The boys woke up around 7:30 and were anticipating playing around before they showered when the phone by Josh's side of the bed rang.
"Yo," Josh answered. "You're an evil man, Dad!" he chuckled. "Sure, we can do that if we shower together. Stop teasing; you're probably doing the same!"
When he hung up the receiver, he explained to Eric that "the old guys" wanted to meet them in 15 minutes to go to breakfast so that they could get on the road soon.
By helping each other get clean, they managed to make it with a minute to spare.
It was nearing noon when they rolled into St. Paul. Scott drove the van on to the house taking the boys - Josh riding shotgun and Eric squeezed into a small space in the back seat that wasn't filled with boxes. Ben took a detour to a grocery store with the other car to buy things for lunch knowing that the teenagers would be starving as usual.
Ben picked up a number of prepared foods from the deli in order to make lunch quickly. He made sure that his selections weren't overloaded with calories knowing that Scott was trying to shed a few pounds.
After they had eaten their fill, everyone pitched in to unload the van and get Scott's things settled as much as possible that day. Scott would need to begin catching up on his work on Wednesday and Ben would be going into the office for at least part of the day.
Ben and Scott left to turn in the rental van, but the boys stayed at home. Josh suggested that they carry Eric's grandmother's little writing desk and chair up to the studio.
"It would be perfect to put a laptop on so you can do your writing up here while I paint. That way we'll be together even if we're not doing the same things."
"Are you sure that you want me to invade your studio space? Won't that distract you from getting your work done?" Eric asked.
"There are times when we'll both welcome a little distraction," Josh licked his lips suggestively. "But most of the time I can concentrate. And sometimes you can sit there writing while I sketch you."
"You mean like nude?" Eric asked.
"Sure, or partially clothed. I'll bet either way it'll lead to some `distraction' eventually."
Josh posed Eric in his underwear so as not to be too distracted immediately and proceeded to make sketches of his boyfriend. He wanted to memorize every part of his anatomy for future compositions.
They heard their fathers come in the back door about an hour later, but didn't stop what they were doing.
Eric had an outline saved on his computer and was writing the first chapter of a story about two boys who met on a wilderness canoeing trip. The characters would have fictional names, but their adventures would closely parallel the ones that he and Josh had experienced. He hoped that perhaps he could get it published someday, so he was being careful to write it in a way that wouldn't embarrass either of them.
Eric was so intent on his work that he didn't realize that Josh had stopped drawing. He did notice when he felt Josh's fingers lightly stimulating his nipples.
"It's distraction time," Josh informed him.
Eric jumped up, nearly overturning the antique chair. He pulled Josh over to the plush area rug and began suck on his nipples after hurriedly removing his shirt.
"I'll give you a distraction!" he announced, when he backed off enough to talk.
"Whoa, Stud. Are you trying to rape me?"
"No, because you can't rape someone who wants it as bad as you do!"
Josh grinned at Eric's quick response as he undid the snap on his shorts to help Eric undress him.
Their lovemaking was as slow and gentle as two horny boys could make it. They actually showed an amazing amount of self control as they coaxed each other toward the edge with hands, tongues, and lips.
Neither guy pulled back when the final moment arrived. They took each other's load without wasting any. When they turned around to kiss, they could taste themselves in each other's mouth. It was an awesome and intimate experience. They closed their eyes and went to sleep cuddled together.
They were awakened a half hour later by a whistling sound that jolted Eric out of his dreams, but seemed to have a minimal effect on Josh.
"What the...?"
"Oh, that's Dad calling me on the speaking tube. I'll see what he wants."
Josh went over to an ancient pipe-like devise on the wall and called down to his father. Then he turned his ear to the object to hear his dad's response. He ended by saying, "Okay, give us a couple of minutes."
Then Josh gave Eric a short history lesson about this aspect of the house.
"Back in the day when this was the maid's quarters, the family could summon her by calling through this thing. It's like an early intercom. There's a whistle part that you can blow in on this side too, but it was usually considered bad manners for the servant to call for her master or mistress unless the house was on fire or something," Josh explained.
"Wow, that's cool. But, what did he want?"
"They want some help getting dinner organized – like setting the table and tearing lettuce for a salad. We'd better wash up and get dressed."
When the boys came sprinting down the stairs, they were met by their fathers who were wearing shorts, flip-flops, and smiles and holding a bottle of champagne.
"We're going to start preparations for dinner and then stop for a little celebration – kind of like a house-warming party. We have T-bones to grill along with fresh veggies which we're also going to do over the flames - like Josh likes them," Ben announced. "We'll eat out in the gazebo because the weather's perfect for it."
