Quarterback Keeper 36
The first game of the season was always a bit ragged. Joe knew he couldn't expect perfection, especially with only a week of practice, but he didn't expect Zach to be a problem. Zach was the Rattlesnake's starting pitcher, but in the second inning he was already in trouble. He couldn't find the zone and had runners on 1st and 2nd.
"Avery, get over here," Joe yelled down the bench. While Avery had initially asked to be an equipment manager, during the games Joe assigned him the scorebook. "Who do they have up next?"
"Davis, coach."
"Fuck," Joe muttered. Just then the ump called ball four to load the bases.
"Double fuck," Joe said now bit louder. Then Joe turned to Avery and said, "Do you know what the hell is wrong with him?"
"He didn't want me to show you this." Avery pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed Joe a twitter post. It said, "Go Mustangs, Baseball is for men, not fags." Joe also noticed that the tweet had been retweeted and there were a number of comments.
"What the hell," Joe said as he showed Tyler and Kent.
"He's been getting these all week. We think his father is sending them."
Joe hollered for a time out, and headed for the mound.
As Joe walked to the mound, Zach hung his head. When Joe arrived, Zach was fighting back tears, and said, "Avery showed you, didn't he."
"Head up and look at me," Joe snapped. "Yes, he did. That is fucked up, and your father is an asshole, but the question is what are you? Are you? Are you someone who can stand up and face the haters, or will you let them force you to hide, to be ashamed of who you are and what you have with Avery."
Joe just hit the reset button when he asked Zach if he was going to be ashamed of Avery. Zach stood up straight, pushed out his chest, and a fierce look came across his face. He looked Joe in the eyes and said, "I am ashamed of nothing, coach."
"Good," Joe said, "Now take care of business!"
Jack Davis was the Mustang's heavy hitter. His Junior year he led the state in home runs, and as a Senior, it was his mission to set a new state home run record. Davis took his stance behind the plate and glared at Zach. This wasn't the first meeting between the two. They'd repeatedly battled since Little League and the rivalry was fierce. Davis was not above trying anything he could to get inside Zach's head. He grabbed his crotch and blew Zach a kiss. Joe was furious, and he started to climb out of the dugout, but Tyler and Kent grabbed him.
Joe got even hotter when he looked across the field and saw Ralph Rabb, the Mustang coach, laughing. The catcher sent Zach the sign, and he shook it off twice. It was clear Zach wanted a specific pitch, and when he got it went right into his windup. Zach threw a fastball up and inside that brushed Davis back from the plate. Davis now had murder in his eyes, and Zach was sure he would be swinging for the fences. The next pitch was low and outside, but Davis couldn't resist the bait and swung hard, nearly spinning himself into the ground when he missed it. The next pitch was a nasty breaking ball that again made Davis look foolish. The count was now two strikes and a ball. As Zach went into his windup, he noticed Davis tighten his hands on the bat, and knew he had Davis. The pitch caught the inside third of the plate waist high. Davis was handcuffed and the umpire couldn't miss calling it a strike.
Davis put on a display of disgust, as if the strike was a bad call, but even his own mother would have had to call that pitch a strike, and everyone in the stands knew it. Up next was the Mustang right fielder. Again Zach had played against the kid for years and knew his batting weakness, a two-seam fastball just above the knees. As expected, the kid topped the ball creating the perfect double-play ball. Zach got out of the inning without damage, and the Mustangs stranded three on base.
The game remained scoreless at the top of the fourth. As the game had progressed, homophobic remarks could be heard from the Mustang home fans, and even from the Mustang dugout. The plate umpire called time and motioned for the coaches and officiating crew to join him at the plate. When they were at all together, the umpire said. "Ralph, I'm hearing shit coming from your dugout that you'd better put an end to right now, or I'll be sending a report to the State Athletic Association."
Rabb started to protest, but the ump cut him off, "Listen Coach Rabb, you'd better drag yourself and your team into the 21st Century or I'll see that sanctions get levied. Don't forget, I was just elected to the rules committee, and I think I have the weight to make it happen. Also, I don't want this game to get chippy, so both of you better tell your pitchers, the next chin high brush-back gets the pitcher ejected."
The ump then found the Mustangs' Athletic Director and told him to get the fans under control, the AD said he had already called for a couple of police officers to help with crowd control. Salt Fork scored twice in their half of the fourth, and the Mustangs put up a run. However, it was in the top of the fifth that the Rattlesnakes blew the game open. Zach had been throwing a great game and decided to help himself out on offense. With one out and two men on base, Zach came to the plate. Zach had been watching the pitcher and noticed he liked to start a batter off with a fastball low and outside and then follow up with a curveball. The bane of any pitcher is predictability.
