Winging It

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

And so the weeks passed, Adam and Larry instructing and flying charter runs, John taking care of the administrative end of the business and planning. Summer was an especially profitable time of the year and the money in the bank crossed into six figures, thanks to the new web site and John's deal with the University. Exactly how much they had, John wasn't sure; he had split the funds up into CD's with varying maturity dates. It was the right thing to do and he did it without consulting Adam, and didn't give it a second thought.

The cash hoard in the bathroom safe was crammed in so tightly, they couldn't force another dollar in if they had to, it was like a piñata waiting to burst at the first poke. John kept such a close watch on it Adam thought he could probably hear the safe open from Chicago, and that wasn't too far off the way it was. Moreover, it was fine with Adam, he found bookkeeping, and money matters to be rote and mundane. He had gotten a raise and all their personal expenses were going through the business now so he had virtually no out of pocket costs to speak of.

They hired a retired navy pilot by the name of Ed Nelson to assist with instructing but he was only willing to work weekends and they really needed him full time. He had come to the FBO looking for work and Adam persuaded John to hire him on the spot; and it proved to be a good decision.

They wanted another full time instructor so Adam could help run the business; John needed help in the office and didn't want to hire office personnel, which added to the overhead. On the other hand, an instructor would facilitate additional revenue. John was trying to get out of the office and hit the road as a salesman; there were mail contracts to be had, airfreight contracts to bid on and a host of other opportunities to look into.

One day in mid August, as they were locking up to go upstairs, Adam said, "Babe, let's lock up for Labor Day weekend and go somewhere."

Adam was expecting a monumental battle knowing how much John put the business ahead of everything else, including him, which he was beginning to resent. He was willing to fight for this one though; John had scuttled his efforts to do this very thing over Independence Day weekend and he wasn't about to let him get away with it this time. No fucking way, he thought, we're going and the only question is where, his mind was made up.

"I'm all for it Hon. Where do you want to go?"

Adam was amazed, stunned, and speechless even. He was prepared for war and now there was nothing to fight about! John actually agreed to it without so much as a word of resistance! He began to wonder if he heard him correctly or maybe John didn't understand what he asked him. Maybe he was teasing him. 'He better not be' was his first and foremost thought. "Did you just agree to go?" Adam focused on John intently.

John smiled. He knew exactly what Adam was thinking, he was expecting him to offer some convoluted rationale as to why they couldn't go, some kind of excuse regarding the business. But he didn't. He simply rolled over because he wanted some time with his boy, time alone and away with his lover boy, special time for them and them only, away from here just the two of them; he was missing his companion and craving the wholeness, the oneness and happiness they were capable of giving each other. He felt good about it, elated even; they had worked so hard, it was long overdue.

"I did. You look like a kid that just got a new bike for Christmas, and it's cute as hell."

"Pinch me goll damn 'er," Adam said laughing as he made a beeline to

John. He picked John up and spun him around planting a passionate kiss on him as he lowered him back down.

John was laughing and pressing himself into Adam and loving the feel of it, as was Adam. They were slobbering over each other's mouth as if they were discovering something new. It was wonderful, and exhilarating, and stimulating, and fun; it was something they hadn't experienced in the longest time. 'My God' thought John 'what have I been doing to the two of us'? Am I trying to kill what we have? He suddenly felt light and carefree as if he had just arrived in Shangri-La.

It was a feeling that the two had not felt in quite some time, the desire to be as one with the other; to know and feel the same thing at the same time, to be of one body, spirit and mind, to know and feel love, to be in love. It had been such a long time. It was still there waiting to be nurtured and rekindled.

"Come on lover boy", John said as he led Adam by the hand to the stairs. "I feel like a couple vodka martinis, like a good buzz; let's have at it".

Upstairs, Adam put a CD on while John prepared the martinis. Adam was craving intimacy with his handsome babe but John had been so distant, so business like, so serious lately. He didn't know how to find that free spirit that John held under a thinly veiled shroud needing only a touch, a caress to awaken and come alive. He was missing John, the John that was fun and fun to be with.

"So where would you like to go?" Adam queried John.

"I don't care as long as your there. Let's take the Aztec, it's faster, and we can go farther away if we want to."

Adam was expecting to use the 172 at best; he wasn't sure what got into John. The Aztec was more than twice as expensive to operate. He was confused, he didn't get it.

"Are you feeling okay? What's got into you?" Adam was serious.

"I feel fine Hon. Actually, I feel guilty because I've been standing in the way of us enjoying ourselves and I know how much you like to fly the Aztec. So fuck it, if we can't use the perks on ourselves who are we going to give them to?"

And with that, John leaned over and kissed his boy stroking Adam's soft fine hair at the same time.

"I hope you don't think this is going to be my birthday present."

John laughed, "Now would I do something like that?"

"If you thought you could save a buck you would. You're so tight you squeak when you walk", Adam laughed loudly and pointed a finger at John.

"Maybe you should loosen me up then. Come here you hunk of man meat you" John said and got off his stool to kiss and run his hands over Adam.

"Boy you have flipped your lid or maybe Father John was de-frocked and he's free to partake now."

"Father John had a come to Jesus meeting with himself." John said then took a swig of his martini. "Speaking of birthdays, what do you want?"

Adam decided to shoot for the moon. He hadn't seen John in such a carefree and easygoing frame of mind since they were in Manchester, and that seemed like ages ago. He set his sights high. 'What the hell' he thought. 'You can always back down but once you name your price it's impossible to negotiate up'.

"I would like a wet bar" Adam said.

John looked at him curiously, "What do you mean Hon?" Adam explained how a bar backing up to the bathroom wall would be perfect. The plumbing was in the wall for the water supply and drain so a sink would be easy to incorporate. He explained how a crescent shaped bar would look nice with an under-counter refrigerator and icemaker and some pendant lights over the bar. That way, you could sit at the bar and look out at the airport.

John took it all in. With the detail of Adams description, he must have given it a good deal of thought. John decided screw it, if it made Adam happy then it made him happy. After all, why the hell were they busting their ass if they couldn't enjoy some of the fruits of their labor; and it was Adams money too. John suddenly felt guilty, why was he being so difficult? So rigid and tight with the cash? He sort of knew but didn't want to pursue the thought.

"Sounds good to me hon. Let's see how much cash is in the safe. We can't get any more in there anyway. We've been putting it in zip-loc bags in the freezer."

"Oh, and the counter tops should be granite too."

"comme vous voulez mon petit fleur-de-lis, mon petit fleur." (As you wish my little fleur-de-lis, my little flower)

"I'm not your little flower," Adam said with a hellish grin.

"Oui mon seigneur." (Yes my lord)

"That's better", and Adam pushed John over the snack bar and started dry humping him. John was laughing his head off at the implied affront to Adams manly self-image. He thought 'a flower, why the hell take exception to that'? It was so boyish in John's opinion; it caused him to laugh harder and feel for his boy all the more. He could only imagine the 'mean' look on Adams face. John thought, 'God save me from myself, I love that fucking guy and fuck me he can'.

When Adam was done asserting himself over John, the two of them went into the bathroom and opened the safe. When they swung the door open, a chunk of cash fell on the floor. John went to the laundry closet and brought an empty basket to hold the money. He held it under the safe while Adam scooped the bills into the basket. They took the stash into the living room and dumped it on the floor.

"I'm getting another martini Hon, you want one?"

"I have to fly first thing in the morning."

"Eight hours from bottle to throttle", John reminded Adam of an old pilots drinking adage which probably wasn't good in practice.

"Okay, one more."

When John returned, he set Adam's drink on the rug next to him and handed him a pad and pen to assist in counting the cash. He had the same for himself and they commenced the daunting task of tallying the pile of loot before them.

