Risky Business

Disclaimer: The chapter contains rough and physical aggression within the conflict. The chapter also does not have any sex in it, as it is meant to set up the fourth chapter for that.

Casey walks next to me down to his Jeep in the corner of the parking lot. He tosses his bag in the trunk before getting in and revving up the engine. Casey turns on the radio and turns to me. “Roof on, or roof off?”

“Let’s get the breeze in here,” I concur.

Casey steps out of the Jeep and unlatches all of the fasteners on the roof. I can’t help but peek up at his hairy pits. A few minutes later, I get out and help Casey lift and stow the roof in the trunk.

“Hope it doesn’t rain,” Casey exhales. “If it does, Imma blame it on you.” He winks and sits back down. He pulls his shirt off and places his baseball cap on his messy hair. He then begins to head for the main road. Since I fell asleep on the way here, I truly didn’t realize how much he’s given into the driving culture here. He whips the car onto the on-ramp of the highway and chuckles at my reaction.

“Chill, bro,” I sneer.

About a half-hour later, Casey pulls into a parking deck in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. A rank smell invades my nose as he drives up past the ticketing gate. The thuds of footsteps and laughter on the level above us make the deck seem even less inviting. Casey whips into a spot and pulls out his phone. He sits in his Jeep with the keys still in the ignition for a few minutes while he shoots off quick text messages to his friends. I step out of the passenger side right as his phone rings. I stop for a moment but then decide that it’s better that I am not too nosey. While unpacking the Jeep, I make out a few of the exchanges.

“Matthew’s bringing the alcohol,” I repeat to myself. “Jake is bringing— nothing.” I close the trunk, which echoes throughout the parking deck. I grab my bag and a few of Casey’s “necessities,” before checking my phone while waiting for him to finish up his call. Casey walks out from between his Jeep and the grey Toyota adjacent, and motions for me to begin walking. His expression has gotten serious, and the lineament in the dark parking deck only seems to emphasize his emotion. Casey doesn’t say a word for the time that we are walking to the exit of the parking deck, but as the sunlight begins to bake my face, he puts his phone back in his pocket and exchanges it for a pair of sunglasses.

“What was that about?” I press, curious.

“Nothing important,” he deflects, “just had to make sure my friends were actually meeting us.”

I sigh and give Casey a slight side-eye. We walk through a few blocks of Fort Lauderdale before the cityscape diminishes into single-family homes. Casey gives the occasional group of beachgoers a nod, and I keep my eyes on the road below me because of how bright it is.

“Head up, chin up,” Casey murmurs. He puts his hand under my chin and lifts it gently. I squint my eyes to try and adjust to the brightness. Casey drops his hand back to his side, “I don’t ever mind seeing your baby blues, you know.” He seems very sweet, but his tone is matter-of-fact.

I smile at him but proceed to lower my head slightly to avoid the overwhelming sun. A couple of moments later, a deep, raspy voice calls Casey’s name. He gets both of our attention, and Casey walks ahead of me quickly. I look up at Casey embracing a tree of a man. He has dirty blond, wavy hair that falls down each side of his head, and stops right above his ears. A strand falls over his face while he leans down into Casey’s shoulder. He stands back up to his full stature, easily more than a half-foot taller than me. His hazel eyes meet mine and my heart is practically beating out of my chest.

“This is Cameron,” Casey steps aside and faces me. “He’s staying with us for a while.”

“Matthew,” the jock says, extending his arm. He brings me in for a side hug, and I only manage to surpass the top of his shoulder. Casey chuckles a bit. Matthew’s strong arm squeezes me a couple of times before he gives me a strong pat on the back and lets me go.

“Welcome, bro.” Matthew runs his left hand through his hair, and I get quite the view of his hairy armpit. He walks beside me, and I can’t help but look up at his chiselled jaw. His light brown stubble shapes his chin and tapers off around his soft pink lips.

“Where’s Jake?” Casey inquires.

“Down at the beach,” Matthew responds. “Said he didn’t wanna come back up to meet you.” He laughs, although somewhat nervously.

Casey shakes his head. “Really? Lazy fucker.”

