Trial Of Strength (Book 13)

"RIDE A COCK HORSE ..."

At a Grady House party, the tribe celebrates move-star Grady’s return from a publicity tour. Young Eddie’s behind-the-scenes video of the tour is a triumph and his man, macho Arab Marine Hassan, rewards his boy by carrying him bodily to bed. Eddie first works on the soldier’s thick shaft with his expert mouth, then proudly rides the naked Marine like a rodeo cowboy riding a stallion.

=========    Book 13: Chapter 1  =========

Felipe Wakes Up in Boss Randy’s Bed

Felipe was drifting in that misty, weightless world between sleep and waking, his scrambled thoughts starting to coalesce and make sense.

Maybe he was still dreaming, but he vaguely recalled his confusing day yesterday.  The pieces were jumbled together like a dream.  He recalled making love with his new friend Jamie, who loved him and also loved the cop Mark ... who loved both of them ....

No, too confusing ... his mind drifted into fragmented memories of Jamie driving him through the canyons to the beach, having lunch, then of being left alone while Jamie made love to the cop.  Bewildered, Felipe recalled getting advice from his friends, then from the big gypsy boss Randy.

Somewhere in the fog of memory he heard again Randy’s gravelly voice.  “Whatever happens to you, kid, whoever you love, or don’t love, you’re a member of this big rambunctious family ... There’s a whole lotta sex goes on here, so get used to it ... But we all love each other and that’s what holds us together.”

Then the boss took him to bed and made love, and ... and he was still here? ... yes, he was in Randy’s bed.  He reached across to touch him ... but nothing.  Then there he was, in the flesh, standing over him with a seductive smile on his dark stubbled features, wearing his work clothes – jeans, boots and a greasy tank hanging over his muscular torso.

“Hey, wake up, kiddo.  Damn, that man-fuck I gave your cute ass must’ve really exhausted you.”

“Oh ... oh, sorry sir.  I’ll be late for work in the kitchen.”

“No you won’t,” came another voice.  Bob had just walked in wearing smart tan slacks, loafers and a crisp white shirt with a tie hanging loose round the neck. A navy-blue jacket was slung over his shoulder. He had spent the night making love to the young twins Kyle and Kevin, the senior chefs in the kitchen.

“The twins asked me to tell you you’re on the kitchen roster for lunch and dinner, but not breakfast, so you can take your time.  Actually, I just saw Jamie down there eating breakfast alone after saying goodbye to Mark as he left for work.”

“Oh, is it OK if I go and join him, sir?”

Randy laughed his throaty laugh.  “Kid, I made love to you and slept the night with you, I didn’t make you my permanent love slave – though you can have a repeat performance any time you like.  So you don’t have to ask permission from Bob or me to go have breakfast with your pal.”

“Thank you, sir.  And, er, thank you for last night, sir.”

“My pleasure, kid.  It was kinda hot wasn’t it?”  Bob was looking at the mirror tying his necktie, and Randy came up behind him and cupped his hands over his ass. As for you, stud, you look fucking gorgeous like that.  Remember that first day when you escaped from that dingy motel, but came back wearing your business suit?”

“How can I forget?  You pulled me in, tied me up, ripped the clothes from my body and worked me over.”

“Care for a repeat performance?” Randy grinned salaciously.

“Down tiger.  You know I have a meeting with the bank manager and I find I get more of what I want if I’m dressed professionally, not in rags.  ‘Course, I suppose if you walked in looking like that he’d probably give in to you too, afraid to say no in case you slugged him.  But let me take the conventional route this time, eh?”

“Ah, you’ll get what you want, nobody says no to you.  You smile at the manager with those big cow eyes and he’d sell you the fucking bank.  Plus you look like a million fucking bucks.  You sure we don’t have time for a quick ...?”

“No, no and no.  And Felipe, don’t let him fuck you again.  He’s late for work already.”

Randy grinned.  “See what I have to live with, kiddo?  The man cock-teases me, makes my dick throb, then turns his back on me.  Drives me insane.”

Felipe laughed, enjoying the lovers’ banter, and got out of bed to get dressed.  Randy ruffled his hair affectionately, Bob kissed Felipe’s cheek, and they left the room – Bob to talk high finance with the bank, Randy to bark his orders on the construction site.  They made as perfect a fit as leaders of the tribe, as they did as lovers.

<><>    Felipe and Jamie – Lovers & Best Friends    <><>

Felipe’s thoughts turned from the bosses to his new friend and lover, Jamie.  Yesterday the handsome blond surfer had been the source of his confusion ... ranging from the joy of making love and spending a perfect day together, to the hurt of their eventual separation when Jamie went off to devote himself, and his body, to his man Mark.

Now, when he went down to the garden, a copious buffet breakfast was spread out as usual on long tables in the garden, as men and boys left for work at different times.  A few stragglers were still eating, including Jamie who sat alone at a small table.  Felipe felt a disproportionate surge of happiness when he saw a place setting on the table opposite him.  Jamie must have done that in anticipation of Felipe joining him.

Felipe’s joy increased when Jamie looked up, gave a dazzling smile and stood up with his arms out, ready for a hug.  “Here you are at last, buddy.  I was starting to wonder if Randy had left you tied to the bed for later action.” 

Their bodies pressed together and Felipe felt a distinct bulge in Jamie’s shorts pushing against his. “We have so much to talk about, dude.  Go get yourself some grub.”

The feeling of relief helped Felipe relax and he realized how hungry he was.  He loaded his plate at the buffet and sat down facing Jamie, whose expression turned serious as he reached out and pressed his hand over Felipe’s.  

“Felipe, first off, I want to apologize to you.  Yesterday at the beach, when I suddenly realized how late it was, my focus turned completely to Mark and you must have felt excluded. That ritual with Mark – greeting him on the bed when he comes home from work – is so ingrained in me that I would hate to let him down.  But that was no excuse for me saying an abrupt goodbye to you, with a brief peck on the cheek, and running off.  You must have felt really let down, after we’d had such a splendid day together.”

