"Winging It" - Part III By: Pee Jay peejay@mi.rr.com *This story is strictly fictional.
As the two were nearing Capitol City airport and the completion of their trip, John couldn't help but recall the previous night. He took Adam's hand and held it. Adam gave him a reassuring squeeze.
"Hon, what do you suppose old man Hughes meant by a proposition? If he wants your bod he'll have to take me out first" John smiled at Adam.
"I don't have a clue."
"Ya know, I was thinking."
"Oh man, now what?"
"How would you feel about relocating to a warmer climate. It's not like we have to worry about selling a house and all that. We're not anchored here. I'm still considered junior level at work but I can transfer; the only hitch is we would have to pay our own relocation expense. And I can take the CPA exam where ever we decide to go instead of here."
"I'm not sure babe. Where is this coming from?"
"Well, if we make the move now it's easy, very little to lose. If we wait, it won't happen till we're old farts if it ever happens at all."
"I'm tired babe. Can you stop thinking for a while? Correction, talking."
"Yeah, your birthday is coming up in a week. What do you wanna do for that?"
"Geez Louise! I don't want anything. A quiet night at home would be nice. Give it a rest will ya?"
John gave Adam a 'what's wrong with you' kind of look and clammed up. He was basking in that 'fresh' feeling from the previous night. He had finally given himself entirely to Adam and wanted to shout it out. He was certain he couldn't feel any stronger about his love than he did at that moment. He knew they were meant to be.
Adam was in a time and place he was most pleased to occupy. He had John and was happy with the way things were. He had never considered relocating; 'for what reason?' was all he could come up with. He couldn't understand the motive behind Johns question. As much as he cared for John, he thought 'maybe he needs a partial lobotomy' and he smiled to himself.
John caught the smile and reminded himself not to push it.
With the plane safely on the ground and tied down, they went in the office to check the answering service for messages. There was one from a student wanting to know if Adam could give a lesson this afternoon. Adam returned the call and scheduled it for early afternoon. It was almost noon so John left to pick up lunch while Adam held the office open. Before John left he asked Adam to sign him off in his log book. When John returned, Adam had made another appointment for a lesson following the first one. John sighed as he resolved to spend the better part of the afternoon in the office. 'I should be getting paid for this shit' was his frame of mind.
John asked Adam if he wanted to give any lessons on Sunday in the event someone called while he was out. Adam said it was up to John whether or not he wanted to be there or spend the day alone together. He reminded John that he could call Larry and ask him if he felt like giving lessons on Sunday. Larry was the only other instructor on the payroll.
John decided to book any lessons for Adam since he could use the money. When the last lesson was over, Adam scheduled a lesson for the student the next day. He noticed that John had booked two lessons for him while he was gone. Sunday afternoon was shaping up to be a busy one.
Back at the condo, they greeted Jim and settled at the island in the kitchen.
"How did it go?" Jim was curious. Adam had told him about the planned 'special night'.
"It was great. We had a good time" Adam said with a grin and a nod to John who was smiling.
"Did you guys get my message?"
"Yeah, but we forgot to call back, sorry" John said and Adam conveyed his apology as well and asked Jim, "What was it about?"
"Your parents left a message Friday afternoon. I called them back when I got home from work and let them know you wouldn't be back till today. They want to visit next weekend and I told them it was okay by me."
"I'll call them tonight. What do you think John? That means we can't sleep here together."
"Yeah, and there's no reason for them to stay elsewhere" John said, mindful of the third bedroom. "Whatever you decide is fine, it won't kill us. Are you going to take the weekend off then? That's gravy time you know" John said as he focused on the income side of the equation.
"Yeah, I know. I'll work. Maybe I can schedule my lessons for morning on Saturday and afternoon on Sunday. Larry doesn't care when he goes out as long as he isn't waiting a long time in between."
That having been resolved, they ordered a pizza and went to Adam's room for the rest of the evening. Adam called his parents and arranged for their overnight stay the coming Saturday. There was no question he loved his parents but he had already begun to resent their intrusion. He knew he would miss John for the night they would spend apart.
Monday morning John was back in the saddle and his old self again. He was in an affable mood and getting a lot of work done at the same time. A colleague by the name of Kay Armstrong stopped at John's cubicle shortly before noon and asked him to go to lunch. John readily accepted without thinking and regretted it.
Kay had been flirtatious on more than one occasion and John had made it a point to avoid her. She was very attractive and a few of the guys in the office had tried to date her with no luck. She was smart, looked good, dressed well and handled herself with a good deal of poise, that was the extent of her appeal to John.
During lunch she made her boldest move to date. She went so far as to ask John to a movie the coming Saturday night. It was the latest blockbuster and a topic of conversation around the office. John politely declined saying he was seeing someone else and thanked her for the offer. She appeared a little crest fallen to John but seemed to be fine by the time they finished lunch.
After work, John went to the airport to pick up Adam and they went home.