As per his MO, the pitcher threw a fastball outside. Zach tried not to smile as he waited for the second pitch. Zach couldn't believe the gift; not only was it a curveball, but it hung over the plate. It was like he was playing T-ball. The minute the bat made contact, everyone knew the ball was gone. It cleared the outfield fence with three feet to spare. As Zach rounded first, he smiled and gave the first baseman, Jack Davis, a wink.
Zach's home run opened the floodgates, and the Rattlesnakes scored ten in the fifth. It took all of the air out of the Mustangs and energized Zach. The result was the game ended 12-1 on a run rule. The second game was no better for Mustangs, and Salt Fork started the season with two wins.
By the time the second game ended, it was getting cold, and most of the stands were empty. The teams lined up to shake hands. When Jack Davis and Zach met, Davis grabbed Zach's hand and said, "Good game. I hear you are playing at NOSU next year."
"That's the plan."
"Well, we'll finally be playing together, instead of against each other. Oh, and for the record, I don't hate you because you're gay, I just hate you because I'm a hitter, and you're a damn good pitcher." Jake then grinned, and Zach was caught completely by surprise.
After he finished shaking hands, he ran over to the Rattlesnake dugout and said something to Avery. Unfortunately, Ralph Rabb wasn't the good sport his star player was. He refused to shake hands with the Salt Fork coaches then started yelling at his team so loudly that everyone including the player's parents heard every cuss word.
Joe put his arm on Tyler's shoulder and said, "That is why Ralph has been coaching for twenty-three years, but never more than four years in any one place. He's one of the best coaches that can't keep a job. He was a great player in high school, and college, and even played Triple-A. Too bad he's not anyone I would want near my kid."
On the way back to Salt Fork, Avery and Zach sat next to each other. "What did Jack say to you?" Zach asked.
"He told me I was really lucky," Then he said, "if we are looking for a third next year, he would welcome an invite."
"What? He's....."
Avery smiled and nodded.
When Joe and Tyler got home they found a note from Ian saying he was tired, and had gone to bed. He also said there was food in the fridge. Tyler opened the fridge and said, "The kid left us grilled chicken, baked potatoes, and salad. I am hungry like a bear on the first day of Spring."
Joe grabbed a couple of beers and then sat down at the kitchen bar. Tyler warmed up the food and then sat down beside him. "So coach," Tyler said, "what did you think of the game?"
Joe kissed Tyler and said, "Babe, we can't be coaches 24/7. Let's just eat, drink beer, watch a little M.A.S.H., and then go fuck our brains out. Okay?"
"You'll get no argument from me."
Tyler turned on the TV and found M.A.S.H. Joe had grown up watching Hawkeye, Hot Lips, Radar, and the rest of the gang, but they were new to Tyler. Occasionally, Joe would have to explain a few of the jokes or situations, but for the most part the humor was universal.
"I have noticed that there used to be a lot more sitcoms set in the military, shows like: Gomer Pyle, McHale's Navy, Hogan's Heroes, and others," Tyler said.
Joe thought for a bit, then said, "I suppose part of it had to do with the fact that more viewers could relate to a military experience and the absurdity of some aspects of military life. You have to remember that many of the viewers had the shared experience of serving in WWII and Korea, so they could relate. Second, 9/11 and the Iraq and Afghan Wars seemed to put military service beyond the bounds of comedy."
"The show ended and Tyler put his dishes in the dishwasher and headed for the bedroom. Joe quickly downed the last of his beer and followed. Tyler had already stripped off his clothes, and was lying on the bed with his fingers locked behind his head and his legs spread. Joe had to stop and take a minute to admire the pure manly sexuality on display before him.
Eventually, Joe began to slowly remove his baseball uniform. The Rattlesnakes baseball uniforms were black with gold trim and Joe wore his as comfortably as if a second skin. He unbuttoned his jersey, exposing his muscular hairy chest. Tyler's cock began to stiffen. Finally Joe dropped the jersey to the floor and began to loosen the belt on his baseball pants. Baseball pants are incredibly complimentary to a man with a firm round ass, and muscular legs; Joe had them all in spades. Joe pushed the uniform pants to the floor and when he stood fully upright again, Tyler couldn't help but let a small gasp escape at the sight of Joe standing with his hands on his hips wearing nothing but a baseball cap, stirrup socks, a black jock.
