Winging It

"Winging It" - Part VI By: Pee Jay peejay@mi.rr.com

Adam went downstairs to retrieve some Styrofoam coffee cups for the champagne while John took the Hors D'oeuvre tray from the fridge. John asked Larry to pop the cork on the champagne, which he did. When Adam returned they filled each cup with the bubbly beverage and distributed them to everyone there.

Adam was watching John with a permanent smile on his face. He was having trouble resisting the urge to embrace and kiss; he was overflowing with delight. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine he would own a business much less in aviation. He knew it would not have happened had he not met John. It was John that inspired the old man with the necessary confidence and mettle to run the place. It was John that brought Will in the picture. It was John who negotiated the lease on the hangar. Adam was having an epiphany of a sort, he was drowning in his feelings for John. As he watched his partner he couldn't help but think, 'And he's all mine, all of him'.

Will made the first gesture for a toast. He raised his cup, smiled and said, "To the new owner's of Hughes Aviation, may they enjoy success in their new venture."

Everyone raised their cups and drank.

John was next to propose a toast. He raised his cup and said, "To Mr. Hughes, thanks for the confidence and opportunity we're in your debt."

A round of laughs passed as everyone raised their cups and drank.

Adam made a toast to Will thanking him for his help and advice to both parties.

With the toasts out of the way everyone chatted with each other. Mr. Hughes presented Will with a check for five thousand dollars and Will was astonished. He told Hughes it was way too much money but Hughes would hear nothing of it. He told Will that the three of them agreed on the amount and contributed equally; and as far as he was concerned, it should be more. Will thanked him graciously and accepted the check.

Adam had walked over to John and bumped his cup against John's for a toast. They smiled at each other as only lovers do and took a drink, still holding each other's gaze as they sipped. Jack Felstow silently observed the interface; there was definitely something going on there. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned or proud of his son, he was receiving mixed signals. Adam's mother was too biased to see anyone else in the room; Adam was most assuredly the source of her boundless pride and joy.

It was getting toward the end of the afternoon and Mr. Hughes began to say goodbye to everyone. He had a few private moments with Larry before he asked John to drive him to the terminal. The rest of the group took that as their cue and began to make their exit as well.

Adam made sure that John was coming back to the condo after he dropped Hughes off; then set about closing and locking up. He mentioned to Mr. Hughes that he forgot to tell him to lock up and the three of them laughed; Hughes was in good humor and it showed. Adam collected the party tray and unopened bottle of champagne and left with his parents.

On the way to the terminal Hughes told John about his conversation with Larry. He told John that he encouraged Larry to stay with them. He said it was his firm belief, which he told Larry, that they were going to do well; he was sure much better than he had. He said he told Larry that he could probably find a better paying job soon enough but felt he had a better future with the guys. He also told Larry he was aware of his application at Fischer Aviation and he wouldn't be hired there; the owner was an old friend and wouldn't hire anyone away from Hughes. According to Hughes, Larry turned all shades of red and couldn't look him in the eye.

John laughed and thanked the old man. John expressed his sincere appreciation to Hughes again; the old man told John how glad he was that it was them that bought the place. They shook hands before Hughes got out of the truck; John watched the old man enter the terminal before he pulled away. On his way back to the condo John thought about the old pilot, 'he wasn't so bad after all, there was a pretty good person tucked away inside' and he chuckled to himself.

When John showed up at the condo, there was a mini-party in progress. Jack Felstow had stopped at the liquor store and bought a few bottles of booze and Adam was going to order pizza, which he hadn't done yet. Jim was home from work and making vodka martinis while the parents and Adam stood around the island in the kitchen.

"John, I'll make you a vodka martini if you promise not to spray it all over us" Jim said and they all had a laugh at John's expense.

"I promise" John said as he took a stool at the island. He looked at Adam and smiled. God he wanted to get a hold of him so bad it wasn't funny. With the parents there, he felt like the Berlin wall was in the way.

"Adam, did you pick up the contract?"

"No bay...ah, no I didn't. It's still on the desk in the upstairs office."

"It should be okay for the night. I doubt the place will burn down or anything."

"There's also about twenty-five hundred dollars cash in the drawer. I made sure it was locked before we left."

