DISCLAIMER:
Please note that none of the characters in the story exist and the events that take place are purely imaginary. This is a detective story with sexual overtones. I hope that you like this as a piece of writing.
WARNING:
Do not read this story if you are in any way offended by acts of a homosexual nature.
Do not read this if you are under the legal age for accessing adult sites.
Always indulge in safe sex.
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Luke's Big Adventure
Chapter 27
As arranged, Mike and Luke met in the mid-afternoon on the Monday at a coffee shop. When they had found a quiet quarter, Mike looked at his oldest friend and said,
`So, how was it getting back into all that physical torture after your holiday?'
Luke, who looked quite washed out forced a smile and replied,
`Actually, it wasn't all that bad, but I can see it will take a day or two to get back into the routine. What have you done today, then?
Mike shook his head and then said,
`I spoke to Ahmad and asked him to join us, but he said his father wanted him to do jobs for him. You know, I'm worried about him. Now that he's on the point of leaving home, it seems as though his dad has reverted to micro-management of his life. I thought after that time when he left home and stayed with you and you organised for his mum and dad to see him acting in the school play, they would have changed.'
`Oh! I wondered if he was avoiding us because of what happened between me, Jake, and Jamie on Saturday night.'
`No, he seemed quite cool about that. I'm not sure what's up and he seemed reluctant to talk about it.'
`Tell you what, Mike, I'll go in early tomorrow session and catch him after his swimming training. I've a session myself but not until later.'
`Great idea! What time are you expecting Jake back from his first day at work?'
`I think he's getting a lift from his dad. I could text him and see if he can join us here if you like.'
Mike nodded in agreement and the two friends chatted amiably for some time before they saw Jake appearing outside. The American came into the café and joined them, carrying a coffee cup from the counter. He sat down and, before they could say anything, Jake told Luke and Mike that he had ordered them a coffee each as well. Mike got up and brought back the remaining cups. Once they were all settled, Luke looked enquiringly at his boyfriend and asked,
`How did your first day go?'
Jake leaned forward and said quietly,
`To be frank, it was fucking boring. They had me running around doing little errands or sorting out paper jams in the office equipment. I'd hoped for something a bit more ... I don't know ... responsible. I said that to dad and he just said that everyone had to start at the bottom. He did say that he was sure I'd have more interesting things to do in a week or so.'
Mike and Luke made suitably sympathetic noises and the three were quiet for a short while before the American said,
`What have you guys been up to? Did your sessions go well, Luke?'
Luke told his lover that they had been a bit of a struggle but that was because he'd not done any workouts while they were on holiday. Mike said that he'd not done very much and repeated what he had said about Ahmad earlier. Luke added that he had a plan to meet Ahmad and try to offer him some support but couldn't do anything until he saw their Asian friend. Jake said that he agreed that something should be done and supported Luke's plan and then announced that he ought to be going back home. This was the signal for the three teenagers to leave and they wandered slowly home.
The following morning, Luke arrived at the leisure centre very early and, as he hoped, found Ahmad alone in the changing room. The Asian teen was fully dressed but looked completely disconsolate sitting staring into space. Luke went and sat next to Ahmad and pulled him into a gentle hug.
`Mike said that he was worried about you. What's up?'
Ahmad pulled away from the hug and shook his head sadly and then replied,
`In a few weeks I'm going to London, and I wanted to apply to a hall of residence at least for the first year and then, maybe, Mike, Jamie and I and you and Jake if you also come to London could find somewhere together, but my dad said that I should stay with some distant relative of his somewhere miles from my university. He wants me to live among my "people" and not with "strangers" and when I told him that the hall of residence was mixed, he nearly blew up. I told him no way. My dad still doesn't realise that although he and mum are from Pakistan, I'm not! I'm British, I was born here, I've lived here all my life and now I'm 18 I have rights including the chance to live my life my own way!'
Luke nodded in understanding and tried to think of something helpful, but Ahmad had not finished,
`My dad wants me to be a good Muslim, pray five times a day, marry a nice girl and settle down and he's worried I'll be corrupted by living in a hall of residence and sharing the space with so many different people and especially people who are strangers. If only he knew.'
