The Man with the Jeep

The Man with the Jeep

Chapter 70

John, taken off guard, didn't answer at first, despite his cock instantly perking up at the stranger's touch.

The old trapper (John couldn't think of a better descriptor) made three complete strokes before John could respond.

"Thank you, but no, I can't let you do that."

The old man's hand froze on his dick without letting go, and his crestfallen face betrayed his disappointment.

"I git it," he mumbled as he reluctantly released John's pole. "I know I ain't a looker, but I seen you a min't ago and figured I might could help ya."

"I guarantee it's not at all what you're thinking, but I can't right now."

John had stopped judging potential play partners by looks decades ago. You never knew how fun someone could be by age or outward appearance. If anything, he found the sexy were generally less exciting when the clothes came off.

But he didn't want to make things any worse with Andrew.

"Mmhmm," the man said, clearly unconvinced.

John could tell he was used to being discounted. Yet another guy with a broken past, John thought fleetingly. I already have a project man I'm working on, but that doesn't mean I can't be considerate of this one as well.

"I'm John," he said on a whim, automatically reaching out his right hand.

The old man paused before gingerly grasping it with his own.

"Jeb."

"Nice to meet you, Jeb. Not to be too blunt, but what are you really doing here?"

"Like I said, I's lookin' fer food."

Still only a half-truth at best, John guessed. He decided he'd call the other man's bluff.

"Well, you already know I don't lock this cabin. I leave it open so lost campersÑand hikersÑhave shelter and food if they get caught in a storm. I don't mind sharing, but I don't want to have it empty if the real need arises for someone else. You feel me?"

"I gitcha," Jeb replied soberly.

"Good. Now, if you're serious about earning it, I'd be grateful if you could start a fire in the hearth for me."

Jeb perked up a bit at that.

"I kin do that."

"That would be great."

Jeb made his way inside and set about making a fire in the fireplace.

John let him work, but still kept an eye on him through the open door.

To his credit, Jeb never approached the bed or the duffle John had tossed there while working on his assignment.

Obviously no stranger to making fires, Jeb made swift work of getting one going and even offered to fill the pot with water to start heating for later, which John happily accepted.

"Anythin' else ya need?" Jeb asked after he was finished.

"No thanks," John replied. "But I have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"Do you always go around offering hand jobs to strangers?"

Jeb visibly bristled.

All of a sudden John realized that maybe it wasn't the best time to ask questions that could get him into trouble. His hands weren't in the best condition, and he didn't want to make them worse with a fist fight.

"No, but I ain't got no use fer womenfolk, if `at's whatcher gettin' at."

"Hey, I'm not judging," John added quickly. "I have a boyfriend myself."

"Y'already told me `at."

"Okay then. I was just going to say if you're into that sort of thing, you might be interested in an event happening down the hill tomorrow night."

"Whassat?"

"Just a bunch of guys that get together to have fun.'

"What kinda guys?" asked Jeb, trying unsuccessfully to look nonchalant.

"All kinds. It happens every month and you're welcome to check it out if you'd like. If you go that way a bit, you'll find the stairs that go down the cliff..."

"I know `em," Jeb inserted, inadvertently confirming John's suspicion that he wasn't just passing through for the first time.

"You take those all the way down and follow the river for a bit. When it cuts hard to the right, turn left, and you'll find a path that will take you to a big old barn."

"I dunno," Jeb started slowly. "I'm not much one for shindigs."

"It's entirely up to you," John assured him. "You won't be judged by anyone there."

Jeb still looked doubtful.

"If you want to get there early, it starts around sunset. There's a full-on locker room with showers and everything."

Jeb's expression changed with the mention of showers.

"But how much izzit?"

"How much...?" John asked quizzically for a moment before he realized what Jeb meant. "It runs on donations, but there's no charge to play."

"Hmm," Jeb harrumphed. "We'll see."

"No worries either way," John said with a shrug. "Thanks again for the fire, and you are welcome to grab some food."

"Thanks."

Jeb went inside and came out with four cans, holding them up for John's approval.

"Looks good," he said. "Have fun exploring and keep safe."

"Aye," said the gruff old man before shambling off into the woods. Well, that was interesting.

The distraction helped clear John's mind too. He knew he was a bulldog about things, and sometimes it took something outside to help him get proper perspective.

While inviting Jeb to the Club Jacks party, it occurred to him that he must have been subconsciously planning to go himself. Why else would he think that camping in a cabin alone in the woods with bandaged hands was a good idea?

He didn't want to hurt Andrew any more than he already had, so he decided going to a big orgy was probably the worst thing he could do right now. But at the same time, he was self-aware enough to know he was still bent out of shape with Andrew.

