The following is a work of gay fiction. If you are offended by the subject matter or are too young, please exit now. This work is the property of the author and may not be reproduced without permission. John Tucker, JETjt@aol.com
EMPIRE
Chapter Fifty
EPILOGUE
January 2045, Ron and Matt's home, the Ratt's nest
Ron looked out over the lighted city from his favorite spot in the `Eagle's Nest', the highest room in their palatial mansion. Looking back as he saw Matt step off the elevator from the lower floors, he smiled as his partner of many years joined him.
"Hi Babe," Ron recited the oft repeated greeting.
"Hi back, Poopie. What are you doing up here?"
"Oh, just sitting back reminiscing," Matt's older partner replied. "I was thinking of how we met and the early years. I was thinking too of our first generation of boys, and what has happened to them."
"Are you sorry now that you've retired?" Matt asked.
"Not really," Ron replied. "Now I can give you my full attention. Besides, Ronnie is doing fine as Chairman. He had plenty of practice as President of Turner Holdings since Will retired 15 years ago."
"He and Jerry are coming over soon. He just called," Matt informed his partner. As for giving me your full attention, your attention has been filling me for years," Matt quipped with a wink, "I'm glad you still can."
"Hey!" Ron said feigning displeasure at the challenge to his virility. "The only `getting up' I have problems with are standing up from a low chair, but if I really needed to," he said, "I'd take Viagra IV. I wouldn't give up pleasuring you for anything, certainly not to soothe my vanity. Fortunately, that's not a problem yet."
"I'd do that too Lover," Matt replied, "because I feel the same way. So tell me more about your thoughts."
"Sit down on the lounge and let's talk," Ron suggested.
Matt moved to the sofa lounge from his place standing at the windows, sat down beside his husband and put his hand over Ron's.
"I was just thinking of how it all started so long ago" Ron began, "how I started chatting with Bryan on the internet, leading to our meeting in New York."
"Yes, the day of your meal with him was the day before I met you for the first time," Matt remembered. "I thought you were so handsome."
"I thought you were too. You just blew me away like the hottest thing on two wheels! You can still turn me on just by looking at me."
"Ah, you were and still are just horny," chided Matt.
"That too," Ron admitted. "It's just that when you walked in with breakfast that day I knew that there was something more than just a handsome face and knockout body standing there."
"I didn't know what to think," Matt revealed. "Here you were so handsome and charming, and obviously rich. I was overwhelmed and awestruck. It's not like I jumped in bed with all the hotel customers that took my fancy; in fact, you were the only one."
"That time was incredible," Ron said. "I learned about true friendship from Bryan, and found love again from you. It changed my life forever and I've never regretted it."
"I guess I just couldn't believe that you were interested in me," rejoined Matt. "You had everything and I was just a starving student."
"A very attractive starving student," amended Ron.
"Maybe so, but I was at a pretty low point in my life."
"It got better," Ron said smiling, "just like mine did from that time on."
"Way better love," responded Matt with a smile. "I quickly learned to love you Ron, and I still love you as much after all these more than 40 years."
"No more than I love you, my Best," Ron said squeezing Matt's hand.
"Do you really think that Rontoo will be alright taking the helm of the company?"
"Yeah, I'm interested in that answer too," Ronnie said as he and Jerry entered the room.
Ron looked over at the handsome couple of which he and Matt were so proud.
Ron laughed.
"What's so funny?" Ronnie asked.
"I was just laughing at Matt's use of your `office name'. I was remembering that when you came to work at the company, you didn't want to be called Ronnie, but instead insisted that you be called Ron, too. The name had stuck and everyone now, for years, calls you Rontoo, at least behind your back."
"I guess I knew that," Ronnie said. "It doesn't matter to me what they call me, as long as they say `sir'."
"Here's something you might not know, Mr. Goofball, sir'," kidded Matt. "Newcomers often thought that the name Rontoo was a verbalizing of Ron II, but that only led the people who'd been around for a while to explain the origin of the name. When the boys all get together as a family, they shorten your name just to Too'."
"Yeah, they do," Ronnie said, "but I thought that was just a family thing."
"I suspect you've been talking about old times," Jerry surmised, changing the subject.
"Yeah, we were talking about when we met," Ron said.