A few cars pass by us, leaving the neighbourhood, probably on their way home. Casey Jim’s into the spray radius of a sprinkler and lets it spray his legs and thighs. A few strangers look over, and Matthew walks more quickly to get away from the second-hand embarrassment that Casey is causing both of us.

“Gonna do this every time we come here?” Matthew smiles as Casey runs back over and flicks water onto Matthew’s face. I step out of the way to avoid getting any water on my face.

“Oh come on, pretty boy,” Casey teases me, “we’re at the beach.”

“I’on’ want to get wet yet,” I retort.

“Let him be, Casey,” Matthew comes to my defence. Casey gives Matthew a little push, and Matthew’s eyes narrow. “Don’t effin’ test me, Casey.” Matthew’s demeanour changes and he puts some space between himself and Casey.

“Oh, come on, bro,” Casey complains, “I’m just tryna have some fun.”

“Just, calm down for a bit,” Matthew resigns. Matthew looks down at me, and he ruffles my hair.

“So you see us both like children?” I ask, snarkily.

Matthew flicks me on the back of the neck. “You can shut up, too, little guy.”

Casey chuckles as he slides off his shoes and lets the sand spread between his feet. We walk down a beach entrance between a grove of tall palm trees and shorter tropical grasses. An iguana crawls slowly along with one of the short wooden barriers protecting the dunes.

“Our stuff is over there.” He points down the left of the beach at a large green umbrella. I assume that it is Jake sitting in the shade with a baseball cap on his head, and some type of book in his hand. Matthew jogs ahead of Casey and me. He peels off his shirt while he runs. He nearly trips as he pulls his shirt over his face, and I turn away to stifle a laugh. Casey nearly falls to his knees, looking up at me laughing. I catch Matthew’s eyes when he looks back, his smile beams. Jake stands up as Casey and I approach and reveals an astounding body.

Jake has thick black hair all over his boy, and it thickens out as it approaches his lower stomach and crotch. He gives Casey a fist bump and looks at me. He sizes me up, and I notice a faint scar that runs under his right eye. The sweat on Jake’s body accentuates his broad shoulders and square jaw. Sand sticks to his hairy body as well as his forearm, and he has a distinct, floral scent that mixes with the salt of the ocean. His hair is handsomely swept to the right, but the seawater has stiffened it. He also has stubble framing his jaw, but it is much more apparent than that of Matthew. Jake keeps his eyes locked with mine.

“Blue eyes,” he notes. Matthew is standing behind me, and I feel the tension in the interaction between both of them. Jake is several inches taller than me, but he is much shorter than Matthew. He makes up for it with the size of his muscles, though. Jake rests his right hand on my shoulder. I notice the glimmer of a gold bracelet, and he leans in slowly. He has a distinct vein that runs down the centre of Jake’s forehead. His vascularity continues down onto his arms as well. “You’re cute,” he admits.

“Go easy on him, J,” Matthew interjects.

Jake presses his lips into my neck slowly. I see Casey scouting out the mostly empty beach from the corner of my eye. He inhales my sweaty scent.

“Enough.” Matthew has decided that Jake overstepped his boundaries. Jake backs away from me and brushes his hairy chest.

“I own you,” he advises decisively.

A chill runs down my spine, and I watch Jake walk down to the water, where Casey is testing out the temperature of the water. Matthew rubs my shoulder and unfolds a chair for me.

“Don’t let him get into your head,” he reassures. “Jake is just extreme. I can do what I can to protect you, but I can’t guarantee. His say goes above mine.”

Matthew is the most genuine one in the group that I have heard about thus far. “Thanks, man,” I say.

Matthew pulls a chair out and sets it down across from me. He leans in and rests his hands on my thighs. “Listen, the next however-long you’re with us, Jake is gonna try and get at you around every corner, every turn. If he addresses you, try to ignore him or respond with as few words as possible.”

I can sense a bit of jealousy with his words, but I feel a massive amount of relief. “Thanks,” I mutter.

