The following fictional story deals with sex among males. If you are offended by such material, are too young, or reside in a location where it is not allowed, please depart. Though not observed in this story, care enough about yourself and humankind to practice safe sex.
The author retains all rights. No reproductions or links to other sites are allowed without the author's consent.
EvanBradley33@Yahoo.com
Chapter 7 The Family Grows
Hal Winston's Home
Hal awoke with Drew's arm and leg thrown over him, his head resting on Hal's shoulder. He was sound asleep. Hal grinned. How he loved waking up with a guy in his arms, hanging on, kinda like the littlest kids in the orphanage if they'd gotten scared in the night and crawled into his bed for protection. He loved pulling those little bodies against his, sharing his warmth with them, helping them feel safe and protected, no longer afraid. It made his heart sing when the little guys snuggled up against him as they dropped off to sleep. He studied Drew's tousled hair. When they had finally moved beyond their afterglow in the tub the night before, they'd washed each other's hair. Hal had forgotten how that stirred his urges to care for another. He remembered Richie and him helping the littlest guys shampoo their hair.
Drew stirred in Hal's arms, his eyes slowly opening. A smile warmed his face as he kissed Hal's cheek and they greeted each other. At Drew's urging, Hal was soon straddling Drew's chest while he sucked Hal off. Then Hal arose, went to the end of the bed, gently pulled Drew to the bottom as he knelt between his legs and reciprocated.
When Hal arose to prepare breakfast, he went to his bedroom, bringing back the smallest pair of boxers he had, for he'd dumped Drew's clothes in the washer the night before before. He still had to hunt up a safety pin to hold them around Drew's waist. Drew insisted on hobbling to the kitchen with Hal's help. Once there, Hal started breakfast. Again, Drew said he was driving to his home that morning. "You aren't ready yet, Drew. And I haven't washed my conscience clean yet. Don't you have some sick leave you could use?"
"Yes," Drew replied. "But you're busy. I don't want to impose on you."
"Stay one more day. Let me take care of you. Do Kenji's exercises. After lunch, we'll practice your walking some more."
"You can't stay home with me. You have a business to run."
They'd argued back and forth, settling on a compromise. Hal would go to work and Drew would stay at Hal's. He promised Hal that he'd be able to fix his own lunch. "Just show me where the soup and the can opener are," Drew had said. By the time Hal was ready to go to work, he'd insisted on carrying Drew to his bed, where they kissed as though they might not see each other for a week. Then Hal had reluctantly left for work.
The Construction Site
When Hal had joined the crew already at work, they had looked at him expectantly, but he said nothing. Finally, Ted and Levi couldn't stand it, so they started a conversation, their voices raised so that all could hear. "Well, I see a spring in his step, the kind that indicates a guy's nutted a big load the night before," Levi said.
"Heck, he could do that with his hand," Ted scoffed. "That doesn't mean anything."
"I don't know," Levi said, scrutinizing Hal, who was ignoring them. The other members of the crew were grinning at Ted's and Levi's machinations. "See, it's also the way a guy wiggles his ass after a night of pitching woo. 'Bout every fourth or fifth step, there's this little wiggle right at the bottom of his ass cheeks when he walks. You have to look closely, but it's unmistakable." At that moment Hal happened to be walking across the interior of the shell. Everyone stopped working to check out Hal's ass.
"I'll be damned!" Jamal exclaimed. "Levi's right. It's da 'done-nutted' wiggle!" he crooned.
"I see it too," Kenji chimed in, surprising them all, but leaving them gratified that Kenji was feeling comfortable enough with them to join in their games, as he was doing with increasing frequency.
"Definitely a wiggle," Max joined the fun.
"Tells me the man drained his balls last night," Tonio added.
Hal wheeled about, red-faced. "If I wag my ass like a $20 whore, will you guys get back to work? I'd like you to earn your wages today."
"See that outburst? That's post-coital embarrassment," Tonio said. "I see it all the time when I take a virgin." The guys all laughed.
"So how was he?" Max asked.