"At first you must have thought I was a wanton hussy," Matt laughed.
"I seem to recall that maybe for the first time or two I thought you had a voracious appetite for sex," recalled Ron, "but I must admit I did too. I'd been alone too long."
"Don't give me that," Matt countered. "You're making yourself sound like a monk. I know better."
"Yikes!" Ronnie said. "I'm not sure we should be here Jerry. I mean, I know they're gay and all, like us, but it just seems strange hearing your folks talking about them having sex."
"Well it might be stretching the truth a bit to be characterized as a monk," Ron said ignoring their son and capitulating. "It's just that it was such a short time later when I began to know the real you. It was then that our sex life lost its frenzied edge and became something so much more, an expression of our real love for each other, a love that I feel as deeply now as I ever did."
"Yes, it developed into something wonderful, something I never knew existed."
"Yeah, that happened to us too," Jerry said with a smirk, "around the time we were about 30."
Ron and Matt cracked up as Ronnie blushed.
Changing the subject, Matt asked, "Do you know when Bryan is going to retire?"
"I think very soon," Ron guessed. "Alan has been retired now for five years and Bryan is 65. Alan's health isn't that good and I know Bryan wants to be with him more and perhaps travel for awhile while Alan still can."
"How old is Alan now?" asked Matt.
"I believe he's 77," Ron remembered.
"He still gets around pretty well," observed Matt.
"Yeah, he didn't retire because he couldn't do the job anymore. He wanted to write. That first book he wrote after he retired sold very well. I read it. It was very entertaining and quite an eye opener. It was really a memoir and reflected some very entertaining and, conversely, some very tragic occurrences in his career in social work."
"When I retire next month, I'd like to read it," Matt said.
"You'll find it quite good. His second book has become a standard textbook in virtually every university that offers a serious degree in social work. Now he's working on a third one. I'm not sure what it's all about yet," admitted Ron.
"There's no doubt in my mind that he's the country's foremost expert in the Social Work field. He's been amazing to work with. He not only knows how to lead the largest private social work trust in the world, but he's an expert at making every dollar count."
"Those guys are two of your very best friends," Ronnie interjected. "Rich and Brandt are neat guys too."
Ron and Matt both nodded, picturing in their minds the family that was like one of their own.
"What are the latest numbers on the Trusts?" Ron asked. "I know you watch that stuff and I watch it too, but the Friendship Trust is somewhat autonomous, and I've kept up less with it than I used to with all the other things we've had going on. With retirement coming up, I really have lost track lately."
"You don't need to watch it Babe," Matt said smiling, "that's what you have me for. The Friendship Trust has around $40 billion in assets and has a vast array of programs utilizing around $4 Billion a year from that Trust's investments. The Turner Charitable Trust is much larger yet. It has nearly $470 billion, of which around $15 billion is in the Thornton Trust, $100 Billion in the Medical Research Trusts, $140 Billion in the Arts Trust and most of the remainder in investments for charity. We also have around 500 billion in Retirement Trusts through Turner Investment Bank. That money is not ours, of course, but it earns about $100 million for us each year. Of course a few billion dollars doesn't buy what it used to," he laughed.
"Amen to that," Ron agreed with a laugh.
"As you know," Matt continued, "the Thornton Trust has funded at least one campus for Gay youths in every city in the country with a population of more than 250,000. In 8 cities it has two or more centers. It funds too, nearly 300 gay crisis hotlines for troubled young people, which are operated mostly with volunteers. The balance of the Turner Charitable Trust funds social operations in every state except Wyoming, and North Dakota."
"How much did you say we had in the Arts Trust now?" Ron asked.
"Around $140 billion," answered Matt. "There is around $60 billion in fixed assets like museums, theaters, opera houses and artwork, and around $80 billion in invested capital. Those invested assets produced nearly $9 Billion in operating, acquisition, and grant funds last year. As you well know, most art endeavors are not moneymakers. We have many fully funded operations. Some of them make money but many don't. Our investment in Broadway-caliber shows has been one of our better moneymakers. Over the last 40 years, we've probably earned nearly $4 billion from that source."
"Wow!" Ron exclaimed. "I didn't realize we'd made that much!"
