Trial Of Strength (Book 13)

"LOVING THE ROUGHNECK, JUST THE WAY HE IS"

The tribe’s boss Randy, and wildman Seth, are both roughneck construction workers, and Randy sympathizes when insecure Seth gets shit-face drunk. But Seth’s boy, young Will, is upset and Randy helps man and boy heal the breach. Randy’s lover Bob is a classy businessman, but rugged Randy evens things up when he forces the executive to strip naked and shows him the roughneck is boss.

<><>    A Rowdy Celebration    <><>

At the Grady House party it was time for the second big dinner of the weekend.

The 30-plus members of the tribe were gathering round the large square table set up on the lawn in front of the sprawling home of action movie star Grady and his Italian lover Mario.  As usual the boisterous group of men and boys was abuzz with gossip, this time on one particular topic – the virile, easy-going Forest Ranger Pete, and his boy Brandon.

Brandon, despite being in a wheelchair, had risen through the ranks of the boys to become Office Manager of the lucrative construction company that supported the tribe.  In a recent meeting with the company’s co-leaders, Bob and Randy, Bob had big news for Brandon.

Bob told Brandon, “Now that the construction company is so large, the burden on the business office is greater than ever.  It is central to the workings of the company, and as office manager, Brandon, your responsibilities are greater than ever.  In fact, your talents go way beyond just managing an office.  So the Board of Directors is inviting you to become a board member as Director of Finance, with, of course, a large commensurate increase in salary.”

The second piece of big news centered on the already ongoing efforts among the boys, led by Brandon, to volunteer at the nearby homeless shelter, where they were applying their varying skills to help out the beleaguered staff and improve conditions there.

When Grady heard about this he wanted to lend his support as a major celebrity. “You know guys, I’ve always said the only good thing about my fame is using it to help others, like when I do public appearances to raise funds for charities.  I would love to join your group, kids.

“I’m a guy who got lucky by chance and fell in a pot of jam, and it’s time I gave some back.  I’d help out down there on days I’m not filming and become a familiar face.  After the big raise Bob got me from the studio, Mario and I can easily afford a major donation. We’d sort of adopt the shelter, become their patron.”

Mario added enthusiastically, “They could even rename the shelter Grady House Two.  It would set an example to other wealthy people to get involved in L.A.’s homeless crisis.”

All of which explained the excited buzz around the dinner table as they waited for Brandon and Pete to appear.  The reason they were late to arrive was that they were in bed.  Pete, already crazy in love with Brandon, had been blown away by his boy’s generosity and leadership skills, so he had taken the new young Director of Finance to bed and made passionate love to him.

Pete and Branon were a quiet, unassuming couple, much loved by the tribe, and when at last they emerged from the house they were greeted by a raucous standing ovation.  Brandon blushed, and the usually strong, silent Pete gripped his boy’s wrist and held his arm high in a gesture of triumph. 

When they were all finally seated, Randy, the muscular gypsy boss of the tribe, stood up and bellowed for silence.  “Guys, this is a big day for the tribe.  We, who have been so lucky and live so well, are collectively donating our energy and money to those who’ve fallen on hard times. 

“Speaking personally, I recall my humble beginnings as a day laborer, shacking up in a shabby hotel, on the brink of homelessness.  I could have stayed that way if I had not met a certain guy named Bob sitting on a bar stool in a dingy beer bar. 

“Many of us round this table came from dicey backgrounds too, but somehow we found each other – and look at us all now.  We have so much to be thankful for and I’m glad we’ve found a way to help those who don’t.

“Brandon and Brian began all this, volunteering at the shelter, and they deserve our thanks and applause.  Brandon will be coordinating the effort, and Brian is our link to Grady, whose fame and wealth will spread the word and be an example for others to donate their energy and money.  Thank you Grady and Mario, for joining the effort ... and thanks for throwing this terrific party.  Now let’s eat, guys.  I’m starved.”

He sat down to rousing applause, and Bob, sitting next to him, kissed his cheek.  “Well said, Randy.  I give thanks every day for that twist of fate where I pulled off the freeway, turned left on Hollywood Boulevard and wound up in that scruffy bar, sitting next to a scruffy, sweaty roughneck laborer who changed my life.”

“I wanna fuck you right now, dude,” Randy grinned.

“Ah, some things never change,” Bob sighed.

These huge dinners were always rowdy affairs, but this one more than ever.  Brandon was the center of attention as the boys peppered him with ideas for the shelter effort, while the other company directors congratulated Brandon on his promotion to the board.

However, there was one man at the table who did not join in all of the laughter and lively crosstalk.  One of the other construction site managers, the tough, tousled Seth, kept to himself ... and drank steadily.

<><>    Seth’s Rough, Tough Background    <><>

In the general revelry no one paid much attention to Seth’s brooding silence – except for his boy, his stepson Will, who watched him with a troubled frown.  Seth’s apathy – and drinking – continued through the meal, and Will’s agitation was noticed by Randy. 

Will, the young redheaded chef, was a favorite of Randy’s who liked to kid around with him and had his own pet name for him – Red.  Will always took care of Randy’s special tastes, keeping a stash of his favorite Scotch, and serving him his favorite steak and potatoes when everyone else was eating the chefs’ gourmet food.  “You take such good care of me, Red,” Randy always said, tousling the boy’s red hair.

Maybe his fondness for Will went back to the kid’s first days with the tribe.  Will had once lived with his stepdad Seth when Seth was a hard-drinking day laborer hanging out with his raunchy buddies in bars, then coming home drunk and abusing the boy, even trying to force sex on him.

