Prince of the Parsonage, Chapter 3
Celebrating Christmas when the weather was warm might have felt strange for their friends Rick and Bryant who'd grown up in the upper Midwest, but for Daniel and Dashawn, it was quite ordinary. In fact, Florida's temperatures felt chilly to Daniel who was used to having days of 90 degrees Fahrenheit at that time of year. Florida was in the 70's this year, which was a bit cool for Dashawn, but warm by Midwestern standards.
Dashawn was surprised to find that Daniel had grown up with a Christmas tree and Santa as part of his holiday tradition. Since Togo had been controlled by the French at one point in their history, he'd assumed it would have been Pere Noel. Of course, Father Christmas is essentially the same as Santa.
Christmas in Daniel's homeland may have been observed a little like it is in the US; however, it wasn't as big a deal as Easter. The Togolese felt that Christ's birth didn't necessarily happen in December, and that his resurrection was much more important anyway. The Christmas holiday was observed with lots of food and visits with extended family members instead of all the commercialism Americans take for granted.
Daniel's parents and grandmother chose to emphasize that part of their tradition by inviting Dashawn's family to have a special dinner with them. They extended the invitation to Bryant, Rick, and Rick's uncles. Catheryn and her mother, Martha, prepared a number of traditional dishes for their feast, hoping that their guests would be able to find at least something to please their palates.
Dinner began with groundnut soup, a name of which brought grins to the faces of the American teens, served with fufu to dip in it. That was followed by gboma dessi, and kokla meme with djenkoume (kind of like cornbread) as a side. There was sodabe to drink, as well as water.
Dessert was light, consisting of a mixture of tropical fruits.
Other than the soup, the meal was served buffet style, and their American guests had begun by taking just a little of each thing to see if they liked it before filling their plates. Much to Catheryn's delight, after the first bites, they happily went for seconds. In some cases, the teens had thirds.
Lenore and Walter hosted a New Year's Eve party with the same list of guests. There were lots of hors d'oeuvres and many soft drink choices. There was also a punch bowl which contained some alcohol in the mix, but it was light so that no one was likely to get drunk. The emphasis was on having fun, not getting wasted.
Beto and Geoff took their turn entertaining the same crowd for New Year's Day. They originally considered having the dinner at the restaurant but figured customers might assume it was open and be upset if they were turned away. So, they rented banquet tables and folding chairs along with
a large dining canopy to provide shade on their patio.
They served dishes which they'd tasted in Cuba and other Caribbean islands which had a kind of Afro-Cuban flavor, hoping that their Togolese guests would enjoy them. They already knew the Williams family tastes. Daniel's relatives love all of it. Martha, with Catheryn translating, remarked that several things were quite similar to what she'd grown up with at home. There was a decided West African influence on the cuisine the men had served.
At the end of the day, several recipes were traded among the guests. Beto was pleased to receive the groundnut soup recipe from Catheryn. He thought it would be a good soup to offer at lunch occasionally to draw more adventurous American diners as well as people from the Togolese community.
Spring term for Dashawn and Daniel got off to a fine start. They still had several core classes in common and they tried to help each other in courses they didn't share. Daniel's command of the English language grew exponentially. He had a good mind, and he absorbed new vocabulary words quickly. He even taught a few new ones to Dashawn, making the latter quite proud of his boyfriend.
The only disconcerting thing in the term was spring break. No matter when the university planned it, there would be a horde of students from northern states coming for fun on the beaches. Often, they'd be bent on getting drunk, getting laid, and generally causing disruptions. The boys just wanted a place to chill away from the pressures of academia.
Their wishes were fulfilled in the form of an open invitation from Beto and Geoff to use their stretch of beach anytime they wanted to. Rick and Bryant would join them some of the time, but they were welcome to be there even when the other two were scheduled to work at the restaurant. Dashawn and Daniel were pleased to take them up on the offer.