"Yes, Nathan is an expert at picking out winners."
"Do you think that George Bowles will replace you as the chairman of the trusts when you retire?" asked Ronnie.
"Yes, for a while, but I suspect it will be up to you" Matt answered. "He's already President of the Turner Trust and Nathan is the Vice President of the Turner Trusts and CEO of the Arts Trust. George will succeed me and Nathan will move up to George's present position. George will probably retire too within 5 years, then Nathan can move up to his spot unless he wants to retire with George."
"They make such a handsome couple," Ron reflected.
"Yes, the best thing that ever happened to Nathan was to go to work for George," declared Matt. "They not only have a wonderful marriage, but are an awesome team at work."
"Tyler told me this last week that he's thinking of retiring soon too," Ron related.
"Wow," it won't be long before the second generation is running everything," Matt said.
"And the third generation is ready after us, Grandpa," Jerry said laughing.
"Well, we started young," Ron retorted, causing Matt to laugh even harder in agreement. When Bryan retires, who will succeed him at the Friendship Trusts?" Ron asked, changing the subject.
"Alan's son Rich, I think, and he's got a protégé in Bryan's nephew, Pat. He's the son of Bryan's brother Dick, the President of Construction Leasing. Pat's only 30 but loves working with his Uncle Bryan and cousin Rich."
"It was really a shock for Bryan when his father Richard died," Ron said. "I thank the Lord that I was instrumental in bringing them together after their estrangement. I was so afraid that Richard would wait until it was too late to accept Bryan's sexuality. They ended up with 20 good years as a loving father and son rather than a late, death-bed reconciliation filled with regret."
"Did Tyler tell you when he's going to retire?" Ronnie asked with a troubled look on his face. "Will Dan quit working too?"
"I don't know, and I doubt he knows either," replied Ron. "I think it may be just talk. He really should though. He and Dan are no spring chickens either. In my opinion Jerry and Zack are ready to replace both of them."
"Thanks," Jerry said. "I think Zack and I make quite a team and we love those companies.
"I agree that you guys do a great job," Ron continued as he shook his head. "It's truly amazing what happened as a result of those two companies over the last 40 years,"
"There's no doubt that they've changed the world," Ronnie agreed. "Crude oil needs of the world per year now are less than 10% of what they were in the year 2000, but the energy requirements of the world are 10 times greater, principally because of third world growth".
"I'm glad that Tyler and Dan didn't kill themselves with those two companies in developing the technologies," Ron said. "We now receive 45 % of our net income from licensing agreements for those basic patents, even though Turner Holdings, the parent company, is by far the largest conglomerate in the world by any measurable standard. Tyler and Dan were particularly smart to keep the licensing costs of those technologies very low. It avoided a lot of pirating of the technologies and allowed everyone, even the most backward countries to benefit. Every country that borders an ocean or a large body of water has blossomed from using that water cheaply with the Eden technologies. Every country, no matter how small has prospered too, with the hydrogen fuel and power generation of Genesis' patents."
"All those other patents from their research didn't hurt either," Ronnie reminded his father. "There's very little we take for granted today as commonplace, that hasn't been affected in some way by those three original guys and their teams of researchers. My guess is that we've earned at least $80 Billion off of their continued research."
"There are still plenty of problems to overcome," Ron rambled on. "Asia is still fighting overpopulation, with only the Chinese really having a good handle on it, due in part to the AIDS epidemics there. In other countries that still are slow on growth, despotic rulers have been the greatest hindrance to their own population's prosperity. In spite of that, there are literally no countries whose standard of living is not incredibly higher than it was 40 years ago. Africa is still recovering from the AIDS, AIDS II and AIDS III epidemics with a decrease in population of 45% from the year 2000. Southeast Asia has a smaller population too than it did then, but only by about 10%. We can be proud of our Medical Trust's research grants to stop those epidemics. The Super Inhibitors ended up doing the trick. When a person was infected, the S.I.'s simply stopped the multiplication of the viruses and the administration of the drugs could be stopped when all the infected cells had died and were replaced with new, healthy cells. Now with the new vaccines that have been developed, AIDS is about on the same scale as smallpox.
"I wish cancer could be wiped out as thoroughly," Matt offered.