“Jamie, please stop saying you’re sorry.  I don’t need you to babysit me all day.  I had a fabulous day with you, and what you did later was just what you always do.  Mark is your man and you naturally want to please him all the time.  It was the same for me when I substituted for you during the ten days you were away.”

Felipe took a sip of coffee.  “It’s true I felt suddenly alone and sad after you left me, but that’s only because it was all new to me – having fun with you, then finding stuff to do when you’re not there.  In the end I chatted with Brandon, then Will, and I worked in the kitchen because that’s where I’m happiest – except for when I’m with you,” he grinned.

Felipe hesitated and frowned.  “Jamie there is one thing I’ve got to get out of my mind.  I hope you don’t get angry.  But a few days ago I heard some of the boys use the word ‘mercy-fuck’ – fucking someone ‘cos you feel sorry for him.  I mean, that wasn’t what you did with me, was it?”

Tears came to Jamie’s eyes and he looked away.  Felipe misunderstood and said, “So it’s true, it was a mercy-fuck.”

Jamie turned back and brushed the tears from his eyes.  “Felipe, these are not tears of guilt but tears of sadness that you would think that’s why I made love to you.  Look at me dude, and see if I’m telling you the truth.”  Felipe stared into the blue eyes he loved so much. 

Jamie continued, “OK, it’s true that when I first saw you hiding at the beach I felt sorry for you, of course I did – a good-looking, obviously intelligent young guy living rough, terrified of being discovered and sent back.  But I also felt a ... a kind of kinship with you, so I brought you back here.  I didn’t even know if you were attracted to men, but when at last we went to bed together I knew it was more than kinship.  I loved you, buddy, I still do, and that’s why we make love.

Felipe saw the truth in the blue eyes and he felt ashamed.  “Jamie, I’m sorry I asked you such an insulting question.  It’s just the remains of my paranoia that I felt in the last few horrible weeks. ‘Mercy-fuck’ is such an ugly word.  I’m so sorry, Jamie, please forget that I asked you.”

“Good, it’s forgotten. Anyway, we got a whole lot else to talk about – you sleeping with boss Randy, me with the cop.  You go first, I want a blow-by-blow description ...”

This was it, what Felipe really wanted.  He and Jamie were best friends as well as lovers, laughing and kidding as they exchanged intimate, sexy stories about their night in bed with rugged, dominant men.   Sure they would make love from time to time but this was what he had never before had in his life.  And now he understood how rich and exciting it was to have a best friend – someone he could tell his secret joys to – as he was doing now.

<><>    The Party’s On    <><>

While they were enjoying themselves just hanging out together, the rest of the tribe was working, including Bob who was doing his number at the bank ... and, as Randy had predicted, getting everything he wanted.  When he got back to the house he went into the office and gave the good news to the young office manager Brandon.

“That’s terrific, sir, how did you swing that, and get such a crazy low interest rate?  We’re doing so well right now we didn’t even need the extra funding, but it’ll make us even more solid and sure help with the expansion that Randy’s so keen on.”

“Yeah,” Bob grinned, “you’ve hit on the basic rule there, Brandon.  It’s much easier to squeeze money out of the bank when you don’t really need it.  If you’re desperate, they’re not so keen.

“So OK, guys here’s the file. Your computer programs need to be upgraded to reflect these new figures, so Ryan, you get together with Brandon.  And Vic and Noah, I want you to watch and learn.  One day you’ll be running the office, eh kids?”

Bob’s phone rang and he looked at the ID.  “Ah, Mario.  Hey buddy.  Haven’t spoken to you since you returned from that publicity tour.”

“No, amico, because Grady and I have been mostly sleeping since we got back.  It was totally exhausting.  But the studio’s publicity guys seem thrilled with the results.  Huge interest now in the movie when it opens. But I’m sure you’ve heard all about it from the boys who came with us.  They were such a huge help.  Grady says he couldn’t have got through it without their support.”

“Yeah,” Bob chuckled, “we’ve heard a lot of the stories, mostly from Eddie.  And soon we’ll be able to see it in living color.  As we speak, Eddie’s across the street working hard on editing all the backstage footage he got.  So, Mario, now you’ve finally woken from your deep sleep, what’s on the agenda?”

“Amico, that’s what I’m calling about.  You see, Grady totally overdosed on all the attention, the flash bulbs, screaming fans, keeping the charm going, making that fixed smile seem genuine ... and those interminable dinners with executives and their wives who act like they own you. 

“Sure we were well treated – private jet, limousines, five-star hotels – but what Grady needs now is ... the very opposite.  The word he keeps using is ‘ordinary’.  He wants an ordinary life for a while, a life where he’s not the center of attention, where people treat him as ... well, not as anything really ...”

“Just one of the guys,” Bob smiled. 

“Exactly, Bob.  He’s had so many days of people being flattering and respectful to him, now he wants to be teased, laughed at, insulted even. And there’s one crowd knows how to do that.”

“One tribe, you mean, Mario.”

“You see where I’m going with this, Bob.  I know it’s asking a lot, but a big boisterous Grady-House party is what he needs.   As you know, Grady and the guys have a week off until filming resumes, and the weekend is coming up.  Our boys Danny and Brian are totally on board, Danny’s lover Tommy also.  But of course they would need help from your chefs too, and I know how hard they already work ...”

“Say no more, Mario.  All of our guys, at the construction sites, in the office and the compound, have been working flat out lately and I think a weekend party at your place would be just the thing to recharge their batteries.  I can’t speak for our chefs – the twins, Will and Felipe – the decision has to be theirs.  So let me sound everybody out and I’ll get back to you later today.”

The call ended with Mario’s profuse thanks, and Bob turned to the office staff.  “Well, you heard that, guys.  What’s your reaction?”