"We need to buy a fire-proof safe soon and have a burglar alarm installed if there's going to be that kind of loot around. Until that happens, we should bring the cash home."

John took a hit of his martini and it stayed down even though it burned like hell. With a scowl on his face, he looked at the vodka bottle on the counter. It appeared Adam's father bought the cheap stuff. 'How phony' John thought 'the guy drives around in that big-ass BMW and buys this shit to drink'. He hoped that wasn't indicative of his personality and looked at Jack who was staring at him.

"What are we going to do with the cash?" Adam wanted to know.

"That's a little over half our monthly note. If the cash receipts stay at that pace, we'll have our payment by the end of the month in cash. It would be better to pay by check, it holds our revenues and taxes down and provides a paper trail. The down side is, it makes us that much less mortgageable. We can hold the cash or distribute it as compensation. I suggest we hang on to it for a rainy day or at least until we're comfortable with the way things are going. And don't forget about the improvements we discussed; those will be expensive."

John couldn't figure out why Jack Felstow was staring at him, he didn't much like it.

"What improvements are you contemplating?" Jack queried in a superior tone.

"The water heater doesn't work and the furnace is an antique, it's older than me. The building is currently cooled with two window units. If the furnace gets replaced that's the time to go for central air. The roof is metal, Hughes had it painted and now it's starting to peel; and that doesn't address the hangar, God knows what's going on there." John said. Adam looked at John with a perplexed look on his face. John couldn't help but smile at his boy, he was so fucking cute with that look. He wanted to rip his clothes off and ravage his body. Jack was watching the two interact while his mother doted approvingly on him.

"How do you know that shit, ah sorry mom, stuff?" Adam asked.

"My father's a contractor. I spent the summers working construction growing up. You can't help but pick it up when you spend that much time around it."

Jim said, "I didn't know you knew that shit...ah."

Mrs. Felstow sighed and told everyone she had heard the word 'shit' before and used it herself on occasion and not to worry.

Everyone laughed and Adam said, "Well shit mom. Why didn't you say something sooner?" everyone had a chuckle over his comment.

"I'm ready for another one Jimbo" John announced.

"Me too" Adam chimed in.

John was feeling emboldened from the booze and decided to pry some information out of 'old poker face' that being Jack Felstow.

"So Jack, Adam says you're going to retire next spring. What are you retiring from?"

Jack was caught off guard by John's direct address. "I work for a pharmaceutical company in the marketing department."

"What exactly is your job in marketing?"

"I'm executive vice president."

"Reporting to...?"

"The CEO."

"Nice, you're the top man in marketing then?"

"Yes I am, until next spring."

"That's pretty impressive" John admitted. "Adam is the president though. Didn't take him long to best you" and everyone except Jack laughed.

John thought, 'Fuck him' he was tired of his condescending tone, sneering glares and cheap vodka; he could look down his nose too! John decided that was enough with Jack for now. He was aware of his buzz and didn't want to create a real problem with Adam's father; just enough to let 'old poker face' know he wasn't intimidated or overly impressed.

Adam announced he was going to order the pizza and rose to use the phone. He was standing in the kitchen behind his parents where only John and Jim could see him. He grabbed his crotch and jiggled it as he arched his hips forward with a big grin on his face.

'Well shit' John thought and started laughing along with Jim. There was no way in hell he could stifle himself, not after that. Both parents turned around to look at Adam who was laughing as he looked at the floor.

"What was that all about?" old poker face asked. Believe it or not, there was a hint of a smile on his face.

Jim said, "It's your very immature son, why don't you ask him?"

Jack turned around in his stool and folded his arms waiting for Adam to get off the phone.

'Give me a break' John thought. 'The folded arms routine, how sophomoric can you get? The guy is a real case study'!

When Adam hung up, Jack asked him, "What was that all about?"

Adam responded with, "It's an inside joke dad. I don't think you would find it funny. The pizza will be here shortly."

Jim made three more vodka martinis and John asked if he could use the fold out bed in the living room, actually he knew exactly where he would be sleeping and it wasn't the sofa bed. Jim assured him it was no problem and set to mixing the drinks. Adam took Jims place next to John and squeezed Johns thigh as he sat down opposite his parents.