In despair, Will ran away and led a sad, lonely life until he met the twins, the tribe’s senior chefs, who hired him as assistant chef and he happily joined the tribe.

But his story took an ugly turn when Seth came looking for Will to force him to come back with him.  Randy intervened and his response was predictable.  In a savage fight he ended up beating Seth and saving Will. 

But Randy had seen something in Seth that reminded him of himself when he had also been a hard-drinking day laborer.  He was impressed with Seth’s strength and fighting skills, and saw in him something like a kindred spirit.  So Randy offered him a job.

That changed Seth’s life.  He worked hard and eventually Randy made him manager of one of the construction sites, and thus a company director.  Seth and Will soon reconciled and discovered a love that had always been deeply hidden under the turmoil of their former lives.

But just as Randy remained, at his core, the wild gypsy he had always been, Seth also never shook the image of an unkempt wildman.  Both of them were rugged alpha males, quite different from the other more socially competent senior men of the tribe.  The difference was that Randy had his lover, the sophisticated Bob, to knock the rough edges off him.  Seth had no such man ... except perhaps his boy Will

And that in a nutshell was the background to what was going on now at the dinner table.

Eventually, others noticed Seth’s morose heavy drinking, and anxious glances were exchanged, especially between Randy and Bob, and between the twins Kyle and Kevin, Will’s supervisors in the kitchen.

They were all somewhat relieved near the end of the meal when Seth abruptly stood up and mumbled hoarsely.  “Gotta go ... ‘night guys.”  He walked unsteadily to the house.

There was an uneasy silence round the table and Will’s freckled face blushed in embarrassment.  He said to the twins, “I gotta go, guys, but I’ll be right back to help with the cleanup.”

“Will,” Kevin said gently, “take as long as you need.  We can easily take care of the cleanup.  Would you like us to come with you?”

“No thanks, guys, I can handle this on my own.”   Still blushing, he got up and hurried toward the house.

Randy murmured, “I gotta go help the kid.” He stood up to follow him but Bob pulled him back down.  “Leave him alone, buddy.  It’s between Will and his dad, private and personal. Wait and see if he asks for your help.”

“Poor kid.” Randy clenched his fists.  “If Seth hurts him I’ll fucking ...”

“Sshh,” Bob smiled.  “Seth loves the boy, he won’t hurt him, not physically.  He looks too drunk to do anything more than pass out on the bed.”

<><>    Seth Has A Hangover    <><>

Bob was right.  When Will went into the guestroom he shared with Seth, he found him fully dressed, sprawled face down on the bed breathing heavily.  Will sat on the bed and laid his hand gently across his back.  “Can I bring you anything, sir.  Water or something?”

Seth heaved himself slowly over on his back.  He looked up blearily and smiled weakly, then reached up and lightly stroked Will’s cheek.  “You’re a good kid, Will.  Nah, I don’t need anything except a good night’s sleep.”  He grinned, “I’ve got a lot of experience passing out and sleeping off a hangover.  Used to happen all the time.”

“But out there at dinner, sir, something was troubling you.”

“Nah ... well, yeah I guess I should level with my own boy.  Thing is, kiddo, when those guys were all celebrating, talking about their lives and their plans, I realized that I don’t fit in here, prob’ly never did.”

“Not fit in, sir? What do you mean?”

Seth was slurring his words.  “I mean, look at those guys ... Bob, with all his class and book learning, self-confident Zack, two doctors, Steve and Chad, the architect Lloyd ...   Now look at me, a scruffy construction worker – only thing I’m good at is digging dirt and getting drunk.”

“That’s not true, sir.  You’re a director of the company.”

“Yeah, like Brandon.”

“No, sir.  Like Randy and Zack, big, tough guys, construction site bosses.”

“Maybe, kinda ... but they’re way smarter than me ... hell, Brandon is ten times smarter than me.  Confident too.  Huh, imagine me and those guys at some classy event somewhere – they’d sail through it, no problem.  You would too, Will, a fancy chef with all those good manners.  Me, I wouldn’t know what fucking fork to use.

“Like I said, I’m just not one of them, kid.  I’m surprised you stick around with me.  I can’t trust myself ... might get stinkin' drunk one night, come home and rough you up, abuse you like I used to do.”

“Stop it!  Please stop, sir, don’t say those things.  That’s all in the past.  You changed, we have a good time living together, we love each other, right?”

Seth suddenly reached out and grabbed Will’s forearm tight.  Wild-eyed, he groaned, “Don’t ever leave me, Will, don’t run away again like you did before.  You won’t leave me, will you?”

“Of course not, sir.  You know I won’t ... I love you.  Where is all this coming from?  It’s the alcohol talking, not you.”

“Yeah, I’m hammered alright, drunk as a skunk.  Drowning my sorrows by crawling in a bottle.”

“OK, sir.  I’m gonna let you sleep now.  I gotta go back downstairs to help the guys clean up the kitchen.  Then I’ll come right back and slide into bed with you and we’ll sleep together all night long.  How’s that sound?

“Soun’s purrfeck,” he slurred ... and fell asleep.

Will got carefully off the bed, slowly took off Seth’s boots and pulled down his jeans.  Still wearing his T-shirt and undershorts he didn’t wake up as Will covered him with a sheet and blanket.   Will took one last look at him and quietly left the room.

As he stumbled down the stairs he realized that tears were running down his cheeks.  He ran out of the house, staggered across the lawn ... straight into Randy’s arms.  He let the strong arms fold round him and sobbed on Randy’s shoulder.

“That’s it, kid, let it out.  I gotcha.  You’re safe now.” 

