanner, who was standing in my doorway.
"Ain't you gonna put those on?" he asked.
"Now?"
"I got mine on don't I? C'mon, if you wait till later when we're around everyone then I cain't mess with you." he grinned.
I wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that, but I turned my back to him and dropped my jeans and briefs anyway, replacing them with my trunks which rode a little low on me.
"Look at that, city boy has an ass after all." Tanner joked as he pushed me onto the bed with one arm. He put his arms around me and rolled us around the bed, then nuzzled his nose into mine. "You're so cute." he said to me, twiddling my ears as if I were a kid.
"Shut up," I said, pushing him off of me. "Tanner, I swear that if we don't go eat now my body's going to start devouring what little muscle mass I have for energy."
"Don't be so dramatic, little man. We'll get you some food in your tummy." he said, rubbing a rough hand across my smooth stomach.
He lead the way out and said, "Why don't we take your car?"
"Why?" I asked. If there was anything Tanner loved, it was his truck. "I thought you hated cars?"
"I do, but I like yours. Besides, I'm always drivin' and I don't want you to forget how. Oh and plus, your car probably gets triple the gas mileage mine does, and we'll be going about 13 miles outside of town." he said.
I peered at him curiously. "I don't care either way. Let me grab my keys." I turned around to go back inside the house. Without turning around, I called out, "Stop staring."
"Sorry babe, I'm a man." he called back out. I came out with my keys and watched, amused, as Tanner climbed into my 2-door Civic. At 6'4, I could understand why Tanner preferred trucks.
"Does this mean you're warming up to my foreign car?" I nudged him. When we had first met, he had expressed his distaste for anything that wasn't a Dodge. That was an exaggeration, but he did tell me he wasn't big on Hondas.
"Maybe so. It ain't given you trouble yet I guess. But ain't no way you're gettin' me in a Kia or those fuckin' Fiats. Only reason I halfway like Hondas is `cause they've been around for so long." he leaned back in his seat and let his hat droop over his eyes.
"Don't tell me you're going to sleep, Mr. `I get up at the crack of dawn and I'm proud of it'." I said.
"Hey now, I ain't sleepin'! I'm just restin' my eyes, and you're gonna inhale a lot of water at the lake, I'm just warnin' ya." I saw a smile flicker from the corner of his lips.
"I'm not scared." I said as we pulled into the diner's parking lot. Davis's truck was already there, but besides that, it was pretty much dead. All the seniors who got their morning coffee must have already left, and the lunch crowd hadn't arrived yet.
"Look at y'all." Amy and Davis said as we walked in, sitting at the booth they were in. They, unlike us, were in regular street clothes.
"Aren't y'all goin' swimmin'?" Tanner asked them confusingly.
"Yeah but we're changin' once we get there. Y'all look like somethin' out of Hollywood walkin' around in y'all's swimmin' trunks." Davis grinned at us as the waitress walked up to our table. Tanner looked like he was about to say something really mean, but with the waitress standing there, he bit his tongue. Deep down he was a respectable guy who didn't want to offend bystanders.. too much.
We all had sweet teas. It was too early for pop anyway. "Do you think there'll be many people there?" I asked.
"Tonight maybe, but everyone's probably hung over from the after party last night." Amy said.
"And y'all ain't?" Tanner looked at them suspiciously.
"We didn't get too drunk last night. Dani and Taylor, on the other hand.." Amy's voice trailed off.
"They might not make it." Davis finished for her.
"Shame. They'll be missin' out. I've heard the water's just right." Tanner said.
We all ordered lunch food, and of course Tanner ordered two meals instead of just one. That boy could eat like no other. And I wondered how he was so stocky? Though I felt my insides literally pounding away against the walls of my stomach, I knew I'd barely be able to finish my meal. I had the curse of having a small stomach, so I had to eat like every 3 or 4 hours whereas someone like Tanner could eat once and not have to eat again for like 6 or 7 hours. It was freaky. Of course he usually ate more often than that. `These muscles ain't gonna feed themselves!' You would think he was a bodybuilder by the way he described himself, but I'll give him that his strength seemed to surpass that of a grown man's.