As they tabulated the pile of cash, they stacked it neatly in the laundry basket. It took close to an hour to count it all out. When they finished, John retrieved the bags of cash from the freezer in the kitchen and they set to adding that up.

It wasn't long after and they had the pile recorded on paper. John read the sub-totals to Adam as he punched them into a calculator; another fifteen minutes and they had the grand total.

"That was the last one Hon, how much is it?"

"You won't believe this. It's a little over fifty-five thousand."

"No way", was all John could say.

"Yes way" and he passed the calculator to John.

"Hon, with what we have in the bank and in front of us; that's more than half of what we owe Hughes. That doesn't include what we already paid him. We might be able to approach him for a discount on an early payoff."

"Babe, don't go there. I'm not your slave. This is for us, you and me. Hughes agreed to the schedule and I don't want to get ahead of it."

John thought about it for a minute, he got the message and decided he wouldn't push it. As much as he wanted to be free and clear, he held back. He didn't intend to make a slave out of his boy and Adam was right, God love him.

John had pushed and pushed a little too hard over the last few months. Adam hadn't complained up to this point and he would never give him a reason to complain, although the thought of a boy slave was kind of funny. Things were going well and John wanted Adam as much or more than the money, there was no question in his mind.

"Okay Hon, there's fifty-five grand here. Any guesses as to how much it will cost. I have no idea".

"I don't know. I can't see it going over ten or fifteen thousand. What do you think?"

"I don't know either. Let's call the cabinet company where we bought the kitchen cabinets and have them make a plan. If it's not too much, why don't we have granite installed in the kitchen and bathroom at the same time? It would make our love nest all the more cozy."

Adam rolled his eyes then rolled across the floor to John and pulled him down into a kiss then said, "You're so corny sometimes it's embarrassing."

"That hurts my feelings. Do I embarrass you?"

"No not really. But you are corny for lack of a better word."

"You make me horny, I mean corny."

John pulled Adam on top of him and encircled him with his arms and legs as their tongues battled for the upper hand. He started bucking his hips to simulate screwing and they felt each other's hardness through their pants.

Adam slowed down pulling his head back and looked his most prized possession in the eyes. A few moments passed and he said, "I love you John Turner. More than you could ever know".

"I love you too. Let's go to the bedroom. Maybe you can make me stop squeaking".

They both laughed and turned the lights off as they made their way to the bedroom, shedding clothes and groping each other along the way.

Adam screwed John like he never had before, it had been so long. It took three orgasms before his desire was satiated and John was showing no sign of wear loving and needing every minute of it wanting more, always wanting more and not getting enough, never having enough. Having his lover inside of him pounding, stabbing, thrusting, pummeling, impaling him as he offered himself freely and wantonly and filling him with the fruit of his effort as he pulsed inside him, shooting, spewing, hosing him down inside with his juice. Cleansing him of every pent up carnal desire he harbored. Setting the two free, releasing them from the bonds of wanting, the cinctures of lust, the throes of abstinence. And finally, leaving them in the arms of one another to hold, to cherish, to savor, and yes to love and protect the other. Cementing and strengthening their union, affirming it one to the other and knowing it is theirs and theirs alone to have and offer as proof: proof of the depth of feeling, the limitless bounds, the pure love, the heaven of it all.

The two lie side by side basking in the aura of corporal appeasement and blissful serenity; neither one wanting or needing the spoken word. As each embraced their object of affection, they willingly and completely succumbed to exhaustion and repose, secure in the arms of love.

The next morning dawned much too soon; not for the lack of sleep but the forced separation of two people alone and happy, content and complete with the presence of the other.

Adam rolled away from John and released a futile groan; there was no escaping the reality of duty calling.

John placed a hand behind Adams head and pulled him in for a few good kisses then released him. He got out of bed and went to the kitchen to start the coffee and get a glass of juice.

Adam watched John's naked, muscular ass with the dimples rise and fall as he walked. He was sure he found new depths in there the night before and smiled, John's gait appeared to be somewhat tentative this morning.

John returned to the bedroom with a glass of juice for Adam. He kissed him and offered him the glass, "Good morning cowboy".

"Good morning babe. You were awesome last night."

"It takes two Hon. It takes two" John said as he made his way to the bathroom on the opposite end of the apartment smiling; he recalled the previous night, his ass was tender - it hurt so good. He picked up the laundry basket full of cash and put it in the closet in the bathroom.

In the kitchen Adam poured a coffee and decided he would make breakfast, he was starving having skipped dinner in lieu of lovemaking.

John picked up the clothes on the floor, threw them in the bedroom, and put his briefs on. He sat on a stool at the snack bar to wait for the coffee.

"Are you hungry babe?" Adam asked.

"Starving, we didn't have dinner last night."

"I'm making us omelets. Is that okay?"

"Sounds good, you want a bagel with that?"

"Yeah, maybe two, I'm starving too."

John started the toaster and walked up behind Adam at the stove. He put his arms around Adams waist, kissed his neck under the chin and rested his head in the small of Adams neck. He ran his hands over Adams shirtless chest and stomach; he loved the soft warmth of him, the feel of his silky hair against his cheek, his smell and the feel of his body, the whole package that was Adam. He slid a hand into the front of Adams boxers and grabbed his penis, "You do amazing things with this dude".

Adam smiled as he worked, "You inspire amazing things".

John chuckled, kissed his boy, and sat down to butter the bagels.

"So where do you want to go for Labor Day weekend?" John asked.

"I don't know have you given it any thought?"

"How about somewhere with water and beaches, maybe Mobile, Alabama or Pensacola of maybe even Gulfport, Mississippi. You know New Orleans is an easy ride from Gulfport."

"Any of those would be okay. They're all between four and five hours in the Aztec. Do you feel like spending that much time en-route?"

"Well going the other way there's Michigan; that would be two to three hours depending on where we go. They have a lot of beaches. It's up to you salt or fresh water, I don't care either way. But we should make a decision soon so we can be sure to reserve a hotel room and a rental car."

"Let's flip a coin. Heads its Michigan, tails it's one of the gulf cities. What do you say?"

Adam brought a plate for each of them and sat down to eat.

John refilled their coffee and said, "It's fine with me but I'm leaning toward the shorter distance".

"I knew it! You're saying that because of the operating expense of the Aztec. I knew you were going to say that. I just knew it. I thought maybe you wouldn't squeak so badly after last night," Adam said as he grinned and took another bite of his omelet; he was proud of himself.

Adam had him, he was right. John was thinking of the cost of overhauling and running the Aztec. With two turbo-charged engines, it was more than twice the price of any of the single engine airplanes they had, and Michigan was roughly half the flying time. 'Damn' John thought silently 'the son of a bitch knows me too well'. 'Think quickly'!

"The only thing squeaking around here are those rusty gears in your head." John quietly praised himself for that one; he was smiling.

"I give up, you win. Arguing with you is futile, especially when it comes to money."

John tried to save himself by saying, "Well if we go north this time of year it'll be nice and not as hot as going south. Then when Christmas gets here we can go south where it's warm" John was hoping to redeem himself with that insight.

"Son of a bitch, you always have a come-back. I can't win."

"Hon I'm sorry, I honestly don't care. And you were right, I was thinking about the money. We can go south now and at Christmas too if that's what you want. Like I said yesterday, if I'm with you I'll be happy. I can endure the fires of hell. I can endure famine. I can endure disease. I can endure poverty and squalor. I can...

"Okay, okay already, I get the picture Mr. Gaboris. We're going to Gulfport."

"Yes my sweet, my pretty, my prince of princes whatever you say."