Noah and Vic’s shining eyes spoke for them, and Brandon was pensive.  “Well, sir, we have to update the programs with all this new data, so we might need some overtime, and then we’ll work with you to proof them and edit out errors ... so what do you think, Ryan?”

“Piece of cake, dude,” Ryan smiled.  “Won’t take me long to do the upgrade and have it ready for Bob.  Yeah, we could meet a Friday deadline, no problem.  And if my man Darius is going to a party, I’d like to be there with him.

“Thank you, guys.  OK, I’ll go run it by Randy and the chefs, and if they can do it, it’s a go.”

Bob called Randy’s cell phone and the conversation was brief, with a lot of background noise.   Bob told him what Mario proposed and Randy shouted above the din, “Great idea.  Go for it, dude ... Hey you, you’re fucking that up.   Let me show you ...”  And the line went dead. 

Bob grinned, “I think that was a yes from Randy.  Now for the chefs.”

It was a definite yes from the chefs too.  They were all in the kitchen as it was getting close to lunch, and they listened to Bob while they worked.  The twins glanced at each other with that silent communication they were known for, then at Will and Felipe, who were both smiling.

Kyle said.  “Sir, working those Grady House parties with Danny takes a lot of energy and teamwork, but we love it.  With five chefs, and Tommy to do the setup in the garden, we work in shifts and get plenty of time off to enjoy the party.  It’s as much fun in the kitchen as outside.  What do you say, guys?”

“You get my vote,” Will grinned.  “I get to spend time with my dad Seth ... and his bed.”

Felipe agreed, for much the same reason.  “At the last party Jamie, Mark and I shared the same guestroom and had a blast.  Plus, there’s always that Secret Garden up there.”

Bob laughed.  “OK, the Secret Garden clinches it.  I’ll call Mario back with the good news.  This weekend, starting Friday afternoon.”

Word spread fast on the grapevine, and at dinner that night excitement ran high.  One of the loudest voices was Eddie who announced, “The highlight of the party will be the world premiere of my movie, invitation only ... and you’re all invited.  Grady and Mario have that big fancy viewing room up there, and you guys will be the first to see my masterpiece.”

“Kiddo,” his Marine Hassan grinned, “always best to downplay expectations, then nobody’s disappointed.”

“Sir,” Eddie said indignantly, “no one is ever disappointed by my work.  Just ask Warner Studios.  They’ve already seen the rough footage and they’re gonna make it into a behind-the-scenes documentary.”

“I know, you already told me ... many, many times.  Sounds like you’re angling for a reward.”

Eddie gave his puckish sideways grin.  “Only if it comes from you, sir.

<><>    Gossip, Gossip!    <><>

Meanwhile, at the Grady House, the site of the upcoming party, the news that the party was on met with similar enthusiasm. 

In the ten-day absence of Grady and Mario on the publicity tour, there had been only two guys left in the sprawling house – the chef and house-manager Danny, and Grady’s boy Brian. The days went by slowly until the happy day when the men returned.  The limo had dropped them off and they were greeted effusively by the boys.

Danny had set up a table in the garden with coffee and snacks and the men sat down wearily with the boys.  But instead of telling stories from the tour, Grady said to Brian, “Kiddo, I have been so out of the loop in that celebrity bubble that I’ve been starved of gossip from the tribe.  You know I live for gossip and you’re my go-to guy.  Have you been making notes?”

“You bet, sir,” Brian said, producing a notebook from his wheelchair saddlebag. “There’s been so many dramas going on, one after another.  You will not believe ...”

Grady squeezed Mario’s arm.  “Dude, is it OK if I go upstairs with Brian and take a nap while you huddle with Danny in the kitchen and check on everything?”

“Assolutamente, amico.”  Mario smiled indulgently, “Except, when you say ‘nap’ I think you mean hauling Brian into bed with you and pumping him for details on all the dramas.”

“And what’s wrong with that?  We’re back in the real world now after all that crazy razmataz we’ve been through.  So I gotta catch up.  Come on kiddo before he changes his mind.”

Mario and Danny smiled as they watched Grady walk thankfully to the house with Brian trundling beside him in his wheelchair.  Danny said, “Trading gossip with Brian is better than sleep for Grady, don’t you think, Mario?”

“Danny, every time things got rough on the trip, which was often, Grady kept saying, ‘I’d give anything right now, anything, to be sitting in bed with Brian listening to all the gossip’.  So now at last he’s got his wish.  Come on, buddy, let’s go to the kitchen and you can fill me in on how things are going in the ‘real world’.”

Grady and Brian went up in the elevator to the master bedroom where, as Mario had predicted, Grady jumped into bed and hauled Brian up beside him from his wheelchair.  He plumped up all the pillows behind them, then looked expectantly into the boy’s big round eyes as he solemnly opened his notebook. 

One thing that moved Grady was the earnest wide-eyed way Brian went about all his tasks, especially his gathering and sharing of the tribe’s gossip.  Grady put his arm round the boy, squeezed him and kissed his cheek.  “This is the best, eh, kiddo?  About as far from the glitter and glitz of all that stupid celebrity thing out there.  OK dude, spill.”

“Well, sir ...”  Grady loved the way he always began like that and he happily settled in for the long haul.  Brian opened his notebook.  “Well, sir, it’s all a bit like those TV soap operas.  You know, one couple of guys in the spotlight for a few days, followed by another story with other guys.  I’ll give you a quick rundown.

“After you left, the first thing was my friend Brandon freaking out ‘cos he got insecure.  But Pete brought him up here and I let them into the Secret Garden and it worked its magic.  Then the Marine Hassan came up here and fucked Tommy, and after that Hassan went to bed with Pete.”

“No ...!  The Marine and the Ranger, two hunks in uniform?  Damn I shoulda been here for that.”

“Then, sir, the scene shifted to the construction site where Randy had one of his rage meltdowns.  He took it out on his own kid brother Ben and fired him, actually fired him, and Ben ran away from home.”

