Love that Dare Not Speak its Name, Chapter 6
Paul and Kyle came to Beau's house on several occasions to work on building their loft. Since the process required drying times for the glue and the finish, they did other things in between. A major one was creating their snap-together bedding. None of the families had any full-size beds, so the guys had to go shopping for mattress pads and sheets. Fortunately, there were bargains to be had at Kohl's during the holidays.
Paul's mother had the use of a snap-setting tool because she volunteered to repair gowns for Mercy Hospital. She found snaps at Walmart that worked with the tool so they wouldn't be pilfering any supplies which belonged to the hospital. She would donate most of the leftovers.
All of the adults thought Paul's solution was an ingenious one. He loved being recognized for his creativity.
The high point toward during winter break came in the form of the New Year's Eve party at Beau's house. The six guys would have it all to themselves. Larry and Jen were celebrating with a night of dining, dancing, and a midnight toast at the hotel near the community college campus and would be sleeping there.
Left to their own devices didn't mean that the young men would be getting roaring drunk. It turned out to be a rather sedate affair for the group. Yes, they did have some drinks but they didn't make them strong and they snacked so that the alcohol didn't hit their blood streams as quickly as it might have.
They spent a lot of time playing cards and Atari, which was the popular computer game of the time. When the clock began to strike midnight, they kissed their boyfriends and headed to bed. Everyone took a shower before retiring, so it was evident they had more intimate plans to share with their lovers.
In the morning, no one slept in past 9:00 and no one seemed to be the worse for wear.
The dorms opened up a day before second semester was slated to begin. It gave the students time to get back and organize their living spaces ahead of classes, if they desired.
According to plan, Jen and Larry took the company van, hauling one of the sleeper sofas in it on Sunday afternoon. They stayed long enough to help the guys get their beds into their rooms. Then they treated everyone to an evening meal at the Golden Corral before heading home.
One of the guys on third floor, Chad, who wanted Beau's old futon offered him $10 more than he'd paid for it.
"I'm so glad you decided to sell it! Now I have a comfortable spot to entertain my girlfriend," he bragged.
A couple of others within hearing-distance rolled their eyes. Chad was no Romeo. They doubted he'd be entertaining anything more than his own imagination.
Second term started off with a lot of new assignments and projects. The three couples found that they had more energy and less stress than they'd experienced in the fall. Their study habits had improved to the point that they could accomplish a lot more in less time. By sharing ideas and information in classes they had in common, like they had before finals, they all made gains together.
The other thing which helped their spirits was that, for better or worse, they all were out to their families and didn't have the fear of being discovered hanging over them.
With a little more leisure time, that their efficiency allowed them, they often frequented the gym as a group. This had the effect of strengthening their bond as well as their bodies. And, exercising released endorphins in their systems which helped with self-confidence and relaxation so they slept better. The more rest they go, the better their studies went. It was a very positive cycle.
Obviously, with their different schedules, they couldn't always go to the gym as a group, but usually no one went alone.
There was one slight problem which arose from their gym activities. They sometimes drew unwanted attention. They weren't planning to become contestants for the title of Mr. Universe, but they did look pretty good, especially in the gym clothes they chose to wear. Fit young men are attractive to members of the opposite sex. It appeared that some girls came to work out in order to hunt for a desirable mate. For straight guys, this was a plus. For gay ones, not so much.
Of the six, Cy had the most experience in dating girls. That, of course, was mainly from being pushed into it by his mother. His affection had always been for Beau.
Beau had dated a little for formal occasions in high school, but his heart wasn't into it either.
Chet and Devon had been in a similar situation as Cy. Their mothers had been on the lookout for suitable daughters-in-law since the boys had reached puberty. Fortunately, the girls they favored weren't the type to expect a sexual relationship. That had left the boys to their own devices.
Like Beau, Paul and Kyle had only dated occasionally, and that was primarily to keep from being labeled. Thus, it was almost comical to watch the six freshmen trying to discourage the girls' advances while, at the same time, attempting to remain polite.
After being asked several times for advice on how to use certain machines, Cy suggested to the girls that they might do well to sign up for a trainer. He said that he really needed to concentrate on his workout. He wasn't rude, but they took the hint. Since the six guys hung out together, the young ladies assumed the rest felt the same.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just girls who were a problem. One of the other young guys named Jeff, who usually worked out at the same time, developed a crush on Derek. He was aware that Derek hung around the other dudes, so he was careful not to be obvious when they were present.
One day, Derek had a dental appointment which threw him off his usual schedule. He arrived only a few minutes before his buddies left and he decided to stay and do at least half of his usual routine.
Jeff saw it as an opportunity. He had been on the verge of returning to his room but changed his plans when he saw the chance to get acquainted. He offered to spot for Derek like he'd seen Chet do. Derek was pleased to have the help because he was attempting to push himself to bench-press a higher amount of weight. He was too innocent to realize he was being cruised.