Tyler had discovered that Joe was a multifaceted lover, and that night he was in the mood for slow, masculine, and sensual love. If love making could be described as tastes and smells, then the night was a bottle of Henry McKenna 10-year-old single barrel bourbon. The nose was vanilla, oak, and caramel. The taste was honey, cinnamon, and dark fruit. The finish was long, rich, and spicy. In the end, it was the richest, most complete, most satisfying orgasm Tyler had ever experienced. When the climax was past, the love-making didn't stop. Joe pulled Tyler into his body and the two fell asleep warm, secure, and totally devoted to each other.
As the baseball season rolled along, word began to spread that slurs and jokes about being gay weren't going to rattle Zach or the team, and might even backfire. During one game, Zach was coming up to bat and one smart ass catcher said, "Hey Hill, I hear you like sucking cock." Before the umpire could say anything, Zach said, "You got good hearing," then winked and took his batting stance. Just for fun, Zach took the first pitch deep for a two run homer. While Zach was trotting around the bases, the umpire said to the catcher, "Shit son, you just poked the bear."
When that catcher came up for his first at bat, Zach threw a hard fastball inside just to get the batter's attention. Then he threw three pitches that started out right at the batter, who jumped back, just before the balls broke at the last possible moment for three strikes and an out. The catcher looked like a total fool. For the rest of the game Zach was on a tear, hitting another home run and pitching a shutout.
When the teams were shaking hands after the game. The catcher, who'd been so shook, his coach ended up pulling him, muttered, "asshole" when he got to Zach. Zach just smiled and said, "Yep, like those too." Even the opposing coach started to laugh and the kid stormed back to the dugout.
When the other team's coach shook Zach's hand, he said, "Son, I've never seen anyone get to Jeff, the way you did today. It would have been fun to watch if you weren't dishing us an A1 thumping in the process."
As the seniors moved ever closer to graduation, their interest in school began to flag. Increasingly, the word Senioritis was heard around Salt Fork High, as if it were some actual ailment that could justify slacking off in class. To add to the distraction, prom was only two weeks away. The prom committee had asked Ian if he would accept being nominated for Prom King, but he declined saying he wouldn't feel right since he had not been a part of the school until his senior year. Avery and Zach also declined since they certainly didn't want to run against each other, and they didn't think it would be fair to whichever girl was selected as Prom Queen.
That left Kevin the odds on favorite to be the Prom King. "Tell me again why I can't say no like the rest of you guys," Kevin said one Sunday afternoon when he, Ian, Avery, and Zach were playing video games at Joe's and Tyler' house.
"One," Avery said, "Because you're not gay."
"I could be," Kevin said.
Ian, Avery, and Zach all burst into laughter. "In your dreams," Ian said, "You're not good looking enough to be gay. Second, girls can dance and gay guys can dance, but you my friend dance like a camel wearing roller skates."
"Third," Zach said, "since you and Zoey hooked up, it is more than clear you are 110 percent into her. So, that's three strikes and you're straight."
"On a different topic," Avery said, changing the subject, "I just got a tweet from David Franks, the golf team captain. Ian, why didn't you tell us you killed it yesterday."
"It's just golf. It's not that big of a deal."
"Bullshit, it is a big deal and you are our friend. We've as much right to celebrate your accomplishments as you do," Avery said and pushed Ian over on the floor.
"So, what did you shoot," Kevin asked.
"I was just three under par," Ian said.
"What he's not telling us," Avery said, "is that David posted the conditions were crappy. The wind was up and it was cold. He's also not telling us, he finished first."
"Seriously it was no big deal, it wasn't that big of a field, and I got lucky on a couple of holes."
"No big deal!" Joe said, as he and Tyler walked into the game room. "It was Enid High's Open Invitational. Salt Fork was the smallest school there, and Oakwood is a tough course even on a good day."
"Wait, you were three under par at Oakwood yesterday!" Avery said, "My dad is happy to play that course three over par when conditions are perfect. He makes me play with him in the club's father/son tournament every year. So buddy, how would you like to be Avery Anders for a day on the third Sunday in May."
"Hold on there Anders," Joe said, "Ian is playing with me."
"But Coach, you never play the club tournaments."
"I've never had a ringer before," Joe said with a smile. Then he kissed Tyler and said, "Sorry, but you understand?"
"Of course," Tyler said with a smile, "but, if you don't pick me for your softball team this summer, I am going to cry." The boys broke into laughter.
