Empire Ch 6
The following work is gay fiction. If you find the subject distasteful or are too young, please leave now.
The story belongs to the Author. Please refer to Chapter One
If you’d like to write or comment, My e-mail address is JETjt@aol.com John Tucker
EMPIRE
Chapter Six
Monday Morning, Ron and Matt’s home
Ron and Matt were seated in the breakfast room when Dan appeared.
“Morning Dan,” Matt said with a smile.
“Morning guys,” Dan responded.
Ron looked up from his plate, smiled and acknowledged the partner of his brother, “Hi Dan. Did you hear from Tyler last night?”
“Yes,” he replied as he filled his plate at the buffet table. “He asked me to talk to you about something,” he added a moment later as he joined the others two men at the table.
“Talk away Brother,” Ron requested, wiping his mouth with a napkin and reaching for his coffee.
“Well… I don’t quite know where to start without making this a long story.”
“Take as long as you need,” Matt said. “The kids are off to school, and the office can wait a few minutes longer if need be.”
“Well, it seems that Tyler got lost on the way to his motel in Salt Lake City and happened upon two boys, one of whom was injured. He stopped to help, taking the one who had been beaten up to a ‘quick care’ facility. It appeared that the injured boy was a ‘rent boy’ who apparently was attacked by one of his johns, or maybe even lured out by gay bashers. The other boy was a reject from a fundamentalist Mormon town and was later rejected again from a haven for those rejects because he was gay. Tyler asked me to ask you if he can bring them back to Las Vegas.”
“He should know he can,” Ron quickly replied. “Thornton still has beds available while the next buildings are being completed.
“That’s the problem,” Dan admitted. “Tyler doesn’t want to take them to Thornton, he wants them to live here, at least for the immediate future. Until our house is completed, we don’t have any more room in the guest house with Jerry there, but you have empty rooms here in the main house.”
“Did he say why he didn’t want them to go to Thornton?” Matt asked.
“Yes,” Dan answered. “Carl, the uninjured one, is from a community isolated from the rest of the world. Some of the things we’ve done, been exposed to, and are of second nature to us, are things he’s never experienced or, in some cases, has been taught differently from the real facts. For instance he’s been taught that our landing a man on the moon is a myth. He needs some time and nurturing to be able to exist in a world that is outside of the one he was raised in. It would be difficult to accomplish that at Thornton amongst all the other young guys. It could be done, but Tyler thinks it would be more effective to do it here within our home.”
“I can understand his reasoning,” Ron responded. “What about the other guy, the street kid?”
“Tyler was not so specific about him. He didn’t have a chance to talk to him much, as he was either with the doctors, or when they got back, asleep. Tyler plans to talk to him today, then decide if bringing him here is the appropriate thing. He said that Nathan, that’s the guy’s name, could be quite a handful. I think he was more worried about the other kids at Thornton, than the boy himself. Also the kid is injured and will need more care initially than Thornton is prepared to handle.”
“What do you think Babe?” Ron asked Matt.
Matt smiled. “I think I know what you’d do Ron. That’s why I love you. Thanks for asking, but I’ve never seen you run away from a challenge yet. It’s fine with me, unless you’d rather not take on any more right now.”
“Tell Tyler that it’s fine,” Ron said, turning toward Dan. “When are they coming?”
“Tyler has meetings today,” Dan replied. “He thought he’d bring them either tonight or in the morning on his way to New Mexico. He’s delayed his trip by a day in order to take care of these guys.”
“Let Dorothy, Parker and Mary know,” Ron asked. “Keep them informed when you hear from Tyler about their arrival.”
“Sure Ron. And thanks.”
“There’s no need for thanks, we’re all a team,” Ron said with a smile. “Well, it’s about time for the office,” he concluded as he pushed back his chair. “Let us know what’s happening as the day progresses.”
“Sure thing,” Dan agreed.”