Hal paused in the middle of the floor, dreaming up revenge. "He was so good, the smoke alarm nearest the bedroom started blaring. He was so hot the sprinkler system in that bedroom went off. The condom didn't last longer than a minute before it shredded, leaving the smell of burned rubber behind. The lube turned to water and then steam. We were howling like coyotes at the moon. We went at it solidly for an hour before we climaxed. Then we lost consciousness for half an hour." Hal had rattled off the details so rapidly that the crew had to hold their positions, hanging onto every word, spell-bound, some mouths agape, not a one making a peep, clearly conjuring up mental images of Hal and Drew locked in a blistering, sweaty love session.
Kenji finally snorted. "Not with that sprained ankle."
The members of the crew turned to him, dazed, suddenly realizing Kenji was right. No way could such strenuous labors of love have occurred.
"Hell," Ted expostulated. "I was onto Hal the second he opened his mouth."
"Yeah, I knew it was phony," Levi added, gulping as he adjusted his stiffie.
"I thought he had confused Drew with me," Jamal observed.
They all started laughing and trading comments about how Hal hadn't fooled them for a second.
"W-a-i-t a minute!" Max exclaimed. "We still don't know what happened." They all turned toward Hal. He grinned, walking over to a draftsmen's table, wiggling his ass every fourth or fifth step, then leaning over to study the blueprints they always spread out there, making certain he was giving them a good shot of his ass, which he occasionally wiggled. He heard muttered curses and comments, but he refused to gratify them.
Russ Thomas
Hal was still reading blueprints in the shell of the Haynes home when his pager went off. When he saw that it was Dr. Russell Thomas, he told Max to go ahead with what they were doing, and he'd be right back. He had to take an important call.
Once he was in the construction trailer, he punched in the numbers for Russell. When Russ's receptionist informed him who was calling, he snatched up the phone, heartily greeting Hal, inquiring after his health. Then he didn't beat around the bush. "We accept your bid. We want you to build our house, Hal - the sooner the better. I know you are working on Charles and Deirdre's house, but we're hoping you can begin ours right after you finish theirs. Is that possible?"
"Entirely possible."
"Good. Now how soon will that be?"
"It appears that it's going to be two months yet."
"Oh-h-h-h-h," Russ's voice sounded disappointed. "Would there be anyway you could speed up the Haynes build. Maybe run a crew there and a crew on our house?"
"Well, I hadn't planned on doing it that way. I don't want to hire a bunch of guys only to lay them off once your house it built. Running two crews also boosts my payroll and overhead and slows the finish of the Haynes home. Besides, I've already submitted my bid based on my present team. To be feasible to bring on more men, I'd have to change my bid."
"My reason for pushing on a start date, Hal, is that Gwen and I will be celebrating a wedding anniversary in five months. I was hoping we'd be in the house by then. I'd appreciate anything you could do to make that happen. Why don't you shoot me another bid based on two teams, and we'll see what that looks like? Would that be asking too much?"
"Of course not. It'll take me three or four days to revise the bid. If I run two teams simultaneously, I may need to hire some part-time office help. I think I'm ready to grow that much, but I'm a little worried about business after I finish these two houses. Nothing is out there on the horizon at present."
"Let me put your mind to rest on that account, Hal. Charles put me onto you. I have lots of physician friends too. I'll talk to Charles. We'll be a referral system for you. In addition, you know we physicians always need to put money into investments. I'm certain you must have the same problem."
"Actually, I don't. I'm only just ready to leave the phase after startup. I've put most of my capital into my company. I guess you could say my crew and I are my biggest investment."
"I promise that I'll talk you up to professional acquaintances. Some of us may decide to develop some land with housing. If that happens, maybe you can be cut in for a share so that you can start your investment phase. With your degree, you know why you need to do that. As for your company's future, both Charles and I are well connected. I can assure you, you aren't going to want for business. Who knows, some of us may decide that it's time to start a clinic, get out of the hospital setting. Lots of possibilities. You strike me as a careful but not overly cautious man. Allow your instincts and people who respect you to help point you to your future."
Hal's eyebrows were arched about as high as they had ever been. "Okay . . . I'll send you another bid. You should have it in five days at the latest."