Rick thought it would be fun to spend one of the days of spring break at a nude beach. The rest were all for it. Daniel was especially excited because he'd never had the experience.
In the middle of the week, the four friends piled into Dashawn's car with beach towels, a cooler of food and beverages, a large breach umbrella, and an assortment of sunscreen products, heading down I-95 to Haulover Beach. It would take them a bit over an hour to make the drive. However, it was worth the trip to spend the day at one of the best public beaches in the area which had a clothing-optional section. Part of the attraction was the presence of restroom and eating facilities. They weren't likely to need more sustenance than they'd packed, but it was always nice to know it was within easy reach.
They left rather early to make sure they found a convenient parking place. Their first order of business, after availing themselves of the restroom, was to walk to the north end and stake out their territory. Rick had read online that this was the section where many gay guys hung out. Obviously, he wasn't hoping to pick up someone, but he thought those in the area wouldn't be offending if his buddies got a bit amorous.
As soon as they got settled, they stripped and applied sunscreen to their lovers' bodies. This tended to fluff them up and, again, no one in that section would consider them obscene. In fact, they got a lot of admiring glances from the men who were nearby.
Among the four of them, they presented a beautiful gradation of skin-tones from light tan; (Bryant), to mocha (Rick), to mahogany (Dashawn), to ebony (Daniel). They didn't have distinctive lines because none had been out in the surf a lot during the winter due to their studies and other responsibilities. Plenty of men felt their loins stirring at the sight of them. One of the beach goers offered them money if they would participate in a job he had lined up with a major underwear brand. Given the past experiences, Rick and Bryant had, they declined. However, the man left them his card, saying that he could understand their reticence. They were welcome to look up his operation online and see that it was legitimate. If they were to change their minds, he would love to offer his services.
The boys were careful not to do anything in public which could be considered overtly sexual. They didn't want to give anyone a reason to arrest them. Dashawn was especially sensitive to that possibility. In his experience, men to color were always vulnerable.
All in all, they had a lot of fun in the sun and water. They would look a couple of shades darker in the coming days when effects of the rays on their melanin kicked in.
When Dashawn and Daniel got back to school, they looked up the website of Bob Cummings, the photographer they'd met on the beach. It all seemed to be on the up and up. Although neither boy needed extra money, they would never turn down an opportunity because it could make them more independent and pave the way for their future together.
When they contacted the photographer, he was eager to do a shoot. The company he had subcontracted with wanted new talent to show off their line of pride offerings. They would love to have guys with a variety of skin-tones to make their products appealing to all types of customers. He already had an Asian dude and a redhead lined up.
They told Rick and Bryant what they had learned and encouraged them to look into it. It took some convincing, but eventually, the two felt they'd be safe if they went as a group. If things went bad, they could always leave.
Mr. Cummings had contracts ready for them to sign when they arrived at his studio on Saturday morning. They would receive $1,000 each for their work and would be allowed to keep the garments they modeled. Of course, well-known professional model could command a higher salary. However, for college boys who were amateurs, this seemed like a fortune for two days of work.
The other two young men arrived a few minutes later. Vance Takana had straight, coal-black hair and beautiful almond eyes. Sean O'Toole's hair was a striking copper color which complemented his green eyes and innocent freckled face.
The six of them were shown to the dressing rooms where they would soon be attired in skimpy underwear which was form-fitting and showcased their best assets.
Bob wanted to make a video of them washing a car and getting wet in the process. The water would make their clothing semi-translucent and clingy, which would enhance their dicks even more. Prospective customers watching the action would assume that they'd look just as good. Bob offered Daniel extra money if they could use his dark navy Beemer as a prop since the color went well with their garments. Daniel was fine with it as long as the license plates were covered by fake tags so no one could trace the vehicle to him. Bob had them already from doing something similar in the past.
While he was explaining the scenario he wanted. His assistant, Andy, set up cameras at various vantage points to get shots he might miss with the portable one. Having a lot of footage would make it possible to capture any stills they might want.