"I'm taking a shower now. I'm going to try and wash your horseshit off" and Adam rose to go to the bathroom. He squeezed John from behind and kissed his neck and John swooned. Then he clipped John on the back of the head and took off running for the bathroom leaping over the couch in the living room. John took off after him but Adam made it to the bathroom and locked the door before he got there.

John hollered through the door, "Next time you won't be so lucky buddy boy". John could hear him laugh inside the bathroom.

John went back to the kitchen to clean up. He couldn't help but think how much he loved his flyboy and how good things were going for them. If he didn't know any better, he would think he was dreaming. He truly felt fortunate.

John arranged for someone to come out and measure for the bar at quitting time so Adam could be there to describe what he had in mind. The next day a proposal with a plan came over the fax machine and Adam called to give the go ahead. John asked Adam how much it was going to cost and Adam told him a little over sixteen grand but it included granite for the kitchen and bath. John winced and didn't say a word; he silently wondered if Adam had the blank check from his mother's last visit but decided not to say anything.

That same day, John made hotel and car reservations for Labor Day weekend in Gulfport. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to reserve a suite; it was simply too frivolous, he just couldn't do it. He reserved a sub-compact car too; it would be easy on gas and probably cheaper by the mile, especially if they drove to New Orleans. Besides, it was going to be expensive enough without purposely running up the tab.

Adam had suggested inviting Jim and Dave to go along and after a minute of thought John said it would be okay with him. It really wasn't; he wanted his boy to himself with no outside interference. He was trying to turn over a new leaf. He wanted to be more fair minded and mindful of Adams wants and needs.

They had been through a chilly couple of months this past summer and the more John thought about it the more it scared him. And it was primarily his fault by placing the business ahead of Adam; he realized that he couldn't have success without Adam and without him it wasn't worth having, Adam was everything to him, the only thing that mattered.

Thursday night before the Labor Day weekend, they locked up and went upstairs. John was watching TV while Adam folded clothes in the kitchen.

"Hon, have you heard from Jim and Dave yet?"

"Yeah, Jim called and said they made other plans and they were going to pass."

"Oh okay, I can't say I'm disappointed. That means I get you all to myself, just the two of us."

John got up and walked over to Adam and squeezed him as he pressed against him then kissed him. "You fit in my arms so perfect it's like you were made for me. You're my mail order lover boy. My dream come true, my hope against all odds, my light at the end of the tunnel, my joie de vivre" then John released him and went to the fridge.

"You're a mail order nut case."

"And your nuts about me admit it."

Adam couldn't help himself he was smiling. He loved it when John acted goofy or stupid or whatever it was. He wasn't sure. One thing he did know, he was nuts about John, even if he did act like a dork sometimes.

The next day Adam had no afternoon commitments by design. While Adam was giving Larry some last minute instructions, John put their bags in the Aztec and did the pre-flight check. He climbed in on the co-pilot side and waited for Adam, who was checking with FSS (flight service station) to see if his IFR flight plan was approved.

When Adam got in the cockpit, he tossed John's sunglasses at him and put his own on.

"Thanks for remembering my sunglasses."

"It's a good thing they were on the window sill next to mine or I probably wouldn't have remembered."

Adam fired up one engine then the other. John thought it best to keep quiet until Adam was handed off to departure, and then he would have more time to talk.

As soon as they were airborne, Adam sucked up the landing gear and was handed off to departure. As twin engine's go, the Aztec wasn't as fast as most twins but it had a large carrying capacity; they often referred to it as the Aztruck.

John couldn't stand it anymore; the weekend was under way and he was free to enjoy it and his boy. He reached over and stroked Adams bare thigh; they were both wearing shorts. He was feeling the soft hair of Adams leg as he rubbed it up and down; it was a turn on for John. He leaned forward, ran his hand up inside Adams shorts, and squeezed Adams dick. It jumped and began to swell. John gave it a couple strokes and released him smiling; and thinking, 'it doesn't take much to get him going'.

"Babe, quit teasing."

John was grinning ear to ear, "Who says I'm teasing. I'm not done yet."

"Well hop on it then. It hurts like it is" and Adam pulled at his shorts to give his hard dick some more room.

John reached over and lightly stroked Adams hardness on top of his shorts, he was definitely trying to tease now.

Adam leaned harder into the seatback and pushed his hips up a little; it was an involuntary reaction and John couldn't help but chuckle.

"Put the autopilot on Hon."

Adam turned the autopilot on, set the waypoint from the VOR, and engaged it.

"It's on."

"Good, what do you want to talk about?" John said grinning.

"You cunt. You fucking cunt."

"Now, now; you should never say anything you wouldn't repeat in front of your mother."

"Fuck you cunt stash. Look what you did to me, now fix it."

"It doesn't look broken to me."

With that, John lost his self-control and started laughing.

Adam put his hand behind Johns head, who was laughing his ass off, in an effort to force Johns face into his crotch but the seat belt harness seized preventing the motion. It was a good thing too because John was laughing so hard he didn't have the physical strength to resist. John hadn't had so much fun tormenting Adam in he couldn't remember how long, maybe never. And by the look on Adams face, he was enjoying the teasing as well.

"You little prick teasing bitch. See if you get any this weekend."

"I don't want any this weekend; I'm on the rag. I'll be fine as long as I'm with you" John said he was still grinning on the verge of laughing again.

"Fuck it, I give up" Adam said as he raised both hands with open palms; he was grinning too.

"Don't give up, that's no fun."

"Yeah, well apparently your idea of fun is a lot different than mine, at least right now it is."

"Okay, you earned it. Get lil Adam out and I'll make him disappear."

Adam was all smiles as he undid his belt and unzipped his shorts. He lowered his seat back and John unfastened his own seat belt. He scooted closer to the center console and leaned over Adams hard dick to take it in his mouth. He pulled the waistband of Adams boxers down and hooked it under his balls, which were round and full and voluptuous to John's way of thinking. He gave them a long slurpy lick and tongued them up and down; he was turned on by the taste and essence of them, of Adam's crotch, the feel of the soft pubes that weren't wiry at all, just soft and fine.

Adam was rock hard and John's sphincter tightened as he sucked and licked his lover boy's erection. He bobbed, sucked, and licked until Adams breathing stopped and his hard on swelled. John pulled up and finished him off with his hand. Adam gasped and let a squirt go that hit John in the face. When the last amount of ejaculate was spent, John looked at him with white wash on his face and they both started laughing.

John sat back in his seat and took some tissue out of the storage compartment to wipe the goo off his face. After that, he took a moist towelette from a foil pack and wiped his face clean. When he was done, he looked at Adam who was smiling; he leaned over for a kiss. Adam leaned in too; he wanted and missed his most handsome boy, his prize, his raison d'etre and tongued him passionately.

When Adam pulled away, he started undoing John's belt and zipper. John lifted his ass off the seat and Adam pulled his shorts down on his thighs. John lowered his seat back; he knew what was coming. He was already hard from having Adam in his mouth a minute ago. His anticipation filled him with desire, he wanted Adam, his man, his stud, his boy, his stud boy lover any way he could have him. The thought of it was almost enough to get him off.

At that moment, Indianapolis center called the Aztec wanting to hand them off to Memphis center. Adam grabbed the mic and handled the transaction in record time. John stroked himself a few times as he waited.

Adam returned his attention to John and took him in his mouth. John's erection was noticeably bigger than Adams, who was no slouch in that area. He began sucking, bobbing, and slobbering but couldn't get all of John in his mouth and he didn't try, he had never 'throated anyone' and was close to gagging as it was.