"Yes, but it's far less fatal than in the past," Ron said. "With the advent of the yearly warning inoculations, detection is much faster, and with the new inhibitors the rampant spread of the disease can be stopped. Successful treatments for certain types of cancer are approaching 100%. Some of the historically deadly ones still take lives, but the deaths from even those are becoming rare. With care for virtually all diseases vastly improved, the average life span in this country has increased by 15 years and in some of the historically underdeveloped countries by as much as 30 years."
"Don't forget the strides against aging and Alzheimers," reminded Matt.
"Yeah, I can see why that would concern you old fogies," Ronnie quipped.
"Hush, young 'un," Matt said. "When we were all a lot younger and the average life-span kept increasing, the probability of living with a mind or body that was incapable of functioning properly became a serious problem. It still happens, but not so early in a person's life."
"Yes," Ron interjected, "with better understanding of the aging process, people who are 80 now are physically and mentally more like those who were 60, forty years ago. Early detection and treatment of Alzheimers has reduced its damaging effects. Memory enhancing drugs have helped to overcome memory loss too."
"At least Social Security didn't collapse like it was predicted," Matt said.
"That's true," Ron affirmed. "George W's retirement investment program helped immensely with that, even though I originally opposed it. The program's initial formulas never quite made sense because of the risks involved in stock investments. With our jumping in and getting involved along with a huge consortium of business people, as well as future recipients, the investments into the private sector could only be done through giant companies with huge assets that would guarantee minimum return of 6% compounded. Those companies could withdraw from the program but not without making good. Fortunately, many of the billions invested went into the development of energy and water resources that either directly or indirectly helped us as a source of funding. The Turner Retirement Investment Trust, developed by Turner Investments, invested solely in the new technologies, and earned a net average of 8 % per year on the investments, compared to a 40 year average increase of the cost of living of 3.3% per year. That meant that a person who paid around $25 every week into their private retirement fund starting at age 20 would have paid into the fund $58,500 at age 65, but would draw out $50,000 per year in 2005 dollars, or about $200,000 in today's dollars since the cost of living has quadrupled in that period. In addition, because $25 a week is less than they would pay as Social Security tax, they still pay the difference to the government and if they were, in the beginning, making $35,000 a year, they would still get additionally around $2000 a month in today's dollars from Social Security when they are fully eligible. Not bad for diverting less than $25 a week that they would have had to contribute anyway!"
"The best part is that if they die at any time, their beneficiaries would get back anything they had contributed plus accumulated interest rather than the pittance Social Security pays as a death benefit. Even at the minimum 6% they would be much better off than with Social Security alone. Today there is no reason that a retiree should suffer if he had a reasonable working career and is reasonably healthy."
"I'm glad that health care costs as a percentage of retirement income have dropped too," Matt commented.
"Yes," Ron agreed, "The major concerns of the elderly: health care, housing, and energy costs are now in tune with the cost of living increases, not driving them." Ron agreed.
"Wow!" Jerry said. "I wasn't aware that you were that involved with it. I guess I was just too busy learning about the hydrogen business."
"Having Eddie as a U.S. Senator from Nevada has helped with that agenda, especially in the last dozen or so years. Yes, and having Tommy from Texas there has helped too."
"That career path has made it very difficult for Eddie and Zack's relationship though," observed Matt. "They get to see each other less than half of what a normal married couple would but they seem to have worked around the difficulties. There is no indication that they are less than happy."
"True love conquers all," Ron said with a wink.
"Don't worry about Zack," Jerry said. "I work with him all the time, and I know that he and Eddie are very happy. Zack has spent a lot of time as a congressional liaison between the two companies and the Feds so they see each other more than you might think."
"I'm sure that's true," concurred Matt, "and I'm glad that the relationship between Carl and David worked out too. With them still living in Atlanta, we don't get to see them enough."
"That's true of all the boys to some degree or another," Matt said wistfully. "With every one living their own lives and being busy with their own partners or families, we don't get to see any of the original boys enough socially."
"We do try to get together as much as we can," Ronnie said defensively. "I just don't know how you guys, along with Tyler and Dan, did it all."
"We were a lot smaller then," Ron said. "We were only approaching our first $1 Billion in assets when you came along. Now our holdings, plus the Trusts, are worth over $3 Trillion. It takes a lot of people and time to manage those kinds of assets.