* * *
Moments later, Tyler’s motel room, Salt Lake City
Tyler disconnected the call from Matt. He smiled as he thought of his family in Las Vegas. Knowing his brother and Matt, as well as Dan, he’d been sure that they’d agree to his sketchy plan to help the two Utah boys. He walked over to the door of the adjoining room and knocked. After a moment, he tapped again, this time louder. After a short pause, Carl who was dressed only in his coveralls opened the door.
“Is Nathan awake yet?” Tyler asked.
“No, he’s still sleeping,” Carl answered. “I’ve been awake for about an hour. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“I’ve been up about that long too,” Tyler answered. “I’m ready for some breakfast. Throw on some clothes, then you and I can go out. We’ll leave a note for Nathan. I think it’s better if we let him sleep then bring him some ‘take-out’ when we return. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be sore and not feel like getting up.”
“Okay,” Carl agreed. “I’ll get on my shirt and shoes.”
“I’ll write the note while you’re doing that,” Tyler said smiling. “I’ll just leave the door open and be right back.”
“Fine, it won’t take me a minute,” Carl said as Tyler turned and stepped back through the open doorway.
Twenty minutes later, Tyler and Carl sat in a booth at a Denny’s just down the street from their motel. They had placed their order and Carl sipped water as Tyler drank a welcomed cup of coffee.
“We need to talk about your future,” Tyler began.
“I’m not sure I have much of a future,” Carl answered, his words reflecting the worry showing on his young face.
“Whether you do or not is up to you,” Tyler responded with a comforting smile.
“What do you mean?” Carl asked.
“Is there any particular reason you came to Salt Lake City?” Tyler asked instead of answering.
“Yeah, I had heard at home about ‘The Sanctuary” here,” he responded, “but as I told you last night, that reason has gone away.”
“Would you consider moving to Las Vegas?” Tyler asked.
“What would I do there? I don’t know anyone there.”
“Well you know me,” Tyler chuckled. “You’d come to live with my family at least until you could get your feet on the ground. I talked to my partner last night and he’s talked to my brother and his partner this morning. It’s okay with them. We have three boys that live with us already. We consider them our sons. We’re also involved in that home for abandoned gay youths I told you about last night. You might want to live there after a few weeks with us. We just need to decide what’s best for you. At least you’d not have to worry about a place to live, food or clothing. Once you get settled, we’d help you get a job or go to school. ”
“What about Nathan? Would he come too?”
“I don’t know yet,” Tyler answered truthfully. “This afternoon when I finish my meetings, I’ll come back and talk with him. I’m not sure he even would want to come.”
“Can I wait to give you my answer until then?” Carl asked.
“Sure,” Tyler responded, “but would you mind telling me why you want to wait?”
Carl blushed. “If Nathan decides to stay here, he might need someone to look after him for awhile. Of course, he’d have to ask me to stay,” Carl explained.
“That’s very nice of you Carl,” Tyler said. “It couldn’t also be because he’s kinda cute too, could it?”
Carl blushed an even redder shade as he answered, “Well, maybe that helps a little.”
Tyler laughed.
Later that afternoon
Tyler inserted his key into the lock of his room, opened the door, and then stepped inside. The door to the boys’ room was still open and he could hear from within a TV playing. He turned to the open adjoining door and looked inside the boys’ room. Carl was sitting on the only chair in the room watching the program on the History Channel with rapt attention. On the bed, clad only in CK briefs and propped up on pillows, Nathan also watched but with decidedly less interest.
“Hi guys!” Tyler said cheerfully.
“Hi Mr. Turner,” Carl said, looking up at the handsome man that filled the doorway.
“Yeah, hi,” Nathan echoed but with less enthusiasm.
“Did you guys get some lunch?”
“Yes sir. Nathan taught me how to order pizza and when the guy came, I paid him with the money you left. The change is on the table beside your bed.”