After dropping off refreshments, Joe and Tyler went back to the living room to continue watching a movie. "I didn't know you were a member at Oakwood," Tyler said.
"Actually, I forget that I am, well, we are member's there."
"Huh?"
"It's another Sinclair thing. The family pays the membership, and I haven't really used it that much over the years. However, we are going to have to start using it this Summer. With Sinclair Energy's new presence in Enid, we are going to have to step up our social life. Part of the job of being a Sinclair is polishing the right apples and kissing the right asses."
"What does that mean for me?"
"I hope you like the symphony, community theater, Chamber of Commerce lunches, etc."
"Just promise me that I will never have to listen to anyone singing in a foreign language and wearing a viking helmet," Tyler said.
"I promise," Joe said and gave him a kiss.
"When is 2Coop getting home?" Tyler asked. 2Coop was spending the weekend on his grandparent's farm in Medford. 2Coop liked working on the farm, and his grandparents loved having him over as much as possible. They could hardly wait for the rest of the family to move closer.
"I was thinking, we should grill some hamburgers for supper," Tyler said. "We could see if Mom and Claudia want to join us."
"I see your plan."
"What plan?"
"It's 3:00, you know that if we call them now, they will offer to whip up a dessert."
"Maybe," Tyler said with a wicked smile. Sure enough, Tyler was right. Mary and Claudia had spent the afternoon quilting at Mary's house, and they offered to bring over brownies and whipped cream.
Joe went back to the game room and said, "Mary and Claudia are coming over for supper and we're going to grill hamburgers. Avery, why don't you give your parents a call and see if they want to join us. Tell your dad that Mary and Claudia are baking brownies."
It didn't take long for Robert Anders to accept the invitation; he was a sucker for desserts. After supper Joe led Robert off to his office. "So, what's on your mind now," Robert asked.
Joe rolled out a map of the field in the back of the house and showed it to Robert. "When Tyler and I bought this land from Claudia, it came with a couple of stipulations. One, that the land bordering the Salt Fork become public access recreational usage, and two, the rest of the land be developed for new housing.
Robert whistled, and said "This is big. There hasn't been an addition to Salt Fork like this in my lifetime."
"You've met 2Coop and his parents, and I'm sure you know the house being built next door is for them."
"The whole town knows that," Robert said. "It's kind of a point of pride that a family like your nephew's wants their kids to go to school in Salt Fork."
"Well, Cooper's wife, Dana, is from this area. Her parents and grandparents live in Medford. I have asked her to head up this project. Her major in college was in agriculture and rural development. I was hoping that you and the bank would work with her on getting this project off the ground."
Robert smiled, then said, "Hell Joe, you knew I would jump on this like a duck on a Junebug. Aside from the prestige that it gives the bank to be working with Sinclair Energy. I'm a greedy bastard and don't want any other bank or S&L horning in on my territory and my potential customers."
"I figured you'd see it that way. On a different note, has Kent Walters come to see you about a line of credit and a business account."
"We have a meeting tomorrow, but I don't know exactly what it is about."
"He's going to be a bit secretive because of the nature of the business he is starting. Let me assure you that what he is doing is legal and very important. Sinclair Energy is one of his clients, and I am his silent partner. I need you to greenlight the credit and the business account without asking too many questions. Can you do that?"
"Consider it done," Robert said.
"Great, I think if we get back out there we can snagged another brownie before the boys finish them off."
"Lead the way."
Charles was coming down to breakfast Wednesday morning, when he heard Mindy say in frustration, "That's it Michael! You are getting on my last nerve." Then the back door slammed.
"What is all the yelling about?" Charles said, walking into the kitchen.
"Your son is just one big ball of hormones and energy, and he is driving me crazy. I am going to strangle him if he can't get his shit together."
The next Saturday was the Salt Fork prom and all Michael could do was think about seeing Ian, and the more he thought about it, the more difficult he became. Between Michael's tennis meets and Ian's golf tournaments it had been three weeks since the two had been together.
Charles, assessed the situation, and decided something had to be done to save his son's life and his wife's sanity. So he took out his phone and made a call, "Hello, Cooper..... Are you and Dana still going to Salt Fork to sign off on the house and meet the decorator this weekend....Change of plans; you are going today, and taking Michael with you...The girls can stay with us. I'll see they get to and from school."
Charles then called Michael's school and explained there was a family crisis, and Michael wouldn't be in for the rest of the week. The next call was to Joe to inform him that Michael would be shipped express to Salt Fork. Joe laughed and said Ian was also in rut and was taking delight in being an irritant to Tyler, so Michael's early arrival would be more than welcome.