Why was this so much harder to deal with than normal life?

He tried to think of what his therapist would say. Probably stop and name his feelings. Okay.

Disappointment. Hurt. Anger. He could sense there was another lurking there as well, but it took some time to pin this one down. A long time later, he figured it out: Jealousy. Once he pinpointed it, it was obvious, and John kicked himself for not seeing it sooner.

The therapist would next have him explore his feelings and see what triggered them. Again, the disappointment, hurt, and anger came from Andrew not trusting him, right?

But the jealousy put things in a new light. He'd had open relationships before and had never been jealous despite sometimes ridiculous amounts of shenanigans. There was nothing to be jealous of. His boyfriends were of the same mind he was, and even though he knew deep down they weren't forever bonds, there was a kinship that made everything copacetic.

What made Andrew different?

Everything!

Andrew did not have his mindset at all. He thought about things completely differently. It was what made him simultaneously fascinating and frustrating.

Andrew was also a little bit of a project. There were plenty of hurt and damaged men out there (as Jeb had so recently brought to the surface), but there was something sweet and unassuming about Andrew that he had latched onto and didn't want to let go. He was determined to keep him for the rest of his life.

And there it was.

There was no undercurrent of temporary with Andrew. John was completely smitten with him from the first. That very thing is was what made it worthwhile to spend his effort on him. And now that Andrew was "no longer looking for the exit" as he put it, John thought they should be on the same page.

Why then should he be jealous if Andrew played with others?

Maybe it was because that was how he lost his boyfriends before. They'd find someone more interesting/exciting/hung and then it was over. He did NOT want that to happen with Andrew.

He wanted to stay the center of Andrew's world just as Andrew had become his.

And that would never happen if he continued to act like a moron.

Like camping by himself in the woods with jacked up hands.

Time to be worth being faithful to, he decided.

He fumbled himself dressed again, stowed the hammock, put out the fire, grabbed his bag, and headed for the Jeep.

He paused once he started up the old machine though. Where should he go? He still didn't feel like going home and didn't want to stay in the campground and be tempted to go to the barn party.

He opted to turn the Jeep uphill instead. The trail in this direction was much more sparse and raw, because he seldom drove up past the cabin. But this time he did. He made his way up until he saw a specific rock outcropping on one side that prompted him to pull over to the left of the path.

He grabbed his bag again and made his way a short distance through some low shrubbery before he found what looked like a skinny cave in the side of a cliff.

Making sure to be noisy and warn any critters holed up inside before he got there, he walked in and pushed the button next to the handleless black door along the back wall.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"It's Johnny, Grams!"

"Oh! Hello dear! Let me ring you in!"

A small buzz and click later, and the door swung outward to reveal a warm and inviting, if somewhat small, stairwell.

John walked onto the short landing before the door swung shut behind him.

The walls were a cozy shade of tan, while the carpet was a deep brownÑ-the same shade as the dirt outside. Instead of light fixtures, there were diffused light strips where the walls met the ceiling and the baseboards as the stairs softly curved downward.

John made his way down and into the kitchen where his grandparents had come to greet him.

"Johnny dear! It's so good toÑ-" Grandma Nora greeted him before she cut herself off. "What did you do to your hands?"

"Should we see the other guy?" Grandpa Liam joined in.

"I, um, hurt myself boxing a punching bag."

"Did you now?" Gram said. "Well, let's take a look at it," clearly brooking no option for refusal.

She carefully unwrapped the mass of gauze and tape.

"You did this yourself, didn't you?" she asked, giving him a look.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I have to admit it's not bad for a one-handed man, but next time get some help. I'm sure Andrew would have been as happy to help as we would."

"Yes, ma'am."

"How is he?" Grandpa Liam asked.

"Oh, he's fine," John replied.

John could tell from his face that he knew at once that something was up, but he didn't press the issue.

Grandma Nora had finally gotten all the bandages off, and John found his knuckles and fingers in much better shape than he had thought. Definitely not fully healed, but clean with no sign of infection and properly scabbed over where it should be.

She applied some lotion to try to help soothe any pulling or splitting.

"With those moon gloves, I thought you might have done something awful, but it actually looks fine. I don't even think you really need bandages anymore. Unless you are planning to do something stupid like camp in the woods tonight."

John flinched a little at that.

"Uh huh," she responded. "I suspected as much. Consider yourself grounded this evening. And try not to do anything that would make you need to wash your hands, young man."

"Yes, ma'am."

John ended up staying the rest of the weekend with his grandparents, avoiding both deep conversation and the tempting excitement of Club Jack.

By the time he began to make his way home on Sunday afternoon, he felt recharged and purposeful again. He was going to have a frank chat with Andrew that he hoped wouldn't end up being confrontational like last time, but even if it did, he needed some resolution this time.