“Yeah,” Tyler said grinning. “It’s important that you learn the essentials of survival in the outside world. Give me a couple of minutes while I change into something more comfortable and I’ll join you.”
“Whatever,” Nathan responded.
Tyler ignored the offhand comment of the young man whose normal killer looks were marred by his bruises and the swelling that resulted from his assault. Stepping back into his own room, Tyler removed his sport coat, long-sleeve shirt and dress pants after placing his leather shoes in covers, and placing them in his luggage. Dressing in casual Dockers and a golf shirt, then donning white low-cut socks and cross-trainer shoes, he packed his more formal clothes into his compact roll-around soft luggage and zipped the bag closed. He looked at himself in the dresser mirror, pulled a comb from his pocket and fixed his hair. He was pleased with the shape of his youthful body, the muscular contours only thinly disguised by his casual attire. Turning, he returned to the room of his young guests.
“Carl,” he said to the overall-covered youth, “Would you mind leaving Nathan and I alone for a few minutes? You can watch TV in my room.”
“Sure,” Carl agreed as he rose from the chair in compliance with Tyler’s request.
The expression on Nathan’s unsmiling face clearly read: ‘here it comes!’ He gritted his teeth in resignation to the inevitable. Tyler grabbed the remote and switched off the TV, then returned to the door between the rooms and closed it. Returning to the bedside, he sat down in the chair so recently vacated by Carl.
“How are you feeling, my young friend?” Tyler asked.
“I’ll live,” Nathan responded. “How long are you going to keep me captive?” he asked.
“You can leave now,” Tyler responded with displeasure at the way the conversation was starting. He stood up from the chair and took a step toward the door.
“Uh… I thought you wanted to talk to me?”
“I did,” Tyler said as he stopped his travel. “If you’re not interested though, you can go.”
“I guess it won’t hurt to listen,” Nathan replied. “I’m not promising nothin’, you understand.”
“I’m not asking for a promise or anything else,” Tyler said with a matter of fact response, again sitting down in the chair. “You have nothing I want.”
“That’s not what the dumb kid said,” Nathan declared.
“What do you mean?” Tyler asked in surprise.
“Well, he said that you’d talked to him and that you were gay. That means that you’d be interested in a little action. That’s my business, though I hurt like hell at the moment. I could still offer you a blowjob if we can agree on the price. Hell, I’d even offer you a discount for takin’ care of me last night. I must admit you’re a hell of a lot better looking than most of my tricks.”
“I told you I’m not interested,” Tyler repeated, now becoming irritated. “What else did he tell you?”
“Well he said that you’d offered to take him to Las Vegas with you. Looking for a houseboy, huh?”
“Wrong again,” Tyler replied adamantly. “Anything else?”
“You mean you lied to him just to get in his pants? I might have known! You guys with money are all alike. You just take advantage of some dumb fuck that doesn’t know shit, then stiff him after you get your rocks off.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tyler declared in disgust. “Not everyone is like you or like you accuse me of being.”
“That’s horseshit! I’ve been around! Everybody wants something.”
“That’s the first thing you’ve said that’s true,” responded Tyler, his temper on edge. “Everybody does want something.”
“See? I knew I was right!”
“Yes, you’re right about that, but you’re wrong about what it is that I want,” Tyler retorted.
“Alright, Mr. smart guy,” Nathan responded with a look that bordered on a sneer, “I’ll bite. What do you want?”
“I’d like to see Carl get off on the right foot toward a happy and successful life.”
“That’s stupid! Why the fuck should you care? Do you get your rocks off by being some kind of do-gooder?”
Tyler smiled before answering. “I guess you could say that.”
“I just did,” Nathan replied. “And it’s really fucked up. It’s against human nature.”