The next couple of days went that way until Thursday rolled around. After work on Thursday, John went to the airport and Adam was gone on a charter so he settled in for the wait. However, unlike any other day, Mr. Hughes didn't leave to go home; he stayed camped out at his desk. This made John wonder what was going on or think something may be wrong. He didn't know but was relatively sure it wouldn't be long until he did. It was out of the ordinary for the old man to stay when John arrived.
For the last few month's he had always made a beeline for the door. Adam finally returned and escorted the party of two inside. One of the businessmen gave Adam a charge card to pay for the service. When Adam presented the bill, he signed it, thanked him and left.
"Well that's about it for today" Adam said as he locked the door to the tarmac and turned the lights off.
"Do you two have a few minutes to talk?" Hughes inquired.
"Sure" Adam said and flipped the lights back on.
The old man sat unanimated for a while before he began. "You aren't aware of it, but I've been trying to sell this place for the last six months," the old man said looking at Adam.
Adam had a look of disbelief overcome his face. He couldn't help but think his job might be in limbo.
John's ears perked up as well. He was concerned for Adams sake at the old man's revelation.
The old man sat there for a couple minutes quiet and motionless.
"Go ahead" John said. The silence was aggravating. He hated the way the old man raised issues then sat there like some kind of guru or sage or whatever the hell. The term bumpkin came to mind.
"So far the only interest has been one phone call," the old man said. "No one has been out to look." "Forgive me Mr. Hughes, but why mention this to us? This seems like something you would keep to yourself and not share with the hired help," John said looking at Adam. "And incidentally, have you considered a business broker?"
"I did consider it and I do have a broker. His expertise is in the aviation industry. Like I said, he's only had one phone call in six months. Our contract expires at the end of this month" Hughes said and looked out the window.
John thought, 'Is the SOB going to spit it out or is he that slow upstairs? Or is he trying to give us the dumb as a fox routine?' He decided to let the old man have his moment in the lime light.
"What are you trying to say?" Adam asked. He was growing impatient with his boss.
"What I'm trying to say is, do you guys want to buy this place?"
Adam and John looked at each other baffled; neither one knowing how to respond. The questions passed silently between them.
With a raised brow over one eye Adam said, "I doubt we can come up with the necessary funds. Just for curiosity sake, how much are you asking anyway?"
"The asking price is four hundred fifty thousand which is roughly what the assets are worth."
"There's no way in hell we can come up with that much cash" Adam stated without hesitation.
"Are there terms?" John wanted to know.
"Yes there could be."
"Why mention this now?" John asked. "And why us?"
"I accepted an offer on my house last week. I have one month to vacate before closing. In that time I have to find a new place to live. I'll be going to Florida in the next few days to look for a house for me and Nelda."
John looked at Adam and they both cracked up. Was that some kind of joke? 'What kind of name is that anyway' Adam thought, he had never heard it before. He made a mental note to use it on John.
"Who is Nelda?" Adam asked, still grinning.
"Mrs. Sims, our bookkeeper" the old man said not understanding why the guys found that so funny.
Since Mr. Hughes handled all contact with her, there was no reason to know her by name. He had always referred to her as the bookkeeper and nothing more.
"Is she making the move with you?" "Yes. Her house is up for sale too. Whenever it sells, she'll make the trip back to sign the papers. Part of the terms would be for you guys to look after the house until it sells; the lawn, raking leaves, shovel the snow and anything else that requires maintenance. The realtor will keep me informed."
"The most important question to me in order to proceed is the down stroke. How much would be required? If we can't swing that then there's nothing further to discuss" John said. "And there are repairs that need to be made right away, for instance the water heater."
"You don't need to make a down payment and the selling price would include some cash in the bank; enough to cover two months operating expenses. I'm looking for a monthly income of four to five thousand dollars. I'm seventy-three now. That would make me about eighty-two years old at payoff. I want some time in the sun before I die. I think that's a pretty generous proposal and very workable for the two of you."
"It's certainly something to think about" Adam said. "Let's call it a day and give it some thought. We can take this up tomorrow where we left off, okay?"
Everyone agreed, said their good nights and left. John offered to drop Adam off in the morning so they rode home together.
The conversation on the way home was lively. John pointed out that the books would need close examination and would not reflect any cash the old man was pocketing. The un-numbered invoices were an obvious giveaway. The ground lease with the airport authority would require their approval for a change in ownership. He decided to ask for Will's help.
Back at Jim's place, Adam was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning and John couldn't help but notice. He loved that boyish quality and the endearing smile that went with it, the lilt in his step and the sparkle in his eye; it all added up to Adam.
He was making dinner in the kitchen and John rose from his seat at the island. He approached Adam from behind and put his arms around Adam's waist, pulling him in tight. He buried his face in the small of Adams neck and shoulder and inhaled. He rubbed his cheek in Adams soft shiny hair and whispered in his ear, "I'll be here as long as you'll have me and then some. When you throw me away I'll stalk you" and he kissed his cheek, squeezed him then sat down.