After he hung up, Charles bellowed out the back door, "Michael, get your ass in here this instant."
When Michael walked back in the house, he was pissed and a little scared. Charles rarely got upset with his youngest son. "What?" Michael asked.
"I've excused you from school for the rest of the week. Cooper and Dana are going to Salt Fork this afternoon and you are going with them. If you come back with that shitty attitude, I won't care that there are only five weeks left until graduation, I'll ship you off to boarding school."
Michael grinned and said, "I get to go to Salt Fork today!?"
"That's all you just heard me say?"
"Yeah, yeah, shitty attitude...five weeks...boarding school, but you're not kidding, I get to see Ian today."
Charles had to smile and said, "You get to see Ian today. Now go pack."
Michael gave Charles and Mindy a kiss, then ran off to start packing.
Mindy then walked over and gave Charles a big kiss and said, "Normally, I would not approve of what you just did, but... thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Joe was at school already when Charles called, and figured Michael would call Ian, so he didn't bother finding Ian and filling him in on the change of plans. As it turned out, Ian had forgotten to recharge his phone, and Michael hadn't been able to call him with the news. So Ian was oblivious that Michael was in Salt Fork until he stopped by Joe's room after school.
"I forgot that the golf course is hosting a men's scramble today," Ian said, "so I don't have practice."
"Well don't get in trouble, and we will be going to Matty's after Tyler and I finish practice. You and Michael better be ready at six." A quizzical expression appeared on Ian's face. "Oh, it looks like somebody didn't get the memo. It seems Michael and Mindy were butting heads, and Charles decided to dump Oops on us for the rest of the week."
Ian's face first registered comprehension, then excitement. "He is here right now!?"
"If you mean at the house, yes."
Ian ran all the way home. He was a bit surprised that only Sunshine greeted him at the door. He dropped his bag and went into the kitchen, then the game room, and finally walked back to his bedroom. That's where he found Michael wearing only a T-shirt and a pair of tight briefs. Ian wasted no time shedding his own clothes and jumping into bed.
"Oh fuck, I have missed you so much," Ian said.
"Me too," Michael said, "I haven't been able to think about anything but you for a week."
Ian pushed Michael briefs down and grabbed his cock and slowly stroked its length before beginning to tongue the spongy helmet. Michael groaned, and Ian swallowed his entire cock. As he began to work up and down, Michael quickly reached the edge and was fighting not to cum, but Ian was too talented, and too aware of his boy's weaknesses. Soon, Michael was groaning as he flooded Ian's throat with creamy, warm jizz.
It was now Michael's turn to reciprocate, and he was a master at giving oral pleasure. He started by sucking Ian's balls into his mouth and massaging them with his tongue. He followed by lightly tracing the underside of Ian's cock until he reached its dripping tip. He caught some of Ian's precum on the tip of this tongue and showed it to Ian before swallowing. Ian proved no more capable of postponing his orgasm than was Michael. After all, they were 18 and horny.
"I can't believe how crazy needy I was," Michael said as he flopped his head onto a pillow. Ian suddenly felt a bit cold and pulled a blanket over himself and Michael, then cuddled up with him. "Remember, that was just an appetizer, tonight you get the main course."
When Joe and Tyler got home, they went to take a shower, and found Ian and Michael in the master shower. "What's this?" Tyler asked.
Ian smiled a bit sheepishly, and said, "Sorry, it's just that your shower is so fun." Tyler had to admit the master shower had so many sprayers and features, it was a bit like an adult splash park.
Joe said, "Just hurry up, Tyler and I need to get a shower before we go eat."
Michael responded, "There's plenty of room in here for all of us."
"No," Joe said firmly, "This is Salt Fork, not Tulsa."
So the boys finished their shower and stepped out to dry off, so Joe and Tyler could step in and start their showers."
"Fuck," Joe yelled, "That had better be conditioner I just stepped in!" Ian and Michael just laughed.
Matty's wasn't the kind of place anyone made reservations to eat, but Joe had made arrangements with Matty for a table in the cafe's back dining room. The back dining room was where the Chamber of Commerce and several clubs met. Joe, Tyler, Ian, Michael, 2Coop, Cooper and Dana were the only people seated in the back dining room, but that didn't stop a steady stream of people from wandering back to say hello. That was just the reality for a teacher and coach in a small town.
"So did you look around your house today?" Joe asked Cooper and Dana.