Derek closed his eyes for the first and second sets and found the strength to lift the extra pounds. For the third set, he kept his eyes open. He found himself staring up at Jeff's cock which had conveniently "slipped out" of his jockstrap. Derek was so distracted by the sight, that Jeff had to steady the barbell to keep him from losing control of it.
Jeff smiled, knowing that Derek had seen his dick, as he had planned. He figured Derek had taken the bait and was ready to be reeled in. He praised Derek for doing the first sets perfectly and said that they could try another set in a few minutes. Derek, beginning to sense that it could lead to a dangerous situation, declined.
In the sauna some 20 minutes later, Jeff came in and sat by Derek who was clad in an old swimsuit. No one else was in the room. Jeff removed his towel and boldly reached over to cup Derek's crotch. Derek, who had his eyes closed, was startled.
"Keep your hands to yourself, Dude!" he yelled.
"C'mon, man, I know you liked looking at my cock. We can have some fun and your straight friends will never have to know."
"They will when I tell them! You'd better leave me alone or you could get hurt."
"Nah, you won't tell on me because you liked what you saw," Jeff taunted, as Derek got up and headed for the showers.
"Derek, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Chet exclaimed when he came into their room.
"I had a flashback to what Kevin did last term."
"What happened?"
"You know that guy with the blond hair who always wears raggedy gym shorts and a muscle shirt? Well, he came onto me in the sauna and grabbed my junk!"
"He did? What did you do?"
"I just threatened him if he didn't stop. I didn't want to get into trouble if I hit him or something."
"Good thinking! I'll put him in a world of hurt if he tries to touch you again. That's assault!"
"I don't want you to get into trouble for slapping him around. I'm not sure how to deal with him, though."
"Then one of us should always be with you when you're there. That should keep him away."
A few days later, the guys set a kind of trap for Jeff so they could put the fear into him. They arrived a bit later than Derek and went up to the aerobic deck while he used the bench he'd been on previously. Not seeing Derek's companions, Jeff immediately came over to spot for him.
"C'mon, let's skip this and go sweat in the sauna," Jeff suggested.
"No, I'm not getting naked in there with you!"
"You'd better if you know what's good for you!"
While the two were exchanging words, the other guys came down the stairs quickly and surrounded them.
"What seems to be the problem," Chet asked.
"Your friend was hitting on me," Jeff answered.
"Not true!" Chet exclaimed. "That thing you probably thought was a Walkman is actually a tiny tape recorder. I'm sure it's still running, so I'm going to tell you to leave my friend alone or I'll take the evidence to the dean and have you disciplined for harassment! Derek told me how you grabbed his crotch in the sauna. That's assault!"
"He loved it!" Jeff insisted.
"So, you admit doing that?"
"I'm not saying anything else," Jeff said as he walked toward the locker room.
Chet followed him but didn't say anything more until they were out of range for the recorder to pick up their voices.
"If you don't leave my boyfriend alone, I'll make you very sorry. I was a wrestler in high school and I've also done some boxing. If you so much as look at him, expect to end up in the emergency room!"
That was the last time the guys saw Jeff working out when they did.
It was Len who came up with the idea of sending "care packages" to the college boys at midterm time. He remembered how welcome they'd been when he was in school. Jen quickly got involved too, and they mailed packages containing brownies, popcorn, miniature Snickers bars and ramen noodles. None of it was particularly healthful, but the sweets would be appreciated for a burst of energy during their study sessions. Knowing that their families were thinking of them was a boost as well.
The teens all loved getting something from home. Paul and Kyle had received similar packages with homemade cookies from their mothers and freely shared with their friends. They all had to be disciplined not to put on a couple of pounds while studying for their tests.
Spring break was scheduled to begin shortly after their exams. It would be great to kick back and forget about school for a week. Some of their friends were going to Florida, but this group was simply heading home.
Chet and Derek were grateful that they had a place to go to after the scene with their parents over winter break. They felt they should stay with Len and see if there was anything they could do to help prepare for spring planting. He'd been so kind to them that they thought it was their duty to do whatever they could. As it turned out, many of the crops needed to wait for slightly warmer weather for planting, lest the seed rot in the ground.
Beau knew there'd probably be work in his father's construction business. The weather was warming and it was time to build.
Also, he wanted to check about having his Airstream refurbished to be roadworthy. Perhaps the six of them could take it on a summer trip, at least to a local lake.
Paul and Kyle didn't have much of anything on their schedules but were open to doing some physical labor if Beau's father needed them.
Larry had several pole buildings to erect in the spring, so he had plenty of work for anyone who was willing and able. The term "pole building" is kind of misleading since these structures are basically prefab steel ones which go together like a huge version of the kits which boys used to purchase as accessories for their model railroads.
The ones Larry's customers wanted ran the gamut for small workshops to a buildings large enough to house a bunch of collectible cars. The concrete slabs had been poured early enough to cure properly. Now, Larry needed a crew to erect the units according to instruction.