After the car scene, the guys were sent to change into swimwear and told to play around in the pool. It was a rather nice one, and something which could be listed on his tax returns as a business expense if Bob used it often in his shoots.
At noon, Bob provided a variety of subs, chips, and soft drinks for their meal. The boys had plenty of time to relax and eat because the cameras were still rolling to get casual poses. So, it was a working lunch without feeling like one.
Each guy had two more changes of swimsuits before their day was over. All were satisfied that their Saturday's gig had been a good one. Rick was especially pleased that he would have more money toward his college education.
Sunday was similar in schedule, but the guys mostly modeled shorts and tank tops which the company was introducing into their line. These shots again included the swimming pool as a backdrop.
Later in the afternoon, they were attired in athletic gear ranging from jockstraps to workout shorts to wrestling singlets. Again, they were allowed to keep what they'd worn.
As Bob paid them, he suggested that he'd like to do a calendar shoot featuring college studs in the near future, and he hoped they'd be available. They all agreed to do their best to make time for it.
The rest of spring term passed rapidly. Almost before they knew it, Daniel and Dashawn were home for the summer. They'd lived together in harmony for the past nine months and didn't really want to be separated. Catheryn and Samuel came to their aid by offering to have Dashawn share their guest room with their son. Lenor and Walter had no objection, so that was the arrangement.
Since they were still sophomores, the boys could continue taking hours at the junior college which would transfer. If they got enough credits, they would be juniors by second semester of next year. It wasn't that they were pressured to finish college to save money, but it was a case of wanting to get on with life -- life together.
"Do you realize it's nearly a year since we first met and fell in love?" Daniel asked. "Are you still interested in -" Daniel started to say
"Of course, and yes I will marry you."
"How did you know what I was going to ask?"
"Maybe it's because we know each other so well we can finish each other's sentences."
"YES! With that in mind do you think we could -" Daniel continued.
"Get married this summer?" Dashawn said with a grin.
"Yes. Now I'm afraid to say anything because you'll finish it before I get the thought out."
"I'm sorry. I'll back off. It's just that I feel like we're inside one another's head."
"It's good. I like you in there. I think I'd like to feel another part of you inside me somewhere else. How about soixande-neuf?"
"C'mere, you sexy thing," Dashawn said, licking his lips.
For all intents and purposes, their conversation was put on hold until the afterglow.
On a Sunday afternoon in June, Dashawn and Daniel got their parents together for a discussion about their plans. They wanted their blessing but were determined that they would ultimately marry, with or without it. Daniel's grandmother was included because he didn't want to have to go through it twice.
Dashawn began the conversation.
"We have something to say, and we hope you'll let us do it without interruption. You all know that Daniel and are both out and proud and that we connected almost immediately when we met last summer. We've become closer since sharing our room at school. We want to formalize our relationship and become husbands before we go back to the university in the fall.
"What we'd like is a small wedding on the beach with mostly family and a few friends. "We'd like Mom to do the ceremony, but we'd like to do the premarital counseling with someone outside the family. We don't want to hold the ceremony at church because there are some members who would object to a same-sex wedding, and we'd rather not have Mom face the fallout.
"We'd like to hire Rick's uncles to provide the food and to sit down and eat with us as our guests. We think we could get a guy named Andy to do the photography because he does weddings as well as photo-shoots for models.
"We promise to try to make it on our own financially. We don't want to be a burden on our families."
"This is my hope too," Daniel said. "Dashawn and I have discussed this together. I love him very much, and I could have married him a week after we met with no regrets.
"Please tell us you're okay with our plans."
No one in the room appeared to be shocked or upset over the announcement. Catheryn spent a couple of minutes explaining to her mother what had been said.
Lenore spoke first.
"I'll be honored to do the ceremony, and if you young men would like to use the church, I have no problem with that. You're both members of it and are entitled to be married there if you wish. I don't care what some people will think or say.