Tanner bought my meal and said with a wink, "Next one's on you." He said that often, but I soon realized that it was always as a joke. I never asked, but Tanner always insisted on paying no matter where we went. Of course, that was a good thing seeing that I hadn't been able to find a job in Broken Bow yet. Tanner made a lot of money shoeing horses and from bullriding competitions, something he was proud to tell me soon after we first started dating.
"We'll see y'all there." Davis told us as he and Amy got into his truck. Tanner and I got into -- well, I stepped into the car, he kind of clambered in -- the vehicle and we hit Highway 259 headed towards Broken Bow Lake.
"Hey.." Tanner started.
I looked over at him and asked, "What's up?"
"You better not dunk me." he said.
I was kind of taken aback. I didn't know whether to tell Tanner he sounded pathetic or that his ass was going down. "Okay, I won't." I said reassuringly.
"HAHA you think you can dunk me? Just kiddin' city boy!" he hit another double bicep pose and I rolled my eyes at him.
"I am so dating a douchebag." I said, keeping my direction faced straight ahead onto the road.
"Ain't no one a douchebag! When you're from the country, it's called bein' ornery." he grinned at me. "Besides, you gotta admit it was funny." he said, reaching out to twiddle my ear again.
"You're going down. That's all I'm saying." I tried not to smile because I wanted to make him think I was angry but I couldn't help but let a grin crack from my lips.
"Really?" he asked, putting a warm hand around my bicep. His hand engulfed it and he continued to ask, "Are these muscles gonna hurt me? You gonna take me down, tiger?"
I looked at him and growled playfully while flexing the bicep he was holding.
"Oh damn, I think I felt a small jump. Maybe your bone moved!" he said with dramatic astonishment.
"Bones can't move, you dumb hick. Muscles move them for us." I said matter-of-factly.
"Yea, you'd know a lot about that huh? With all the muscle you have and all. And `dumb' hick? That ain't what you was sayin' this mornin' when you was feelin' up my calves." he kicked off his flip flops and set his feet on the dashboard. I glanced over to see his thick calves lazily flexed. He crossed his feet and nonchalantly said, "So after I wear you out tonight, I think you're gonna give me another foot massage. I know a good backroad I can throw you around at."
"Don't play around. What if I don't want to touch your stinky feet?" I challenged.
"Oh, did I forget to mention the part where you could choose not to? Oh naw, that isn't an option. What I say goes. Unless you wanna argue?" he said as calmly as he could without actually threatening me.
"Whatever." I said. There were only a few miles to go before I could get out of this car and hit him in the face.. if I could reach him, that was.
"Relax. You know ain't nothin' gonna happen to you." he ran a finger down the side of my head and lazily played with my ear. "And you know these rockhard calves will only work for you, not against you. Never know when I'm gonna have to chase down some fucker who done did you wrong." He gave me a kiss on the cheek and a look that I couldn't deny.
"Rock hard? You don't think that's a bit far?" I asked.
"I dunno. You tell me, cause you're the one who felt em this mornin'. I sure didn't feel no fat jiggle though."
I rolled down the window and inhaled dramatically.
"What in the hell are you doin'?" he asked.
"Trying to get some fresh air. Your bigheadedness is taking up all the oxygen in the car." I said.
He looked at me with his mouth halfway open, then suddenly looked ahead and said, "Thank God we're here." We pulled off near the edge of the lake where only a few other cars were parked off in the distance, and reunited with Davis and Amy who had somehow beaten us there.
Amy looked awesome in her bathing suit. She wasn't wearing like a two piece like I had thought she would, as most girls would have. She was in a short, white skirt and a bikini top. I doubted my homosexuality for a minute as she gave me a hug. Only kidding..
We walked to the shore of the lake and I was sure as hell thankful that Tanner had brought a pair of flip flops for me. Davis and Amy were actually wearing watershoes, making me think they were about to swim a marathon. They resembled human flippers, but I had to admit they looked more comfortable than these flip flops. At least I wasn't having to walk on my toes on the hard rocks, I thought to myself as I looked down at the jagged rocks by the shore,.