John began pushing his hips up and out in concert with Adam's bobbing. It went that way for some time as John felt Adam's soft fine hair with his hands on Adams head. Not all that much longer, and John announced he was going to shoot. Adam didn't pull off John, he kept sucking and bobbing, feeling John's body; his crotch, his stomach and armpits, his chest...anywhere he could feel and feel good about it. John couldn't hold on any more. He released his load into Adam's mouth who took it all. He swallowed when John was done and pulled off John. Adam smiled at his lover, kissed him on the cheek and said, "I love you handsome."

John responded with, "I love you too Hon, a whole lot more than you know."

It was awhile before the satisfaction of the moment passed; then they both tidied themselves up. Adam asked John if he brought any CD's along and John said that he did and showed him the selection. Adam picked one out and John put it in the player. He adjusted the volume so they could hear the radio in the event air traffic control called them.

After a couple hours of flying, Adam was getting hungry and asked John,

"Babe did you bring anything to eat?"

"I made us a lunch and forgot it in the fridge upstairs, I'm sorry."

"Man, I'm starving. I didn't have anything for breakfast this morning."

"I'm hungry too now that you mention it."

"You have to start eating more regularly, you're losing weight and you don't have any to lose."

"I know. I'm getting more comfortable with the business now that we have a cushion. I think that had a lot to do with it. You know quitting my job was somewhat traumatic when I look back at it. It was a hard thing for me to do."

"It was hard on both of us babe" and Adam looked at John for his reaction. He hadn't said anything prior to that and wasn't sure what Johns reaction would be. He wanted John to know it wasn't just him that went through the ordeal; it was both of them, Adam suffered through it too.

John took Adams hand in his, kissed it then lowered it to the console. He was feeling lousy, knowing deep down that Adam was right. He looked at Adam and said with a low voice, "I'm sorry Hon. I really am" and he meant it.

"John, you can talk to me anytime about anything, okay? I'm here for you."

Now John was really feeling like an ass. Here was the most important person in the world to him telling him that he was there for him whenever he needed him. That he shouldn't internalize his feelings, he was free to share them with Adam, free to talk, free to ask for help; he wasn't alone. He didn't have to be stoic or strong or a tough guy; it was okay to admit to his lover boy that he was scared or worried. He was there for him.

John felt small and narrow minded like a kid who just learned a valuable lesson. In one comment, Adam had read him, exposed him, and let him know everything was okay. One simple statement that told John to lean on him and depend on him, let him in, he wants to help and he's there, all he had to do is ask.

"Why do you put up with me, you could do so much better for yourself?" John said looking out the windshield.

"Because I love you and I can't do any better."

John let out a sigh as if a lead weight had been lifted from his shoulders. God it felt so good to him, what a revelation. Is that what love is? Had he been getting it all wrong? He didn't think so, he really did love Adam, he was sure of it, very sure. Why can't I open up and tell him how I feel? Am I really that screwed up?

John looked at Adam who gave him a smile and squeezed his hand. John couldn't believe the person he was looking at. How could anyone be that beautiful on the inside and out? He was at a loss; he didn't know. He felt his regard and affection for Adam hit a new high that he didn't think was possible. He was too choked up for words; he just sat there, that was all he could do.

"You okay Babe?"

John was quiet for a few moments, he cleared his throat and said, "I'm fine Hon, I'm fine".

And he was. He was in a place he never wanted to leave. He was exposed completely to his loved one and loved the feeling of it; the feeling of truthfulness, of trust, of honesty; it felt wonderful and wonderfully exhilarating.

"I want to thank you Hon and tell you again how sorry I am. I didn't realize what I was doing."

"Babe, you made yourself sick over it and you still haven't put the weight back on. Just talk to me okay? It's all I ask. If we do that, we can make it. Talk to me babe that's all, we can work it out. I want to help."

"Yeah okay, it's not always easy for me to open up though. I guess I'm more like my father than I care to admit."

"You'll be good. I'm not going to let you do that again".

And that was the extent of John's epiphany. If he thought he had a come to Jesus meeting earlier, it was nothing compared to what he learned about himself in that airplane. And his partner Adam; how could he ever doubt or take him for granted again? He couldn't he simply could not and would not. He would do his utmost, push himself even, to be worthy of his other half; the one that completed him and made him whole and happy.

Awhile later, they were entering Houston center's airspace and Memphis called on the radio wishing them a good day. That was Adam's cue to throttle back, adjust the pitch of the props, and begin his cruise descent into Gulfport-Biloxi International.

As they neared the airport, the Gulf of Mexico appeared on the horizon and made for a beautiful panorama of the sky the water and the beach stretching out in front of them.

Adam plugged the headset with the mic into the dash and used the thumb buttons on the yoke to communicate with air traffic control. After a couple of vectors, he was given his traffic to follow in to the airport. Adam requested a visual (to abandon the instrument flight plan having the airport in sight) and was denied by ATC so he shot the ILS (instrument landing system).

Adam lowered the landing gear and worked the airplane down to the runway. They turned onto the taxi way and called ground control. Atlantic Aviation was the FBO they were going to park at and pay the landing fee as well as the parking fee for the duration of their stay.

Inside, John gave the clerk their company credit card and authorized the FBO to fill the plane with avgas. You never leave an airplane sit with low fuel tanks. The condensation may contaminate the fuel and cause engine failure aloft.

The guys asked if they could get a ride to the car rental company and the secretary said she would be happy to take them to the other side of the airport. They got in her car, Adam sat in the front passenger seat, and John watched from the back seat as the girl made eyes at him. It was amusing. Adam was completely unaware of her infatuation. He was being his true blue, open and honest, loveable self. He didn't know any other way to be and she was lapping it up. They arrived at the rental car company and they both thanked her for the lift.

The rental agent presented Adam with the paperwork. When he saw the description of the car, he turned and looked John squarely in the eyes. John knew exactly why he was getting the look and chuckled out loud. Adam shook his head and looked away, he wasn't surprised, and he wasn't driving around in a four-cylinder puddle jumper. He asked for and received a luxury convertible much to John's chagrin.

As they pulled out of the car rental lot Adam said, "If you have us in one of those economy motel joints, I'm going home...without you".

"Horseshit, you aren't going anywhere without me and you know it. The picture on the internet made it look real nice anyway."

"We'll see. This may be the last time you make reservations for us."

John decided to have a little fun with Adam, "Hon, you remember how you said we could talk about anything anytime?" He said with a serious inflection.

"Yeah" Adam said with understanding. "What is it babe?"

"It's about our motel."

"MOTEL? You booked us in a fucking MOTEL? John how could you? I mean son of a bitch, god damn it John. What the fuck! I don't fucking...

John cut him short with a belly laugh; he couldn't contain himself any longer. Adam was having a cow and it was too damn funny. And the best part of all was he believed that John would do it and that he actually did do it. And he would if Adam let him get away with it.

John was doubled over in the passenger seat; he was in hysterics. He thought, 'If only I had a picture of the look on Adams face when he launched into his litany'; it was hilarious, worth a thousand words.

When they pulled into the driveway of the hotel, Adam breathed a sigh of relief. It was a luxury hotel chain. He thought, 'This would due, he would like it here'.

Adam left the car with the valet and the porter took their bags from the trunk of the car. John went to the front desk to check-in while Adam waited with the porter.

He gave his name and the clerk found the reservation in the computer. John inquired how much it would cost to upgrade the room. He thought to himself, 'Fuck it, it's for Adam and nothing is too much or too good for him'. The clerk told John a junior suite would be an additional three hundred dollars for their stay and he agreed to it and handed over his company credit card.

The clerk gave him two key cards and they went upstairs. When the porter opened the door, Adam was dumbfounded. It was a suite with a small foyer and a bouquet of white roses on an elegant table in front of them. The table sat on an area rug with shiny wood floors stretching out from under it to the perimeter walls. A crystal chandelier hung over the table. Beyond the foyer was a living room with a bona fide wet bar not the usual mini-bar.