This time when Ahmad paused, Luke intervened,
`He let you come on holiday with us and share rooms and a tent. A hall of residence is nothing like as close as we were.'
`I know, Luke, but dad knows you, Jake and Mike and he thinks you are good people and in the tent at the campsite, I had my own separate sleeping space. Again, if only he knew.'
As Ahmad had been speaking, an idea came into Luke's head and he said,
`Listen, I don't think Mike's made any arrangements for accommodation yet. He's always been a last-minute guy, so I have a suggestion. What would your dad say if you and Mike lived in the same hall of residence even possibly shared a room? As you said he knows Mike or at least the respectable version of him!'
Ahmad's mood lifted for the first time since the conversation had begun and he nodded,
`It's worth a try.'
`OK, Ahmad, here's the plan. I'll ask Mike to give you a call and put the suggestion to you. You say it sounds great but need to talk to your dad. If you prefer, Mike could go to your house with the proposition.'
Ahmad thought for a while and then responded,
`I think the phone call is best and then I could suggest that my parents, Mike, and I get together to settle everything and make the application as quickly as possible after that. I'll be at home for the rest of the day. How soon can you set things in motion?'
Luke grinned, pulled out his phone and called Mike. After he had explained the plan to his oldest friend, it was agreed that Mike would contact Ahmad after lunch.
Time was pressing for both teenagers because Ahmad was needed to do chores at home and Luke was due for his training sessions. The Asian teen was visibly brighter and when he and Luke stood up, he hugged his friend tightly and whispered,
`Thank you. You're a real friend. If you weren't spoken for, I'd let you ravish me here and now on the changing room floor.'
Luke gave a giggle and said,
`Nice thought. So ...?'
Ahmad interrupted,
`Yes, I know, you and Jake have form, don't you?'
`If you're referring to Jamie, guilty as charged and we're sorry if it upset you.'
`Not at all, Luke, Jamie's a free agent and you made him happy and that made me happy too.'
With that the teenager broke away and made his way out of the changing room and made his way home. Less than twenty minutes later Ahmad was home, and Luke was immersed in a tough physiotherapy session.
The session went reasonably well, and Luke did not feel as achy as he had the previous day. As he walked slowly back home, it suddenly struck the teenager that he had not yet contacted the university where he had been given a place to let them know that he would not be coming later in the year. He also wanted to speak to someone about whether it would be best to decline altogether and apply again for the following year, or delay entry to the assured place for a year. He also thought that Jake was in the same boat as he was. Before speaking to his boyfriend, Luke arrived home and was immediately summoned by his mother,
`Luke, can you come here a minute.'
The teenager went into the living room where his mother was sitting in a chair with a large envelope on the coffee table in front of her. Molly pointed at the letter,
`This came this morning. I'm no judge but I think it's details of the enrolment process at the university. You haven't told them you're not going this year yet, have you?'
A suitably chaste look crossed Luke's face as he shook his head,
`I remembered this morning while at training. I think I need to talk to someone at school and get advice.'
Molly nodded,
`Good idea but you need to do something about this by tomorrow. It's not fair on anyone if you delay too long.'
As a sign of his desire to act swiftly, Luke called the school and was pleased to learn that there were some teachers in the school even though technically it was the school holidays. Fortunately, too, one of those present on that afternoon was his old history teacher, Mr Sandford, who agreed to speak to his former pupil after lunch. Luke liked and respected Mr Sandford even though their relationship had got off to a rocky start. The teenager had been warned that the teacher was a harsh marker and so it turned out. Luke's first hastily written, poorly referenced, and poorly argued had received a single-figure mark that was shockingly low and had been accompanied by a `see me after school' note. Luke's attempt to explain that he had been late back from a swimming competition had cut no ice with the teacher who explained that if Luke was to succeed in the sixth form, he needed to take his work as seriously as his swimming. Instead of joining most of his peers who hated Mr Sandford, Luke had taken the comment to heart and liked the brutal honesty that his teacher dealt to all his students, and this resulted in a great improvement in his results. Speaking to the teacher would mean that he would get solid unsentimental advice.