“On the contrary,” Tyler rejoined, “It’s the highest expression of human nature. It’s what makes us more than animals. Our first need is to physically survive. Once that is assured our next need is to gain some sense of mental satisfaction. That can be achieved in several ways. It might be financial success or more importantly, finding someone to love, and even better, someone who loves us. Once that is accomplished, we start looking beyond ourselves. The greatest satisfaction is to help someone else in need.”
“My brother, our partners and I have passed the basics” he continued, “Our physical and basic mental needs are met. We’re secure financially and happy with the loves in our lives. Now we have the luxury of being able to help others who are in need.”
“Well, I don’t need no help,” Nathan declared. “I can take care of myself. In fact I don’t want any help.”
“That’s fine,” Tyler responded calmly, “if you want to take the easy way out. I guess our conversation is over. I’ll drop you at your apartment after we check out shortly.”
“What do you know about how I live? It’s not easy, for sure.”
“I know very little about how you live, but I can guess. I’m sure it isn’t easy, but that’s not what I was talking about.”
“Now you have me really confused,” Nathan stated.
“All I meant to say is that even though the Bible says that it’s more blessed to give than to receive, I think, for a person with pride in himself, it’s far more difficult to receive than it is to give. We give and get satisfaction from it. The receiver has the harder task of accepting help without losing his self-respect.”
Nathan paused, thinking about what Tyler had just said. Then nodding he agreed, “Yeah, I’d say that’s true.”
“I guess it’s a moot point,” Tyler continued, “you don’t want any help, and that’s that. I’d never try to force you into doing anything. As I said, I’ll drop you off at your apartment.”
“What’s going to happen with the dumb kid?”
“I’d rather you didn’t call him that,” Tyler said, letting his annoyance show. “His name is Carl and he’s not dumb. If you knew his background, you’d understand that he’s been isolated from society, as you and I know it. It will just take a little time and he’ll be fine. As for his future, it’s up to him. He can stay here or come with me, and if he comes and doesn’t like it, he can leave at any time. Why do you care anyway?”
“He’s not a bad guy,” Nathan admitted. “In fact, I’d probably still be crawling home from that alley where I was dumped if it wasn’t for him. I guess I owe him. It’s just that he offered to stay and take care of me until I get better. I feel like shit, but I can’t afford to pay for the both of us for very long. I only know one trade that I could teach him and I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.”
“I’m glad you’re decent enough to see that,” Tyler said as a half-compliment. “It’s still his and your choice. What you decide to do with or without Carl is out of my control.”
“Can I talk to him alone for few minutes?” Nathan asked.
“Sure,” Tyler agreed. “I’ll go get him.”
Tyler stood and then went into his own room. A moment later Carl appeared at the door.
“You want to talk to me?” he asked.
“Yeah, Carl,” Nathan said, “Tyler and I were talking. I think you should go with him. I don’t know exactly what he has in mind for you, but it beats the shit out of what I could possibly offer.”
“You’re not coming with us?” Carl asked, already knowing the answer.
“No, I’m staying here,” Nathan said.
“As I told you before, I’ll stay if you want me too. I’ll do everything until you get well.”
“It’s not that I don’t want you too,” Nathan explained, “and it’s not that I couldn’t use the help, at least for awhile, it’s just that I can’t support both of us and I’d never let you do what I do for a living.”
“What do you do?” Carl asked. “I’m not too good to do anything.”
Nathan’s eyes began to fill with the tears of shame. “I sell my body for sex,” Nathan revealed in a soft voice. “I couldn’t let an innocent guy like you do that.”
“We could both get regular jobs,” Carl suggested. “I’m a hard worker.”
“The only jobs we’re qualified for pay like shit. We’d both be working night and day just to make ends meet. No thanks. That’s not for me,” Nathan said with finality. “You go with Tyler. I’ll think of you often as a friend.”
“If you’re sure,” Carl said, his eyes now too were filled with tears of rejection.
“I’m sure, buddy,” Nathan said sadly.
Carl slowly stood up, walked to his bed and put his few possessions in his knapsack. Turning to Nathan, he choked out the words, “I’ll let Tyler know.”