"Sure did," Dana said, "The contractor happened to be there, so we did kind of a pre-walkthrough. There are only a few things that need to be fixed before we sign the papers on Friday and can officially move in. We are meeting with the interior designer tomorrow to finalize furniture and accessories."
"Yeah, It looks like 2Coop and I will be out of your hair by the middle of next week," Cooper said.
"I know you are ready to get into your own home," Joe said, "but you don't have to rush on our account. We have enjoyed having 2Coop stay with us."
"Well, he certainly has enjoyed staying with you, Tyler, and Ian," Dana said. "He's become so comfortable with you guys, you might have to lock the doors to keep him out."
"That won't work," Tyler said, "He has his own key."
"So Dana, when are you and the girls moving to Salt Fork?" Joe asked.
"May 24. That's the girls' last day of school. Cooper is coming up the weekend before to pick up the pets, so as soon as the school awards program is over, we can get in the car and head for Salt Fork."
"How are Charles and Mindy dealing with all these changes?" Joe asked. "With you guys moving here and Michael heading off to college, that has to be a big change for them."
"It is," Cooper said, "but it's Jerod who's freaking out. About a month ago, it finally hit him that it would be his name that dad is constantly hollering down the hall."
"Poor kid," Joe said.
"Don't feel too bad for him," Cooper said. "He's getting a promotion and my old office, which while closer to dad, does have a great view of the river."
"Plus," Dana said, "Mindy is planning on the two of them doing some traveling, actually a lot of traveling. She and Kent have convinced him that he can do his job remotely from anywhere in the world."
That night, Joe and Tyler were in bed, and Tyler rolled over next to Joe and rested his head on Joe's shoulder. "Does it bother you that Charles is going to be the one traveling, and not you," Tyler asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"You were going to retire and travel, and then I came along and dragged you back into teaching and coaching."
Joe turned and kissed Tyler's forehead, then said, "Listen buddy, you are a hot athletic stud, but there is no way you can drag me anywhere I'm not willing to go. I chose to stay and be your mentor because I could sense you would be a great teacher and coach. I didn't do it for you, I did it for the kids whose lives you will make better. However, something else happened along the way, I fell insanely in love with you. Yes, I want to travel and explore the world, but only if I can do that with you. Is that clear?"
"Yes, it's clear," Tyler said.
The Saturday morning before prom, Ian had a regional golf tournament in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Cimarron National Golf Course was long, but straight with few serious hazards except the Oklahoma wind. Unpredictable, gusting winds were playing havoc with the flight paths of shots. Equally, treacherous were the greens which as the day went on go faster due to the wind drying them out.
However, as bad as the conditions were, two of the golfers in his foursome were worse. They were loudmouthed assholes, and worse, they were cheats. They were shaving at least one stroke off of their scores per hole. They also regularly tossed in homophobic comments into their banter with each other.
The fourth member of their foursome was a quiet kid, probably a Freshman or Sophomore, who had been substituted in for an upperclassman who had gotten sick. The two assholes thought it was funny to torment the kid. Finally, Ian had enough and said, "Why don't you two dickheads, just shut up and leave the kid alone. You aren't any better than he is."
"Shut the fuck up," said the biggest of the two who looked like a lineman for his school's football team. The smaller of the two bullies added, "Yeah, we don't need any shit from an English fairy. Just look at the scorecard."
"I am well aware of the scorecard. You two have been shaving strokes the entire game. If you were honest, you would be at the bottom two of this foursome rather than second and third."
"Oh, so you're telling us, you're not shaving strokes," said the smaller of the assholes.
"No, I am not."
Joe, Tyler, and Michael had been following Ian's group and saw the confrontation building. Joe got one of the tournament officials' attention.
"What's the problem?" the official asked the four golfers.
"This asshole thinks we're cheating," the larger said.
"I don't think you're cheating, I know you're cheating. After the ridiculously false score you reported on the second hole, I've been careful to keep count of your strokes. He's shaved nine strokes in the last six holes," Ian pointed to the smaller guy, "and he's shaved eight."
The official looked at the younger kid and asked, "Do you agree that they are shaving strokes?" the kid nodded.
By that time a crowd had gathered and the boy's coaches and tournament director had arrived. The discussion was getting heated with each coach defending his own players' integrity. Joe stepped up to the Salt Fork coach and whispered something in his ear that made him smile.
The Salt Fork coach said, "There are ten holes left to play, so the four of us coaches and this official will walk with the boys and keep the score."