Jim poured Jack some more scotch and John noticed the premium brand name on the bottle. He took Mrs. Felstows' glass and filled it with white wine. The phone rang and Jim told the guard to let the pizza guy in. When the doorbell rang, Jack said the pizza was on him and rose to answer the door. He placed the two pizzas on the island and they tore into them. Neither John nor Adam had eaten all day with everything that had happened. John asked if anyone wanted water as he poured his drink into the sink. They all did so he brought a glass of ice water for everyone.

He was maneuvering behind the parents when he caught Adams eye. He rubbed his crotch as he licked his lips and smiled. Adam couldn't fight off a grin and his mother caught it. She stared at Adam and he knew what she meant. He was being rude and the look was enough to let him know it. He went back to eating his pizza.

Jim said, "We have to do this again tomorrow night" with a groan.

"It was your idea" Adam said.

"I know, but I didn't think we would be doing this tonight. Two nights in a row is a lot."

John and Adam concurred with a nod.

Jack got up to wash his hands at the sink and sat down again. He cleared his throat and said, "You two really have something to be proud of. I don't know if you guys completely understand what you've accomplished."

"We do dad" Adam said. "And I can say that it's mostly because of John that we own the place" and he looked approvingly if not longingly at John, he didn't inherit the poker face – not even close.

"John, we don't know each other well but I think Adam's point is well taken. I'm glad he has you for a partner. I think the two of you will do well."

John was amazed. Was he getting the wrong vibes earlier? Old poker face just paid him a compliment so he decided to be gracious about it.

"Thanks Jack. It's not a big deal. We were in the right place at the right time and we took advantage of the situation. It was a timing thing, we were lucky."

"You guys still had the wherewithal to recognize it and act on it. Lucky or not, a lot of people don't see opportunity when it comes knocking."

"Thanks again Jack" was all John said and he looked at Adam who was oozing sex appeal. He wanted to pounce on him so bad he couldn't stand it. He started boning up at the thought.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm full of pizza and booze. I'm getting tired" Jim said.

Everyone agreed and started to clean up. Jack and Elaine went upstairs and Jim headed for his room. Adam stayed behind to help John unfold the sofa-bed. He brought a pillow from his bedroom and threw it on the bed. He caught Johns hand and pulled him into bed. When John hit the bed it seemed like the thing was going to collapse under the combined weight so John rolled off the bed onto his knees. He stood up, pulled Adam out of bed, and led him to his room.

They had a quick 'get off' session and lie quietly next to each other.

"Babe, it's too bad your parents couldn't be here."

"It would have been nice to have mom. You know I don't get along with that homophobe father of mine."

"How can you say that? He doesn't even know you're gay."

"All the comments and jokes over the years is enough to know. Construction guys are the worst. You know that macho horseshit. It's sickening. Besides, I have you and that's all I need" and he kissed Adam.

They heard the toilet flush upstairs and quieted down to see if there were any footsteps on the stairs. After a few minutes of silence, it was safe.

"Hey partner, let's have a conjugal board meeting" John said smiling.

"I thought we just did."

"Set the alarm so I can get out of here before they come down in the morning."

Adam set the alarm for 5:30, his father was an early riser. They tangled up and went to sleep.

When the alarm went off in the morning they both groaned. Adam hit the snooze button and they enjoyed a few more minutes of mindless bliss. When it went off the second time John forced himself out of bed. He took clean underwear and clothes from Adam's room and went back to the living room to lay in bed for awhile.

Sometime later, he was awakened by the sound of feet on the stairs. It was Jack Felstow on his way to the kitchen to start the coffee pot. John decided to get up and go through his routine. He folded the bed away and put the sheets in the laundry room. He threw Adams pillow at him and closed his door.

After his bathroom routine, John was having a coffee at the island when Jack came into the kitchen.

"You're up early" Jack said as he poured a coffee.

"Yeah, all dressed up with nowhere to go". Jack laughed and took a seat at the island across from John.

"You like my son don't you," Jack said nonchalantly as though commenting on the weather.

"Yeah, he's a good guy. We get along well."

"That's not what I meant."

John was uneasy. It was clear where this conversation was going and he didn't want to partake in it. He thought Jack should be having this chat with Adam, not him. John thought, 'that lucky bastard, he gets to sleep through this shit, why me'?