Picking up his bag he opened the door to Tyler’s room and stepped through the doorway.
An hour later
Tyler’s rental car turned into the parking lot of Nathan’s apartment complex. Carl sat in back with Nathan as Tyler drove to the rear of the motel-like facility and pulled into a parking spot in front of Nathan’s unit.
“Oh shit!” Tyler exclaimed as he looked at the building.
On it’s side and over the face of Nathan’s door, painted in red, were the words, “Die! Cock Sucker!”
Nathan and Carl looked up from the back seat. Nathan’s face became pale as he struggled out from the car and stood looking at the graffiti.
“How did they know where I live?” he muttered to himself. ‘They took my wallet,’ he suddenly remembered.
He limped to the door, pulled out his key from his pocket, then noticed that the door was not closed tightly. Pushing on the door it swung inward revealing evidence that the lock had been forced. Looking around the small room, he then saw that his small apartment had been completely trashed. The mattress, small sofa and armchair had been slashed, with the stuffing strewn about the room. The cheap coffee table had been destroyed as well with broken glasses and plates from the tiny kitchen shattered as they had been thrown about. Nathan’s computer and small stereo were bashed and laying on the floor in pieces. Red paint was sprayed on the walls and the smell of urine filled the nostrils of the two young men and their older would-be mentor. On the floor was the tin with a removable lid that had contained all his savings.
“This is awful!” Carl exclaimed in horror. “Why would anyone do this to you?”
“It was a hate crime,” Tyler explained to the youth. “I’d better get the manager. You guys stay here.”
Nathan picked up the overturned chair that had been by his bedside, sat down in it, and buried his head in his hands, silently weeping in despair. Carl stepped to his side and put his strong arm around his new friend.
“It’ll be all right,” Carl said, trying to offer comfort.
“It’s all I had,” Nathan blubbered, with tears flowing. “It wasn’t much, but at least it was mine.”
A moment later, the door opened and Tyler appeared with the manager in tow.
The manager’s eyes were opened in shock at the carnage.
“You’ll pay for this! He said shaking his fist at Nathan!”
“It wasn’t his fault,” Tyler declared forcefully. “He was injured and away from here. You can tell by the door that the apartment was forcibly entered. I know he was not here for a fact as he’s been with me for the last two days. Your security sucks! How could you let this happen to one of your tenants and not know it?”
The manager was taken aback by Tyler’s logic.
“Well….uh….maybe he didn’t do it, but he’s still responsible. It’s his apartment.”
“My lawyer will be here as soon as I call him,” Tyler threatened. “I’m sure that he will find reason to file a lawsuit against the owners of this complex.”
“Uh… I hope that won’t be necessary,” the manager said seeing that Tyler was serious. “We do have insurance that will cover most of the damage. He’ll only have to pay the deductible.”
“No, that’s unreasonable,” declared Tyler adamantly. “What about the losses of his personal items?”
The manager could see that Tyler was not going to give an inch and acquiesced.
“Alright! We won’t charge him anything. We’ll even refund his deposits, but he’ll have to leave right after we file the police report. I can’t collect on the insurance without the report.”
“Agreed,” Tyler declared. “We’ll leave things undisturbed until they come, then we’ll vacate the premises. Go call them.”
“I’ll be back when the police arrive,” the manager said as he headed for the door.
“Bring the check for the deposit and any pre-paid rent,” Tyler ordered.
The manager knew he was beaten, and responded in defeat, “All right. I’ll bring the check.” He left.
When the manager was beyond hearing Nathan turned to Tyler and said, “Thanks Tyler. I could never have done that myself.”
“We’ll get you another apartment,” Tyler said firmly. “You don’t want to stay here anyway now that your assailants know where you live. If you have anything here that you don’t want the police to see, I’d suggest that you put it in my car.”