Molly quickly made a sandwich and then offered to take Luke to the school for the meeting. Both gestures were appreciated by the teenager who thanked her and then said that he would walk home afterwards because he did not know how long the talk with Mr Sandford would last. Molly appreciated her son's thoughtfulness and, as soon as they were both ready, they set off.
As luck would have it, Mr Sandford was not immediately available, so Luke waited in the reception area, occasionally seeing other members of staff who came over and congratulated him on his outstanding exam results. Finally, the history teacher appeared and, smilingly, shook Luke's hand as he directed the teenager to his office.
`Luke, your results were marvellous! Congratulations!! So how can I help you today?'
Luke gave a clear explanation of what he and Jake had decided and asked for Mr Sandford's help and advice. After hearing what Luke wanted, the teacher sat thinking for a moment and then gave a measured reply,
`In my opinion, you have made the right call. However, you should tell the university officially that you are not proceeding and the sooner the better. I'm no expert but I'm sure if you declined the offer, there should be no difficulty in re-applying next year, especially with such strong results. I'm pretty sure the same would apply to Jake, especially as he's an overseas applicant. I'm glad you and Jake formed such a close bond this year and as you say you have created a system of mutual support. King's London is a good choice in some ways and if you already have friends there that would be a bonus. Of course, you might consider trying for Oxford.'
The last comment stopped the teenager in his tracks. He had never seen himself as Oxbridge material and would need a lot of persuasion to change his mind. He did, however, say he would talk to Jake and their parents about it.
When he finally left Mr Sandford's office, there was a lot buzzing around inside Luke's head and so, when his phone rang, he answered it somewhat distractedly. Mike, who was on the other end of the line said,
`Are you OK, mate?'
`Yeah, sorry Mike. Lots to think about I'll fill you in later, but I need to do a few things first.'
`Me, too. The plan you hatched is coming into shape. I'm off to see Ahmad and his family as we speak. The fact that they're prepared to discuss it means that they aren't totally against it in principle.'
`With your persuasive charms, Mike, I reckon you'll win them over. Good luck.'
Mike gave out a short chuckle and ended the conversation.
After he got home, Luke gave his parents a full account of the conversation with Mr Sandford including the suggestion of applying to Oxford. As usual, the teenager's parents were supportive and said that they thought he ought to decide for himself, once he and Jake had had time to discuss it. Luke nodded his agreement. Once in his room, the teenager set about contacting Jake by emailing him with a full account of what had been said at the school. He finished his message by asking if it would be possible for his boyfriend could call him when he next had a break.
Luke had hardly sent the message when his phone rang,
`Hi. Great timing!! I'm on a break right now. I'm glad you decided to consult me first before making your mind up. Sorry, cheap dig! It all sounds too complicated to discuss right now. Can we meet tonight after I get back and make some final decisions then. Oxford, eh? I need to think about that.'
`I agree. I deserved the dig and I look forward to talking to you in a short while. Love you.'
`Same here.'
`Ah, people around?'
`Yeah. See you later.'
While he waited for his boyfriend to get back from work, Luke spent some time composing the letter that he proposed to send to the university declining the place. He placed great emphasis on the medical problems from which he was suffering and the fact that he did not believe that he would be able to cope with the workload and the need to maintain his physiotherapy and fitness regime. He was unsure whether he should make any reference to Jake as the person on whom he had come to rely for physical support and who would also suffer. In the end, after discussion with Jake and his parents, the text was modified, although one of the reasons that Jake gave for declining his place was his reliance on Luke for academic support. Both sets of parents gave some input into the wording and then joined in a discussion of whether the letter should say `decline' or postpone. The conclusion that was reached was that the place should be declined, and the pair should re-apply possibly to different universities for the following year. On the question of applying to Oxford, the decision was made that the teenagers themselves should make the determination. They had some but not a great deal of time in which to decide but if they wanted to pursue the Oxford option, Jake would have to leave his job and join Luke back at school.