"What do you mean?" John was not wanting to hear what Jack had to say.

"I think you know."

"If you don't ask the question I'm not giving the answer" John said, stating the obvious without saying it.

Jack realized he would have to ask if he wanted to know. He was impressed with Johns statement; the fag had stamina and backbone, he respected that. However, he wasn't sure how to put it to John. He thought the direct approach would be best.

"Are you gay?"

"Yes."

Jack was quiet for a few moments.

"Is Adam gay?"

"You should ask him. It's not my place to speak on his behalf" John said looking into his coffee cup.

Jack had his answer. With what he had observed and suspected, the pieces were falling into place. He just didn't know how to feel about it. Adam was his son and he loved him, but he was a fag! 'Son of a bitch' was the first thing that came to mind. 'Why my kid? Why me'. Jack filled his coffee cup and went back upstairs leaving John alone in the kitchen.

John went back to Adams room and climbed in next to him. The alarm clock was showing 6:30. John propped himself up on one elbow; ran his fingers through Adams hair and traced the outline of his face. He smiled at his lover boy and decided to wake him up. He started to caress Adams nipple and run his hand over Adams chest and stomach which made him quiver. He slid his hand under the covers and found Adams morning erection. It was hard as ever and John felt himself come alive with passion.

He pulled the sheet down and took Adam in his mouth, loving the taste of his boy. He buried his face in Adams soft pubes and inhaled through his nose. As he tasted Adam with his tongue circling his shaft, Adam woke up, realizing the source of his pleasure.

John started bobbing up and down on Adam as he pushed his hips into John's mouth with every down stroke. John massaged Adams balls rolling them softly in between his fingers. John kept at it until he sensed Adam was about to shoot, he pulled off and stroked him with his hand. Adam shot his load onto his stomach with a drawn out groan. John was satisfied with his handy work and moved up to kiss his boy good morning.

"Damn babe, I think it's going to be a good day" Adam said grinning.

John kissed him again and Adam forced his tongue into John's mouth, tasting his own essence mixed with coffee. "Shit, now I have to brush my teeth again" John said and they both laughed. "Hon, there's something I have to tell you."

"What is it babe?"

John went over the conversation he had with Jack a short while ago; recounting it as gently as he could. Adams face was white as snow. He was visibly distracted and unable to speak for a minute as he weighed John's words. Eventually a smile came over his face and he said, "Thanks babe. That was easy."

John swung a pillow at Adam and said, "And you, you lucky bastard. You got to sleep through the whole thing."

They both laughed and decided to get up. Adam retrieved some jeans and a T-shirt from the closet and they went to the kitchen. Jim was having coffee with Jack and Elaine at the island. Adam sat down and John got the two of them a coffee. He served Adam his coffee and went to lean against the counter behind Adams parents.

Adam was taking his coffee and stares from both his parents quietly. John felt for him but wasn't wanting to be involved. He stood there waiting for the situation to unfold.

Jim was confused; he felt the tension in the air but didn't have the foggiest idea what was happening. He sat there quietly waiting for someone to speak.

Finally Jack said, "Well."

"Well what?" was all Adam came back with.

"You have something you want to tell us?"

"No. Is there something you want to hear?"

"Oh stop it Jack" Elaine said.

She got up and came around the island to kiss and hug her son. After the hug she kissed him again and said, "We know about you and John. To be honest, I thought it was Jim for the longest time."

John grinned at Jim who sat there unwilling to break his silence, he was wearing a nervous smile. Adam stole a glance at John and John winked at him giving him a thumbs up gesture. Jack sat there like a bump on a log, apparently he was having a problem with the revelation.

Every time Adam looked at his father, he was wearing his poker face. Adam was getting tired of it and decided to take a shower. Jim was feeling uncomfortable as well and decided to shower too. That left John alone with Jack and Elaine.

John took a seat at the island opposite Jack and Elaine. He looked Jack in the eye for a few moments and finally said, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"That's what he said. Can't you come up with something original?"

"Fuck you, you little faggot."

"That's better. Is that the best you can do?"

Jack was seething. He was so red hot and pissed off he couldn't see or think straight. He rose from the island and John got scared. He prepared to run for the front door. Jack went upstairs and John breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry about that Mrs. Felstow" John said.