“I only have some gay magazines, and some porno tapes,” Nathan responded. “From the looks of things, they’re destroyed too. I guess we can just throw them in the dumpster.”
“Carl, give me a hand,” Tyler asked as he began picking up the remnants of Nathan’s porno ‘collection’.
“I’ll do it,” Nathan said, struggling to his feet.
“Sit down!” Tyler ordered. “You’re in no shape to do anything but rest. We’ll take care of it.”
Five minutes later, the material was in a dumpster. An hour later, the police had come and gone. Nathan, at Tyler’s insistence, had remained seated throughout the ordeal. As the police drove off and the manager left, Nathan sat forlornly with a check in his hand.
“We might as well junk the computer,” Nathan said in despair.
“No, let’s keep the CPU,” Tyler contradicted. “It’s possible that we can recover your programs and files. Let’s clean this place up and salvage what we can. Then we need to find you a new place.”
“I thought now you’d insist that I come with you,” Nathan said with some surprise.
“The offer is still open,” Tyler replied, “but you said before that you wanted to stay. You’ve never said otherwise, so I assumed that you hadn’t changed your mind. I told you before that if you wanted to come, it would be because you decided that it was best for you. I didn’t insist then, and I won’t now.”
“I’ll go with you,” Nathan said, reversing his earlier decision. “I’ve been thinking about this as you handled all this mess. I don’t know anyone who’d do for me what you’ve done. I may have acted like an asshole, but I really appreciate it. I no longer have a future here so I’d really like to get out of town and I know I’ve got to get out of the business. I may never get another chance. I don’t want to die or suffer from a disease, and I’m tired of being abused. I don’t want to have do this until I get older and unattractive, and have to quit.”
“I think that’s a wise decision,” Tyler responded. “Pick out what you want to save and we’ll junk the rest. We’ve a plane to catch.”
“What time is the plane?” Nathan asked.
“Whenever we get there. It belongs to my company.”
Nathan looked in surprise at Carl and with a glimmer at the life ahead of them, responded with a “Wow!”
* * *
Three and a half hours later, 8:30 P.M., Las Vegas
Tyler’s Beemer sedan paused at the outer gate of Ron and Matt’s property, as the large iron gates swung open. When they reached their fully open position, he again stepped on the accelerator and the German car moved forward.
“What is this place?” Nathan asked as the house came into view, “a hotel?”
“No Nathan. It’s the home of my brother Ron and his partner Matt. My partner Dan and I live in the guesthouse with our son, Jerry, while our own house is being finished nearby. You’ll be living in the main house, at least until we all decide otherwise.”
“I’ve never seen a place this nice!” Carl exclaimed, his eyes and voice exposing the wonder that he was feeling. .
“Me either!” Nathan replied, “and I’ve been in some pretty fancy ‘digs’.”
Tyler turned onto the drive leading to the 8-car garage. The car climbed the hill and after one of the motorized garage doors opened, pulled into his parking spot.”
Nathan and Carl’s eyes were agog at the collection of cars in the long garage.
“I thought you had money, then I was convinced of it when I saw the plane and then your car, but this is too much!” Nathan exclaimed. “You guys must be loaded!”
“It’s only money,” Tyler said with a grin. “Let’s go inside then come back later for our things. I want to introduce you to the troops.”
The trio exited the luxury car with the young men following Tyler into the house through the kitchen. Parker met them as they entered.
“Welcome, sirs,” Parker said in greeting.
“Hi Parker,” Tyler replied. “I’d like you to meet our newest guests, Carl and Nathan. Guys, this is Parker who takes care of us all at home. You’ll get to know him right away as he’ll be in charge of your clothing needs.”
Parker grinned at the thought.
“Hello Mr. Parker,” the boys each said, extending their hands in turn to the older man.
“It’s just plain Parker,” he said with a smile. “You’ll get to meet my wife Mary in the morning as she’s left for the evening, though not without leaving some goodies.”