The porter returned the keys to John and took their bags to the bedroom off the living room; he left them on the luggage stand then returned to the living room. John examined the suite as the porter moved around. This was definitely not a junior suite; he spent enough time on the net checking the place out to know the difference.

The porter opened the armoire in the living room and turned the sound system on and it began to play classical music. He returned to the guys asking, "Is there anything further I can do?"

John said, "No thank you" and gave him a ten-dollar bill.

The porter thanked him, wished them a pleasant stay, and left closing the door behind him.

"Babe, I can't believe you did this."

"Want me to pinch you?" John said and he pulled Adam into a warm, firm embrace as he lowered his head in the small of Adams neck and let an 'mmm' escape him. He was so darn happy to see the surprised and astonished look on Adams face. It made it more than worth it. 'Yup' John thought 'it's for my honey, my lover boy and he really likes it '. He kissed his boy again then led him to the sofa in the living room to lie down; he was tired.

Adam followed John to the sofa and lay on top of him and they held each other fast. After a few quiet moments Adam said, "Do you want room service or do you want to go out for dinner?"

"I'm tired from the flight Hon. All that engine and wind noise wears on you, at the same time, I could clean 'em out at an all you can eat kind of place."

"Babe, we're not going to an all you can eat type place."

"I meant that figuratively Hon. Give I a break okay?"

"Still you said it. I want us to have a nice meal; I mean a nice dinner. You, me, candles the tablecloth with flowers, wine...the whole thing. You and me".

"I would like that too Hon. We can drive into New Orleans. I found a couple places on the net that are highly rated and have a good reputation. It's only 5:00 and the ride there is a little over an hour. Besides, I always wanted to see New Orleans and the French Quarter; it's supposed to be very gay.

"Call 'em up babe, let's do it."

"Okay my sweet. Get off me so I can get my notes out of my bag."

"Why do say drippy shit like that?"

"Because that's how I feel, and stop trying to make me feel bad about it" John pecked him on the mouth and buried his face in the small of Adams neck making an 'mmm' sound; John felt the emotion, he wanted the same in return and Adam gave him the response he was looking for.

They showered, changed clothes, and hopped in the rental car for the drive to New Orleans, John had called for reservations at one of the better restaurants off St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District, and it was exactly what both of them had wanted and hoped it would be.

It was elegant, a little too loud for Johns liking but nice all the same. To him, at that price, it should be less noisy and a lot more intimate. On the plus side, the waiters were nice to look at, the food was excellent and the wine was delicious; it was all about being together and enjoying each other.

As they ate and enjoyed their dining experience, Adam watched John like a cat stalks its' prey; John had something he wanted and Adam was determined get it.

As John ate, he couldn't help himself, the more he watched Adam the more he wanted him; up, down sideways, left or right he didn't care. He was going to have his boy this evening one way or the other.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the meal and each other's company, Adam gave the waiter his company credit card and signed the bill, adding the tip when it was presented to him. John asked the waiter for directions to the French Quarter. It was simple. Straight down St. Charles to Canal Street; cross Canal and the French Quarter was on the other side; John thanked him.

When they rose to leave, John asked Adam what the total for dinner was. As they walked through the dining room to the door, Adam put his arm around John and told him to pay the bill when it came in and let him go. John frowned; this was shaping up to be an expensive weekend. He regretted upgrading their room to a suite; that would probably have covered the cost of the meal.

As they waited for the valet to bring the car John said, "I'm still hungry. It was delicious but I'm still hungry Hon."

"We'll find something in the French Quarter when we get there. I could eat some more too, now that you mention it."

John wondered if the restaurant was a tourist trap and wasn't sure; maybe they overpaid or something. He decided the hell with it; Adam was happy and that made him feel good too, even if it did cost too much for too little, 'fuck it' John thought and he put his arm around his lover boy and kissed him as they waited for the car.

They drove around the Quarter for twenty or so minutes before they found a parking spot. They parked the car and started walking around the Quarter not really knowing where to go. They heard some jazz music coming from a bar with the doors and windows open so they walked in that direction to check it out.

A little black kid approached Adam and said, "I bet you twenty dollars I know where you got your shoes". The kid was wearing a big grin on his face.

They both smiled. They knew it was some kind of spoof. Adam thought 'what the hell, I'll go along with it'. There was no way that kid knew where he got his shoes, he had never seen him before.

"Okay, you're on" Adam said.

"You got your shoes on your feet," the kid said laughing.

John and Adam had to laugh; the little shit was sporting and funny. Adam decided it wasn't worth twenty dollars and fished a five out of his wallet.

"Okay kid, you got me. That wasn't worth twenty but I'm not going to stiff you either, here" and he handed the kid a five dollar bill.

The kid grabbed the money and ran away laughing. Both Adam and John thought the kid was cute and the spoof was worth the five dollars.

They walked around for another half hour and decided go to back to Gulfport, it was over an hour to drive in the car to make it back and it was getting late.

Back at the hotel, John undressed and climbed into bed. Adam went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and relieve himself. When he came back to the bedroom John was sleeping sound, snoring lightly.

Adam turned the lights off and decided to watch a movie on demand. He made himself comfortable and settled in for the movie; twenty minutes later, he was sound asleep.

John woke up in the middle of the night to hunger pains and a hissing TV, he turned it off, draped an arm and leg over Adam and went back to sleep.

The next morning, Adam woke up before John and peeled himself away from John gently so as not to wake him. He took his morning leak and went to the bar in the living room to see if there was any juice in the fridge.

He found an orange juice and retrieved the morning paper; it had been slid under the door. He turned some classical music on, situated himself at the bar, and began to read the paper; he was hoping John would get up soon.

An hour later John was still sleeping, so Adam decided to wake him up. John was lying on his back with the sheet down around his ankles. Adam slid in beside him and laid his head on the pillow next to John listening to the slow steady rhythm of John's breathing.

Adam began running his fingers through the soft line of hair between John's belly button and briefs. John was on the verge of waking up and the sensation was enough to make him open his eyes. He saw Adam out of the corner of his eye and closed them again quickly. Adam didn't notice his open eyes.

He decided to have a little fun with his curious lover boy. John was trying to think of a practical joke to play on Adam as he lie there awake with his eyes closed. He had a morning erection and Adams soft touch caused it to jump. Adam turned his attention to John's armpit. He thought if he gently tugged on the hair, it might be enough to wake John up so he began to pull it gently. John had all he could do not to laugh but managed somehow to hold on to a blank expression; he was hoping one that looked like sleep.

Adam was getting turned on as he inspected and touched John's body in repose, or so it appeared to him. John was aware of Adams thoughts; he could tell by the parts of his body that Adam was fondling. He decided to wait until Adam managed to get himself horny enough to go for John's erection. He was hoping it would be soon; he didn't know how much longer he could maintain his charade.

John thought when Adam went for his boner he would suddenly straighten all four limbs, spring upright in bed and shout 'don't touch that' as loud as he could. He was sure it would be more than enough to scare the shit out of Adam, so he lie there biding his time.

A few moments later and Adam made his move. He took his finger and ran it up and down John's hard dick, it jumped and John very nearly lost it but held on. John thought 'come on, grab it'. Adam began running his palm up and down John's erection now and John thought it wouldn't be much longer until he wrapped his fingers around it.

True enough, Adam couldn't resist the sight of John's boner any longer and wrapped his hand around it drawing John's underwear in with his grip.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT," John shouted as he sprang up in bed.

