Well, here we go again! I've been labouring over my PC especially for you lot out there! Well, actually, I've got a bad cold, so it's a good excuse to actually sit down and get the next chapter written! I know the story is progressing slowly!
Thank you to those of you who e-mailed me with comments regarding what I've written so far. Please keep the helpful hints coming. Thanks to Rob as ever for his support! Love ya fella! And also thanks to Chris for his helpful tips on the editing of the story. He is the author of `Chris and Justin Forever' which is also on Nifty, so I'd recommend you check out his story as it is cool! As always, this story is dedicated to the love I lost, Kevin. I miss you KK.
This chapter and the rest of what I have written are all now copywrited, so if you want to reproduce it in any form, then please e-mail me! And if you are a minor, then you MUST NOT be reading this. Well, having said that, there ain't much gonna stop a teenage male when his hormones are in full swing! (where have I heard that before??) ... :0) So if you are underage... be careful. If you are not gay or bi-sexual, then why are you here? And if you are not, why not?? grin
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next installment. Take care my friends. Rich :0)
Boy Next Door (Nick's Florida) - PART 3 ----------------------------
It was a bright summers evening. It was that time of year when it is still light at 10pm. I was definately a summer person!
We arrived at Manchester Airport and the taxi pulled into `Departures'. The next taxi I would ride in, I thought to myself, would probably a Chevy Caprice Classic, and not another annoying Vauxhall Carlton.... We went into Terminal 1 which would take us to the International Flights. I loved being at airports - the hustle and bustle, and it only added to the excitement I felt - it was like going on a permanent holiday! And to Florida of all places! Dad was fishing around for the tickets in his bag and mum was looking for somewhere to grab some food.
"Oh here we go!" I said, dryly. "It's that `I've lost my passport routine' again!" I laughed, and dad glared at me.
"Did you switch the cooker off? Cancel the milk?" I was getting sarcastic.
" No, but I forgot to put the cat out" replied dad. He stuck his tongue out at me.
"I wonder what sort of plane we'll be flying on" said mum
"Well, knowing our luck, probably Dakota with engines converted to run on alcohol!" laughed dad.
"Aw dad - I thought you'd have rung Virgin and reserved a whole Jumbo for just the three of us! Now that would have been cool!"
"Sorry sir, I will try harder next time.." mocked dad. I made a swipe at him and he dodged it.
"No, I think that's our flight" He said, pointing at an old but well looked after British Midlands BAE 748 Turboprop that was taxiing over the apron., one of it's engines running, the other stopped.
"Oh yeah, and we'd be lucky if that thing got us to Teeside, never mind Tampa!" I said
"I'm hungry and I need a cup of tea" said mum, busy leading us to the restaurant. We followed and decide to grab some Burger King.
I wasn't really hungry though. My stomach felt unsettled - it was nerves. I was worried about the future we had, but at the same time, really excited. I didn't say anything to mum or dad. Dad was really excited - he didn't seem to have any doubts whatsoever. Mum was always supportive of whatever he, and the rest of us for that matter, did. The three of us always supported each other. It struck me then - I hadn't said goodbye to Paul. He never rang me back. Had I offended him? What had I said? My mind was beginning to race over what had happened between us that night. I realised I really loved him and that it had all been stopped suddenly as we would soon be too far apart. Would it have developed? My heart sank and I felt a sudden tighness in my throat. A tear welled up in my eye. I looked away from mum and dad and out the window, watching the planes, trying to take my mind off it all.
"RICH!" said mum
"Wha...?" I jumped and turned round suddenly.
"Hey buddy, what's up?" asked dad, his hand was on my shoulder. He and mum were staring at me. They could tell I was upset about something.
"Are you worried about leaving?" Said dad
"No - I am in love with Paul and I miss him and I want to go back to him NOW!". I just wanted to shout it out to my parents, but I couldn't. "No, it's just pre-flight nerves I guess" I lied. I tried a smile, but I knew it wasn't a very good one. Suddenly, there was a call over the PA system. It was a call for Virgin flight 205 to Miami - that was our call! This was it. I sighed deeply, as mum and dad got their bags and got up from the table and I collected my bag. We walked over to the boarding gate.
"Well, I think you got your wish for a Jumbo!" Said dad, pointing at the window by the gate. Outside on the ramp was a Boeing 747-400 which looked brand new in it's crisp white and red Virgin livery. It's nose was right up to the window and I could make out the pilots in the cockpit checking all their controls - there were so many dials and little lights flashing in there! I could see the fans on the engine spinning and there were lots of men running around the underside of the plane, suitcases being loaded into the hold in the plane's belly and pipes being pulled out of it.
I suddenly felt excited again. I loved flying. The flight attendant showed us through into the plane - we were in First Class at the front. He had blond hair and dimples - he smiled at us warmly. My gaze sort of stuck on his face and he winked at me. I tingled. I glanced back as we went to our seats, but someone was stood in the way and I couldn't see him. I got a window seat just in front of the wing.