<><>    Randy Tells Will A Love Story    <><>

Randy folded his big hand round the back of Will’s head and held him tight against his neck until the sobbing slowed and stopped.  “There, that’s better.”  He pulled back and brushed the tears from the boy’s cheeks with the back of his hand.”

“Sorry, sir.  I didn’t mean to do that.  I better get in the kitchen and help the guys.”

“Listen to me, Red.  Those kids can do without you for once.  I need you more than they do ... and right now, you need me.  Here, I got a bottle of good brandy going over here, and that’s just what you need.” 

He led Will by the hand to a cushioned garden bench under a tree and they sat together facing a small table with a brandy bottle and two glasses.  Randy poured the drinks and raised his glass.  They clinked glasses and Randy smiled, “To Seth.”

“To Seth,” Will repeated.  They took a long drink, Randy slid his arm along the back of the bench behind Will’s neck, and they gazed out across the lawn.  A bright full moon lit the garden, empty now except for the large table with its white cloth blowing gently in the soft warm breeze.”

“Great place they got here, Grady and Mario, ain’t they?”

“Yes sir.  It’s nice sitting here with you.  Makes me feel a lot better.   Er, sir, why did you choose to drink to Seth just then?”

“Because he’s hurting, kiddo, and when one of our guys is hurting it’s our job to make him feel better.”

“Like you’re doing for me now, sir?”

“Something like that, Red.  You know I’ve always told you if you ever needed help you gotta come to me.  Well, I have a feeling you need help right now.  This is your old pal Randy, so spill, kiddo.  What did your dad say to you up there?”

Will told Randy the gist of the conversation.  “He kept saying he don’t fit in with all you guys ... said he don’t have the smarts of guys like Bob and the doctors and even Brandon.  He even told me he was scared of getting drunk and abusing me again like the times he ... well you know ...  He looked panicked when he pleaded with me not to run away and leave him.  He must know I never would.  It didn’t make sense, sir.  Can you understand it all, sir?”    

Randy laughed, “Hell yes.  Kid I’ve been there, done that, over and over again.  Yeah, I understand Seth ‘cos he’s so much like me, that’s why I like him so much. Let me help you understand by telling you about me and Bob.

“Picture it, Red.  A grungy sweaty laborer is drinking after work in a run-down beer bar, and in walks this classy guy who definitely don’t belong there – tall, movie-star handsome, tan slacks and a crisp white dress shirt.

“Turned out he was a business executive from posh Marine County up north, driving down to Mexico escaping a bad marriage.  He had decided to take a breather and get a drink, so he pulled off the freeway and turned the wrong way on Hollywood Boulevard, toward the rough end of town.  If he had turned the other way, kiddo, we wouldn’t be sitting here now.

“Anyway, fast forward a few years and we were living together.  And here comes the Seth part.  Here was I, a swarthy gypsy construction worker, and Bob was a highly educated vice-president of a finance company, with diplomas up the ying-yang, PhD, MBA, stuff I’d never even heard of.  Kid, we’re talking serious intimidation here.  What the fuck was a man like this doing with a scumbag like me, whose only talents were in his fists?

“I was scared to death he would leave me. ‘Cos the thing was, I had fallen crazy in love with him – with the accent on the crazy. I was insanely possessive, thought the only way I could keep him with me was by force ... like tying him up in my cave and rolling a boulder across the door. 

“I recall one time when Bob and Lloyd went out to San Bernardino to look at some buildings.  They spent the night in a hotel and ended up fucking.  I heard about it and drove out there like a maniac.  I slugged Lloyd and took Bob out to the desert.  I tied him to the back of the truck and dragged his naked body behind the truck through the sand.  I ended up fucking his ass.”

“Your dad Seth has that same feeling of inferiority compared with the other guys here, like Bob, Mark and Zack.  Those years when you lived with him and he’d come home drunk and tried to molest you, that was the equivalent of me dragging Bob through the desert, Seth’s way of asserting his macho dominance and stopping you running away.”

“But, sir, it had the opposite effect ... I did run away.  It’s only when he came to find me and you tamed him and put him to work that I realized that deep down I had been in love with him all the time.  And you know the strange thing?  What I find so sexy about Seth is the very thing he’s ashamed of – that tough, hairy wildman look, the construction boss who’s all man – not classy and smart like Bob.”  

“You hit the nail on the head, Red. That’s the point of this whole thing.  You love Seth exactly for what he is.  And that’s how Bob loves me.  Huh, if I were to show up all buttoned up, dressed in a business suit, clean-shaven, hair cut short, I tell you kiddo, he’d lose his hardon in a flash.  Imagine Seth like that.”

Will giggled.  “I can’t, sir.”

“And that thing just now when he grabbed you and pleaded with you not to run away and desert him.  You have no idea how many times I’ve begged Bob not to leave me, especially after I’ve lost my cool and treated him like shit.  And we’re still together – more in love than ever.  It’s not exactly that he liked being beat up, though I gotta say, he’s turned on when I get rough in bed.  It’s that he loves me just the way I am – OK, so maybe not the dragging behind the truck thing.”

“Yes, sir, I get all that, the similarities between you and Seth.  But I still don’t understand why Seth got so depressed in the middle of a happy celebration for all the good things that were happening in the tribe.”

“Ah that’s easy – it’s the Christmas Holiday syndrome, where folks with problems get real depressed watching everyone else laughing and celebrating, and they can’t get into the Christmas sprit ‘cos they feel more like crying than laughing.”

“Yeah, I understand that too, sir.  But I still don’t know what to do for Seth, except keep showing him I love him – love him just the way he is.”

“Well that’s the main thing right there, Red.  But there are other things.  If you can do it.”

“Anything, sir, I’ll do anything.”