"Why did you taunt him like that?"

"You aren't aware of it but he's been giving me looks and baiting me since you've been here. I'm tired of it. I respect you and your husband and that's all I ask in return. You don't have to like me; just afford me the respect I give you."

"He can be difficult at times" she said.

"Rigid is more like it. If he has a problem with me then it's his problem as far as I'm concerned. Just keep him away and everything will be fine. Adam and I will be fine. We own a business now and the only way is up. And believe you me, that's the direction we're going. You can take that to the bank."

"I suspected it a long time ago although I never said anything to Jack. I didn't want him to worry. The strange part of it is that it's you and not Jim. I was so sure he and Jim were involved I never gave it a second thought."

"Jim is as great and worthwhile person. Maybe Adam would be better off with him in the end, I don't know. Jim's family has money from what I can see. I'm a poor accountant in that regard but I'm doing my best to change that."

Elaine put her hand on John's arm and said, "I can't think of a better person for my son. I'm glad you are with him and I honestly want the best for the two of you."

"I hate to ask this but the answer will have a big impact on the decisions we make in the next few months. Are you going to stop sending the monthly checks to Adam?"

Elaine had a big grin come over her face. She pulled her hand off John's arm and chuckled.

John got nervous and said, "It's perfectly okay if you do. It will make the decision process much easier knowing in advance. It's okay if you do. I mean, I'm not begging here; I would like to know. We could use the money but we will be fine without it. I need to know as we go forward. There's enough money to do what we need to do. I would just like to know, that's all."

Elaine raised her hand to stop John's ramblings and he did. "John, the checks will keep coming as long as I'm alive. Don't worry about it."

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking for them and we'll be fine without them. You know what?" John said. "I'm going to plan as if they weren't coming. That way, when they stop coming we won't miss them."

"That's good thinking John. I know you two will do well. Adam couldn't have a better business partner."

"It's life partners Elaine. Just so you know. He's the one for me."

Jack came downstairs and dropped the suitcases at the front door with a thud. Adam came down the hall from the bathroom and stood there unsure of himself. John rose and walked over to Adam. He gave him a quick hug and went to the bathroom to relieve himself. Adam had to have a chat with his parents.

When John finished he went to Jim's bedroom and sat on the bed. Jim was sitting at his desk reading a story on Nifty.

"Shit Jim, this has been a crazy weekend and it's not over."

"Yeah, I know. I had to get out of there, it was too much." John laid back on Jim's bed and sighed. He let all his tension go in one long drawn out breath. Jim came over to the bed, lie down next to John, and put his arms around him. He liked John and felt sorry for what he and Adam were going through.

"Jim, I'm so tired of this shit. Adam's father has a problem with us big time. I don't care. I just want to get on with things. I love him Jim, he's the only thing that's important to me."

"I know. It'll work out somehow. Try not to worry about it too much."

Adam took a seat in the kitchen next to his mother. His father was standing near the front door looking at him. Jack walked over to the island and stood looking down at his son.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Jack began.

"Jack" Elaine said.

"Don't Jack me. I want to hear how this little fag justifies his queer little self."

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response. When you're ready you can let yourself out. Bye mom."

Adam kissed his mother and went to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. John and Jim heard the door slam and went to Adams room. Adam was lying in bed with his face buried in the pillow. John sat on the side of the bed and rubbed his back not saying anything. After a few minutes, Adam rolled over; his eyes were red and puffy.

"He hates me" Adam said softly. Then he told Jim and John what happened. "Come here hon" John said and pulled him into an embrace and held him tight. John rocked him gently for a few minutes rubbing his back and kissing him from time to time. He couldn't resist running his fingers through Adams soft shiny hair.

John held Adam for some time when they heard the front door close.

"Come on hon. They're gone. Let's go have a coffee."

"Okay, you guys go ahead. I'll be right there."

Jim and John went to the kitchen and Adam went to the bathroom to straighten up. When Jim and John made it to the kitchen, there was a folded note with Adams name on it. They left it alone for Adam.

"Jim, let's get him out of the house for awhile. Maybe it'll help take his mind off what happened."