He brainstormed ideas as he crashed down the mountain in the Jeep, then let the wind bat them around as he drove home in his convertible. Nothing quite seemed to settle before he got home, but he texted Andrew anyway to confirm lunch with him tomorrow. Not at a cafŽ this time. No, this time he wanted it to be just the two of them.

Andrew confirmed and the stage was set.

After a weekend of tidying up the house and finishing some minor repairs he had been procrastinating on, Andrew felt accomplished. It was always nice to be reminded he was capable and not just someone else's sidekick.

That was maybe a little unfair, because up until now, John had made a point of making him feel special. Of course, his little revelation at lunch last Thursday kind of undercut that, but at least he was honest about it, which was something. His previous boyfriends were never upfront about that kind of thing, preferring to think they could keep secrets from him. But the truth always comes out, and when it did, he cut them loose. He could handle many things, but lying and cheating were not on that list.

He was still on the fence about this "open relationship" thing, but he was willing to give it a try. Apparently willing enough even to commit himself long-term to it, though he wasn't sure how to handle it when it came down to it.

He'd figure it out for John.

He had foreseen this moment when John started talking about his past. It was outside of Andrew's experience, but very much a constant thread in John's, so there was bound to beÉhiccups along the way.

He missed John a lot this week, but in hindsight, maybe it was a good thing that they had some time apart. That hadn't happened much for a while now.

Once he'd had time to think about it, he realized it wasn't as critical as he had always thought. John wasn't leaving him for someone better, was he? At least not yet, he couldn't help but add silently.

He'd moved past The Brady Thing by the end of the day.

What still irked him was John's sudden silence. John was a bit chatty and to get a sudden (nearly) silent treatment was disconcerting. Had he done something wrong without knowing it? He couldn't fathom what it could be, but he couldn't think of any other cause.

If it had only been after John had played with Brady, guilt could be a plausible explanation, but he had started acting that way before, so it had to be Andrew's fault, right?

All weekend long, he'd tried to think of where he'd mis-stepped, but kept drawing blanks.

When John finally texted to confirm lunch tomorrow, it was a big relief, albeit tinged with uncertainty. Maybe he would finally find out what happened.

Monday morning proved slow as far as Andrew was concerned, but when it was finally lunch time, he clocked out to meet John.

The break room proved to be a little crowded, but John found an office in an unused wing of the building for them to eat in away from other people.

As soon as they stepped inside, John turned and wrapped Andrew into a big hug.

Caught unaware, it took a moment before Andrew returned the gesture.

"I've missed you," John said sincerely.

"I've missed you too," Andrew replied, trying not to cry.

They stood there for a few minutes enjoying their togetherness before breaking apart to sit down on chairs side by side.

Andrew turned his chair slightly toward John so he could see his face and John followed suit.

"Can we talk about things?" Andrew asked. "Or is that why you found this hidden office where I can't make a scene?" He realized after it came out of his mouth that it lacked the humor he was aiming for.

"Yes," John answered seriously. "Let's talk about things."

"Okay. I don't mean to throw off your train of thought or anything, but I'd really like to know why I haven't heard from you like normal for more than a week now."

"You really don't know?"

"How could I? I've been wracking my brain this whole time, and you haven't exactly been around to ask."

"I thought last Thursday that if I came clean about Brady that you'd come clean with me."

"About what?"

"Really?"

"Yes, John, really. What's your deal?"

"I wanted you to tell me about Grandpa Liam and Alex."

"What about them?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Apparently so, because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I want you to admit to me that you played with Alex and Grandpa Liam."

Andrew was dumbstruck.

"But I didn't!" he finally exclaimed when he found his voice. "When could I possibly have even done that?"

"The first night we stayed at Gramp and Gram's and at the party for YaYa."

Andrew was still confused, running through everything that had happened over a week ago now.

"I haven't played with anyone but you except for when Duncan joined us, and that's the gods' honest truth."

"Don't lie to me!" John said angrily.

"How dare you!" replied an equally angry Andrew. "I'm not lying!"

"I watched you do it," John snapped. "So don't even try to cover it up!"

"What are you talking about? You must have a really vivid imagination, because I swear I've only slept with you!"

"I'm not talking about sleeping! I'm talking about sex!"

Andrew's eyes narrowed sharply. "Don't you go down Semantics Road with me. You know exactly what I mean!"

"Then you're going to hold to that?" John challenged him.

"Of course I am," Andrew snapped. "I can only vouch for what I know. We were having sex when your grandfather fucking walked in the door! Is that what you're holding against me?"

"No, later."