Beau had assisted on such projects and was knowledgeable enough to oversee the less complex ones. So, the boys were divided between Larry and Beau, with Larry taking half to supplement the couple of regulars on his crew.
Larry was thrilled to have the help because there were occasions when he didn't feel very energetic. He supposed he would have to take off time to visit his doctor, but he hated to lose work-time when he had a lot of projects to do.
About two months after spring break, Larry finally went to see his GP. He figured the doctor would offer him testosterone shots to boost his energy. There seemed to be some promising results for men over 40. There were lots of ads on TV to that effect.
What he got, was a bunch of tests. When he received the results, he was devastated. A specialist at a local hospital broke the news.
"Mr. Stephens, I'm going to give you this straight-up. You have pancreatic cancer. I would suggest that you get your affairs in order. You have about three months. I know this is tough. Only about one person in a thousand recovers."
"Well," Larry said, "I'm gonna be that one. I want a second opinion."
"I assumed you would. Therefore, I've made an appointment with the top person in the state. He's at University Hospital in Iowa City. Here's the information."
"We'll leave no stone unturned," Jen said upon hearing her husband's diagnosis. "You can beat this. You're younger and in better shape than most people who get it.
"I think we should share the news with Len, but not with Beau just yet. Let's swear Len to secrecy and wait until we have a better notion of the treatments that are available before we tell our son. He has a few weeks of spring term left, and I hate to have him worrying about something he has no control over. If he becomes upset over being left in the dark, I'll take the heat on it."
"Yup," Larry sighed, "I don't want to mess up his schooling. If I don't make it, there will be a lot on his shoulders. Let's invite Len over for dinner tomorrow night and break the news to him."
Larry waited until they'd eaten dessert before opening up about his situation.
"Wow, that's heavy!" Len shook his head. "However, I agree with Jen. You can beat it.
"I have a proposition which might take some of the stress out of your life. I've been considering when to bring this up, and I think this might be the right time.
"I love the idea of the "family farm," but in today's world, you need to have a big operation in order to survive. You are blessed with a sizeable chunk of land which you rent out at a price I think is way too cheap. I currently don't have the capital to buy you out, but what I'm proposing could be more beneficial to all of us in the long run.
"Would you consider becoming a part of a corporation? We could combine our properties and the three of us, plus our children, could be stockholders in the operation. We would all receive a good income from it. Our sons could help by computerizing the operation. They could serve as consultants since I don't see them becoming farmers. If Molly sticks with her current boyfriend, he could take over the accounting duties. I'd consider taking their Illinois buddies into the corporation too, because they have farming in their blood."
"Wow! That sounds perfect!" Larry exclaimed. "I would know that my family would be taken care of if I'm not here to provide."
"You're gonna be here. It could provide an extra source of income for your treatments."
"Doctor Pierson will see you now," the pleasant middle-aged nurse announced.
"May my wife accompany me? I'm afraid I won't remember half of what I hear," Larry asked. "I feel a bit overwhelmed by all of this."
"Of course. We feel everyone needs an advocate to help navigate the system."
"Here's what we can do," Dr. Pierson said, after a preliminary discussion of Larry's condition. "We can hit you with chemo and radiation in an aggressive treatment. I must warn you that there are unpleasant side effects. You may feel so miserable at times that you'll want to give up. That is always your prerogative. I have had several patients who stuck with it and have celebrated five years of remission. I feel you're a good candidate to do the same or better."
"Okay! If you're willing to take this on, I'll stick to it. I have a couple of projects I want to complete this summer that will help take my mind off my problems. Besides, I'd like to live long enough to see my grandchildren."
Larry paid his son a surprise visit the week of finals. He had to be in Ames to sign some papers on a real estate deal and he knew Beau would be hurt if he didn't at least touch base. Knowing that the boys would have to take time to eat, he set it up to take them to dinner. He invited Cy, of course, and included their four other buds. Taking them to the usual cafeteria, it wasn't a costly venture, and the kids got a welcome break from dorm food.
Since he made the trip a couple of days before he was due for a treatment, he had the energy to see it through. After dinner, he went to a motel rather than driving back home. It was only a little over 100 miles, but he was tired. He couldn't push himself if he wanted to get better.
Two days later, he called Beau to tell him about the house he'd purchased and asked him to see who would be willing to work on it during the summer. It was a four-bedroom split-level with an attached garage. There was a lot of work needed to make it livable, but Larry had the tools and the knowhow to make it look like new. It would provide a good home for the guys during the rest of their college days and could be sold for far more than he'd paid for it when it was no longer needed.
Author's notes: I heard from Peter S, Andy R, Gert, Geoff S, Chandra B, Joe W (2), Alan, Jim W, Allen, Ott H, Frank K, John L, Bill T, Greg D, Mendy D, Geoff (2), Hotrod, TCR, and Pete R, this week. Thanks for the encouragement.
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Thanks to David S for editing. He finds the typos and missing words! He also makes valuable suggestions.
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P.S. I have a chronological list of all my posted stories which I can email to you if you have an interest.