"I can understand that you'd rather have someone else do the counseling and I'm fine with that. Rev. Thompson and I often trade off with some of those duties and I'm sure he'd do that for you."
"We'll continue to support you until you graduate and have jobs of your own," Catheryn offered. "I know you might be able to make it by modeling on the side, but we don't want you to feel stressed. I understand that many marriages flounder because of financial burdens. We don't want that to happen to you.
"Mother wants me to express her congratulations and she would like to know if she might give a blessing at the end of your ceremony."
Dashawn and Daniel went over to Martha and said, "Merci" to her. Daniel continued to say more to her in French. She was very pleased and embraced both of them.
Summer school classes at the junior college seemed easier to the guys after having taken a year at the university level. However, there was still a lot of reading to do and exams to take. The combination of their parttime jobs, making plans for their wedding, and their course work made the days pass quickly.
They managed to take some breaks for fun at the beach. Usually, that meant a few hours at a local spot where clothing was required. They did work in a couple of trips to Haulover with Rick and Bryant.
They also made time for the calendar photo shoot with Bob and Andy. It was good money which now meant more to Daniel and Dashawn since they hoped not to be too dependent on their families when they became a married couple.
With all six of the original underwear models involved, Bob might have given each guy two of the months in which to star on their own. However, he decided to keep them as a group since it was difficult to choose which ones were the most attractive.
For the months with major holidays, he had accessories to enhance the theme. October had pumpkins and autumn leaves. December featured artificial pine trees, elf hats, and packages with bows. These were often strategically placed in front of their G-strings to make the viewer assume the boys were nude.
Photos for June were taken at nude section of Haulover with the guys' genitals cleverly hidden so that it wouldn't be rated X. However, an R rating would likely increase sales greatly.
In addition to the money that they were paid for the sessions, the guys were promised a percentage of the profits so that they would have additional income to use later. The prospect kept them all wearing genuine smiles, if little or nothing else.
The Saturday after summer school classed ended, Dashawn and Daniel were united in marriage on the beach near Beto and Geoff's cottage. According to their plans, Rick and Bryant were their best men. Lenore officiated, and Grandma Martha pronounced a blessing in French at the end.
The restaurant owners catered the lunch. Andy filmed the ceremony and took other candid shots of guests as they were eating. At one point, Dashawn insisted that Andy sit down and eat too.
An hour or so after lunch, the newlyweds left for a short honeymoon at a resort on Key West.
Two days before the beginning of fall term, Dashawn and Daniel arrived at their dorm room with several new items of bedding. Their first order of business was to move the captain's beds so that the paneled sides of the bases and the mattresses butted up together. The result was like having a California king-sized bed. By placing a foam topper over the mattresses and making it up with king-sized sheets and a comforter, they created a large sleeping area to share. The young men no longer worried about how some of their floor-mates might react. They were now legally wed and weren't going to apologize to anyone.
And so, Dashawn and Daniel Moussa-Williams began a new chapter in their lives as equal partners. They were determined to make their union last for the rest of their lives. Happily-ever-after wasn't the sole right of straight people.
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Author's notes: Thanks for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to contact me a dlee169@hotmail.com and let me know. Your emails are the only reward I receive for writing. Please put the story title in the subject line in case your email goes into the spam folder.
I heard from the following since last posting, Mendy D, Peter S, Geoff S, Tim T, Gordon, Joe W (2), Ott H, Jim W, Si R, Bill T, John L, Andy R, Frank K, and Paul R. I fear I may have missed someone!
Thanks to David S for editing. He finds the typos and missing words! He also makes valuable suggestions.
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Thanks,
David
Ps: I have a chronological list of all my posted stories which I can email to you if you have an interest.
This is the recipe I tried for groundnut soup. I used chicken broth rather than water for the liquid. It was pretty good with rice mixed into it. My Togolese friend says he uses fish rather than chicken.