"Wonderful!" Russ exclaimed. "I'll be looking forward to it. Then we'll have another meeting."
"As you wish," Hal answered. "Give my best to Mrs. Thomas."
"What's this 'Mrs. Thomas' business? Do you want Gwen to be angry with you? She took a shine to you. You better call her 'Gwen.'"
"I bow to the wisdom of the sage," Hal replied.
Russ chuckled. "Talk to you soon."
After he'd taken his leave of Russ, Hal sat at his desk, rubbing his hands over his face, groaning. Was he moving to the fast track? Just when he'd gotten comfortable in his present track? A little voice in the back of his head warned about getting comfortable in any track. That's when it could turn into a rut.
Max came in the door just then, clutching a blueprint, looking at Hal with concern, watching him scrub imaginary problems off his face. "Is everything okay?" Max asked anxiously.
"I don't know. It may be good. It may be bad. Just depends on Fate I suppose." To resolve Max's total confusion, Hal filled Max in on the situation. "I'd surely like some solid advice."
"Ask Drew."
"Huh?"
"Ask Drew. He handles hundreds of millions of dollars. Well, his people do anyway. He directs them. He's done this for several years now. I've sensed that he's highly cautious. Maybe too much so - at least where his own welfare is concerned. He wouldn't steer you to a risky course of action. Ask his opinion. You don't have to act on it, but I think you'll feel better for knowing it." Max grinned. "Besides, it may help you two bond." Max cackled with glee.
"We aren't looking for glue, Max."
"Oh, there are all kinds of bonding," Max chortled.
"Get back to work," Hal said as though he were pained, but he wasn't. It was always nice to be the recipient of Max's concern, and he would welcome the opportunity to become acquainted with the business side of Drew. He knew Max understood all of this too.
Bobby and Angie Cooper
Hal pulled out his bid file on the Thomas's projected home and started reworking the figures while using a new calendar page, trying to plot time frames for the two houses and then the number of men necessary to meet both end dates. He heard a pickup slowing at the curb, its brakes squeaking. 'Needs a brake job,' he thought. 'Either the problem just started, or he doesn't have the money to take care of it.' Needing a break, Hal arose and walked to the open door. An older pickup with a tall, old-fashioned camper in the bed was sitting at the curb. A good-looking guy alighted from the driver's side, walking around the front of the pickup. An attractive young woman was sitting in the passenger side. She was cute, but her hair was cut so short one could mistake her at first for a boy. 'She wears it that way for easy care,' Hal thought.
The guy walking toward the trailer was wearing a rumpled tee shirt and old jeans with holes in them. He was on the husky side, but it was all muscle, and he was handsome! He must have been in the military at one time: he didn't wear a high 'n tight, but he wore his dark brown hair that short all over his head with short sideburns. His face was oval shaped. His dark brown eyes were wide set with brows that were thin close to his nose but thicker as they arched over the outer sides of his eyes and beyond. Hal wondered if he'd ever seen anyone whose eyebrows extended that far beyond the outer edge of the eye. Looked rather good, he decided. Nice straight nose. Long square moustache over his mouth. Like his eyebrows, it extended some distance beyond the corners of his mouth. Meant he saw the need to balance the unusual phenomenon of the brows to make their appearance acceptable. Sign of a perceptive mind!
The young man obviously wasn't a smoker, for his teeth were dazzling white, making his smile shine like his eyes. His muscular arms were hairy. His waist was thick with muscle instead of fat, his stomach flat. Strong muscles gave his legs great shape. He stood about 5' 11". Hal surely hoped this guy wasn't an asshole because everything about him made another person want to like him. When the man had about reached the trailer, the woman opened her door, fanning herself with a magazine. As soon as she stood on the ground, Hal could see that she was pregnant, probably four to five months. They lacked the money for maternity clothes, so she was wearing an oversized tee that no longer disguised the bulge of a child growing within her womb.
When the man was within hailing distance, he said hello to Hal through the screen, asking if Hal could spare a few minutes. "Of course, come in," Hal aid, sliding the screen door open.
"Hi, I'm Bobby Cooper - well, Robert, but everyone calls me 'Bobby.'