<><>    Randy Has A Plan    <><>

Randy poured more brandy for them both, and Will found his intense blue eyes comforting. 

“One thing you gotta do is try to convince Seth of what we just said – that you love him just the way he is and don’t want him to change. 

“And there’s something else – a bit tougher to do.  You can try showing him that these differences that obsess him – the worldly sophisticated guy versus the construction worker who don’t know one fork from another – all that don’t mean shit. We could all dress up smart like Bob and move in a stylish world if we wanted to.  It’s just that guys like Seth and me don’t want to.”

Will frowned.  “Really sir?  How would I ever convince him of that?”

“OK. So here’s what Bob did.  He talked me into something I resisted like mad at first.  He put me in smart casual clothes – clean jeans, loafers, polo shirt, that kinda stuff – and drove me down the coast to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Laguna Niguel.  It’s a real classy five-star joint on the beach cliffs.  Showed me that anyone could carry it off if they wanted to.  The respectful staff there treated me like a prince.”

Will smiled.  “A lot of them probably had stiff dicks when you walked in, sir.  But if I tried to do that with Seth they’d suss us out as soon as they looked at us, and treat us coldly.”

“Not at that place.  The staff there are trained to treat everyone with respect, as guests of the hotel.  Anyway, this is Southern California, kiddo.  You can never tell how rich a guy is by the way he dresses.  Some of the richest guys, movie stars like Grady, wear sloppy clothes.  The hotel staff know that it’s all window dressing.  It’s the way people behave that counts.”

“But I could never carry that off, sir.  I’m just a kid, an assistant chef.”

“Dude, don’t ever let me hear you say you’re just anything.  See, that hotel has a real posh dining room and I guarantee that if a waiter presented you with that big, elegant menu, you would know your way around it better than the waiter himself does, with your knowledge of gourmet food and fine wines.  You could probably cook it better than their chefs, too.  They’d soon know you were no slouch when it comes to food.”

“But sir, Bob has a Mercedes.”

Randy roared with laughter.  “Red, when I went down there a second time I drove my big ol’ truck.  OK, so I did wash the mud off it first.  And when I pulled up at the front entrance the valet parkers all swarmed around it, wanting to be the one who drove it down to the garage.  That truck got even more respect than I did.”

Will smiled. “But I wouldn’t know what to expect, how to prepare ... even what clothes to pack.”

“Listen Red, here’s the thing.  You might be surprised to know that several of the hotel staff eventually came up here and joined the tribe.  Bob and me met Danny, then a room-service waiter, and also Tommy, an arrogant golden-boy assistant manager.  Later, when Mark and Jamie went there for a weekend, they met Mario.  Yes, he was a humble pool boy in those days.  When he came up here he met Grady, and here we are, years later, in their luxury home.

“And of course, we all know that Miguel was the hotel chef until he was transferred to the Ritz up here in L.A. as the top executive chef.

“The reason I say all that, is to suggest you get together with Danny and Tommy tomorrow and ask them about the hotel and what to except. They’re your good buddies so they’ll tell you what to wear and pack, and reassure you that you and your stepdad will do just fine.  “Course, the tough part will be convincing Seth to go with you.  I’ll be around to help you with that ... Seth and me talk the same language.”

Will took a last swig of brandy.  “Sir, I want to thank you for having this long talk with me. You’ve helped me a whole lot.”

Randy grinned, “Red, you know I love you and want the best for you.  Like I said, Seth and me are alike and he probably sees the same quality in you that I see.  He’s perfect for you, Red, if only he can get his act together.  Like we said, the first thing you gotta do is show him that you love him just the way he is and you don’t want him to change.

“And I’m gonna do that right now, sir.  He’ll be fast asleep – sleeping off his hangover as he calls it.  But I’ll crawl under the sheets with him and snuggle close.  In the morning I’ll definitely show him I love him, just as he is.”

They stood up and Randy pulled Will into a final tight hug.  Randy’s eyes were moist as he watched the newly confident young redhead prance across the lawn and into the house, far happier than the sobbing kid who had come out of it just a short time ago.

<><>   The Captive Business Executive    <><>

As Will had predicted, when he went quietly into the guestroom they shared, Seth was the same as he had left him – still in his T-shirt and shorts, lying in a deep sleep under the sheet and blanket Will had covered over him. 

Gazing down at his face, now peaceful in sleep, Will again felt tears come to his eyes.  But this time he blinked them back, determined to help his dad, fortified by the advice and comfort Randy had given him.

He undressed, slid under the sheet and pressed gently against him.  Seth gave a long soft moan and, without waking, unconsciously draped his arm over his naked boy.  That made the boy smile, a smile that stayed on his freckled face as he slept.

Down in the garden Randy sat thinking about Will and Seth, and of his own past with Bob.  When he had drained the last of the brandy, he stood up, stretched his powerful arms and made for the house.  He went up to the main guestroom Brian had assigned to him and Bob and, thinking Bob would surely be asleep by now, he entered quietly and closed the door silently behind him.

But Bob wasn’t in bed at all.  He was working, sitting at a small table staring intently at his laptop screen.  But he was dressed for bed, in pale blue boxer shorts and a white tank-top stretched over his muscular torso.  He was turned partly away from the door and was so intensely focused on his work that he hadn’t heard Randy come in.

Standing just inside the door, Randy was mesmerized by the vision of Bob, in his underwear, his tousled dark hair flopping over his forehead.  Randy breathed softly, “Fuck ... fuck ...” and reached down to the straining bulge in his jeans. 