Matthew leans in and gives me a peck on the cheek, but then he promptly stands up and goes down to the water. “Come on!” He calls back to me and slows down slightly. I jog to catch up to him, and he puts his arm around my side. We run into the water together, and I let the warm water rise around me. The waves push me around, and Matt steadies me while pulling me out further. I look over at Jake and Casey about a hundred metres down the beach, and they’re engaged in conversation. I look around, accounting for groups of people scattered along the coast. I lock my eyes on a group of girls dancing in their bikinis. They have a speaker blaring rap music, which isn’t my taste, but I can get into it. I turn around and realise that I’ve fallen behind Matthew quite a lot. I wade out to meet him, but the water rises until it’s almost up to my chin. Matt continues, and his extra height gives him quite the advantage. He looks back and notices that I’m hesitant about going out any further.

“There’s a sandbar just in front of me,” he shouts, “just swim out if you need to.”

A wave crashes over my face and I get a mouthful of water. I cough a bit and wipe my face off. I open my eyes to Matthew laughing at me. I swim out to him and find my footing on the sandbar. He pulls me into his arms and lifts me.

“Mind if I steal a kiss?” He winks at me.

I nod, and he leans down and his lips make contact with mine. I hold the kiss longer than I know I should, and he slowly pulls away.

“Salty,” I remark. Matthew sets me back down on my feet and stands by my side as we float over the next set of waves that threaten to break on us. “So, how fucking tall are you?”

“Six-foot-five,” he breathes.

“Goddamn,” I reply in amazement, but I’m not necessarily surprised.

“So, cutie. Where are you from?” He asks me.

“Boston,” I begin, “big move.”

“It is. Probably not fun dealing with Casey immediately.”

I stifle a laugh as we drift over a large swell. “He was pretty nice.” I don’t go into much depth.

Matthew raises an eyebrow, and his eyes dig for more answers. “What did he do to you?”

I hesitate for a moment. “Maybe— well,” I sigh. “I thought we were getting to know each other,” I muster.

Matthew tilts his head. “Oh, c’mon.”

“He wasn’t bad at all!” I have to raise my voice to hold my ground.

Matthew sets his jaw before breaking eye contact with me. The tension created breaks with it. “Fine, I digress, for now.”

“So,” I continue, satisfied, “where are you from?”

“Houston,” Matthew answers quickly.

“Nice. And what year are you?”

“Junior— I’m 21.”

“I’m 18.”

“Sports?”

“Yeah,” I smile, “Wrestling, mainly, but baseball and swimming too.”

“That’s awesome,” Matthew remarks. “Volleyball and wrestling are mine.”

“Suits you,”

“I guess we’ll have to wrestle each other then, yeah?” A smirk forms across his face as another wave crests right in front of us.

“If you’re ready to be pinned by someone half your size then sure.” I keep the cocky attitude to give myself the confidence I need to maintain composure in front of Matthew. It’s going to be more of a struggle with Jake, though.

“What time is it?” I ask him.

“Who cares?” He whispers back, pulling me into his arms once more. Matthew pulls my head up for another kiss, and this time I let myself get lost in his embrace. He runs his hand down my back and just above the waistband of my swimsuit. His massive hand sends shivers down my spine. I’m in heaven.

I’m brought back down to earth a few moments later, when Jake calls out as he wades through the surf near the shore. “Hey lovebirds, don’t forget about us!”

I can’t quite tell if his comment was meant to be malicious or not, but once Jake makes it out to the sandbar with Casey, Matthew seems a lot more protective of me. He keeps me a couple of feet behind his shoulder. The conversation Matthew and I were having dies out, and instead, the roar of waves crashing behind us takes the front until Casey breaks the silence.

“So, Cameron. How are you liking Florida?”

“It’s better than I thought it was gonna be,” I admit.

“Good.” Casey’s arm is around Jake’s shoulder. “I hope this guy doesn’t scare you off.”

“Nah,” I begin to feel flushed, “I get it.” I keep my answer vague as Matthew told me.

“Looks like you’ve already gotten along quite well with Mattie,” Jake begins to taunt me again. Casey gives him an elbow in the chest.