"I can see why," Hal replied, smiling.
Bobby looked puzzled. "Uh . . . I was wondering if you're hiring."
Hal gave Bobby a big smile before he answered. It lasted long enough that it brightened the latter's countenance. "The stars are shining on you, Bobby Cooper. I was just reworking a bid that would allow me to hire some extra workers to speed up completion of this house and start another."
"May I apply?' he asked eagerly. "I've worked construction before." He looked over his shoulder at the woman. He smiled proudly. "As you can see, my wife Angie and I are going to have to get ourselves established now that we have a little one on the way."
"It's hot out there. Would your wife like to come in and have a cold soft drink?"
Startled, Bobby clearly was not expecting such a gesture. "Yes sir, just let me collect her," Bobby said, hustling out the door and over to his wife. She listened as he spoke to her briefly. They walked to the trailer, Bobby's hand resting lightly but protectively in the small of her back as she looked ahead at Hal standing behind the screen door. Bobby moved ahead up the steps, sliding the door open while Angie stepped inside.
"Hello, I'm Hal Winston," he said, holding his hand out to her.
"Angie Cooper," she said, smiling brightly, warming Hal's heart at the same time as she slipped her hand in his. He could tell that she was a special woman, one a smart guy would hang onto if Fate led her to bestow her nod on him.
"I'm sorry, Bobby, you introduced yourself but I never told you my name," Hal said extending his hand. "Hal Winston." They shook hands. Hal gestured toward the two folding chairs in front of the desk as he walked to the backroom, returning with two Cokes. "Sorry, this is all we have, but it's cold." Bobby and Angie accepted the drinks happily, popping the caps and taking a long drink. 'They're living in the back of that pickup,' Hal thought. 'Probably ran out of money, or if he's careful, he decided to stop and earn some money before heading on. Maybe get those brakes fixed. I bet they haven't had a decent meal in a while. Probably are doing laundry in the sink of that camper.'
"You said you were hiring?" Bobby prompted him, smiling but obviously hopeful. Hal's old protective instincts toward the vulnerable kicked in, making him want to help this young couple. "Yes. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself, where you've been and where you're going."
"We haven't been married long."
'Ah,' Hal thought, 'surprise pregnancy.'
"We decided to find someplace we'd like to live, especially after we found out Angie's pregnant."
'Damn,' Hal thought, 'I'd carry that man's baby. Imagine how happy you'd be, knowing this guy made a baby in you, knowing you were carrying a little version of him. She's a lucky woman.' Hal was a little surprised at that line of thinking Bobby Cooper had inspired. At the same time, he realized that only gay men could harbor such feelings about another man. It would never occur to two hetero males. Seemed to make gay men special, not that he thought many fantasized about having babies. It wasn't that. It was the intimacy, the connection, throwing down the bars - doing something colossal for another man out of love. With lightning speed, Richie Collins's boyish face flashed in front of Hal's eyes as he heard snatches of conversation about how they wanted to have children when they were older, had left the orphanage, and were established. Hal gulped, surprised at how sharp the pain still was.
"We got this far," Bobby explained, "when we had some engine trouble. Then the brakes announced that they weren't to be ignored either. So I was looking for work when someone at a filling station up the way mentioned this house. Said Hal Winston was building it and he was a good boss if a guy was lucky enough to get on. Said Winston Construction was a worker-friendly company. So the guy gave me directions here. I've worked construction while I was in junior college and then after I left the army. That's about five years in all. I've helped build homes, office buildings, malls, even a prison - you name it. I'd be grateful if I could apply here."
Hal thought a moment. "Here's the point Winston Construction Company has reached," Hal replied. "I probably need to hire at least two guys and a part-time office manager." Angie perked up at mention of that.
"If I may," she spoke, "I have two years of business courses at the junior college where Bobby was studying. That's where we met," she explained as Bobby and she looked at each other, trading a smile and probably a few memories. "I've had a lot of experience running small offices - first for a new lawyer, then a nonprofit agency. Is it possible for me to apply too?"