Adam leapt backwards from John as if a bomb went off in front of him. He hit the edge of the bed and tumbled onto the floor, arms and legs flailing in the air as he disappeared from view with a thud.

John began to laugh so hysterically he couldn't breathe in enough to compensate for it. His face became so red it was maroon as he rolled around in the bed gasping, choking and eventually clenching his stomach, hoping that would ease the stomach cramps he was feeling. He was in prankster's heaven.

Adam collected himself and stood up saying, "What a twit" in a condescending tone.

That was all John needed to fuel another round of gut wrenching belly laughs, teary eyes and all; he didn't think anyone had ever laughed so hard for so long!

All he was capable of saying every so often was, "Oh God" and it sent him over the edge again.

As Adam watched John egging himself on in, what was to his mind, 'a warped and twisted state', he couldn't help but grin and admit to himself, 'god damn it, I love that twit' and he crawled back in bed. He climbed on top of John who wrapped his arms and legs around his boy.

"You know I love you more than anything," John said testing the waters; he wasn't sure of Adams frame of mind. He thought 'the fact that he's on top of me is a good sign though'. He was still giggling and doing his best to stop; which was, itself, funny to him.

"God you can be a jerk...without even trying".

"What do you mean not even trying? I gave that a lot of thought; there was self-control involved too. You have to be smart to think of shit like that" and John giggled.

"No, you have to be sick to think of shit like that".

"Aw Hon, come on say it. Tell me you love me".

"You're going to be a menopausal bitch before, if ever, you hear me say that again. Come to think of it, your half way there...bitch" Adam was smiling.

John squeezed Adam with his arms and legs and kissed the small of his neck and relaxed saying, "You know I can't be your bitch if you don't fuck me. That's part of the definition, and being so defined, how 'bout it"?

"Not so fast bitch, that title doesn't come easy it has to be earned before you reap".

"Okay", John said. "I'll have to get my fucking elsewhere until I prove myself worthy I guess".

"Oh no you don't; as my supplicant you will do as you're told, and nothing more, got it?"

"No entiendo señor." (I don't understand mister/sir)

"je pense que vous comprenez parfaitement". (I think you understand perfectly).

"Okay enough of that horseshit" Adam said as he rolled off John and got out of bed. "Let's order from room service and take a quick shower".

"Hon, do you mind if we go down for the buffet. I'm starving and they never give you enough when you order from room service."

"Sure babe, come on I'm going to have my way with you in the shower."

John was happy to hear that his supposed apprenticeship was over so soon. They went to the shower and Adam gave John a good hard 'get even' screw, and John loved it, all of it.

During breakfast, they decided to go to the beach for a while, take sun, swim, chill out and relax a little bit. On the way back to the room, they stopped at the gift shop off the hotel lobby to browse; they wanted to see if they could find a souvenir. Adam spied a Speedo bathing suit that he wanted John to wear. John said the only way he would wear it was if Adam wore one too; otherwise, no deal. So Adam made a selection for John and John found one that he wanted to see Adam wearing and they went upstairs to change.

After changing, they came back down with towels over their shoulders wearing T-shirts and shorts over their swimsuits. They had to cross the street to reach the beach; the hotel was not a beachfront property. When they were happy with a chosen spot, they spread their towels out over the sand and lie down.

Adam lay on his back and slipped his shorts off; it was obvious he was embarrassed by his swimwear and what he was showing off to anyone who looked. John followed suit and tossed his shorts on top of Adams, John liked the exposure even less. They put their sunglasses on and lay on their backs.

After a very short time John said, "Hon, I don't like this very much. I feel naked" and he sat up and put his shorts on.

John looked at Adam who was smiling with his sunglasses on. He looked so hot to John with the bathing suit that he started getting hard. Since his shorts were baggy, he adjusted himself and lay back down with both hands behind his head; it was no big deal.

A few minutes later, Adam looked around to see if there was anyone near them. It was late morning and a little too early for much of a beach crowd. He rolled on his stomach and turned his gaze toward John, he was trying to hide his hard on. He reached out and felt John's armpit hair, rubbing his hand back and forth in John's pit.

"Hon, you have an armpit fetish don't you?"

"Nooo," Adam said on an uphill note, not protesting enough to be believable.

John smiled, he couldn't help it, "Yeah you do, it's okay Hon. You can talk to me about anything" and John started cracking up.

"Fuck off John" and Adam withdrew his hand while John chuckled.

They were there less than an hour when John said, "I don't know about you but I'm getting bored".

"Yeah, me too, let's go for a walk".

John agreed and they got up and took their towels and shirts. Adam put his shorts on and they began to walk along the beach. Neither one was the beach type. They both had an average summer tan and could care less about sunning themselves; it seemed like a waste of time to them. They walked along the beach checking out the sunbathers and other things that are typically associated with the beach scene.

They noticed a pier protruding out into the gulf and decided to walk to the end of it. It was made of large timbers with planking for the deck. There were a few people fishing off the pier and pelicans sitting on the posts. They walked the length of it and looked at the water before turning around for the walk back to the beach.

"Hon, let's get the car and drive to Biloxi. From what I saw on the internet, it's more of an attraction than Gulfport. They have casinos and that kind of stuff over there; I think it's more touristy."

"Okay, I'm up for it. It's kind of quiet around here, not that I mind. Maybe we can get some T-shirts; we should get one for Larry too."

They walked back to the hotel and took the elevator up to the room to get the car keys and wallets. John said he was putting his other bathing suit on; he said he felt stupid in the Speedo and Adam did the same. Adam told John that he looked hot in it but John didn't care. He said he was comfortable in his old man's bathing suit and was going to wear that one, as far as he was concerned, the Speedo was a waste of money.

John threw his T-shirt in the back seat and climbed in behind the wheel of the rental car. He put the top down and pulled out of the parking structure, down the driveway and onto the main drag that ran along the beach between the two towns. It was a beautiful sunny day with clear blue skies and a steady breeze coming off the gulf. John liked driving the expensive car and the feeling that it might be his; it drew a lot of attention.

John stopped for a traffic light and a car with two girls pulled up next to them on Adams side. The driver looked at Adam then John and smiled at them; trying to make her interest known.

John shouted, "Hey do you like my boyfriend?" with a smile on his face.

The driver looked at John with a half smile and half-confused look.

John was grinning ear to ear. He leaned over, pulled Adams head closer, and kissed him on the mouth. They both grinned at each other then looked at the girls for their reaction. The girl on the passenger side was whooping and shouting 'more' and the guys started laughing.

John pulled away from the light when it turned green and the other car sat there; the driver wasn't paying attention to the road, she focused on the two hot guys next to her.

"That was pretty ballsy for you," Adam said.

"Yeah I guess so. I didn't want her getting any ideas about you; she needed to know that you're mine" John said proudly. "And we'll never see them again anyway."

Adam was smiling. He liked the idea of belonging to John and having his babe watching out for his property; that being him, it made him feel good.

They parked the car in downtown Biloxi and got out. John tucked his T-shirt in the back of his shorts and slipped his sandals on while Adam did the same on his side of the car. They walked on the sidewalk checking out gift shops and the occasional gallery.

Adam was looking for some artwork for the walls in the apartment; he told John they were mostly bare and John had to agree, it was true. He didn't much like the idea of Adam spending a bunch of money but decided not to ruin the day with money talk.

There was an interesting shop with the door propped open and Adam steered John inside. They browsed around the shop and Adam found some T-shirts, he was sorting through the rack when John came up next to him, "Hon, I think I'm going to get a polo shirt instead; I can wear it for work. Besides, I have a ton of T-shirts that I don't wear now."