Adam shook his head as he smiled, "Go get Jim dinner is ready."
After dinner they retired to Adam's bedroom and discussed the old man's proposal some more. They were both a little scared but decided to pursue the deal. They reasoned that there was nothing to lose and conversation didn't cost anything so why not?
The proposal put John's suggestion of relocating to a warmer clime on the back burner.
Adam certainly knew how to run the place. He and John were practically doing it now. After some time, the topic became a bit numbing so they set the issue aside. They had a passionate session of lovemaking and drifted off to sleep, tangled up in each other.
Friday morning John outlined the offer for Will and asked him to look things over. Will was more than eager to help; honored even that John had asked for his input. Will agreed to meet them at the airport Sunday afternoon; he was a churchgoer and that was a morning long affair for him and his family.
Friday after work, John went to the airport. The old man was minding the office while Adam and Larry were both gone. John took the opportunity to chat with him some more.
"If I understand correctly, the building and the adjacent hangar are included in the sale. Is that right?"
"Yes. We don't want anything to worry about up north when we make the move."
"When are you going to Florida to look for a house?"
"We leave next Wednesday. We'll be gone two weeks. I hope that's enough time. The movers are coming in three weeks."
John thought that was a tight schedule. It seemed like the old man was in a hurry and it surely didn't strengthen his bargaining position.
"If you were planning to stay and grow the business; what would you do to increase revenue?"
"I would promote the charter part of the business. No one can compete with our prices. You should also be aware that Larry is looking for another job. He applied at one of our competitors and they called me out of courtesy. I've been friends with Don Fishcer at Fishcer Aviation for thirty some years."
"I'm not surprised. I have been somewhat biased when I schedule lessons and charters. Fortunately, there is a fresh crop of graduates every year from the University aviation program. He has an attitude problem anyway; I don't think it would be a big loss."
"You're right. But it isn't all that easy to find certified flight instructors, keep that in mind."
"Mr. Hughes, would you be available Sunday afternoon to meet us here. I asked my boss to come over and take a look around and advise us as we proceed. He's going to be here with his wife at one o'clock."
"I'll be here. I'm going home now; don't forget to lock up."
"Okay, have a good evening."
John turned the radio on to monitor the control tower and sat down at the desk to wait for his boy. He was feeling horny and looking forward to getting Adam home and in bed. The more he thought about it; he started getting hard. Larry was the first to return. When he came in with his student, he scheduled another lesson for Sunday and the student left. John wasn't sure how he would react when everyone showed up for the meeting but decided not to worry about it.
"Larry, Adam's parents are coming to visit tomorrow. Would you want to take Adam's lessons for him?"
"Yeah sure, I could use the money. Are you going to be here?"
"I don't know about tomorrow but I plan to be here Sunday afternoon."
"Are you ready to meet the in-laws?" Larry said with a smirk and eyeing John for his reaction.
"What?" John said trying to buy himself some time. He looked away from Larry.
"Come on John, do you think I'm stupid?" Larry said. He was still fixed on John.
John resigned himself to the obvious truth. After all, he was coming and going with Adam for several months now. He also knew that Larry might be his employee soon and had to decide if he was comfortable with the situation.
"I guess so. His parents don't know though. We were just going to let it slide. Sooner or later they'll figure it out."
Larry was grinning at John's admission. He never gave the gay thing much thought but knowing these two, it didn't seem like such a big deal. He actually liked both of them. He did resent the fact that John favored Adam when it came to scheduling flying time. The truth be known, it pissed him off but he didn't know how to get around it. John wasn't even an employee yet he was given the authority. He thought it was as good a time as any to confront John.
"John, you should be a little more fair minded when you schedule flying time. It isn't right that you give Adam all the charters and me mostly lessons. I'm trying to build hours too you know."
John was nervous; he hated confrontation and knew Larry was right. He was more than aware of his bias but as long as he didn't have to confront it; he was able to ignore it. Now Larry was raising the issue and he had to face the facts.
"You're right Larry and I apologize. Mr. Hughes mentioned it to me yesterday" John lied. "I'll make it as close to even as possible from now on. You're not planning to quit are you?" John knew the answer but wanted to see if Larry would be honest.
"The truth is that I have put my application in a couple places. Nothing has come of it so far though."
"Larry, I don't think you need to leave. You can count on having more time than Adam from now on."
John knew that Adam would have to spend more time in the office when and if the deal closed. John wouldn't quit his job until he was sure the business could support them. He wanted Larry to stay. They all got along and knew each other well enough and he was trustworthy. He was single too and therefore more flexible. Who knew what a new employee would bring to the table?
Larry left for the day saying he had a date and John wished him a good time. With that little piece of business out of the way; John turned his thoughts to his more prurient needs. He was going to seduce Adam when they got home.