“No!  Where did he go?”

“To Uncle Mike’s in Palm Springs, and he went to work for Mike’s boy Larry in his bike repair shop.  Randy found out where he’d gone and raced out there after him.  He found Ben all alone in the repair shop, being harassed and threatened by this big biker stud.”

“Damn, I can imagine how Randy dealt with a thug threatening his own kid brother.”

“No you can’t, sir, not all of it.  ‘Course, they had a huge knock-down drag-out fight on the bike-shop’s greasy floor, which Randy won. Then he ripped the clothes off the biker dude, scared him off and made him ride naked through the town on his motorcycle.

Grady roared with laughter.  “You’re kidding ... like Lady Godiva, minus the long blond hair.  This gets better and better.”

“So of course, Randy was Ben’s hero again, then Randy made his peace with Bob who butt-fucked him gently, like real lovers do.”

“Yeah, that would sure bring Randy back into line. Bob’s the only guy who can do that.  But listen dude, this is a whole lot for me to take in all at once.  Give me the details later, ‘cos what I really wanna hear about is Felipe, the young migrant that Jamie rescued.  Big story there, eh?”

“Oh, the biggest – had the tribe riveted.  See, Felipe worked as an assistant chef in the tribe’s kitchen, paid with cash under the table, and scared of being discovered and deported.  Bob brought in his older friend Alistair, a top immigration attorney, and after an agonizing wait, Felipe’s work permit was approved.

“Fabulous!”

“I know, right?  But, so now we have a triangle – Felipe’s in love with Jamie, who loves both Felipe and the cop Mark, who’s in love with Jamie.”

“Whoa, wait a minute, kid.  Hard for me to get my mind around that one.”

“You and everyone else, sir – especially Felipe.  I mean, him and Jamie make love, but so do Jamie and Mark.”

“Yea, you mean that ritual where the cop comes home from patrolling the streets on his motorbike and Jamie’s always there naked, waiting for Mark to fuck him.  I’ve always wanted to jack off watching that.”

“Maybe that can be arranged, sir.  Anyway, poor Felipe, new to everything, don’t quite know where he fits into the picture.  He even wondered, when Jamie made love to him, if it was a mercy-fuck ‘cos he felt sorry for him.

“Ouch!  Poor guy.”

“Mark loves Felipe too and it turns him on to think Jamie has a kinda younger brother he can take care of.  I told Danny what the three of them need is a dose of the Secret Garden, that would sort them out.”

“You’re right, kiddo.  You know what?  We’ve got a week off now before filming starts, so we should have a party up here.  I’m dying to see all the guys again, especially now I know all their little secrets, thanks to you.  Their stories are way more exciting than the plot of my movie. 

“You know me – having those guys here makes me feel like a human being again, a regular guy.  And you could assign the rooms with your usual skill, kiddo, knowing who goes with who ... or should go with who.  I’ll drop the hint to Mario and he can work his magic.”

Grady hesitated.  “Brian, I wanna indulge myself if you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind, sir.  You deserve it after working so hard. That’s what we’re here for.”

“Thanks, kiddo.  OK, so in an ideal world, here’s what I would like..  First I’d like to make love to you, Brian, ‘cos I’ve really missed you.  Then, after making love, I’d like to sleep with you a while, and when we wake up we’ll have some lunch and you can go over those other stories again and fill in the gaps.  The devil’s in the details, you know.”

Brian grinned.  “And I’ve missed you a lot too, sir.  You just said what you would like ‘in a perfect world,’ sir.  Well, the world feels perfect to me right now, here with you.  So go ahead, sir.  Indulge yourself.”

So they made love, then had a long nap, Brian wrapped in Grady’s arms.  When they woke they went down to the garden where Danny served lunch.  Mario came out and all four ate together.  But Danny and Mario did little except smile as Grady pumped Brian with more questions about the stories he had skimmed over.

Later that night Grady mentioned the party idea to Mario, who called Bob the next day.  And that took care of that.

<><>    The Tribe Assembles    <><>

Before Friday came Bob and Randy paid a visit.  Bob needed to discuss finances with Mario in his office.  “Won’t take long,” he said.  “I’ll briefly go over your investments.  I see the studio paid Grady a bucket of money for this tour ...”

“And he earned every penny,” Mario smiled. “Poor guy, now he has to get back in physical shape – his face and physique are his fortune, amico.  Which I suppose is why Randy is here, for one of his grueling gym workouts.”

He was right.  While Bob and Mario worked in Mario’s office, Randy took Grady downstairs to the gym.  “OK, dude, gotta get you back in shape after you’ve been wined and dined by everyone.  Looks like you lost a little muscle tone.  Any aches or pains before we start?

“Only one minor one, Randy.  I jumped down from a stage to meet fans and landed heavily on my right foot, and now my ankle aches.  Not too bad, but if it gets worse it would be disastrous.  Could throw the whole movie schedule out of whack.”

“OK, we’ll go easy on that foot today, and you should ask Doc Chad to take a look at it.  He’s the expert, and he’ll be here for the party.”

“Ah, the party.  I can’t wait for that.  Friday can’t come soon enough.  OK, let’s get to work.”

When Friday finally arrived, the morning was spent getting the house ready, with Mario and Grady helping Danny and Brian. Danny’s lover Tommy came from Doc Steve’s house to start setting things up in the garden and by the pool.  Tommy had once worked as assistant manager in a five-star hotel, responsible for planning special events, a skill that came in handy now.

Soon after lunch the four chefs arrived from the tribe’s compound.  The twins and Will were old hands at parties here, but this was only Felipe’s second visit.  But this time he felt more secure now that he had a work permit, and had begun to sort out his relationship with Jamie and Mark. 

They had brought supplies with them that Danny had requested, and it was understood that Danny was in charge as it was his kitchen.  But in fact they worked efficiently as a team with no tension, as they were all friends and loved the excitement of feeding such a large group. 