Matthew creates some more space between Jake and me, which gives me some false confidence. “Maybe you could learn something from him.”

Jake smiles and wipes some of the salt from his face. “Why don’t you learn your place, faggot?” He snaps.

Jake takes a few steps towards me, and Matthew side steps directly in front of me, using his size to block any advance by Jake.

“Aww. Are you two already dating?” Jake chuckles and tensions are reaching a fever pitch. I take a quick look at the beach, and a lot of the people that were here earlier are now gone. More time must have passed than I thought.

“If you hurt this kid, I will hurt you.” Matthew makes his stance very clear. My heart rate jumps.

“J, let’s go back in and get ready for dinner.” Casey chimes in and tries to ease the situation.

“Nah, Casey. This faggot needs to know his place.”

Matt creates more distance between Jake and me, taking a few steps back. Casey holds Jake’s massive bicep firmly. We begin to let our guard down as a collective, but right then, a wave slams into all of us. I tumble underwater and become extremely disoriented, but it feels like I’ve been pushed to shore. Once I find my feet back on the ground, I push myself back to the surface. Matthew emerges about five metres to my right, but Jake is right in front of me as if he was expecting this to happen. Before I can react, Jake’s massive hand is wrapped around my neck and I’m being lifted off of my feet. The density of the water provides me with some relief, but Jake’s grip only becomes more crushing. Time seems to slow to a crawl while Matthew and Casey rush to break us up. Jake slams me into the water with an immense force that winds me. He reaches and his other arm down and holds me underwater with his insuperable strength. I can hear the turbulence caused by Matthew and Casey about to strike Jake. For what feels like nearly a minute, Jake struggles to hold me down, and his body is being pushed all around while Matthew and Casey try to pry him off of me. I feel a third hand support my stomach, and before I know it, I’m back above the water gasping for air.

Matthew pulls me into his big body, and I open my eyes to see Casey holding onto Jake. Casey has both of Jake’s hands secured behind his back. Jake’s massive chest rises and falls, and he has red scratch marks on his arms and shoulders. I turn my head and look at Matthew, and he has a bloodied lip. He holds an icy stare at Jake. I then look over to Casey.

“Matt, take Cameron back to my Jeep,” Casey demands. “I’m telling the boys we’re meeting some other night for dinner.”

Matthew nods and swiftly guides me back to the shallow waters. “Grab your things and let’s go.” His kind tone has gone completely, and I know that I’m partially responsible for that. Jake and Casey are arguing further behind us, and Jake catches me looking at him. I quickly look back down to my feet as I towel off. Matthew takes me to Casey’s Jeep and opens his phone.

“Come—“

“Shut up,” Matthew snarls.

About 20 minutes later, Casey returns with Matthew, but Jake isn’t with them. I look at my phone, and it’s nearly seven in the evening. The sun has retreated below the taller trees and buildings in the area.

Matthew gets into the back seat of the Jeep with a few of the things he brought to the beach. Casey revs the engine and pulls out of the parking lot. My mind is so foggy, that I can’t even enjoy the view out my window on the ride back to the condo. Casey’s eyes are set only on the road ahead of him, and I don’t dare to look back at Matthew.

The walk up to the condo is quieter than the ride home. No sound other than footsteps comes from either of the two. Matthew’s hands are on his head as he enters the room.

“Jake is coming,” Matthew sighs.

“What?!” Casey’s voice booms through the room.

“Calm the fuck down, Casey,” Matthew growls.

Matthew walks over to me and leans over so that his face is inches from mine. The situation strikes similar to when I first met Jake at the beach.

“I told you what you needed to do to keep your ass alive,” Matthew whispers. “I made it very clear that you needed to ignore him or engage as little as possible.”

“I’m so—“ I stammer

Matthew cuts me off again. “You decided that you needed to flaunt your dick by butting heads with Jake, and now I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to protect you.”

He stands back up and checks his phone. The sun is setting now, and the end of the day is marked by a crumbling hope I had of myself in Matthew.

I sit in my guilt for less than a minute before a knock at the door breaks me out of my trance.

“Jake’s here,” Matthew warns.