“Mary is our cook,” Tyler explained. “Where are Dan, Ron, Matt and the boys?” He asked Parker.
“The last time I saw them they were in the family room sir,” Parker responded indicating the door. “Perhaps they’re still there.”
“Come on guys, let’s find ‘em,” Tyler said.
“Nice to meet you Parker,” Carl said as they prepared to follow Tyler.
“From me too,” Nathan added.
Tyler suspected that something was up, so he waved the boys in front of him as they reached the door to the family room. They pushed on the swinging door, and found a darkened room that suddenly became ablaze with light.
“Surprise!” The men and boys in the room shouted as the lights came on.
Hanging from the far wall was a banner that read, “Welcome home, Carl and Nathan!”
The room had been decorated by the boys indicating to the new arrivals that a party was about to ensue.
The young men at Tyler’s side were astonished at the warm welcome, as everyone converged on the newcomers for introductions. Tyler quickly took charge.
“Nathan and Carl, I’d like you to meet my partner Dan,” he said as his lover planted a quick kiss on his lips, then turned to shake hands with the new youths. “Next are my brother Ron and his partner Matt. Next then is our son Jerry, then Ron and Matt’s sons Ronnie and Douglas. Guys, these characters are Nathan and Carl. Nathan is the one who ran into a truck,” he kidded.
After the adults had properly made their welcomes known, the kids moved in and quickly had drinks in the hands of the newcomers.
“Guys,” Ron asked the milling youths with a smile, “Would you please give Nathan and Carl the ‘grand tour’, and I mean ending in the game room not delayed there.”
The excited boys quickly disappeared with Ronnie in the lead.
“Babe, you said on the phone that there were some problems,” Dan said once the boys were out of earshot. “Care to give us details?”
“It’s just that Nathan had decided not to come with us, but when we went back to his apartment it was trashed by, I suspect, the same guys that beat him up. He changed his mind.”
“How is he feeling?” Matt asked.
“Physically he’s better, but still very sore,” Tyler answered. “I suspect that both the young men are in shock from what they’ve been through, then with all of this and with the warm greeting they’ve received. I don’t know how all of that will affect them, but we’ll see. I think we should keep the party a bit short tonight. I’m not sure that Nathan is physically up to too much, and it’s a school night.”
“Agreed,” Ron responded. “We thought an hour or so would be the limit tonight. They’ll have tomorrow afternoon and evening to get better acquainted. Is there anything we should know? I presume that you’re going on to Albuquerque tomorrow.”
“Yes, I’m planning on leaving at 10:00 AM,” Tyler answered. “That will give me time to make sure they’re set for the day, before I have to go. As for your question, I think that Carl will be the easier of the two to deal with. So much is new to him that he might, at first, appear a bit slow. I don’t believe it’s true that he is, I think he just needs some acclimatizing to a whole new world and life. He seems willing and even grateful for the attention. Nathan is a different matter. He’s been on his own for a while and is used to fending for himself. I told you that he made his living as a ‘rent boy’, so he is vastly more experienced than our boys. I hope it won’t cause a problem, but we’ll just have to keep an eye on him and see.”
“I’ve decided to stay home tomorrow,” Dan informed his lover. “I’ll try to keep the boys occupied until you return. Matt has agreed to help too, as he’s had much more experience counseling young guys.”
“If I know Parker, he’ll occupy at least half of their day tomorrow,” Ron added with a laugh. “He’ll be in Seventh Heaven! Two boys to clothe and shop for!”
“I’m sure that’s right,” Matt agreed with a smile. Then he said seriously, “Tyler, don’t worry. Dan and I will see to the new guys. They’ll be fine.”
“Thanks Matt,” Tyler offered. Then with a thinly disguised leer he added, “As for you Babe, I’ll thank you properly a little later.”
“I can’t wait,” Dan said with a wink, one that carried complete agreement.
* * * * *