"Alright, who's first?" Davis asked nervously. You would think we were about to jump off of a cliff into the abyss or something.
"Y'all are lame." Amy stated as she stepped into the water. She instantly jumped back and said, "Shit, that water's cold! Or maybe it's just hot outside!"
"Come on, let's just run straight in together." I told Amy. She agreed, and we both looked to our respective boyfriends.
Tanner said, "Y'all first. I wanna see y'all freeze for a bit before I join y'all."
"Asshole." Amy said as she put her arm around my shoulder.
"Alright, go!" I said and we began to run into the lakewater. The chilly feel of the water broke my sense of comfort for a minute, but as I embraced the glasslike appearance of the lake, previously still from the lack of wind, the feeling of comfort came back to me. It wasn't nearly as bad as Amy had made it sound, and it actually felt refreshing in that 90 degree heat.
"Your turn!" I called out to Tanner as Amy and I swam further out.
I saw Tanner reach out a toe and submerge it in the water, and he jumped back just like Amy had.
"Come on, it isn't that bad once you get your entire body in it!" I said loudly.
"Fine, but if I freeze to death you're tellin' my parents!" he said starkly. Damn, if only he were that easy to convince about everything I asked him.
He and Davis ran full speed into the water, and the waves caused by Tanner's incessant shivering were phenomenal.
"Tanner, is it really that bad?" I asked as I put my hands on his shoulders.
"I-it's c-cold!" his teeth chattered as he spoke.
"Oh come on, where's the big badass who was gonna dunk me?" I goaded him lightly.
"S-shut up! Y-you'll get y-yours."
Tanner finally got accustomed to the temperature of the water and was back to his usual self. He played as if he was going to dunk me several times but he never actually did. I attempted but he simply threw me off, like a puppy attacking a German Shepherd. Davis and Amy sure got a kick out of it.
He de-pantsed me once or twice, but thankfully the lake water wasn't clear enough that Amy or Davis could see anything. I recalled what he had said about being `ornery'. He was on to something with that.
We were having a fun game or Marco Polo when the urge to pee hit me. I didn't know why but being in a body of water like that always made me have to piss.
"I'm gonna go pee guys. I'll be right back." I said as I recovered my flip flops which were floating a ways off, then headed back to my car. I couldn't see anyone around, so I went into a nearby wooded area and relieved myself. I had never been happier to piss in my life.
As I started to turn back around, I heard the rustling of leaves somewhere in the woods. Instead of continuing on my way like I should have, I stupidly peered into the woods wherein the sunlight was being warded off by very tall and wide trees. Two guys, who looked to be a bit older, probably in their early twenties, appeared from the woods behind me. I was too shocked to do anything as one of them began to speak.
"Didn't think we got your kind `round here in southern Oklahoma." the taller one said gruffly. My blood froze. Suddenly an insecure feeling crept up on me that I hadn't felt since I had been with Tanner in Broken Bow. The dangerous feeling of being a minority homosexual in the Bible belt was unsettling, especially when I was built like I was. I was, for the lack of a better word, a twink replica. I slowly edged myself away from the men, but they were on either side of me: in front of me and behind me. I couldn't go anywhere as they were circling around me as I moved.
"Where ya think you're goin'? We ain't done with you faggot. What, you think we just came here to talk?" the shorter one said. Another feeling of dread pierced my being. I hadn't been called `faggot' in such a disparaging way since I was living in Arkansas.
"What do you guys want?" I asked, trying hard to hide the fear in my voice. I didn't think I was so successful, and I didn't sound too tough either way. The men simply laughed and repeated, "`You guys'?" in a mocking tone.
"Where the hell are you from, city boy?" the taller one asked in the same gruff voice. More and more emotions of fear overcame me, as for the first time, I was being called `city boy' in a hostile manner. My body's fight or flight system kicked into gear and I felt my mind focusing on one thing as adrenaline soared through my body: I needed someone's help.