At one point Bob paused, looked up and frowned in thought, and his face caught the light of the full moon streaming through the window.  His strong chiseled features were clearly etched in the bright white light and, to Randy, he had never looked more beautiful than he did right now.

Again he moaned softly, “Fuck ... holy shit.”  He silently pulled open his jeans, pulled out his stiff cock and stroked it, gazing in awe at his stunning lover.  His mind ran over his conversation with Will, and his description of the events in his life with Bob. 

He vividly recalled the day he saw Bob enter the bar, blinking in the darkness of the bar after the bright sun outside.  He re-lived their first shattering night in the motel that had changed their lives.  He recalled his growing obsession with Bob, confused by it, but scared of losing him, and the sometimes-savage lengths he had gone to keep him ... to own him.

When he saw again the image of his naked lover being dragged through the sand behind the truck he wanted to run up to him, kneel and beg forgiveness all over again.

He was struck by the two contrasting images of Bob – the macho sex-god muscle hunk in his underwear, and at the same time the talented attorney and financier, handsome face concentrating hard on his work.  He used to be intimidated by Bob’s brilliant mind and classy look in his tailored business suit, but now it turned him on.  Standing there now, watching him, it felt as if he had made the executive strip off, down to his underwear, waiting for his man to dominate him by reaming his ass.

The fantasy built, he stroked his cock harder and groaned out loud.  Bob heard him at last, looked up from his laptop and smiled.  “Hey, here you are.  I’d almost given you up, thought you had taken young Will to bed.”

Randy shoved his hard dick back in his jeans.  “Nah, but I did talk to him a whole lot.”

“I know.  I watched you from the window for a while.  And the way Will was gazing up at you with love shining from his teary eyes, I knew you were giving him comforting advice.  And I realized more than ever what a wonderful man you are, and how lucky I am to be your lover.”

“The kid’s gone back to sleep with Seth now, and I came up here and found you sitting here looking so fucking gorgeous, so hot, I knew I had to fuck you.  I whacked my cock and almost rubbed one out just standing here looking at you.”

“What if I don’t wanna get fucked?” Bob grinned teasingly.

“Then I’ll just have to drag you back to my cave, chain you to the wall and pound your ass till you beg for mercy.”

Bob leaned back in his chair raised his arms and linked his hands behind his head. “Hmm, tempting.”      

Randy stared in disbelief.  “Dude, if you move one more muscle, smile one more smile, I will cream my fucking shorts.  And that ain’t where I wanna spill my load.  We both know where that’s going.”

“OK, I’ll think about it.”

“The hell you will, asshole.  This is me you’re talking to – the King of the fucking Gypsies.  And you’re my man, to treat however the fuck I want.”  He reached down, picked Bob bodily out of his chair and flung him on the bed.  He knelt on the bed astride Bob’s waist and stared down at his handsome square-jawed face and his perfect torso flexing under the white tank.

He leaned forward, grabbed Bob’s wrists and pinned them to the bed above his head.  “You look so fucking hot, man.  I was telling young Will about all the times I was so scared you’d leave me that I treated you rough to show you I was the boss.  The time I punished you by dragging you through the desert behind my truck, then all the times I tied you to the bed and ploughed your ass.

“And here we are again and my cock is throbbing, just looking down at you.  Hey, look at that.  There’s ropes tied round the bedposts.  Must be from the last time we had this room. Huh, young Brian must’ve left them there, thinking we might need them again.  Smart kid.”

Randy pulled Bob’s arms up to the corners of the bed and expertly tied his wrists to the posts.  Then he jumped off the bed and paced round it, staring down at his captive.  Knowing how to excite Randy, Bob pulled at his bound wrists and struggled to free himself.

Randy groaned, “Fuck, man.  Holy fucking shit ...” He stared down at the dark, handsome executive, stripped to his underwear, helplessly roped to the bed, his powerful body writhing, muscles flexing, veins bulging.

“You gorgeous son of a bitch, you love it, don’t you?  Look at that cock straining in your fucking shorts.”  Randy jumped on the bed again, straddling his waist, and planted his palms heavily on Bob’s pecs that strained under his tank.   “Fuuuck ...”

He pulled back, straight up on his knees, and sat on the bulge in Bob’s shorts.  He pulled his own shirt off and tossed it aside, then yanked his cock out again and pounded it in his fist. 

Bob stared up at the amazing sight of the swarthy bare-chested gypsy, stubbled jaw, high cheekbones, long shaggy black hair.  His blue eyes pierced Bob’s like lasers and his muscles rippled as he pounded his own cock.  Again Bob pulled at his bound wrists, this time desperate to touch his own cock that strained in his shorts.

Randy growled, “Fucking awesome, man.  Damn, you’re beautiful ... and you’re mine, my prisoner.  Let me hear it dude, let me hear that big powerful executive surrender to the gypsy who captured him.”

“OK, I give up.  Please let me go, sir.  You win.  I can’t take anymore.  Please ...”

It was too much for Randy.  “Fuck ...,” he yelled.  “Fuuuck!”   His cock exploded with jets of hot semen that splashed down on the captive’s tank, his neck and face.  Drowning in cum Bob gasped and bucked under Randy as his own semen poured into his shorts.

“Fuck you, man, did I say you could cum?”  Randy shuffled back and knelt between Bob’s legs.  He grabbed his sticky wet shorts, ripped them clear off and wiped them over the bound man’s cum-splashed face.  He pushed his legs back, and drove his still-rigid cock deep in his ass.

“You cum when I shoot in your ass, you hear?”  His rod pounded ass like a piston and he watched the handsome face thrashing from side to side, wincing in pain.  He grabbed Bob’s tank, wet with jizz, and pulled his head and shoulders up off the bed.  Cum still ran down Bob’s face as he stared up into Randy’s piercing blue eyes.