"Okay, I still have some shopping to do for tonight."

"I don't know about you but I don't feel much like a party right now."

"Me either."

When Adam joined them, Jim pushed the note and pointed to it. Adam opened it and the guys noticed a check fall to the floor. After reading the note, Adam bent over to pick it up. He showed it to Jim and John. The check was blank with Elaine Felstows' signature at the bottom.

Adam smiled, "That's her way of saying I'm sorry".

"What does the note say?" John was curious.

Adam handed the note to John who read it aloud.

Honey,

I'm sorry for the way your father behaved. He really does love you, don't forget that. I saw the last check come through so I'm leaving you another one. As always, call me if it's over five thousand dollars before you use it.

I love you,

Mom

Ps: I'll call you next week

John told Jim and Adam about his conversation with Elaine earlier that morning. He explained to Adam that he wanted as much information as possible so they could make the best business decisions. It made sense to Adam and he didn't question John's motives, he knew him well enough and believed it to be true. And it was the truth.

The party that evening found the three of them in better spirits. Jim had invited a new love interest he met through work. The guys name was Dave and he worked for a client of Jim's company. It was clear that Jim was smitten with the guy and Dave seemed to return the interest with equal fervor. Dave was a real looker and everyone noticed at one time or another.

Adam was chipper and enjoying himself much to John's relief. He was doing plenty of smiling and joking and John couldn't keep his distance. John was hypnotized with his bubbly effervescence, disarming smile and gregarious nature. How could he not be, Adam was his only reason for anything and everything, his future, his happiness, his well-being, and yes his life; without him it wouldn't be worthwhile.

Things became a little tense toward the end of the evening when Dave made a pass at John. Dave had a few drinks and was getting loose when he approached John from behind. John was making drinks at the kitchen sink and Dave reached in front of John and grabbed his crotch as he kissed John on the neck, wrapping his other arm around John's chest. John raised his head to expose more of his neck, he loved having his neck kissed by his lover boy. John thought it was Adam and pushed his ass into Dave's crotch as he wiggled it, getting hard fast. Dave started to slowly dry fuck John who was loving it.

Adam saw the pseudo coupling and made his way to the sink pulling Dave off John saying, "Get your fucking hands off him".

John turned around in horror to see that it was Dave behind him.

"Oh my God hon. I thought it was you. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

John latched on to his lover boy and kept talking in Adam's ear, apologizing effusively.

"It's okay babe you didn't know. I saw the whole thing. It's not your fault. I'm not mad at you."

"Then why do I feel like such a shit. I feel awful," John said as he squeezed Adam with resolve.

"It's okay" Adam said as he held his most precious possession. "It's over" he added as he kissed John and released him.

The incident helped sober Dave up and he apologized to them. Adam suggested he try that on Jim noting that he was the only other single person present. Dave apologized again and said he would and he grinned. Adam escorted him over to Jim and told him to have at it with a smile. That seemed to diffuse the tension and the room began to fill with conversation again.

There were only two other couples invited in addition to Dave. When one of them announced they were leaving the other couple followed suit. Adam thought Dave was too far gone to drive and asked him for his keys. Dave handed them over willingly without a fuss. Adam was pleased, he wanted Dave to spend the night with his friend and roommate. It had been a long time since Jim had anyone stay the night.

John and Adam cleaned up and started the dishwasher. Dave and Jim had retreated to Jim's bedroom and closed the door. John and Adam went to the bedroom stripped and hopped in bed, lying on their backs.

"I'm glad that's behind us. I'm all partied out for the next little while" John said.

"Me too, come here babe" Adam said as he pulled John in close and wrapped his arms around him.

They held each other and the feeling that made their bond so special; it was the position that defined them and reminded the one of the other and of what they had, their love, their devotion, their commitment...what they meant to one another.

"Good night babe, I love you."

A few moments later, "I didn't hear you."

"I didn't say anything."

"How come?"

"I'm thinking."

"About what?"

"I'm not sure how I feel."

Adam rolled over on John and started tickling him and telling him to say it. John held out as long as he was able and finally blurted it out. Adam kissed him and rolled off, satisfied with John's expression of love. They wrapped themselves up in each other and went to sleep.

Now there's a villain to have some fun with.

To Be Continued.