Eric and Josh had both been brought up being allowed a glass of wine on special occasions, so neither was surprised at the opportunity to imbibe. One of the few things that Scott and Tina had agreed on about parenting was that kids who learn to drink responsibly are less likely to binge as they grow up.
Scott had been brought up in a house where booze was considered the work of the Devil and he often wondered if that contributed to his problems with alcohol before and during his messy divorce. Tina had been a hard drinker too, but had managed to be a success at the same time. He suspected that she might be a "functional alcoholic" - after hearing some of Eric's stories about her. Of course, those were told by a young man who was still stinging from her sudden rejection of him. Yet, her mood swings might, in part, be explained by alcohol dependency.
Scott would be careful not to make alcohol part of Eric's everyday experience. Hopefully, the young man wouldn't get into the habit of drinking every night when he got to college like some students did.
Dinner turned out to be as great as their expectations. Ben proved that he could grill steaks to perfection too. His flame-kissed vegetables were as delicious as Josh had said they would be.
No one drank too much champagne, but all were feeling relaxed by the time the bottle was empty. Everyone was still capable of helping to clean up after the meal and getting the kitchen ship-shape for the next day.
The boys joined their fathers in taking a walk around the neighborhood when their chores were finished. Several people that Ben and Josh knew were sitting on their front porches enjoying the pleasant evening. So, Scott and Eric got introduced to a number of folks who would be their neighbors too. The warm welcomes that they received made them feel like they would be accepted and happy in their new locality.
For the boys, the highlight of August began on Wednesday - the summer Olympics. The games would become their main focus for the next several days. While they enjoyed watching all kinds of activities, it was the swimming and diving competitions that kept them glued to the TV. They watched and recorded all of the swimmers as closely as they could and were happy to see replays and analyses of the top ones. They thought that they might pick up some valuable information to improve their performances. Most mornings, they went to a pool to see if they could put into practice what they'd learned the night before.
Swimming may have been thrilling, but it was tandem diving that mesmerized them the most. They would love to become skilled in it, but how would that be possible? Public schools, by and large, had removed the high boards from their pools for fear of injuries and ensuing law suits. If the boys ever wanted to try anything like that, they would have to find a private facility to do it in.
Later in the month, Blake Ault and Reese Payne moved into the carriage house apartment. Their lease didn't start until September 1st, but Ben allowed them a few extra days to get their things moved in. Both young men were living in different places where their tenancy would end the last of August.
Eric was writing at his laptop and Josh was painting when their concentration was broken by the throbbing sound of an old pickup's motor. They went to the window at the back of the studio to check out the source of the racket.
"Looks like the renters have arrived," Josh said without enthusiasm. "I hope we aren't going to hear that ancient beast wheezing in our drive every morning."
"Do they get to park it there?"
"No, they have to park on the street because we need all of the garages for our cars. Dad's still going to buy me something to drive even though you've offered to share."
For a moment, the boys ceased their conversation as two young men got out of the truck. The new renters were dressed in gym shorts and "wife beaters" which seemed to have seen better days. Their casual image was completed by ratty sneakers and baseball caps worn backwards. They could have blended into the crowd in most American colleges and a few high schools.
The taller of the two was blond and lean. He had the tanned skin of someone who had been working out of doors all summer.
The other young man was probably two inches shorter and a bit more muscular. His complexion was a beautiful bronze shade suggestion that one of his parents was Caucasian and the other of possibly of American Indian descent.
"Whoa, they look great!" Eric exclaimed. "Do you think we should be neighborly and help them carry their stuff?"
"Maybe, but only after you put some clothes on!"
Eric had been posing nude so regularly that he often wasn't even aware of his undressed state until Josh did something "distracting" to help him remember. This time, Josh playfully pinched Eric's butt as he verbally reminded him.
Josh and Eric came out of the house dressed rather like the new tenants except that they were bare-headed. Josh made the introductions since he had met one of the guys before. He turned toward the blond with his right hand extended.
"Blake, right?"
"Yup."
"This is my buddy and housemate, Eric."
Eric extended his hand.
"Cool! Are you guys going to Bethel, too? What's your majors?" Reese broke in.
"They're still in high school," Blake told him. "They're probably majoring in girls."
"Too bad!" Reese exclaimed.
"Nice meeting you, Eric." Blake responded. "And I was going to introduce you guys to this uncultured savage before he so rudely interrupted me. This is MY buddy and housemate, Reese."