"Of course," Hal said. He paused a moment, deciding how to elicit information he needed. "With your business courses," Hal addressed Angie, "you've heard or read that hiring a husband and wife, especially in a small company, is regarded as a risky practice. If the owner has trouble with one, he'll have trouble with the other."
Angie didn't blink an eye. "I can assure you that would never happen," she replied. "We need the jobs. If you've been in business as long as we've heard and you have good workers, it means you are pretty good at reading potential employees. You know that Bobby and I aren't going to cause you trouble. As a family, we need 'building time,' so to speak - time to establish ourselves, find an apartment with room for a baby, find work for me, find an obstetrician. Those goals aren't accomplished overnight. So, Mr. Winston, we hope we are an answer to your problems. We won't be the cause of any."
Hal admired Angie's smooth touch. He readily perceived that she knew how to handle people. He glanced at Bobby, stifling a smile over the reverence in Bobby's eyes as he watched Angie weave her spell. He knew what he was going to do before he thought much about it. Turning to Bobby, "How soon can you start to work?"
"If I can leave my truck parked at the curb, I can start now."
Hal had to stifle a grin. 'That hard up, huh?' he thought. Hal turned to Angie. "How long would it take you to rearrange this place into an office for me and you?"
Hal had finally caught her off guard, for she looked startled. "Today?"
"No, we have other things to take care of today. Tomorrow," Hal replied.
"May I look around?" Angie asked.
"Look away," Hal said. "Bobby, you'd better check the place out with Angie because she's going to need some help moving stuff around in here. That'll be your first job if you go to work for me. I'm going over to the site. You guys talk over what you need to do in here. I'll be back in a jiffy."
Hal arose as Bobby and Angie walked into the next room. He saw them grab each other in a hug of relief, popping a smile out on his face. He walked into the house and over to Max. "I just hired the first two of three new employees, Bobby and Angie Cooper. He's going to help her turn the trailer into a two-person office. She'll be our new office manager." A huge grin spread across Max's face. "Then I'll bring him over to meet you. He has about five years' construction experience. Seems to be a nice, solid guy. They're expecting. Probably in four months. I think they're on their last dollar, living out of the back of that pickup. I'll bet every possession that they have is in that truck. She probably hasn't seen a doctor yet, so she's behind on that. I don't think they've been eating well. There's a story there if they ever share. Why pick up stakes and move away from all the support systems that they formed over several years - especially when she's pregnant? Something or someone forced them away from their home base."
Max roared with laughter, causing the other guys nearby to check them out. "What so funny?" Hal asked, frowning.
"Hal's saving God's children again," Max said. Hal didn't smile. He started to turn way, but Max grabbed him, pulling him into a bear hug. "I love you, Man. I love your good heart, the way you look out for people even at your own expense. I'm not laughing at you or making fun of you. I'm celebrating my being connected with you." Hal started to pull away. "Now don't go mulish, Hal. I love you. Honor that." Max knew his and Kenji's relationship, which had necessarily cut Hal out, was standing there staring both of them down. Hal was understandably struggling with that. Hal looked at Max a little resentfully; then he sort of melted, his shoulders dropping as his resentment ebbed. "You're taking them home with you until you can find a place for them, aren't you?" Max asked.
"I didn't tell you just to receive a pat on the back," Hal replied defensively, stiffening again. "They need help. And yes, I'll give them a place to stay temporarily. But I'll have them in an apartment in at least three days," Hal replied with a hint of heat. "They need their own space now."
"I know, Hal, I know. I'm glad they found you." Hal was still frowning as he turned away. "They didn't find me, you dope. They found US!" Hal stressed, walking out of the room. Max just grinned, realizing that Hal's rejoinder conveyed an implicit command. He was to clue the crew in to the Coopers' need for friends and support. He wondered what Drew would think if he knew about Hal's good deeds. Hal sure as hell wouldn't tell him. Max would have to do some thinking. Then his grin faded as he realized that Hal was still struggling over Kenji and him. He had hoped Drew's presence in Hal's life would effect a change. He guessed he was rushing it. Acceptance had come for Ted and Levi. It would for Kenji and him too.