Adam agreed and they abandoned the T-shirt idea in favor of a polo shirt. They both selected a polo shirt with a Biloxi logo on the left side. Adam picked one out for Larry and paid with his company credit card. John waited for Adam outside on the sidewalk; he didn't want to know how much it cost.

When Adam came out to join him, he pulled two large colorful beach towels out of the bag to show John. They were very eye catching; they had a depiction of a beach scene with water, palm trees, the sun and sand. John said they were very nice and reached out to feel it; he smiled and Adam stuffed them back in the bag. He appreciated John not saying anything; he was relatively sure he knew what John was thinking.

They strolled along the sidewalk idly looking and entering random stores as they progressed. They happened onto a Mexican cafe with outdoor dining and decided to have lunch there. They were seated and the hostess asked them to put their shirts on. Adam commented that it seemed a little odd that a beachfront cafe would ask that of them and John agreed. They put their shirts on anyway; their shoulders were starting to get red from the sun.

"Hon, I hope you don't order the refried beans this time." John remembered the last time Adam had refried beans; he farted all night long.

"But babe, I love 'em. I think I'll order some, it's been a long time since I had them."

"Not long enough" John said and raised the menu so Adam couldn't see him smiling.

"Hey, it's not as bad as when you eat sauerkraut."

"Yeah, but there's a big difference you're overlooking; my farts don't stink. Yours, on the other hand, can make babies cry."

That was enough to stifle Adam; it was true. He had to laugh at the analogy.

John rubbed Adams leg with his, the feel of the soft hairs on Adams legs were a particular turn-on for John, especially when they tangled up in bed. He stopped himself after a few seconds; he didn't want to tease himself as good as it made him feel.

After lunch, they went back to Gulfport and the hotel. They took a nap then ordered a late dinner from room service. John commented that he finally felt full after being hungry for two days and Adam asked if he wanted to take a walk on the beach in the moon light. John liked the idea and so they headed downstairs and crossed the street to the beach; they kicked their sandals off and carried them, letting the sand ooze between their toes.

It was a warm clear night; the humidity of the gulf hadn't begun to form a haze yet. They walked alternating between holding hands and putting arms around each other, stopping occasionally to embrace and kiss. It was intimate and nice, not a lot of conversation, just the pleasure of each other's company on the beach, in the moon light, alone and happy to be together.

Some distance later, Adam produced a low rumbling sound behind him. He couldn't help but recall John's observation at the restaurant that afternoon and chuckled.

"Eew, I heard that", John said and moved away from Adam.

"So did I, sounds like some kind of meteorological anomaly caused by the cool gulf breeze moving over the heat of the land; you know a deviation in the thermal norms. Come here babe, I'm scared."

"The only deviation from the norm is the hot air coming out of both ends of you."

Adam laughed and the contractions of his stomach made him do it again causing him to laugh harder.

"Jesus Christ, you're full of it", John said.

"Handle with care babe, contents under pressure."

"Maybe I should squeeze the shit out of you now so you don't foul the room."

"You have to admit, it works better since I had it fixed", Adam said and laughed. The effort of laughing made him do it again and laugh some more.

The next day they took the rental car and went exploring. They drove the gulf coast to Mobile, Alabama and back with the top of the convertible down. It was another beautiful day and they rode with their shirts off to feel the wind against bare skin. They stopped for lunch in Pascagoula and ate at a seaside restaurant cantilevered over the water, watching boats and yachts of all shapes and sizes come and go. They also discussed a little business over the meal.

"Hon, I think we should step up our effort to hire another full time flight instructor, what do you think?"

"Yeah, I agree. I'm getting tired of instructing, at least the VFR students; I don't mind the IFR so much, they're a more experienced group."

"I hear you. The other thing too is that I was toying with the idea of buying a King Air or maybe a Cessna Citation Mustang. We can afford it but we don't quite have enough charter business to keep them aloft as much as they should be. You know, the comfort level isn't there."

Adam was noticeably intrigued. The thought of a jet or turbo-prop was like a teenager being promised his first car; Adam was getting giddy and bouncy.

"Babe, we can't afford one of those can we?"

"Yes we can with just a tad more business. So if we get another full time instructor, you can spend more time in the office while I hit the road selling and bidding on freight and postal contracts among other things. You could get the new instructor checked out in the Aztruck so he could fill in when needed."

"Which airplane do you think would be best if we bought a new one, the Citation?"

"Well actually I was thinking we should buy a used one but the King Air would be my choice."

Adam didn't like that, he would prefer the jet over the turbo-prop, he asked John "Why do you say the King Air and not the Citation?"

"The cruise speed is only 28 knots slower, it has a shorter takeoff and landing roll, carries more people and it's approved for one pilot."

"So is the Citation, it's a one pilot VLC (very light class) jet."

"Yeah, and limited to four passengers whereas the King Air can handle up to nine people, see what I mean? And it's cheaper to operate, has a longer TBO (time to be overhauled), and costs less to get you checked out in."

Adam had to admit John was right, he had done his homework well. As much as the thought of flying a jet turned him on, John had it nailed for all the right reasons. And it was a natural step up whereas the Citation would be a leap forward without the versatility; Adam was disappointed but couldn't deny the logic behind the King Air.

Adam sat there quietly, he couldn't believe they were even having this discussion; it seemed like a dream he never dreamt of dreaming, it was all so out there, so seemingly out of reach yet here they were discussing it! He and John were talking about buying a King Air! Maybe there was something to John's squeakiness after all; it was a lot to think about.

"I can't help but think how hot you'd look in a King Air," John said with a grin.

"Yeah", Adam said, "It would be cool to say the least."

"Yeah, you would be the queen in the King Air" John said and laughed.

Adam threw his napkin at John and hit him in the face, John laughed some more.

They chatted and kidded around for a while until Adam asked for the bill and paid it. When they got back to the hotel late that afternoon, John asked Adam if he wanted to go to the hotel bar for happy hour and have a couple martinis. Adam agreed so they diverted to the hotel lounge and took a seat at the bar.

"Babe, that bartender is hot."

John wacked him on the arm with a hard backhand that didn't hurt but got the message across.

"He's not as hot as you but he's real easy on the eyes," Adam said.

"You better knock it off or I'll scratch those eyes out for you."

When the bartender came over to take the order John told him two vodka martinis. The bartender said, "Will you boys be so good as to put your shirts on, it's already hot enough in here" in a perfect Truman Capote whiny affectation, lisp and all, then pivoted and walked away.

John and Adam looked at each other and burst out laughing. It took a couple minutes to settle down then John said softly in Adams ear, "How hot is that?" and they started laughing again.

After three vodka martinis, John was starting to get tipsy and a little loud. Adam ordered some hors d'oeuvres, which were skimpy, and John commented on the portions to the bartender. He had been talking with him off and on and was to the point where he could converse without smiling or laughing.

"He's actually a nice guy once you get past the affectations," John said.

"Yeah" Adam said "But he ruined everything when he opened his mouth" and they both giggled over that.

John was having a weak moment, he put his arm around Adam, kissed him and said, "I love you more than your mother" as he slobbered on Adam.

"You love my mother?"

"No. I mean yes. I mean..."

Adam cut him off, "You're drunk."

"Yeah, just a little."

"I can't take you anywhere Mr. Gaboris. Suck it up, I'm taking you upstairs."

"But Hon, I don't want to go. I'm having fun," John said a little too loud. "Come on Honey, can't we stay a little longer time?"

"You're times up Gaboris. Suck it up, we're going."

"I'll suck it up but you have to take it out first," John said in front of the bartender.

Adam rolled his eyes and the bartender was visibly amused.

"He's a mess" the bartender said "Take him upstairs, give him a cold shower and some Tylenol then put him to bed; call me if there's anything I can do" and with that Truman junior pivoted on his heal and walked away.