The larger of the cheater's coach began to protest, but was cut off by the tournament director, who said, "That seems like a very good suggestion." The tournament director was the coach of the host school, and at previous tournaments his own golfers had complained that the scorecards turned in by the teams these two players were from weren't accurate.
By this time, the buzz of what was going on had circulated around the course and more people were showing up to watch. Finally, the objecting coach said, "Fine. I guess golf isn't a gentleman's game anymore."
On the ninth hole Ian had honors. The fairway was long, straight and narrow. Ian looked at Joe and the crew standing in the gallery. He pulled out his driver and sent his drive screaming down the middle of the fairway to set up a perfect birdie opportunity. The two cheaters were up second and third and both shanked their drives into the timber. The young kid played it safe and hit a solid shot to the middle of the fairway. Ian did get his birdie, the kid picked up a par, and the bigger cheater shot two over par, and the other cheater was four over par.
The rest of the round went the same way. Ian put on a clinic, and the cheaters continued to play like crap. The kid and his coach were all smiles when the round ended. Without the constant harassment of the two cheaters, and with Ian's regular encouragement, he settled down and finished just four over par.
As for the two cheaters, they didn't even bother to turn in their scorecards and just loaded up their clubs. To make matters worse for the cheater teams, work got around about Ian calling out the two players in his foursome, and the rest of the teams' scores came under scrutiny.
Ian easily took first, but what he received the most congratulations for was confronting cheaters. While everyone seemed to know what was going on, there was a hesitancy on the part of other players and coaches to make it an issue.
As soon as the medals presentation was over, Joe, Tyler, Ian, and Michael jumped into Joe's truck and beat it back to Salt For to get ready for prom. The theme of the prom was the Roaring Twenties, and Ian, Michael, Avery, Zach, and Kevin all got matching black tuxes that looked like they came right out of the Great Gatsby. Zoey found a modern version of a flapper's dress.
The Salt Fork High School gym had been turned into something right out of one of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Jazz Age. Because Enid was a half-mile drive away, it was hard on kids who wanted to include a nice dinner in their prom evenings. So an anonymous donor offered to have food catered for the prom. While only the Principal Mayfield and the Junior class sponsor knew who the donor was, the observant person would have noticed the trays of food placed around the venue came from the same caterer that did Joe's and Tyler's New Year's Eve reception.
Joe and Tyler were given the job of manning the entry. They were wearing 1920's style butler costumes Tyler found online. They greeted each student at the door and welcomed them to prom while also checking to see if anyone was intoxicated. When Zoey and her boys walked up, Tyler smiled and said, "Well if this ain't the cat's meow."
Joe said, "Ignore him. He spent all week looking up phrases from the 20s."
"Hey Bo, there's no need to go ratting me out. Savvy?" Tyler said, Joe rolled his eyes, and the kids laughed and entered the prom.
Like most high dances, the first half-hour is a bit slow. No one wants to be the first couple on the floor while everyone else is watching. Finally, Zoey grabbed Kevin's hand and said, "Let's go. It's time for someone to break the ice. Kevin looked like he'd rather get kicked in the nuts than go out on the dance floor.
Ian said, "Don't worry Kev, Michael and I, Avery and Zach will be right there with you. Won't we guys?"
"Sure...Absolutely...Let's go," came from the three, and they all walked to the middle of the court and began to dance. They were soon joined by six or seven more couples, and by the time the next song started the floor was full of dancers.
After a solid hour of dancing, Ian said, "Let's take a break, take some pictures, and get something to eat and drink."
Each of the couples took pictures together, then the group took a couple of pictures. After grabbing some food, they found a table. They chatted a bit about nothing in particular, then Kevin said, "I can't believe it's only five weeks to graduation."
"I don't know if I should be sad or happy about that," Avery said.
"I think it's okay to be both," Zoey said.
"So much has happened to us this year," Zach said. "I'm afraid graduation is going to seem more like a funeral than a celebration. I've already lost a lot this year. I don't think I could stand to lose any of you."
Avery wrapped his arms around Zach and said, "You are not going to lose any of us. You hear me?"
Zach smiled, gave Avery a kiss and said, "Sometimes I get focused on what I've lost, rather than remembering to be grateful for what I've gained. On balance, it's been a very good year."
"Shit, that's so good," Avery said. "I wish I had said that." The group burst into laughter.
"Well", Kevin said, "I plan to make the rest of the year biscuits and gravy."
"Biscuits and gravy? What the hell does that mean?" Avery asked.