When Hal returned to the trailer, Bobby and Angie were standing in the front room talking quietly. They turned toward Hal, who gestured toward their former seats. As they sat, Hal asked, "Okay, what's the verdict?"
Angie quietly related her plans for the office. Hal could see that she had it all figured out. "I like this plan. Additionally, those folding chairs need to be replaced with something more respectable. Something that looks as good as this trailer will ever look. And we need a sofa here for you to lie on in the next few months when you need to rest."
"Oh," Angie softly exclaimed, almost as though it were a burp. "How thoughtful of you."
"Okay, folks, here's the plan for the next few days. I'm taking you two to my home now. You're staying there until we can line up a home for you. I have a developer friend who's just finished a complex of duplexes. I think we can get you in there quickly. I'll call him in a little bit to set up an appointment for tomorrow."
Bobby was blushing, his head hanging. "Bobby?" Hal questioned. Bobby barely raised his head. "Mr. Winston, we can't afford to pay deposits now. We won't be able to afford them for quite a while." He glanced under his eyelids at Angie. "We've only got $10 to our name. We've been trying to scrimp to hang onto what we could. I think you'll probably want to reconsider your invitation for us to live with you. We'll stay in the pick up. We're used to it."
Hal continued, ignoring what Bobby had just confessed. "Angie, I'll want you to spend some time here tomorrow paying the deposits and setting up utilities on your duplex." He looked at Bobby. "The company will set you up and pay your deposits. Did you see those guys working in the house when you came in here?" Bobby shook his head. "The company has helped all of them with down payments on cars, expensive repairs to vehicles, startup expenses, down payments on homes. If you become part of THIS FAMILY, then it'll provide the same benefits to you. I'll give you my pickup tomorrow, Bobby. I want you and Angie to go shopping for that sofa after we look at the duplex. Angie, when you're here tomorrow, I want you to get the two of you set up in our health insurance. Then we want to get you set up with an obstetrician. I'll ask around tonight for some good ones. I also want a list of what we need in this office, including customer-friendly chairs. I'll let you and Bobby visit a used office supply store I know of. We'll need some more furniture. You know computers, right?" he asked Angie.
"Yes," she smiled. "I can fix glitches you can't even imagine."
"She can, Mr. Winston. She's a whiz at it. Makes me feel like the Village Idiot, she's so good," Bobby said, looking at Angie, his eyes glowing with pride.
Hal chuckled. "Well, that's how I'll be feeling too, I'm sure. So we'll need a computer for you, Angie. And if either of you call me 'Mr. Winston' one more time, I'm going to fire you. I'm Hal." Bobby grinned. "Okay, I want to take you two over to the house to introduce you to the rest of the family. Then I'll take you to my home. We'll get you settled. Then Bobby, we're going to take your truck to a shop I know. Get those brakes fixed. Get that machine toned up." Hal arose as did Angie and Bobby.
Angie walked up to Hal, throwing her arms around him and hugging him. He saw her eyes sparkling with tears before she threw her head against his chest, sniffling. He held out an arm to Bobbie, who joined them for a three-way hug. Hal held them tightly for a bit. "You don't' know how worried, we were, Hal," Bobby related softly.
"We tried to keep the other's spirits up," Angie added, "but it was becoming more difficult. I just never imagined something this good could happen to us." She pulled back, looking into Hal's eyes. "You'll never regret trusting us, Hal," she said. Bobbie softly added his assent.
"Come on, guys," Hal said as he gestured toward the door. As they walked to the house, Hal explained about the Hayneses and the Thomases. He introduced them to Max first and then waved all the others over. He could tell that Max had already talked to the crew about the Coopers because they responded instantly. It seemed the guys, even shy, quiet Kenji, were already taking a protective stance toward Angie. They inquired after her health, when the baby was due, making her promise to let them know if she needed any help with anything, asking Bobby if he needed their guidance in how to be a good father - or maybe even a good husband, which generated laughter all around. Jamal suggested that they consider his name as a good, strong possibility for their boy's name. Bobby looked surprised, but the smile on his face signaled that he'd connected with potential buddies. Then they returned to their work, and Hal left with the newest members of the family.
(To be continued.)