"It's true that we don't get to see everyone enough. That includes what I think of as the second and third wave of boys and I'm sure will be a way of life pretty soon with the fourth wave of boys who are now our sons," Matt replied.
"Yes, we have quite a family," Ron agreed. "In the first wave, there were you, Rontoo, Douglas, Carl, Nathan and Eddie, along with Tyler and Dan's Zack, and of course you Jerry." Then 5 years later when Douglas, Carl and Nathan had left home, the second wave started."
"Perry, Charlie and Al were in that next group, with Tyler and Dan's Freddie and Terry," Matt recited.
"Then around 6 years after that Harry, Johnny, and Brad entered our lives in wave three," Ron counted. "That's when Tyler and Dan adopted Brent, Foster, Ben, and Gary,"
"Yeah, that was T and D's largest family," Matt remembered aloud.
"Then we had a lull for awhile," Matt added.
"Yep, over 20 years," Ron said with a laugh. " I thought you had lost your mind 4 years ago when we started with wave four. Now Stan, Ronthree, and Jeffie are about to leave the nest. I'm glad now that you talked me into it Lover, even though Tyler and Dan decided to pass on the last wave. Let's see, how many does that make?"
"Fourteen for us, eleven of which we formally adopted and three we couldn't," Matt responded. "Tyler and Dan had eight and adopted 7 of them.
"Hey don't forget our families, and their families," Jerry reminded.
"Jeeze," Matt sighed. "I'm not sure how many grandsons and grand nephews we have now. It's somewhere around 30, I think. I'd have to count. Then there are about 40 Great-grand-guys so far, and even a few Great-greats," Matt laughed as he thought of the huge family. Gay guys who adopt teens have a much shorter generation cycle than people who raise families the old fashioned way from scratch. I think our guys have picked up our knack for creating a family in the gay sort of way."
"Yes we all know that the back-door approach' doesn't work," Ron chuckled. "I think we have about 35 or 40 out of all of those guys working in our company. Most of the rest are doctors, lawyers, politicians and artists. A few are choosing careers of a less professional' nature, but it's their choice. There's not a bum in the group though, regardless of their backgrounds or present occupations."
"Yes, there were plenty of bumps in the road while they were living with us, but we can be proud of all of them. Of course we had our share of great times as well as tragedies," Matt recalled.
Ron paused in thought, before continuing. "Remembering back, I can't help but think of those we've lost, both family and friends," he said with a tear in his eye.
"Yes, we can never forget Douglas or Freddie or Johnny." Matt declared. "We lost Doug to cancer, Freddie to a terrorist attack when he was in the Service, and Johnny in a car accident."
"Yes," Ron said, his mind picturing the faces of the boys they had loved and lost. "We've lost friends too."
"Yes, first your lover in college, then Ted Thornton, Barry Young, Emma Thorsruud your grandmother Jerry, and of course our son Douglas, all in the early years. Later Scott Telford from Anguilla, Mr. Peterson, Will Nuggent and Bryan's father Richard, all with the company, come first to my mind," Matt responded.
"Yes, there are a dozen more down a step or two from upper management." Ron said. "Then from here we lost Dorothy in 2006 and Parker and Mary after wave three of the boys had left home. The house has never quite been the same as when they were here."
"I have to agree with that," Ronnie said. "They were like grandparents to us boys."
"Ken Friday too," Matt said. "I can't believe what a difference he made over the years in so many boys' lives from Thornton."
"Yes," Ron said with a smile through his sober memories, "There must be 20 tire store managers or better from Thornton. Ken built his own small business empire, and brought along a lot of boys with him to success."
"There are at least 20 in our companies from Thornton too," Ronnie reported.
"It seems to me with all of those missing, there are still plenty of our friends around," Matt said on a more upbeat note. "Except of course for Ted Thornton, the rest of the original whiz kids are still with us, then Margaret and Jan too, except they've retired. In Houston, Tony and Jake are still running camps, but now there are, at last count, over 50 of them."
"Captain Larson is retired too, but stayed in Florida with his boys, Tony and Hans," Ron said then laughed. "Ha! Boys... those kids must be in their 50's now. It's hard not to think of them as they were when they were young."