"There was no later," Andrew insisted. "All four of us had a great day, played cards, and went to bed, where you spooned me all night. How could I have snuck off to meet up with anyone when you were holding me all night? And with your grandpa? Seriously? That never even occurred to me! I don't shift gears that fast, Mr. Family Play!"

"I didn't spoon you all night," John declared. "I was thirsty and left to get some water."

"So?"

"So that's when you played with him."

"You are so delusional! I didn't move until you came back! I was exhausted!"

"Not too exhausted to call Gramps a loon and to get in bed with you!"

"I would never! I called YOU a loon and then..."

Andrew trailed off as a big pit of doubt grew in his gut.

"But I said that to you," he whispered, his face as white as a sheet of paper.

"No," said John. "You said that to Grandpa Liam, who was only too happy to oblige you. I know, because I was watching from the doorway."

Andrew was dumbstruck.

"Why didn't you stop me?" Andrew he finally said miserably. "I thought it was you!"

"I assumed you knew who you were talking to," John replied. "I just barely got back to the room when you said that, so I figured I missed the first part of a longer conversation."

"No, you didn't," breathed Andrew. "That was all there was to it, I swear."

"I believe you," said John. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing."

"How come you never said anything?"

"Because I was waiting for you to tell me, and I didn't want to embarrass you about it."

Andrew felt numb. How could he not have known? He couldn't tell his own boyfriend apart from his grandfather? That's just messed up on so many levels!

Looking back, he remembered thinking how much easier it was to take that night compared to other timesÑespecially the very next morning in the shower. He remembered being surprised at how much energy "John" had gotten from a glass of water. He remembered the vice-grip-like arm lock he was held in that John never did.

All the signs were there, he had just been too tired to pick up on them. How stupid he was!

"I'm sorry. I thought it was you," he said miserably.

And then another thought occurred to him.

"But that also means that your Grandpa Liam..." he couldn't even finish saying it out loud.

John's anger had apparently subsided in the face of Andrew's revelations.

"Don't worry about that old codger," he said gently, putting his hand on Andrew's shoulder. "I'll talk to him about it, and it'll all be fine, I promise."

"I don't know how I can even look at him again," Andrew admitted. "I'm so embarrassed."

"You shouldn't be. He thinks you're amazing just like I do. He didn't get weird toward you after that, did he?"

Andrew blanched again. They had spent another day and a half together and he hadn't even known what he had done. That meant John was right: it wouldn't change a thing unless Andrew made it change.

"But what if he thinksÑ-"

"He thinks you're hot."

Andrew had no idea how to process that.

"What makes you say that?"

"He did."

"To you?"

"Yeah."

Andrew was incredulous and felt like his world was spinning.

"Am I the only one who didn't realize what was happening?"

"No; just me and Gramps," John assured him. "And I told you: I'll take care of him. Don't worry about it."

"And you said I played with Alex too? I'm pretty sure I would have remembered that!"

"I was certain you had, but now I'm not so sure about that one," John admitted.

"When?"

"At YaYa's party."

"You mean when I went to the restroom?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let me assure you that did NOT happen."

"It was only that you left just after he did and then you both came back some time later almost simultaneously."

"Um, yeah..."

"Wait, was I right?"

"No! It's just that, well, when I walked into the Men's room, he was already there at the urinal."

"So?"

"He was standing there, but he'd peeled down the front of his pants and was stretching backwards, so when I came in, I sawÉhim."

"Oh!" John exclaimed knowingly. "He does tend to do that."

"Anyway, I did not do anything with him. I went straight into the stall."

"So what took so long?"

"If you must know, he started talking to me and asking questions."

"He does that too," John acceded with a knowing smile.

"But seeing him got me hard and then I couldn't go, and he wouldn't leave for a while, so yeah."

"He is hot."

"Yes, he is," Andrew agreed, maybe a touch more vehemently than he meant to. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess."

He bent his head down, but John did likewise and leaned in so their foreheads were touching.

"So am I," John confessed. "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions and blew all this out of proportion. I didn't know I could be jealous before now. But this whole thing has made me see that I never want to be without you. Just the thought scares me."

"I don't want to be without you either. Even if you can be an ass sometimes."

"Did we just make up?" John asked.

"I think so." Andrew agreed.

"It seems like we should seal this somehow," John whispered.

"Oh yeah?" Andrew whispered back. "What did you have in mind?"

John leaned in so his lips were close to Andrew's ear...

Thanks for reading my tale! If you'd like me to let you know when a new chapter goes up, just send me a message and I will keep you posted. Also, it would be awesome if you could throw a few bucks at Nifty to help them keep this site up for our fun stories! Thanks again for reading, and I hope you have great day!

-DurtyRiter

DurtyRiter@protonmail.com