The plane taxied out slowly as the hostesses carried out their `Airline Safety Instructions' which looked more like a sketch from the Muppets. The engines were powering up and the airconditioning and lights dimmed in the cabin as the pilot tested the systems. The cabin speakers pinged and the captain welcomed us.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Captain Steve Holgate and welcome aboard this Virgin Airlines flight 205 bound for Miami, Florida. The flight time should be approximately 7 hours and 10 minutes - this is due to favourable tailwinds. The weather in Miami is currently 33 degrees Celcius, 91 degrees Fahrenheit, and there is a big thunderstorm over the airport itself, but that should have dispersed by the time we land. I hope you all have a comfortable and enjoyable flight and our staff are on hand to help you. Thank you for flying with Virgin." The speakers pinged again. The `Seatbelts' sign lit up and there was a lot of clicking as people did up their belts and the hostesses came round. The blond attendant walked past and checked peoples seats. He was chatting to another hostess who looked like Jennifer Anniston. He walked past us again and I caught him staring at me as he did so. I smiled and he winked again. Mum looked at me and I looked away. I turned around and waved cmomically at mum. She just smiled and went back to reading her magazine.
"WOW! Thunderstorms eh dad?" I said. "We'll get plenty of those won't we!"
"We sure will Rich. And I know what you are like about them!"
I did, I loved thunderstorms. I was born during a severe thunderstorm and my folks had always said that that was why I had such a `thing' for them. Prehaps I could go strorm chasing along the Keys !!
"Hey hey, sounds fun to me. Beats weekends in the Peak District in the grey drizzle!" said dad. He was a big kid at heart and that made him even more fun. Prehaps why we got on so well.
The plane swung round at the end of the runway. Everyone had gone quiet and the lights and A/C had gone down. I LOVED this bit of the flight more than anything else. As I looked out the window, I could see the lights down the runway, stretching down the runway into the orange sunset. Captain Holgate had the brakes firmly applied as he throttled up the 4 gigantic Pratt & Whitney JT9D turbofans until they were screaming and straining against the wheels. He then released the brakes.
"Here we go!!!" I shouted above the noise.
"Woooohooo!!" yelped dad.
The acceleration pushed us back into our seats with incredible force as the plane lept forward and hauled itself and some 400 passengers down the runway. There was a final hop as the giant jumped into the air and the ground started to drop away, the engines pumping hard as 200,000lbs of thrust lifted us into the sky, the wings of the big Boeing curving upwards as they took the weight. We were all silent until the plane levelled off into cruising flight. My ears were popping.
"It's amazing how these things even get off the ground" said mum. " I mean it's just a big metal tube filled with fuel and pushed along by four big fans..." she said
"Hmm, very technical mum. That's one way of describing it! Don't ever try to build one... " I chuckled.
"Well, you know me, I am not a technical person."
"I still love you even so" said dad as he cuddled her. "She's not very bright, but she's very cute" he said, winking at me. I laughed and she tried to hit him.
I put my earphones on and put a BSB tape in my walkman. It was a new Panasonic, and I wasn't too sure how to use the remote control on it yet. It was clicking and beeping at me.
"You'll break it if you keep doing that" said mum
"Oh so says the person who can wreck a microwave with a lasagne." I stuck my tongue out at her and laughed.
"That wasn't my fault. I thought I'd put it on for 9 minutes, not 99..."
"Oh alright, I'll let you off this once"
I had recorded The Boy's new Millenium album onto tape. The best song was `I Want It That Way' - they certainly know how to do great acapella. I went into a daydream about Nick. I could just see him and myself sat on the beach at Key Largo, watching the sunset. We would be talking, laughing, and just holding each other. No-one else would matter. I closed my eyes and pictured his face as he sang, as if he was singing the song just for me, there on that plane. I could just imagine him in his shorts at the beach. I felt a stirring in my jeans and my mind started to wonder about what he was like in...
I felt a finger tapping my shoulder. It was dad - our food order was being taken. I sat up and the Jennifer Anniston look-a-like smiled and asked what I'd like. I said I'd have the steak, although I still didn't feel very hungry. The food arrived and we all sat eating away. It wasn't bad food. I ate most of it and they cleared away the plates.
I listened to BSB for a while longer as I watched the sky out the window. I could see the clouds way down below us - we must have been over the Atlantic by now. It was now twilight and from time to time I could see the flash of the Boeing's navigation lights reflecting off the engine cowlings. It seemed like we were hardly moving even though we were doing approximately 580 mph - the clouds were still.
I woke up a little while later, but I wasn't tired and I didn't feel like sleeping. Mum and dad were fast asleep. I needed to go to the toilet, so I got up and managed to squeeze past mum and dad. He was snoring loudly and I rolled my eyes when the woman sat on the row behind us looked at me. She smiled and rolled her eyes too.
"Parents, eh? Can't take them anywhere, can you?" I said to the lady. She chuckled lightly and I made my way down the aisle.