Further discussion of the subject was interrupted by two messages. The first was from Mike to report that his meeting with Ahmad and his parents had gone well and the two of them were in the process of applying for a double room in one of London university's halls of residence. Jake and Luke exchanged a `high five' on hearing the news. The second call came from Jamie, who had been unable to contact either Mike or Ahmad, inviting all the people from the holiday to a party on a Saturday in a couple of weeks. Jake and Luke said they would be happy to attend and would pass the invitation on to the other two friends. When Mike finally returned home, he was already excited because of obtaining Ahmad's parent's agreement and this was added to when he heard about Jamie's party and lost no time in messaging Sam to ensure his boyfriend would be able to attend as well. There was still one issue to be resolved so when the triumvirate met, they had to consider how to get Ahmad to the party. One possible idea was for the university swimming club to invite him for a trial which would, inevitably, require an overnight stay in one of the local residence halls. Provided they could cobble together a suitably official-looking letter that would convince the Asian teen's parents, whether there were trials would be irrelevant. Luke was tasked with explaining the ruse to Ahmad after his swimming training the following day.
Satisfied with all the progress they had made, Mike and Jake made their way home together with Luke watching them at his gate, where the three teenagers had enjoyed a warm and intimate hug. Luke returned inside and, for the first time in a while, began to think that things were, at last, beginning to fall into settled order.
However, Luke's optimism proved to be short-lived. The issue that arose was not one to do with the Ahmad, but one that threatened to undermine Luke's relationship with Jake in a major way. Mike had managed to prepare a letter with a convincing enough masthead to post to Ahmad on the question of swimming trials at the end of the following week and he and his oldest friend had met after Luke finished his training session. The pair were sitting in their favourite coffee bar when Jake suddenly appeared in the doorway, looking distraught. Luke got up with a struggle and made his way to greet his boyfriend and Mike, who had not entirely picked up on the American teenager's anguished look, said,
`Hey, Jake. You're early. They haven't sacked you alrea ...'
Mike voice trailed off as he realised how upset their friend was. Jake slumped down onto a chair next to Luke and started to speak but his words were punctuated by loud sniffing as he tried to stop himself crying. The young American began by reminding the other two that he had told them that his dad had been promoted and the family would be living in England for at least the next five years. There had been a series of dramatic events at the company's head office in Virginia and these had triggered a sudden change of plan. The company's CEO had suffered a major heart attack and was in hospital and not expected to be well enough to return to work for the foreseeable future if at all. There had been an emergency board meeting and Jake's dad had been offered the post of CEO, which, of course, would mean moving back to the US within a very short time. The implication of this dramatic turn of events was not lost on either of the British teens. If Scott and his family moved back, would Jake have to go with him? And if so, how could the deep relationship between Luke and Jake continue?
All the excitement generated by the party dissipated quickly. Luke hugged his boyfriend tightly and the pair fought back tears. Mike watched with obvious concern for his two friends and wanted to offer help and support. He waited a moment and then said quietly,
`They won't all be able to go straight away, surely? There's the house for one thing: I assume they'll want to sell it and in England that isn't always straightforward.'
Jake gave a weak smile and said,
`He would have to go, but mom and Ethan might stay on for a bit to oversee the house sale and the shipping of the furniture but when they go ...'
Mike acknowledged the remark and then said,
`There must be something we can do, but it might be a "two-pipe problem" to quote one of my favourite lines from Sherlock Holmes.'
Luke had said nothing during the exchange but suddenly leaned forward with a look of hope in his eyes,
`Do you remember when Ahmad ran away from home earlier this year and my mum let him stay. I could ask her if we can make the same arrangement for Jake, provided his parents are agreeable.'
`Fuck!! Luke, mate, you are a genius!' Mike exclaimed.
Jake continued to look woe begotten but even he gave a slight nod of approval in response to Luke's suggestion.
Luke began speaking again,
`Mike you're right, it is a "two-pipe problem", and we need to consider very carefully how we should proceed. I think my parents would be agreeable, but I also believe that the initiative must come from your parents, Jake.'
The American responded to the comment with a sad look on his face,
`I'm not sure whether they would agree. I'd have to promise to spend lots of time with them in Virginia.'
Mike intervened for a moment and said,
`I doubt that Luke will find that a great hardship, especially if he come over for long periods with you. I'd jump at the chance. And, another thing, if you go to university together it'll only be the vacations where the problem would arise.'