“I’m gonna shoot again, man, in your ass this time.  And I’m gonna make you bust another load too.  Here it comes, man ... I’m gonna cum ... yeaah ...”   

As he thrust in deep he yanked back on Bob’s tank and it ripped clean off.  Bob fell back on the bed and the sight of Randy triumphantly waving his ragged tank high in the air made Bob shoot a second load on his now-naked chest.

Of course it did.

<><>    “You’re Gonna Do Fine, Red”    <><>

Early next morning, as the men were still lazing in each other’s arms, they heard a knock on the door and were surprised to see Will come in wheeling a food trolley stacked with breakfast food.

“Hey, Red,” Randy grinned.  Didn’t expect to see you this morning.  Shouldn’t you be with your dad?”

“He’s still asleep, sir, and I’m letting him sleep a bit longer while I went down to the kitchen.  He was asleep last night when I crawled into bed with him, and he still was when I got up.  I’ve got breakfast for both of us here so I’ll wake him up now. 

I wanted to thank you again, sir, for all your help last night.  I think I’ll take your advice and suggest we take a trip down the coast to the Ritz-Carlton like you and Bob did.  I’m not sure what I’m getting into but, like you said, I’ll talk to Tommy and Danny and maybe even Miguel as they all used to work there.”

Even though a breakfast buffet was already spread out in the garden, it had become traditional for the tribe’s leaders Bob and Randy, to be served a small breakfast in bed.  Will now set coffee, juice and croissants on the small table.  “If there’s anything else you want, sirs, just ...”

“Thank you Will,” Bob smiled, “but that looks great.  Now get your sweet butt down the hall and take care of your man.  Good luck on persuading him to take that trip with you. It would be a wonderful thing if you can pull it off.”

Randy got out of bed buck naked and ruffled Will’s red hair.  “You’re gonna do fine, Red.  Just remember everything I told you.  And if there’s anything else you need us to do, you know where to come.”

“Thank you, sir.  But I guess it’s up to Seth and me now.”  He wheeled the cart out and Bob smiled at Randy.  “So that’s what you were talking about last night.  I suppose you were comparing yourself to Seth, with all the insecurity of a construction worker pitted against more worldly, sophisticated men.  Great idea to suggest the hotel trip.  It worked for us, proved that being yourself is all it takes – speaking softly rather than wielding a big stick.”

“Oh, I dunno.  Sometimes I have to resort to the big stick and let the caveman out of his cave.  Talking of which, how about a repeat performance?

He pressed against Bob who laughed and pushed him away.  “Down, tiger.  I need my coffee.  So let’s wheel a boulder across the mouth of that cave, then try and think up more ways we can help Will and his dad.”

“OK, dude,” Randy grinned.  “You’re the boss ... for now.”

<><>    “Just The Way You Are, Sir”    <><>

When Will pushed his cart into his and Seth’s guestroom Seth was starting to stir.  He opened his eyes and stared blearily at his boy.  “Ooh,” he groaned, shielding his eyes from the light. “Didn’t think you’d want anything to do we me, kid, after I got hammered at dinner. Thought you’d be keeping your distance from your drunken old dad.”

“I didn’t keep my distance all night long, sir.”

“No, that’s right.  I was dimly aware of you next to me in bed, and putting my arm over you.  Must be why I slept so well ... that and the booze. I gotta get cleaned up, I must look disgusting.”

“No don’t, please sir.  You don’t have to get prettied up for me ... I always like you just the way you are.  Look, I brought breakfast for us.”

“OK, but I gotta take a leak.  Seth heaved himself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom.  When he came back, still dressed in his wrinkled old T-shirt and under shorts, Will had set the breakfast on the table by the window and Seth sat heavily in one of the chairs. 

“Mmm, something smells good.  Now I think of it, I’m starved.  Didn’t eat much dinner last night.  Too busy drinking, drowning my sorrows.”

Will poured the coffee and said, “And it’s those ‘sorrows’ I want to talk about, sir.”

Seth winced.  “Ooh, do we have to?”

“I think we should, sir.  First, I have a confession.  Last night after you fell asleep ...”

“You mean passed out, don’t you?” Seth grinned ruefully.

“Whatever, sir.  Anyway, I went down to help the chefs clean up the kitchen and ran into Randy We had a long talk.  I hope you don’t mind, sir.”

“Nah, I don’t mind.  You must’ve been feeling kinda down, and Randy’s a good guy ... Bob too.  What did he say to you?  Did he slam me?  He had every right to.”

“Not at all, sir, quite the opposite.  He said you’re a great guy and you’re a lot like him.  That’s quite a compliment, sir.  He told me all about how he used to think of himself as just a roughneck construction worker and how he was intimidated by Bob and some of the other brainy guys, like his brother Doc Steve.  He was scared he wasn’t good enough for Bob and Bob would leave him, so he reacted by getting drunk and beating Bob up.”

Will paused and blushed, then decided to go for it.  “He, er, even said that when you and me lived together, you were afraid I’d run away so you reacted by ... well, you know, abusing me and stuff.”

“He said that, did he?  Well, there’s prob’ly something to that.  So how did he say Bob reacted?”

“Well, sir, that’s the point I was coming to.  Bob convinced Randy he loved him, and ... here’s the point ... he loved him for just the way he was, the tough macho construction worker, wild looking, dressed in dirty old work clothes.  That still turns Bob on to this day.

“And sir, that’s why Randy thinks you and him are so alike, why he likes you so much.  And it’s, and why you got drunk last night, ‘cos you felt intimidated by all the professional guys round the table, just like he always used to feel.”