"That's the way I think of them too," Matt replied. "I can't believe how rich they have all made our lives."
"I'm glad you feel that way," Ronnie said with a smile. "Virtually all of us came from difficult or tragic backgrounds. You guys, with Tyler and Dan, gave us real hope for our lives. We all love you and are deeply grateful. I think I can say that for all the guys who call you Dads."
"Thanks, and yes those were great times but we had our share of villains too," Ron remembered. "First there were the guys that killed Ted Thornton, then I took on Richard, Bryan's father, who in the end overcame his homophobia and regained the love of his son."
"Yes," Matt agreed. "Remember Fat Charlie? Yikes! Just thinking of him still gives me the creeps!"
"Don't forget the Clark Brothers, and worst of all Christine, their cousin," Ron continued, "I don't know if I've ever, before or since, met a whole family so full of hate. Their whole life was ugly and tragic, and they all met a tragic end."
"Senator Young was no slouch himself." Matt added. "His was a story of religion taken to an extreme. Poor Benny, he was such a sweet boy to have such a demon for a father. Not only was he beaten and thrown out, but later was kidnapped in the Senator's evil plot."
"You would never know it now," Jerry interjected. "He's one of our favorite guys, one of the few you guys didn't adopt."
"Very funny Jerry," Ron said after his laughter subsided. Let see...Then there was Tom Stanley."
"Yeah, I'd forgotten about him," Matt said, "though I must admit I remember him without fondness whenever I get an old-age ache or two where he hit me."
"What ever came of his weird monastery sentence?" Ronnie asked.
"Almost unbelievable to me," Ron reported, "he served his sentence and stayed on there in the monastery. I guess his problem really was the chemical balance in his system. Tom died last year. There is more to his story though. The young boy he molested became a Bishop in the Catholic Church, and has had a stellar career. He called me the other day and we had a nice talk. The Church has changed its attitude a great deal since those days, in spite of the scandals that occurred."
"Yes, at first they banned gays from the Priesthood, then they did an about face, and not only allowed gays, but also women into the church leadership. Their dogma today is accepting gays as normal humans, worthy and loved by God," Matt said. "The most amazing thing of all is that Priests can now marry as they did in the early days of the church. Many priests choose not to, of course, but at least now, one does not have to be single to be ordained and serve."
"So many things have changed from our early days together," Ron added, "and most of it is for the better too, I think."
"I agree, with one major exception," Matt stipulated.
"Oh? And what would that be?" asked Ron of his lover.
"The music they play now!" exclaimed Matt. "Yikes! That Boop-Beep stuff sounds like two garbage can lids crashing together! I don't know how today's kids can even dance to that stuff!"
Ron laughed.
"Twenty years ago, I would have argued with you about that," Ronnie said, his laughter joining that of his father.
"My dad used to say the same against Rock and Roll. I loved the Doors when I was little, and Jimi Hendrix and... Well I could go on and on," Ron stated. "If my dad came in and it was playing, it went off at once, I guarantee you."
"I guess we did a bit of that with the boys," Matt confessed, "starting with that Rap crap! I just never understood the attraction to that kind of mindless music."
Ronnie and Jerry neither confirmed nor denied the observation, feeling it was politically expedient to ignore the comment.
"Different strokes..." Ron concluded.
Ron and Matt turned as they heard the elevator door again open.
"Hey Bros!" Tyler said as he and Dan entered the `Eagle's Nest'. "Hi Guys! What are you all up to?
"Just sitting here thinking about the old days," Matt said as he and Ron got up, along with the boys, and hugged the newcomers.
"Yes, we've lived through some exciting times," Tyler said. "You got anything to drink up here?"
"Sure," Ron replied heading for the small bar hidden in a corner of the large room. "The usual?"
"You've been asking me that for over 40 years brother," Tyler laughed. "And the answer has never changed: Yes, Scotch and water! God, you're a slow learner."
"We'll just have bottled water Dad," Ronnie said for himself and Jerry.
Ron snickered as he mixed the drinks for the four of them, retrieved the water from the bar refrigerator, then placed them all on a tray and, picking it up, walked over to where the other four had settled down in chairs next to the sofa-lounge near where Matt was again seated waiting for his lover.