Luke nodded in agreement and added,
`I would willingly come for an extended visit even if it means meeting the dreaded Ethan and all the other members of your family!'
Jake had begun to perk up but still felt there was a problem,
`I was, to my surprise, beginning to enjoy my job. If I don't go with mom and Ethan and stay at work, would your mum have me stay for almost a year.'
Of course she would!! My mum loves you almost as much as I do!' Luke exclaimed, before adding, Nevertheless, as I said earlier the whole project needs very careful handling and you, my lover, will have to do the heavy lifting to start with.'
By the time they left the café, the mood among the friends was less depressed but all of them realised that there were a lot of pitfalls on the way towards their preferred solution.
By the time they got home, Scott's news was already well known, and the area was abuzz with conversation. Somewhat embarrassed, Jake went straight inside and spoke to his father. He was immensely proud of his dad's success and told him so, but Scott and Kate could see that their son was far from as happy about the news as he was making out. Across the road, Mike, although he had no skin in the game, was also talking to his parents about the news and how it had affected Luke. When she saw her son looking depressed and sad, Molly had gathered him in a huge hug and tried to comfort him. Luke finally broke free and told his parents that he wanted to go to his room and sit quietly for a while. Although his parents were concerned about him, when Luke did not re-appear, they decided to leave him alone until he was ready to talk, which would probably not be until the following morning.
Meanwhile, the inadvertent cause of the upset, Scott, decided to hold a family meeting in the den and once they were all assembled, he said,
`I know the news has come as a shock to you all, it certainly came as a shock to me, too. I want us all to talk openly about how we feel about what had happened and what happens next. I guess I should start by saying that your mom and I have discussed the matter briefly and, although I will need to go back home in a couple of weeks, I think the rest of you should stay here until the house is sold and I've found us suitable accommodation in Virginia.'
Kate had nodded her agreement as her husband was speaking but she could see that Jake was still deeply unhappy, but it was Ethan who spoke next. He announced that he couldn't wait to go back home and be nearer his cousins and the rest of the family. He liked England but it was not the same as life in America. Jake was the last to speak and he began hesitantly,
`First of all, dad, I want you to know how proud I am of your success and that I love you and mom beyond words, but over the last year I've settled in here, I've made a great bunch of close friends, far closer than any I had in high school. We all have a special bond, none more so than me and Luke. I've even started to like the job you organised for me, and I'd miss at least some of my workmates. I understand why Ethan wants to go back to his cousins but if I could, I'd rather stay here.'
Jake looked rather sheepish after he finished his comment, but his mom nodded encouragingly and said,
`I understand how you feel, Jake. You're 18 and legally you are a man, even if I still see you as my lovely first-born, so you can decide for yourself. We will respect your decision whatever it is but if you stay here, we will miss you desperately, even Ethan.
The youngest member of the family nodded in agreement with his mother and Scott pulled Jake into a hug,
`This has all been sprung on you, please don't make any hasty decisions but, like your mom, I want you to decide for yourself. If you opt to stay here in England, there are all sorts of issues that would have to be settled before we go and there's not all that much time. Let's all sleep on it and have a full discussion tomorrow, OK?'
Jake nodded. He realised what a big step he was contemplating but the thought of being so far away from Luke weighed heavily on his mind. Once he was alone, he called his boyfriend and the two spoke quietly in between their sniffles. Jake told Luke how much he loved him, couldn't bear to be so far away from him and that he hoped they could find a way for him to stay. For his part, Luke echoed his boyfriend's sentiments and said that he would help in any way he could. There was a long silence before they mutually agreed to end the call. As they each lay alone in bed, the same thought passed through their head as to whether this was the end of their relationship. The idea that they would have only a few more weeks together and that they would soon be unable to suck and fuck each other as freely whenever they had the opportunity because of the distance between their two continents caused both Luke and Jake to sleep fitfully.
To be continued.
I hope you liked this part of the story. If you would like to hear about the continuing adventures of Luke, Mike, and Jake and their partners, let me know.
Feedback, good and bad, is always welcome and helpful to authors.
If you liked this story, search for my other stories on Nifty under Steve
Rose but only use the current email address cutrose406@gmail.com
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