“Yeah, kiddo, but the fact remains Randy and me are construction workers and could never compete with those classy well-dressed guys.”

“But you don’t have to compete, sir.  And Randy said the smart clothes and fancy words are all window dressing – anyone could do that if they wanted to.  To prove it, you know what Bob did?  He took Randy down to that fancy hotel, the Ritz-Carlton where some of our guys used to work.  He didn’t want to go but Bob insisted, and it worked. The staff were in awe of Randy and treated him like a prince, he said.”

Seth chuckled.  “I’d like to have seen that, Randy all dressed up.  Huh, try getting me to do something like that, all gussied up.  No way.”

“Sir, that’s exactly what I do want to try.  I’d be nervous too, but Randy urged me to talk to Tommy and Danny, and even Miguel, ‘cos they all used to work down there and they could tell me what to expect.”

He looked expectantly at Seth, but he shook his head. “Nah, kid, I can’t see it ... not me, not in public.  In private, just you and me, I might borrow a suit and tie from Bob and dress up a bit if that would turn you on.”

“But that’s my point, sir it wouldn’t, ‘cos it wouldn’t be the real you.  What turns me on is you, sir, just the way you are right now – the wildman look, tousled hair, sweaty T-shirt and old shorts.  Why d’you think I’ve got a hard-on all the time sitting here?”

Seth smiled.  “You too, uh?  I get what you’re saying, Will.  Same with me.  Sure, I admire you for knowing all about fancy food and stuff, but what really turns me on is when you come home after a long kitchen shift, still in your apron and that cute chef’s hat a bit askew.  I watch you take them off and I wanna see all your clothes come off so I can make love to my sweet boy.”

“Really, sir?”  Will’s famous urchin grin lit his freckled face.  “You mean, like this?”  He stood up and kicked off his sneakers.  He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, then loosened his shorts and let them drop.”

Seth stared at the naked redheaded boy.  “Damn that gets me hard.  Stay right there while I get cleaned up ...”

“No, sir, I don’t need you all cleaned up.  You look so sexy just the way you are right now.  Please take me to bed right this minute.  Please, sir ...”

Seth got up from the table, walked up to his boy and cradled his face gently in his hands.  “I love you so much, Will.  I just want to make you happy.”  He bent down and kissed him on the forehead, his eyes and his lips.  When at last he pulled back, Will looked up at his rugged face – a teary-eyed wildman.

“And I want you to be happy, sir.”  Will sank to his knees and clamped his mouth over the bulge in Seth’s shorts, inhaling the musky smell and taste of sweat and dry piss.  Then he pulled the thick shaft out of the shorts and into his mouth.

Seth sighed heavily as he watched the redhead move down and up, his freckled face buried in his damp pubes.  The sight and feel brought Seth close to orgasm several times until he pulled away.  “Kid, you’re gonna make me cum in your mouth and I don’t want that.  I wanna dump my load in your sweet ass.”

He bent down, picked up the naked boy and carried him in his muscular arms over to the bed.  He smiled down at him. “You love me enough to take my rod in your ass, kid?”

“Of course, sir.  I was longing for that all night.”

“But I was too shit-face drunk to perform eh?” Seth grinned.  “Well I’m rock-hard now – better late than never.”

Gently he laid Will on the rumpled sheets and dropped his own shorts.   He knelt on the bed and at last pulled off his sweaty shirt.  Then man and stepson made love. 

Seth eased his cock into Will’s butt and fucked him tenderly, all the while stroking the boy’s cock in his big fist.  They were both so keyed up that it wasn’t long before Seth was saying, “Nearly ready kiddo?”

“So close, sir.”  He reached up and dug his fingers into Seth’s solid hairy pecs.  “I love you so much, just the way you are now.  You’re making me cum, sir ... here I go ...”  The sight of his boy spurting his juice over his smooth bare chest made Seth howl.  His sinewy body flexed ... and he filled the boy’s ass with his jizz.

They smiled at each other and lay together silently for some time, until Seth finally spoke.  “OK, kiddo, tell you what.  I’ll speak to Randy about this hotel thing, and you can go talk to your mates like you said.  And we’ll take it from there, eh?  Sound like a plan?”

“Definitely, sir,” Will grinned happily.  “And now it really is time for us to get cleaned up.  Do you mind if I shower with you, sir?”

Seth laughed.  “Wouldn’t have it any other way, kid.”

<><>    “Looks Like We’re On, Kid”    <><>

Down in the garden men and boys were lazing around by the pool, sunning themselves on the grass or clustered round the bar.  When Seth appeared with his arm round the always-popular young chef Will, they were greeted with cheers and applause.  Will peeled off to the kitchen and Seth made a beeline for the table where Randy and Bob were sitting.

“Everything work out OK with your boy, Seth?” Randy grinned.

“Things are just fine, dude.  I wanna thank you for talking to Will last night.  He told me what you said and it made me see things in a whole new way.  Also, I wanna apologize to you both for getting so stinkin’ drunk last night.”

Randy threw is head back in a full-throated laugh.  “Buddy, if I had to apologize every time I got shit-faced I’d spend my life on my knees.”

“Hmm,” Bob said, “not a bad idea now you mention it.”

“Asshole,” Randy smiled and kissed him.

Seth frowned, “Only thing is, the boy has this thing in his head about taking me down to a fancy hotel and ... ah, I dunno.”

“He got that from me telling him that Bob and me did that.  Dude, that boy of yours is a great kid, and he’s crazy in love with you.  You’re a lucky man. And whatever you can do to make him happy, I say go for it.”