"Hey guys," Reese grinned. "Now let's get something straight. Some of my ancestors probably scalped some of your ancestors, but that doesn't make me a savage, unless it's a NOBLE savage! I'd rather be a wild Redman than a pale-face redneck like Blake here."
"I bow to your nobility, oh esteemed Redman," Blake said doffing his cap and making a sweeping motion of deference.
For a split second, the teens didn't know what was going on and then everyone broke into laughter. It was evident that these two loved to banter with each other about their differences in heritage.
"Come on pale-face, stop lollygagging around. We gotta get all our stuff moved and get this rust-bucket back to Billy before dinner so he can go to work. You're lazier than the boys on the reservation and you're not even related to them."
"Aye, aye, Tonto. You're getting a little uppity. I'm your leader, Kemo Sabe, remember?"
"Uh, before you start the French and Indian Wars all over again, we can give you a hand to speed things up." Josh offered.
"Way cool," Reese laughed. "It's great to see some of these white boys know how to work."
With the four of them hauling stuff up to the apartment, it took mere minutes to unload the pickup. When it was empty, Blake and Reese left to get another load.
"Now, I'm really worried about having them live here!" Josh exclaimed after the other two had left.
"They're a riot! And both are easy on the eyes," Eric insisted.
"That's what I mean. You've been drooling since the moment you saw Reese. I thought you were going to cream your shorts when he grabbed your neck before they left."
"Well, he IS cute. And the way he touched me felt - hot." Eric admitted. "But he's not nearly as cute as you are and I'm not going to cheat on you even in my fantasies. But, hell, people still window-shop even after they've gotten what they want."
"And sometimes they send the first purchase back in order to buy what's in the window," Josh remarked soberly.
"Do you think he was flirting with me?" Eric asked wide-eyed.
"Well, duh! It also looked like Blake was tensing up when he did. Remember Reese's remark when Blake made it a point to let him know that we're younger and probably majoring in girls? I think Blake was giving him a signal that he should back off and he was disappointed that we're chicken."
"Chicken? I'm not a chicken!"
"That's gay talk for guys who're jail-bait; you know, too young to be messing with legally. We're not too young in some states, but we are in others."
"How do you know all of this?" Eric asked with a frown.
"Not from personal experience, Babe. I've done a lot of surfing on the `net. I'll show you the sites to bring you up to speed. I'm curious, but not promiscuous. You're not getting a whore."
"I love you," Eric smiled after he'd planted a quick kiss on Josh's cheek. "Let's not get into a disagreement over these guys and all this stuff. Let's make a pitcher of lemonade to share with our new neighbors when they return and I'll make sure that Reese knows where the boundaries are."
Reese appeared subdued and lost in thought when he and Blake returned with the second load of their stuff. Again, the boys came out to help make the process go faster. When the pickup was empty once more, Josh invited them to take a break in the gazebo with cookies and lemonade.
"I'm sorry that the cookies are store-bought and the lemonade's from a can of concentrate, but we didn't know you'd be coming today," he said.
"This is really welcome and we appreciate it," Blake insisted. "It's really pleasant sitting here. I think Reese has something to say to you guys."
"Uh, yeah, I need to apologize for coming on too strong. It's one of my savage instincts that Blake is trying to tame. I hope I didn't offend anyone.
"I'm not offended," Josh said.
"Me either," Eric added looking Reese directly in the eyes. "However, we all do need to get something straight, no pun intended. This is my boyfriend and he's off limits and so am I."
Reese's eyes went wide for a second and he swallowed before answering.
"Are you always this direct?"
"No, only when it's really important. I don't want any misunderstanding. We may have misread the signals and if so, please forgive me for assuming..."
"There's nothing to forgive," Blake spoke up. "I'm trying to break my wild man from acting like he's hitting on people. I don't want to break his spirit, but I don't want to worry all of the time when he's out of my sight."
"Uh, we'd better head out if we're going to get the last load before Billy gets nervous about his truck," Reese said before tilting his head back and draining his glass. "I appreciate the refreshments and I hope we can be friends. Sorry if I gave the wrong impression."
Reese also appreciated the gesture of camaraderie when Josh high-fived him as he was leaving.
Author's notes: A continuing thanks to my editors, Tom and David. They are invaluable. I don't know what I would do without them.
Thanks to those who wrote to me since last posting: Paul L, Brandon M, Mark H, Gary McC, Jim C, Jim We, Tom A, Rad, Baruch, Caleb, Polar, Keith, Chea, Paul R, Li, and Vann. You people give me a reason to continue the story. If you're reading other authors on Nifty, please let them know too. Hearing from you is our reward.