"It's something Aunt Claudia says. She once told me that life is a bowl of gravy and we are all biscuits. It's our job to sop up as much gravy as we can."
"That is the most redneck thing that has ever come out of your mouth, but I like it," Zoey said and gave him a kiss. "Now come on. I think there's a gravy spill in the middle of the court." Zoey grabbed Kevin's hand and pulled him back onto the dance floor.
At 10:30, it was time to announce the prom king and queen. First, Kevin was named Prom King, then Zoey was named Iueen. Ian took pictures of Kevin placing the crown on Zoey and the two dancing together; then he sent them to Claudia.
Prom ended at midnight. Normally there would be a couple of unofficial after-prom parties. However, the week before in one of the neighboring high schools, several students were involved in an alcohol related car accident, and two had to be LifeWatched to OKC. After that, most of the students at Salt Fork decided an after-prom party would be a bad idea. It became clear that so few students would actually show up, that the parties were canceled.
Truthfully, Ian wasn't the least disappointed that the parties was canceled. He had his own party planned and there was only one person invited. Once home, Ian grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses and they headed to Ian's bedroom and quickly got out of their tuxes. Ian kissed Michael and said follow me. They went out to the back deck, and quickly took the cover off the hot tub and climbed in.
"Fuck, this feels so good," Michael said.
Ian handed Michael a glass of wine and settled down next to him. They didn't really do much talking. Instead, they looked at the stars, drank wine, and made out. After an hour, the wine was gone and Ian said, "Let's go back inside."
Once in bed, Michael said, "Babe, I really want you to make love to me."
Ian gently kissed Michael and said, "Of course babe."
Ian climbed on top of Michael who immediately wrapped his arms and legs around Ian. The two kissed passionately as they ground their cocks together. Soon they were both ready for more, and Ian slid down and took Michael's dripping cock and began to suck it while gently fingering his ass. Michael moaned as Ian began to prep his hole.
"Oh fuck, that feels soooo good," Michael said. "Go deeper," and Ian slid two fingers in as far as he could and gently began massaging Michael's prostate. Michael grabbed a pillow to silence his screams of pleasure. When Ian replaced the fingers with his cock, Micheal grabbed hold of the sheet and screamed, "Yes, yes, that is what I need."
Once his cock was fully buried in Michael, Ian began to fuck slowly in and out. Michael would occasionally clench his sphincter as tightly as possible around Ian's cock and moan. Ian pushed himself up in a kneeling position and grabbed Michael's hips. "Fuck you are gorgeous," Ian said and began to thrust harder.
"Yes, yes, fuck my ass," Michael cried. " I need to cum so bad."
Ian wrapped a fist around Michael cock and began working it with long slow strokes. Then Michael grabbed onto the headboard for leverage and pushed himself onto Ian's hard cock. "Oh babe, your cock is so hard, it's soooo,.... Oh fuck, I'm cummmming, I'm cummmming, Michael screamed and began shooting rope after rope of warm, ivory cum.
"That's it, babe." Ian said as he stared into Michael's intense eyes. "Shoot that load. Cover your sexy abs and chest with cum." Then Ian leaned forward and licked up a warm thick trail of cum and swallowed it.
"So fucking hot." Michael managed to say through clenched teeth. Ian picked up the speed and force of his thrusts, and as he did so bent over Michael. Ian was sweating and dripping onto Michael. With Ian leaning over him, Michael could reach Ian's nipples, so he grabbed them and gave each a pinch and held it. Ian inhaled a big breath and began to unload deep inside Michael. Repeatedly Ian's buttocks contracted, his balls tightened, and his cock disgorged wads of jism.
Once spent, Ian let his cock slowly fall for Michael's hole releasing a flood cum. "Oh damn," Michael said, "I am so full." Ian smiled and lapped up another streak of cum from Michael's chest. This time he slowly let it drip from his tongue into Michael's open mouth. Then Ian kissed Michael so they could share the cum with each other.
After a few minutes more of kissing, Ian said, "Come babe, let's rinse off." The two ran for the shower and soon were enjoying feeling the warm, soothing water on their bodies. As Ian washed Michael's back, they began to chat about the end of school, graduation, and the summer. Michael turned to face Ian and said, "Do you want anything special for a graduation present?"
Ian said, "Yes...you....in bed.....with me...every night."
Michael smiled and said, "It looks like we want the same thing."
I hope you enjoy Quarterback Keeper. If so check out my other stories. You can find links to the rest of my stories in the Author Directory, https://www.nifty.org/nifty/authorslist.html
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