“Seth,” Bob said, “it was originally my idea and Randy fought against it tooth and nail at first.  But it was hugely successful and Randy ended up loving it, he was the star of the show.  I wish you would consider it favorably, and you can tell Will if he needs any help I’ll be happy to give him whatever advice I can.”

“And if it comes to it,” Randy added, “you can easily take a couple days off work.  My site is slow right now, waiting for permits, so I can easily cover yours.”

“Thanks, guys. I appreciate that.  Will’s in the kitchen right now talking to the guys who once worked at the hotel.  We’ll see what comes of that.”

When Will went into the kitchen, as luck would have it he found Danny, Tommy and Miguel talking menus and recipes.  “Hey, Will, how’s it going?” Danny asked.

“It’s all good, Danny, but there’s something I wanted to talk to all three of you about if you have a moment.”  He told them of Randy’s hotel idea, but he was nervous about being out of his depth.  “See, I’ve never been to a fancy hotel myself so I wouldn’t know what to do.  But as you guys all worked there ...”

“Say no more, Will,” Miguel smiled.  “I’m based at the downtown L.A. Ritz now but I also supervise the kitchens down at Laguna.  And these two guys sure know everything there is to know about how the place works, after working there so long.”

Tommy said, “You have nothing to worry about, Will.  Danny and I can prep you so you’ll have a terrific time.  I say go for it, dude.”

When Will joined Seth, Randy and Bob he was smiling happily.  “I’ve been speaking to the guys and they’re gonna help me.  They’re all for it and I feel much more confident.”

“Me too, kiddo,” Seth grinned.  These two guys are all for it and trust their judgement.  So, kid, it looks like we’re on.”

<><>    Future Stories    <><>

As this was the last day of the festive weekend gathering at the Grady House, the final dinner was being served earlier than usual as some of the guys were working next morning.  It was a merry crowd that gathered round the large table and the inevitable chant started for boss Randy to give his customary speech. 

He rose and said, “OK, guys.  Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking ...”  That lie was shouted down instantly and he grinned, “OK, OK, listen up.  First, of course, we all have to thank Grady and Mario and their guys Danny and Brian for all their hard work in laying on this extravaganza.  Thanks, guys, take a bow.  Mario and Grady stood next to Brian in his wheelchair, with Danny next to Mario.  They smiled and bowed to rousing cheers.

“And now, guys, please give it up for the chefs and their helpers for all their tireless work.”  The boys took their bow and when the noise died down Randy continued.  “As many of you may know, some of you guys will be going out of town next week.  Grady’s new movie won’t start for another month, so the movie guys, Jamie, Nate and Eddie, will be off.

“Nate is gonna take a trip with Adam to their native Australia, and Nate will be wined and dined in First Class by his man Adam – and then fucked by him when they’re on the ground.”  Cheers and wolf whistles greeted that news.  “Meanwhile, Jamie and his man Mark will be taking their buddy Felipe to stay at their beach shack in the Guadalupe Dunes. 

And as for Eddie, he will be ‘on assignment’, as he calls it.  He’ll be staying several days on Hassan’s Marine Base, filming a new recruitment video.  His job is to get candid shots of the young Marines being trained, playing sports, working out, joking and horsing around in the locker room.”

“Jokers in jocks, eh Eddie?” Brandon shouted.

“I can only hope, dude,” Eddie grinned.  “Following the macho young rookies around and taking pictures of them is a rotten job, but someone has to do it.”

That was greeted by a hail of bread chunks aimed at Eddie, until Randy called for quiet.

Also. My brother, cowboy Charlie, will be taking our great office boys, Noah and Vic, with him up to his next rodeo gig in Fresno.  Look, the kids are so excited they can’t sit still.  Way to go, brother, knock ‘em dead up there, and take good care of our boys.  It’s been great having you here with us.”

Charlie stood up.  “I’ve had a blast here, guys.  This three-ring circus y’all got goin’ here is even more fun than the rodeo.  I’ll miss y’all, but I’ll drop in again soon.”

He sat down to more cheers and Randy continued.  “And this just in, folks.  I have just learned that Seth and Will are going down the coast for a couple of days living it up at the posh Rita-Carlton in Laguna.”  That was greeted by the loudest cheers of all as everyone knew the problems young Will and the rugged Seth had just faced down.

“And last but not least, guys, we say a temporary farewell to Uncle Mike and Larry.  Mike has been with us for several weeks in a wheelchair after a serious leg break. He has been treated by the brilliant Doc Chad and now ... he walks, he walks.  So he and Larry are off home to Palm Springs.  Mike, Larry, it’s been great having you with us.   You’re the best.”

As more cheers rang round the garden Grady leaned close to his boy Brian who sat in his wheelchair next to him.  “You getting all this kiddo?”

“Yes, sir, all of it,” Brian said, scribbling eagerly in the note pad on his tray table.

“That’s a whole load a’ gossip, dude, and I don’t want to miss a word of it.”

“You wont, sir, I have my sources reporting to me.  Fr’instance, Will’s gonna keep in touch with Brandon who’ll report the details to me.”

“Terrific, ‘cos after all this excitement here, and before the slog of the new movie begins, Mario and I will be kicking back, chilling out for a couple weeks.  And you’ll be right there with us, with all the far-flung gossip.  Who goes first?”

“Hmm, hard to tell, sir.  Maybe Will and Seth, as they’ll be off down the coast right away.”

Grady smiled and ruffled Brian’s hair.  “Well, whoever it is, it’s gonna be a whole load of fun, kiddo.  Can’t wait for the stories to come rolling in.”

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

TO BE CONTINUED in “A Trial Of Strength” – Book 13: Chapter 22