As was the custom, their aprons represented their houses – dark green for the tribe’s compound, burgundy for the Grady House and navy blue for Tommy from Doc Steve’s house.

Guests started to arrive in late afternoon in couples and groups, some straight from work.   Tommy had already set up a bar by the pool, and that is initially where everyone gathered.  Bob arrived with his office staff, Brandon, Ryan and Vic and Noah.  Bob was carrying a backpack and Brandon smiled, knowing what was in it.

When Randy arrived Bob sighed, “I knew it.’  Randy had come straight from his construction site in his usual work gear – boots, filthy jeans and an old ripped and sweaty tank top, his body streaked with grease.  Bob headed him off before he reached the crowd and gave him the backpack.  “Randy, you have to clean up.  In this bag are clean jeans and T-shirt.  We’re in the guestroom next to the master suite as usual, so please go up, shower and change.”

A flash of annoyance crossed Randy’s face but instantly disappeared when he looked into Bob’s smiling brown eyes.  “Fuck you, man,” he grunted, which they both knew was his way of giving in.  He stomped toward the house, Bob rejoined the group and Brandon smiled at him.  “Well done, sir.  Eating out of your hand.”

Mario, as always, was the perfect host.  “Ciao, benvenuti a casa, signori,” he said expansively.  “The bar is by the pool and Brian will show you where your room is if you want to freshen up.”

It was fortunate that Brian knew all the intimate secrets in the tribe (most of them in his notebook for Grady).  That enabled him to assign the guestrooms with finesse, to the right couples, threesomes and even foursomes.  Though sometimes he had to check.  He said discretely to Jamie, “Er, I’m not sure where things stand with you right now, dude, but would you, Mark and Felipe, together in one room, be appropriate?”

Jamie smiled.  “Thanks for asking. Brian.  I can speak for Mark and Felipe on that, and I think that would be just fine.”

Grady had blended in with the crowd, which is just as he wanted, casually dressed in baggy cargo shorts and a loose T-shirt that nevertheless did not hide his chiseled physique.  He was explaining to Doctor Chad what he had told Randy in the gym about his aching foot.  “And the first day of shooting later next week is on location at the beach, involving a lot of action.”

“So you mustn’t ignore that ache,” Chad said.  “You could easily make it worse if you don’t rest the foot, and the studio would have a fit.  I’ll take a look before you go to bed, and in the meantime try not to put any undue pressure on it.  No running around.”

“Thanks doc.  Don’t worry, after surviving that publicity tour I ain’t into running anywhere.  Sleep, more like it.”

As the crowd grew with more arrivals, so did the noise level as they besieged Tommy at the bar amid shouted greetings, many hugs and much back-slapping.  Brian and Brandon, who were friends and lovers, were having a blast wheeling themselves around and ferrying dishes and glasses from the kitchen to set the huge square table that Tommy had erected on the lawn.

Time flew by and when Mario checked with the kitchen Danny announced that they were ready.

In the past, when Mario had shouted out that dinner was served no one heard him above all the noise.  He usually recruited Randy with his booming voice yelling, “Listen up guys.”  But recently Mario had added a touch of class – a large, elegant brass gong that Tommy had set up not far from the bar.  So now, when Mario came out of the kitchen with Brian he said, “OK, bambino, let’s give the gong a try, eh?  Loud as you can.”

Brian wheeled himself up to the gong, picked up the mallet and took a deep breath.  He raised the mallet high and brought it crashing down on the gong, again and again.  The loud booms, more effective than even Randy’s voice, echoed round the garden and brought instant shocked silence to the crowd. 

So intent was Brian on his task, and so loud the noise, that he was unaware of the silenced voices and continued madly crashing against the gong, while Tommy grabbed to save the vibrating bottles on the bar.  Mario stood in front of the flailing boy and made urgent flat-hand slashing gestures across his own throat as a signal to stop.  Brian finally noticed him and stopped banging, panting hard, with a wide satisfied smile on his face. 

The air still resonated with ringing echoes as Mario said.  “Perfetto, bambino.  Signori, la cena è servita ... dinner is served.

<><>    Bread Fight    <><>

It wasn’t long before the crowd sorted itself out and sat round the big square table, about eight on each side.   Brandon and Brian helped the chefs serve and when the first course was on the table the five chefs and Tommy stood in a row, with Brian and Brandon at either end in their wheelchairs.

At tribal gatherings Randy usually gave the vote of thanks.  But now he pointed to Grady, and Mario urged him to stand up.

Grady stood and smiled down at them all, with the sexy smile known to millions.  “Guys, I don’t have Randy’s speaking skills, unless I have a script, that is.  But today, it seems, it falls to me to thank these eight terrific guys.  While we were partying, they were working flat out in the kitchen to prepare and serve this delicious meal. So please join me in showing your appreciation. Guys, take a bow.”

Following the customary ritual, the chefs raised their hats high and swooped them down low in a dramatic bow, while Brian and Brandon performed dazzling wheelies at each end of the line, all to tumultuous cheers from the crowd.

But Grady hadn’t finished and raised his hand for silence.  “While I’m on my feet, I want to give a special shoutout to my buddies on our recent publicity tour – Eddie, Nate, Jamie and Mario.”  Again there was ringing applause.  “It was a grueling experience, and I couldn’t have done it without them.  You know, there always comes a time when ...”

He was interrupted by Jamie.  “Thanks Grady, but enough with the speeches.  Let’s eat.”

This brought a ringing agreement from the increasingly festive crowd but Grady was undaunted.  “I just wanted to take a moment to say ...” 

Again he was interrupted, this time by a barrage of bread chunks hurled at him from all sides with deadly aim, and accompanying obscenities.  He raised an arm to shield his face and had to give up.  “Fuck you all,” he yelled, raising a middle finger, and sat down howling with laughter, throwing his arm round Mario, who was thrilled to see his lover so happy.