"You know what the most amazing memory is for me?" Tyler asked his brother as Ron set the tray down on the coffee table and handed the drinks around around.
"No Tyler. I have no idea," Ron admitted.
"It was when we discovered we were brothers. You can't know how happy it made me. What was equally amazing was your acceptance of me as your brother, sharing all you did with me and bringing me into your life as both a brother and a business partner. I went from just making my way through life, to a life full of adventure, love and caring. It was not long after that when I met Dan. With that my every dream came true and from then on, my life has been truly complete."
"Thanks Baby," Dan said, placing a quick kiss on Tyler's lips, "but don't forget the boys."
"They were the frosting on a perfect cake," Tyler summarized. "Yet we both knew that they would leave us and move on. They did, then we got more, and then MORE!"
Tyler laughed at his own words, which he had emphasized with increasing gestures of his arms.
"You loved every minute of it, Baby," Dan challenged his mate.
"Yes, I did, and Brother Ron and Matt did too," said Tyler.
"That's a positive," Ron agreed.
"Well the two of us are glad of that," Jerry said smiling, "although I've never heard myself described as frosting before."
"You're plenty sweet enough for me," Ronnie said to his mate.
"Hey Bro," Ron said to his brother, "I got a great idea for a new company!"
"I thought you were retiring," Ronnie said.
"Hush, don't interrupt a genius at work," Ron chided.
"Okay," Tyler bit, "what do you want to do now?"
"I think we should manufacture hot sauce!"
"Hot sauce? Whatever for?" Dan asked.
"Hey, it's a great idea; we'll save millions in advertising! We'll call it `Lucky Spike' and our advertising slogan will be "Lucky Spike means fine Tabasco!"
Matt, Tyler and Dan broke up in laughter, while the `younger' guys just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.
"It's an old guy's joke," Ron explained. "When you get older I'll tell ya. Anyway, what brings you over tonight, I mean except for the pleasure of our company?" Ron asked his brother and his lover.
"That too," Tyler quipped. "Dan and I were talking about a nice cruise on the PT IV in the Caribbean in February. Would you guys like to go?"
"Well, I'll be free then," Ron said, "Matt, how about you?"
"I can probably arrange it," agreed Matt. "I'm trying to extricate myself from the daily work at the office anyway. Let's plan on it."
"I'm sure Jerry and I will be busy, at least right now," Ronnie declined. "That is if the invitation included us."
"Of course it did," Tyler said. "I think it would be great if the whole first wave came with their spouses. If we took everyone in all four waves plus their spouses and children, etc., it would take a cruise ship!"
"We can ask the wave one boys, if they can come too, so much the better" Dan said enthusiastically, "I'll call Hans and ask him to come up with the itinerary."
"Let's make sure we go to the island," Matt requested. "I'd like to spend a few days there."
"Me too," Dan seconded the suggestion. "I love how we left most of it natural. It's become a real wildlife sanctuary."
""I'll wildlife you Baby," Tyler said with a wink. "We'll, we'd better get going lover boy, we'll see you guys tomorrow. Thanks for the drink."
"Anytime brother," Ron said with a smile.
"We need to go too Dads," Ronnie said. "It was great to see you all tonight."
"Bye guys," Ron said. "We'll walk you out.
The six men boarded the elevator taking them to the ground floor where they would exit. After exchanging hugs, Ronnie and Jerry got into Ronnie's Mercedes and departed down the long drive, then Tyler and Dan climbed aboard their golf cart for their own short trip home. After they were all gone from sight, Ron and Matt decided to call it a night, and walked back inside heading for the elevator to their bedroom suite.
"Ready for our shower?" Matt asked as the hall door closed and he began to disrobe, placing his garments in the hamper after removing the items in the pockets.
"I'm always ready to shower with you Babe," Ron replied smiling as he pulled on his belt buckle.
Matt turned on the shower and waited a short moment for the water to adjust to the proper temperature. Ron was right behind him as he stepped into the enclosure and under the warm water spray. Ron stepped up until he was touching Matt, wrapped his arms around his love and pulled him close, his large erection pressing against his partner.
"I'm glad you're excited to see me," Matt teased as he turned around and pressed his own swollen member alongside that of his partner in life.