I made a run for it but the shorter one caught me around the chest. Before they could do anything else, I took a deep breath and yelled as loudly as I possibly could: "HELP!" I could hear my cry for help echo around the sky, and I prayed to whomever that I would be heard by somebody.. anybody.
"Shut the fuck up!" The taller one said aggressively as he hit me across the head with a clenched fist. I fell to the ground and felt my consciousness waver. "Keep your fuckin' mouth shut and you might live, kid." the taller one said as he nudged my face with his boot.
"What the hell do you want from me?" I asked, careful not to say `you guys' again. I was desperate for some sort of resolution. I had never been so suddenly physically assaulted in my life. My mind was spinning so fast I felt I was going to be sick.
"We don't want shit from you so don't be gettin' no nasty thoughts, queer." his words stung like salt in a wound, and quickly realizing I wasn't gonna be able to reason with these guys, I bellowed forth one more plea for help: "TANNER!" I felt my vocal cords vibrate hard as I yelled as loud as the BBHS fans did last night when we won the game against Idabel.
"Who the fuck is Tanner," the taller one started as he threw me to the ground. "your fuckin' boyfriend? Yeah bring him on up here. There's two of us and we ain't scared of some fairies. Y'all ain't welcome here." He laughed as kicked me hard in the stomach. I fought the urge to puke and I tried to crawl towards anything that would help me: a rock, a stick, a random shard of glass.. anything. Although my abdomen was searing in pain, I quickly stood up again and tried to break for it. I wasn't going down without a fight. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a fight I could put up. I was stopped again, but this time they were much less gentle. They roughly slung me to the ground again, and the short one kicked me across the head without mercy.
Out of thoughtless instinct, I ran my tongue along my mouth to make sure my teeth were still intact, and I laid over on my stomach so that if they kicked me, they'd kick my jaw bone or rib-cage and not my abdomen or teeth. I continued to try to crawl towards any means of escape. I was trying so hard not to accept the reality that I was likely going to be beaten to death while my friends were having fun in the water awaiting my return. I shook myself of such cynical thinking. I was going to make it out of here alive, I told myself.
The urge to cry came over me but I did not want to give these two brutes any more ammunition to belittle me as they continued to pulverize me. I didn't dare move as if to stand up again, but once more I took a deep, silent breath and expelled the loudest scream I could muster. I didn't even try to formulate words. I simply fought through the pain that was rocking my body and made the loudest vocalization I could.
"Your faggot boyfriend ain't comin' for ya, fuckin' queer! Lay over and die like the fuckin' filth you are." the taller one said almost gleefully as they let another kick hit my ribcage.
My mind raced a million miles a minute. If they continued to brutalize my ribcage, a bone could split and puncture a lung. I thought for a moment about defending my pride, talking back to them more, but I knew that'd only worsen the beating. I was saving my energy for more shouts of help, because that was the only thing that seemed like it could do anything for me.
As I danced between a blissful blackout and the horror that consciousness was, I heard a rustle in the woods nearby. The sound of my name drifted through the woods into the bloodied area that I was laying in. The short man instantly put a hand over my mouth and the tall one stood erect, his eyes wide and alert.
"That don't sound like no faggot." the tall one whispered to the short one. The short man dropped his gaze on me and looked at the tall one. "Who the fuck cares?" he said, not bothering to drop his voice. "A faggot's a faggot. Anyone willin' to risk their lives to save this queer ain't worthy of living neither. Ain't you the one who had this idea?"
The tall one snapped out of his thoughts and nodded his head vigorously as if that had been his thinking all along. I noticed the one holding his hand over my mouth wasn't paying attention to me, so I weakly punched him in the wrist, but hard enough that he let his hand loose for just one second. I moved my mouth to the side so I could shout out Tanner's name once more, but truthfully, in that moment, I would have given anything to see anybody but my captors.
Like the sound of a horse's hooves galloping out of captivity into freedom, I could hear Tanner's bare feet hitting the leaves as he sprang through wherever he was in the woods, following the echoes of my loud scream. Hope jumped through my mind, and my struggle with consciousness started to recede..