Mario knew this was just what Grady needed to purge the strain of the tour. The bread bombardment was the perfect antidote to all the fawning praise he received in the outside world.

<><>    A Gong Show & A World Premiere    <><>

Dinner, of course, was a roaring success as the well-lubricated crowd let loose after weeks of hard work and personal dramas. 

Eddie, typically the loudest voice of all, was unusually muted as he sat next to his man, the macho Arab/Asian Marine Hassan.  The boy seemed preoccupied and Hassan left him to his thoughts, knowing full well what they were.  Eddie was to present the after-dinner entertainment.

Sitting next to each other, Brian and Grady were still trading snippets of gossip.  “So kiddo, Grady said softly, “there’s gonna be a lot of sex tonight, but make a guess – which couple will go first, d’you think?”

Brandon frowned in thought and looked round the table.  He took a pencil and paper from his saddlebag and wrote two names on it, then folded it and gave it to Grady.  “Open it later, sir.”

After dessert, while coffee and after-dinner drinks were being served, Eddie whispered to Hassan, then nodded to Brian.  The two boys quietly left the table and went to the house where they took the elevator down to the large, comfortable viewing room.  Eddie tinkered with his video equipment that he had set up earlier when he had arrived at the house.  Brian checked on the bar, which included an array of brandies and aperitifs.

As they made their way back Eddie said, “Now for the tough part, dude, getting this crowd to be quiet while I make my announcement.”

“No problem, Eddie.  Remember those old J. Arthur Rank movies that all began with the gong-man, that musclehunk striking a huge gong?  Well I’ve got one now, my favorite new toy.  You heard me hit it before dinner.”

“Did I ever!  I think half Hollywood heard it.  OK, dude, but don’t go crazy.  Just a couple of strikes – like the gong-man, eh?”

So that’s what he got.  The crowd was so boisterous that they didn’t notice Eddie and Brian coming back, but all it took was two massive strikes of Brian’s gong for everyone to fall silent and stare at Eddie. 

He puffed himself up and announced, “Gentlemen, guys, boys, we come now to the highlight of the day – the world premiere of a movie that will make you gasp, make you laugh, make you cry.  In other words ...” Eddie spread his palms wide, and the whole crowd chanted in unison, “You ... will ... not ...believe ...” followed by raucous laughter.

Brian raised his voice above the laughter and shouted, “Please bring your drinks with you to the viewing room where the bar is open.”

It was an unruly crowd that made its way down the stairs to the spacious room, replenished their drinks and made themselves comfortable on the couches and armchairs.  Unseen by anyone Brian had loaded his gong onto his wheelchair and come down in the elevator with Brandon.

Eddie was astute enough to make no further announcement, letting the drama speak for itself.  He had familiarized himself not only with his own video equipment, but also with the lighting board for the room.  So in a few moments the house lights dimmed, and a pre-set spotlight lit up Brian at the side of the low stage. 

He was sitting shirtless in his wheelchair beside his gong.  As the spotlight came up he raised the mallet and brought it down slowly against the gong.  He repeated the move a second time, then dropped the mallet, raised bent arms and flexed his biceps with a broad grin on his face.

The room erupted in a standing ovation, with Grady cheering the loudest.  The spot faded and the curtain over the screen swished slowly and silently open, followed by a dramatic pause.

Grady hunkered down in the big armchair he shared with Mario.  “Do I have to watch this buddy?  You know how I hate looking at myself.”

“Shush, Grady, you’re the star of the show, you have to watch.”

“He’s right, sir,” said Brian who had wheeled himself down the ramp from the stage and positioned his chair beside the armchair.  Grumpily Grady pulled a baseball cap from his pocket and put it on.  He slouched down in the armchair and pulled the cap low over his face in his typical anonymous guise.  He reached over and squeezed Brian’s hand. 

“You’re gonna be just fine, sir, and the movie will be a hit.”

That prediction came true almost as soon as the title came on the screen – Lifestyle of a Megastar on Tour – Backstage Secrets.

The room was surprisingly quiet at first as the documentary opened on the master suite here, with Grady (shirtless) stuffing clothes into a backpack.  It cut to the airport and Grady getting out of a limo and boarding his private plane.

Eddie himself did the voiceover, but had told them all that it would be re-written and professionally performed at the studio.  He had put a temporary music score under it, with the understanding that the studio would replace it.  Eddie stressed that this was a rough-cut and had a lot of post-production to go through.

Rough-cut or not, it turned out that the scenes were riveting – closeups of Grady resting on the plane, then standing at the door when it landed, breathing deeply, clenching and unclenching his fists.  As the door opened, he tensed, straightened up, and his face broke into his world-famous smile.

Next came an exterior shot of Grady coming down the stairs to a mass of camera flashes.  Eddie explained that he took this shot at another stop where he got off the plane first.

And so the movie went on, giving the audience a rare glimpse of the celebrity life of a movie star, their old pal Grady, that even they had never fully appreciated before.   After their initial surprise wore off and the crowd drank more, they became more vocal, commenting on the scenes and, inevitably, making fun of them, which eased Grady’s tension.

When, in one intimate shot in the hotel bedroom, Grady came in exhausted, looked at the bed and pulled off his shirt.  It faded to black prompting protests from the crowd.  “What about the rest, Grady? ... The bit where you get naked, Mario comes in, jumps your bones and butt-fucks you.  That would drive the fans crazy.”

From the scrunched-down bundle in the armchair an arm appeared and rose up with middle finger extended.  Those near enough heard muffled laughter coming from the bundle.  The raised finger brought more ecstatic laughter and, to this audience at least, the movie was a hit.

During the movie, amid all the jokes, there were many remarks of admiration and gasps of surprise from the audience.  The men became aware they were watching a remarkable behind-the-scenes view of a movie star’s life that the studio could mold into a full-length documentary that would be wildly popular and bring tremendous publicity for his big-budget lifeguard movie.