When I came out the toilet, the blond attendant was standing in the kitchen opposite, and he smiled at me as I emerged. The Jennifer Anniston look-a-like was asleep in a seat round the corner and the other attendant was asleep on the other side of the plane. The whole First Class cabin was dark and quiet. Some people were watching the in-flight movie, which was Independance Day. It was the bit inthe film where Will Smith is walking across the desert towing that alien in his parachute, and he sees the fleet of RV's heading towards him. But most of the passengers were asleep. THe plane rocked gently as it hit little pockets of turbulence. We were about 3 hours into our flight. The guy wanted to talk and he motioned me into the galley.
"Hey! How's your flight going?" He said. He had a really nice, slighty husky voice, and he looked probably only 21 or 22. He was damn cute.
"Pretty good thanks!" I suddenly felt shy. He was really friendly.
"Fancy a coffee or something?"
"Ooh, go on then. Thanks. Milk and two sugars please." He made two cups and passed me mine.
"So, going on holiday then?" He asked. He was keeping constant eye-contact. I felt tingles of excitement.
"Well, no actually. My dad has got a job in Tampa, and we are moving out there to live"
"Wow! That sounds so cool! I've been to Tampa a lot - you'll love it. It's a really happening place. My name is Jake, by the way" That name really suited him. He held out his hand.
"Richard. Pleased to meet you" I shook his hand - his grip lingered. I couldn't take my eyes off him and he seemd to sense that, too.
"We've been to Kisseemee and Orlando a few times. I liked Destin, up on the Gulf Coast - the beach had really white powdery sand and gorgeous tuquoise seas" I said
"There are some really nice places in Florida. I've heard Louisiana is good, too" said Jake.
"Well, I intend to explore it all eventually!" I said
"So, are you at school or what. You look about 19 or so - is that right?" he said "Yes, actually I've just finished high-school - well guessed about my age - bang on" I giggled. "I am going to go to uni in Tampa so I'm really looking forward to that. Better than university in Liverpool, that's for sure!"
"Definately!" he laughed "I did my first year at Sheffield Hallam, doing tourism, but I wasn't enjoying it. My sister works for Virgin Airlines, and she got me this job which I was delighted about. I love to travel, and I love doing it" said Jake
"It sounds fun. Anyway, where do you come from? Somewhere in Southern England!" I asked.
"From the Cheltenham, actually. My whole family is from around there"
"I know it well - had a lot of holidays there, too!"
Jake flicked his head to clear his hair from his eyes. I tingled again. I couldnt help myself and I muttered "Wow" under my breath I stared at him again, and I think he realised what I had said.
There was a pause. I drank some of my coffee and stared into my cup for a moment.
"You're a tall fella, aren't you?" said Jake "I like tall people. I wish I was taller"
"Well, I like to call it `vertically enhanced' Jake laughed - he liked that. "I got the height thing from my dad. But I didn't get the blond hair. Damn! " I laughed nervously and I looked at him. He seemed to stare straight into my eyes.
"You remind me of a good friend I went to school with actually" he said. He seemed stuck for words for a moment, then spoke again. "Have you got a girlfriend?" It sounded like he was testing me. Now why would he ask that - if I was leaving the UK to live abroad, chances were remote that I had a girlfriend.
"Err, no, I haven't" I paused. I thought well, I may never see Jake again so I had nothing to lose and would stick my neck out a bit. "What about you? The girls must surely fall at your feet - you are really good looking" I replied. His eyes widened - he swallowed.
He paused. He looked at me, and then checked to see no-one was within ear-shot of us.
"No" He looked at the floor. He hands were shaking. "Because, well, I don't uhm, well, go for girls"
"Wow - er right!" I said. My heart was beating like crazy. Here I was, stood in this galley, on a plane, talking to this gorgeous lad, and he was more or less telling me he was gay.
"I am sorry" Jake looked really sad
"No no! Don't be!" I stopped and looked around. "I am gay Jake"
He looked me in the eyes again. He looked awestruck.
"Are, are, are you really?"
"Yes"
"I noticed you the moment you walked onto the plane. I saw you staring at me and I thought that prehaps you were watching me. But I told myself to ignore it"
My heart was pounding like crazy. I felt dizzy. These last few days had been more emotionally charged than the last few years of my life. I just stared at Jake. He stared at me. It seemed like an eternity, and he suddenly leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. It felt amazing! I touched his sholder and kissed him back. I could taste his sweet breath. We kissed again, but this time he slid his tonue into my mouth and explored my lips and teeth. I did the same to him.
"Oh shit you are so damn cute Jake!" I whispered.
"You're hot yourself Rich"
That's all for this chapter!!! Cutting words I know! Anyway, I know you are all desperate to know where poor Nick has got to. Well, trust me, he will be making his entrance in the next chapter. I PROMISE!!!!
`Nick's Florida 4' will be ready in a few days, so please keep posted. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too.
"May floppy blond hair rule the world!" LOL!! :0) C-ya folks, keep tuned!
Rich!