"I'm always excited to see you Mattie, even after all these years," Ron said with a look of love and a bit of lust showing on his face.
"Maybe we could do an all-nighter tonight," Matt suggested temptingly.
"What would we do after the first hour?" Ron kidded.
Matt laughed. "Always the jokester," he said. "It's one of the things I really love about you."
"I hope you love more than that," Ron said continuing his attempt at humor.
"There's very little about you I don't love," Matt replied. "We've had such a wonderful life together; I thank God for it, and for you, the source of it every day."
"Sweet man," Ron said tenderly, "we think alike in that regard. I love you still, more than I could ever express. Tonight, looking back on our life together, I couldn't help but mentally thank the Lord for every minute we've been together."
Matt leaned in and the two lovers' lips made soft contact. After a moment, Matt pulled back.
"It's my turn to wash you first," Matt said, changing the subject with a gleam in his eye. "If we hurry just a little bit, we can finish up the preliminaries in here in a half hour or so, and get to the main feature, in there," he said turning his head toward the bedroom.
"You want to wash this old tired body?" Ron joked. "It's not as firm as it used to be."
"That's not the part that I care about being firm," Matt retorted.
"I can relate to that," Ron laughed. "Do your damnedest."
"Turn around Babe. I'll start on your back. I'm saving the best part for last!" Matt said with a lustful grin.
Two hours later, Ron and Matt's bedroom suite.
The two hours of intense lovemaking the two partners had exchanged left both lovers with a sense of total satisfaction and peace that only those truly in love could experience to the fullest. Having licked and wiped each other clean of the slippery residue of their lovemaking, the two lovers held each other, their naked but still trim bodies intertwined.
"Thank you Matty," Ron said softy. "You're so wonderful and I love you with ever fiber of my being."
"You're just better than ever," Matt replied, his face showing the bliss he was feeling. "I'm so happy that you love me still. After all these years my heart wants to sing every time that you hold me like this. I'm yours forever, for all eternity."
Ron pulled Matt close, placing a gentle kiss on his lover's mouth. Finally, relaxed and in peaceful harmony with God and with life, the eyes of both men closed and they fell into a contented slumber.
1:45 AM
The phone rang at Ron and Matt's bedside. Both men groaned at the interruption of their night of closeness.
"Who can that be?" Ron mumbled as he turned on the dim bedside lamp and reached for the receiver.
Picking it up, he shook his head to clear his mind before placing the earpiece against his head.
"Ron Turner," he said.
"Ron, I'm sorry to disturb you so late," the voice on the other end said apologetically. "This is Detective Perry Chestnut."
"Hi Perry," Ron said in surprise to the retired vice squad detective. "I thought you were retired. What can we do for you?"
"I am," the ex-Metro officer said. "The young officer who worked for me before I retired just called. I hate to ask it of you, but it seems that he has a young boy in his custody........."
The End
A message from the Author
I want to thank all my faithful readers who have stuck with me and the Turner Clan throughout the past three + years. Your e-mails and enthusiastic responses have seen me through. I thank you all. Several of you have become good friends over the past years and have encouraged me more than you could know.
I wish to thank my friend Ryan especially. You were my inspiration and the friend that Bryan was to Ron. It was for you that this story began.
It would be unkind to say that this was my work alone. My editor, Bill H. has been with me, almost from the beginning. The many hours he's spent and the skill he exercised made this a far better work than my poor efforts could have done alone. Thank you Bill, I say this not only for me but for our readers who have loved this story.
Finally I need to thank Robb at Crvboy.com and David at Nifty who felt that this work was of sufficient quality to grace their sites. When I started posting to the Crvboy site, there were far less than 100,000 hits' to the site and I think I was the 6th author posting to it. Now that has blossomed into a million hits'. Congratulations, Robb on a fine site.
Where do I go from here? I'll be posting a new story quickly. It will be called Super Jeff. I have several chapters already written, it will appear on both Nifty and Crvboy. I hope sometime to get back to posting more chapters of Ciao too, but I'm not sure when at this point.
Thank you all so much again. I love every one of you. Happy Holidays and warm HUGs. John Tucker (aka JET) JETjt@aol.com