When it finally ended and the lights came up, there was a silent pause, then the whole audience jumped to its feet in a boisterous and genuine standing ovation.

Grady finally emerged from his chair.  He stood up as a tribute to Eddie, threw his baseball cap in the air and led the crowd’s chant of “Ed-die ... Ed-die ...” that echoed round the room.  Eddie got up on the stage, blushing deeply and bowing his thanks.  They were moved to see how their pal Eddie was teary-eyed at this effusive reception of his work.

Throughout the movie Hassan had watched in awe.  He knew how hard his boy Eddie had worked, alone in his home studio, but he had never seen anything as close to the finished product as this.  He gazed on his boy with new eyes, and he had a sudden strange impression that, as he blushed and bowed, Eddie cut a lonely figure.

Hassan bounded up to the stage, threw his arms round Eddie and kissed him, then grabbed his wrist and raised his arm high in triumph.  “Ain’t my boy something?” he shouted.  “He’s fucking brilliant ... you never knew how much ... neither did I.  You can cheer, you should cheer, but he’s still my boy.  No, he’s not only my boy, he’s my man, my clever buddy, and I’m gonna reward him.  Sorry to take him away from you guys, but like I said ... he’s mine.”

There was a collective gasp as Hasan bent forward, pushed his shoulder into Eddie stomach and pulled him up in a fireman’s lift, hanging down over his shoulder.  His head hung facedown over Hassan’s back, and the Marine wrapped his arm tight round his legs that hung down over his chest.

With a determined look on his swarthy Arab face, Hassan marched through the cheering crowd. When they reached the door, Eddie raised his face and, with an excited cheeky grin, raised two thumbs up as he was carried bodily through the door.

Brian nudged Grady. “Open that paper I gave you at dinner, sir.” 

Grady fished it out of his pocket, unfolded it and read, “‘Hassan and Eddie’.  Hot damn, kiddo, you’re a genius.”

<><>    The Marine’s Boy    <><>

When they got to the room assigned to them by Brian, Hassan kicked open the door, carried Eddie through and tossed him on the bed.  He bounced down on his back and stared up at the Marine, blown away by this turn of events.  Hassan was wearing military fatigue pants, boots, and a sleeveless white denim shirt hanging open over his muscular bare chest.

“I am so fucking proud of you, kid, really impressed.  I know a whole lot of work went into that, most of it working alone.  In the past I’ve always treated you as my boy out there with our friends.  But I meant what I said, a guy as hard-working and talented as you is my buddy and my man.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The Marine’s tone changed.  “But in the bedroom it’s a different story.  Here you’re my boy and you follow my orders, understand?”

“Sir, yes sir,” Eddie responded crisply, like one of Hassan’s rookie Marine recruits.

“Still, I dunno.  That standing ovation you got down there might give you a swelled head.  I need you to prove you’re still my boy.  How you gonna do that?”

“Er, suck your dick, sir?”

“Sounds like a plan.  Get off the bed.”

They changed places.  Eddie got up and stood by the bed ... Hassan lay down on his back, and linked his hands behind his head.  His shirt pulled back off his chest, his biceps bulged – and so did Eddie’s cock. 

After his triumph downstairs, the acclaim of his friends, Eddie wanted to prove to Hassan – and himself – that he could still be an obedient boy for the tough Marine he loved.  So he got naked.

“Good,” Hassan said, staring up at the butt-naked boy standing with his arms behind his back, again like a Marine recruit.  “Very good.  OK, boy, get to work.”

Eddie did what he did most every day when Hassan got back from the Marine base, hot, sweaty and horny.  He knelt on the bed, reached forward and slowly unbuttoned the khaki fatigue pants. He glanced up at Hassan’s dark, chiseled Arab/Asian features and his almond-shaped eyes, then reached inside his pants and pulled out the soldier’s massive, beer-can-thick shaft. He salivated as he stared at the cock, then bent forward and licked it.

“Don’t make me cum, boy.  Not yet.”

“Sir, may I remind you I’m an expert at this?”  He licked the bulbous head again then grinned at the soldier and opened his mouth wide.  He lowered it over the cock, all the way inside, without actually making contact with it.  Instead he breathed warm air over it and heard the soldier’s first groans.  Suddenly, he clamped his throat muscles tight over the shaft and pulled slowly back as if sucking the juice out of it.

“Holy shit,” Hassan moaned.  “Damn you’re good.” 

His cock pulsed, on the verge of orgasm, and Eddie opened wide again to relieve the pressure and deny his climax.  Eddie was a master of ‘edging’ – bringing his man close to spilling his load, then pulling back to tease and frustrate him.  As a Marine Captain Hassan was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted.  So the frustration of denial by his own boy was a major turn-on.

Eddie upped the ante by burying the head deep in his throat and driving the soldier mad with lust.  He grabbed the boy’s head and tried to control the action, but Eddie was the master here and tormented Hassan until he couldn’t take any more.  He grabbed the boy’s hair and yanked his face back off his cock.

“I don’t wanna shoot my load in your mouth, boy.  I want your ass.”

“Okey-dokey, sir.  Don’t do a thing, leave it all to me.  There are other ways to ride a cock.” 

He deftly pulled the solder’s pants down around his thighs, leaving the long thick rod standing free, rising up from the mass of wiry black pubes.  Then he leaned forward and pulled Hassan’s sleeveless denim shirt back, slid it down behind him and tossed it aside.  He gazed at the bare, muscled, olive-skinned torso, the solid pecs lightly covered with curly black hair. 

Eddie almost came just looking at the magnificent Marine.  “I love you, sir.  I’ll always be your boy, no matter what else happens.”  He eased forward until he was kneeling astride Hassan’s washboard abs.  He rose up on his knees, then lowered his ass slowly until he felt the head of Hassan’s wet cock slide between his checks.  Hassan grunted, “Damn, I want it so bad, kid.  Do it, that’s an order.”