Adam rolled his eyes again. He thought 'I must be the only sane one here'.

"Come on babe" Adam said as he took John by the arm.

John slid off the bar stool and nearly fell over. He caught himself with Adams help and regained his footing.

"Geez Hon, I'm buzzed."

"What was your first clue?"

"Shudup Hon, I love you" and John put his arm around Adam and kissed his head in the middle of the hotel lobby, leaning on him as they walked.

Adam sat John on the bed and John fell backward as he passed out. Adam undressed him and did his best to move John's dead weight around and cover him up with the sheet. He closed the door to the bedroom behind him and sat on the couch in the living room to watch TV for a while.

Adam thought to himself, "The guy can't drink, every time he tries it he ends up a mess'. Adam decided that was okay; if John can't drink then he can't be an alcoholic, he smiled and went back to watching the tube. A few minutes into it and Adam fell asleep on the couch with CNN giving the latest and greatest from around the world.

A few hours later and John woke up in the bedroom with his head spinning. He felt awful and went to the bathroom; he raised the lid on the toilet, knelt down and prayed to the porcelain goddess spilling his guts. Toward the end of his Novena, there was nothing coming out not even air. The only thing he could manage to get out was his tongue as he gagged and coughed.

He promised the Lord he would never do it again if he would only help him now. His prayer seemed to land on deaf ears, nothing changed. He decided then and there that God didn't love him or there was no God or maybe he should go to church before he asked for something, he didn't know and didn't care. He lie on the bathroom floor and went back to sleep with the lights on, legs straddling the shiny white goddess.

Adam woke up on the couch in the living room and looked at the time on the screen; CNN was still going strong. The time on the screen indicated 2:00AM and Adam turned it off. He went to the bedroom door and pushed it open. There was a light from the bathroom that illuminated the room and John wasn't in bed. He walked to the bathroom to find John on the floor and the smell of puke permeating the air; it made him gag and wish he had taken control sooner that evening. He was tired as hell so he turned the light off, pulled the door shut and left John on the floor. 'That will teach him' he thought and went to bed.

Adam couldn't go to sleep his conscience was bothering him; he had to do the right thing. He turned the light on, went back to the bathroom, and turned the light on there too. He looked at John on the floor; he was a stinking ugly mess, a sight not at all pleasant to behold.

Adam took John by both arms and started pulling him up saying, "Come on you're a mess. You're gonna be hurting if you stay here tonight."

John woke up moaning. He accepted Adams help and they stumbled toward the bed. John flopped down on his side and Adam lifted his legs onto the bed and covered him up. He went to turn the bathroom lights out and closed the door; the stench was something nauseating.

He came back to bed and got comfortable as far from John as he could, John was stinking of booze and puke. He pressed his face into the pillow hoping it would filter the air before he inhaled it and went to sleep.

The next morning Adam was up, showered, and ready to go. It was the last day of their weekend trip, and he felt like doing something before they left for home. John was still sleeping in the bedroom so Adam decided to wake him up and get him to take a shower.

He went in the bedroom and shook John by the arm. John tried to roll over but Adam wouldn't release his arm forcing him to lay face up in bed.

"Come on get up" Adam said in a stern voice and shook his arm again.

"Okay."

John lay there motionless so Adam shook his arm again this time a bit more vigorously.

"Get up John, now."

"Okay, I am Hon, let me go."

"Not until you get up" and Adam shook his arm again.

John slowly sat up, swung his feet around and put them on the floor; he was looking down at his lap.

After a few quiet moments, John said, "That's the last time I ever drink, I swear to God."

"Yeah right, get your stinking ass in the shower and clean yourself up."

John didn't question or argue one word; he got up, went to the bathroom, and started the shower, he was feeling peaked and foolish. He took an unusually long shower trying to wash off the folly and indiscretion of the previous night; he thought he had some apologizing to do when he finished his routine.

Adam sat at the bar in the living room reading the paper and watching the news. He thought it was funny or more accurately ambiguous, how John could be so competent and professional when it came to matters of business and at other times, such as last night, be so reckless. It brought a smile to his face but he wasn't going to let John know it; he wanted to rub it in some more before he let it go. After all, he had taken his fair share of ribbing from John, which he actually enjoyed. He grinned and went back to reading the paper.

When John finished his routine and dressed himself he let out a sigh; he didn't have much of a taste for humble pie but the time was at hand. He walked over to the bedroom door and paused before opening it. He took a deep breath and decided to straighten up and take it like a man; like it or not, he was in the wrong and had to face the consequences.

Adam was growing impatient waiting for John; he had hit the shower over half an hour ago and still wasn't done. He decided to go see what was taking so long. He pushed the door to the bedroom open and the door hit John squarely on the forehead, knocking him backward.

John took several steps back before he found his footing and raised his hand to his head, trying to assess the damage and said, "Ouch". "Are you okay Babe?" Adam said as he rushed over to John to look at his injury.

"Yeah, I think so Hon. It's just a bump and to be honest; it doesn't make any difference this morning" and he let out a wan attempt at a chuckle.

"Let me see" Adam said as he pulled John's hand away from his head. "It doesn't look so bad."

"I'm not surprised that you're mad but you don't have to revert to violence for Christ sake." John was attempting to erase some guilt and discharge some obligation to Adam. It was a little bit underhanded but John reasoned, 'what the hell, whatever works'.

"I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work" Adam said matter of factly. "Come on, let's go have breakfast you sot, and you can't have any mimosas."

John thought, 'shit, he's got me figured out' and followed Adam. When he caught up to Adam at the door, he turned him around, gave him a firm hug, and said, "Hon, I'm sorry for last night. I apologize."

"It's okay" Adam said and opened the door to the hallway. "Come on let's go."

As they made their way to the dining room, Adam thought 'I can't let him off the hook too easy. I have to make him squirm a little' and chuckled to himself. He was loving it; having John in the palm of his hand was going to be something new and fun for a while. He decided to start with the silent treatment; he was quite certain that would mess with John's head.

In the hotel dining room, they waited for the waitress in silence; John feeling sheepish and Adam feeling like pilot in command. When she finally showed her face at the table Adam told her they were going for the buffet and she asked for their beverage order.

John was more than eager to eat; he was ravaged from not having dinner the night before and tossing his insides outwardly; his stomach was concave, he was running on empty. They piled their plates high at the buffet and sat down to eat.

Adam was hungry too; he was compensating for missing last night's meal as well. He noticed John looking at him every so often; it was enough to assure him the silent treatment was working.

"You're awful quiet this morning," John said.

"I guess so" Adam said and kept eating. 'Yup' he thought 'it's working'.

When they finished eating, they went back to the room to gather their things and pack. John took one of the white roses from the arrangement in the foyer and put it in his bag. He was going to have it dried and framed and give it to Adam as a memento for the weekend.

Adam brought his things to the foyer and set them on the floor. He began to make a final sweep of the room to check for anything forgotten or overlooked. When he finished he told John, "Let's go" and opened the door.

John followed Adam to the elevator and then the hotel lobby. As they walked in the direction of the front desk, John said he was going to the gift shop to buy some aspirin. Adam acknowledged his statement and went to the front desk to check out.

John took two aspirin out of the bottle and washed them down with water from a drinking fountain in the lobby. He sat in a chair waiting for Adam to finish and put his sunglasses on; he felt like hiding from the world but that was the best he could do for now.

When Adam finished paying for the room and putting the receipt in his bag, he scanned the lobby looking for John. He spotted him in the chair by the front door; he looked meek and timid. It was funny and Adam smiled; he couldn't help it. He walked over to John and said, "Come on, let's get going".

"Where are we going?"

"Home."

To Be Continued.