“Sir, yes sir.”  Eddie suddenly sat down hard and felt the cock driving up his chute, so deep the head passed over the warm inner sphincter and lay buried there.

“Aaagh!’ the Marine howled.  “Shit, I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum ...”

“Not yet sir,” Eddie said, pulling up until the cock was barely inside him.  “I may be your boy, sir, but I’m on top this time, so I control the action.”

He lowered himself carefully on the cock, pausing whenever he felt it bulge with jizz. As he rode the soldier’s shaft he was dazzled by the erotic sight of the bare-chested Marine Captain, his muscles rippling, his dark, rugged face thrashing from side to side, black hair whipping across it.

As Eddie settled into a steady rhythm Hassan relaxed and assumed his former position, hands folded behind his head, gazing up at the grinning boy riding his cock.

“You’re perfect for me, kiddo.  Used to be ‘cos you were different from those fake-macho cadets I see all day.  But you’re so much more than that now, buddy.  I’m so damn proud of you ... and damn you feel great riding my dick.  I can’t take much more of this, though, I’m so damn close.”

“Yes, sir, but you know I’m in control.  One of my big fantasies is watching a hot macho stud begging for release.  After all, you said I’m your boy and your man too.”

Hassan knew what the boy wanted and he was so desperate to cum that he gave in.  “Dude, I really need to bust my load in your ass.  You’re driving me crazy here.  Stop tormenting me, man.  Make me cum, I’m begging you.  Make me shoot.”

The sight of the musclehunk Marine pleading for release was too much for Eddie.  He rode the captain’s dick harder and faster, grabbed his own cock and pounded it in his fist.  He raised his other arm and pumped his fist high, like a triumphant rodeo cowboy riding a stallion.  “This is it, sir.  I’m gonna shoot, all over your gorgeous body ... Here it comes ... yes ... yes ... yeah!”

His cock spurted streams of hot jizz that splashed down on the soldier’s heaving chest and swarthy face.  Hassan gazed up at Eddie’s fist-pumping triumph and laughed, “Yeah, ride ‘em cowboy.  I love you, dude, here it comes ...”  And at long last, his cock erupted deep inside his boy’s ass. 

It was a fitting climax – double climax – to a perfect day that Eddie would remember always.

<><>    A Great Horseman    <><>

Eddie leaned forward and let Hassan’s cock slide out of him, then he collapsed beside him on the bed.  Hassan propped himself on his elbow and smiled down at him.   “So, you may be this bigshot movie cameraman now, but you sure ain’t forgotten how to suck dick, then ride it.”

“Oh, sir, riding a cock is like riding a bike.  Once you learn how, you never forget.  And what we just did reminded me of something.  Sir, did I ever tell you ...?”

Eddie was off and running and Hassan loved it.  He knew well that when Eddie was excited he talked, endlessly.  And Hassan was happy to gaze down at him and just listen.

“Tell me what, kiddo?”

“Well, sir, when I was just a kid I heard that old nursery rhyme, ‘Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross’.  You prob’ly never heard it where you came from, but It bothered me ‘cos, even at that age, it didn’t sound quite right. 

“So then, when I got older I heard the phrase, ‘hung like a horse’, and the penny dropped.  That was it, mystery solved. See, the rhyme got it wrong.  It’s not Ride a Cock Horse ... it should be ‘Ride a Horse-Cock’ ... to wherever ... and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. 

“‘Course, after I became your boy, sir, I mostly rode your cock... with my mouth then my ass, like we just did.  And that is most definitely one major horse-cock, sir, the biggest and best I’ve ever ridden.  I mean, unless they’ve seen it, most guys just would not believe ...”

By now Hassan was laughing, tears running down his face.  “You were a real precocious child, kiddo, wise beyond your years.  You’re priceless, dude – an expert cameraman, expert cocksucker and great lover.

“And an expert horseman, sir, don’t forget.”

“Yeah, that too. It’s terrific being here at this party with you, dude.”

“I know, right? The Grady House gives epic parties – never know what’s gonna happen next.”

“OK, you always keep your ear to the ground, so take a guess. What is gonna happen next?”

“Well, sir, funny you should ask, ‘cos I was talking to Brian. That kid knows all the gossip so well he can predict it.  Like, we talked about Mark, Jamie and Felipe and that tangled web.  It’s tough on Felipe, but Brian said he’s got the answer ... tomorrow he’s gonna give Jamie the key to the Secret Garden here, and let it work its magic on all three of them.” 

Hassan was getting tired and took a breath to suggest sleep, but he was cut off at the pass.

“Which brings me to the subject of threesomes.” Eddie soldiered on. “They can always be tricky.  Take Doc Chad.  Did you hear him talking to Grady?”

“No, I can’t say that I ...”

“Well Brian did, and he’s got a nose for these things.  So Grady hurt his foot on that tour of his and the Doc said that after dinner he should come to the room Chad is sharing with his lover, the hot Aussie Adam.  So there you go, sir.  With his hungry ass Grady won’t just be getting treatment on his foot.  Picture it ... dick-crazy Grady, the hot muscle-doc and the gorgeous Aussie.  You do the math, sir.

“Eddie, the math escapes me right now, maybe because I’m so tired.  Maybe we should sleep.”

“Oops, there I go again, shooting straight from the lip. I’ve been running off at the mouth, so I’ll stop.”  As so often before, Eddie zipped his fingertips across pursed lips and twisted the key at the corner.

Hassan grinned, “I don’t need no zip and key to muffle you, kid.  Try this ...” Hassan bent down and pressed his lips against Eddie’s in a hungry kiss.  “There, that did the trick.  Now we sleep.  And that’s an order.”

“Sir, yes sir.”  Eddie yawned and nestled happily in his man’s arms.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

TO BE CONTINUED in “A Trial Of Strength” – Book 13: Chapter 2