Trial Of Strength (Book 14)

"TORMENTED WILDMAN SETH GETS TAMED"

Rugged construction boss Seth has successfully turned his life around but, still haunted by his early days, he’s tormented by feelings of inferiority. Cowboy Charlie whips him into shape with a fight and a long talk. Then hunky Hispanic Miguel shows Seth that his social insecurity is also bullshit. Sexual lust rears up between the two macho studs, and they wrestle to see who is topman.

<><>    Charlie & His Boys Make A Game-Plan <><>

Cowboy Charlie had final beaten his demons.  It was no simple matter for a straight guy to be planted in a tribe of horny men and boys whose sexual desires were exclusively for other men. 

Not that the group was hostile to Charlie – quite the reverse.  In fact they admired the handsome muscular cowboy, an erotic fantasy for most of them.  He was liked and respected, and three of the tribe were his brothers.  However, the sexual mismatch had suddenly made Charlie question his own sexuality.  After a tortured mental journey he had finally, once and for all, affirmed his heterosexuality, to himself and the others.

At the group dinner he had made a moving speech that began, “Hi, guys.  I’m Charlie, and I am a heterosexual”. The resulting laughter and cheers proved their eager acceptance of Charlie as one of the tribe, confirming that straight and gay could happily co-exist. 

As he sat down, the tribe’s co-leader Bob smiled, “Well done, Charlie – just right – you made them all happy.  Except maybe for Will’s dad Seth brooding over there.  He’s been down in the dumps lately ‘cos of his irrational inferiority complex about being from the wrong side of the tracks, and not fitting in socially with all the others – most of whom themselves come from the ‘other side of the tracks’ before they came here.”

“Yeah, Bob, I can relate to his problem, having just come through my own identity crisis – except mine was sexual, Seth’s is social.  So maybe I can be of help in some way.”

“I agree, Charlie, there is a similarity there. So now that you are firmly and definitely a member of the tribe, and have got over your own troubles, maybe you are the guy who can really do something to help Seth.  It would sure make young Will happy.”

“Also, Bob, I have a strong feeling that after all you guys, and especially my boys, have helped me through a crisis of doubt, it’s now my turn to return the favor for someone else.”

His mention of his “boys” referred to two shy young kids, Noah and Vic, whom he had taken under his wing and were now, to their delight, officially his boys.  He turned to them now and asked, “How about it, kids?  You wanna help me in a new project?”

“You bet, sir,” they said in unison.

Charlie had previously told Bob that he planned to sleep with his boys tonight.  “No sex, of course, we worked all that out and they’re fine with that.  They told me they feel real special being the boys of the only totally straight guy in the tribe.”

So, after a festive dinner and many goodnight hugs for Charlie, he threw his arms over the boy’s shoulders and they made their way to the boys’ small apartment.  “Straight to bed, don’t you think, guys?  I don’t know about you, but I’m bushed.”

In reply, Noah and Vic kicked off their sneakers, pulled off their shirts, and dropped their shorts.  Wearing just their undershorts, and a big smile, they looked expectantly at Charlie.  He said, “Kids, I need help with these boots.  You know what to do.”

They did.  Charlie sat on the edge of the bed and they turned their backs to him.  They each pulled a boot up between their legs and tugged. It took a moment, but slowly the cowboy boots started to come loose, and then off, so abruptly that the boys lurched forward and fell in a heap on the floor.  They laughed merrily and Charlie fell in love with them all over again.

“Get on the damn bed,” he laughed and they scrambled on the bed and gazed up at him.  This was their favorite part, and Charlie played it to the hilt. He took off his brown leather vest, then slowly unbuttoned his shirt, exposing more and more of his pecs.

“Is it OK for us to stroke our cocks, sir?” Noah asked

“I’ll be disappointed if you don’t – that would mean I’m losing my touch.”

They reached across and grabbed each other’s cocks. Mutual masturbation was their usual thing when they watched porn, and this was the best porn come to life – a handsome muscular cowboy stripping slowly. 

Off came the shirt and he flexed his bare chest and biceps.  He unbuckled his cowboy belt, slid it out of his pants and held it dangling.  When he raised his arm, for one scary moment they fantasized that he was going to belt-whip them, but of course he had no such intention.  Instead he cracked the belt on the floor, like a rodeo cowboy cracking a whip to get a horse’s attention.

Finally he pulled off his jeans and stood there naked except for his undershorts.  He looked magnificent, the boys jerked each other’s cock faster ... and shot streams of cum, with jubilant shouts.

“Good for you, kids,” Charlie grinned.  “Now we got that out of the way we can relax and talk before we go to sleep. Hey, any chance you have any brandy here?”

Vic said, “We got some from Will, just for you, sir, in the off-chance that you might stay with us.  It’s over on that table, sir.”

While they wiped the cum off themselves, Charlie poured three glasses and handed two to them, then sat on the bed cross-legged facing them.  OK, kids, so let’s talk about Seth and Will.  What’s our game plan?”

The boys grinned at each other, and Vic said, “Me and Noah were talking about that and we had an idea.”

“Which is ...?”

“Well, sir, Will is a real good buddy of ours.  When we first came here, frightened as rabbits, he helped us and guided us all the way.  He asked what we needed, what foods we liked, and he introduced us to the other boys.  And we’ve stayed close ever since.  We share a whole bunch of private stuff.”

Noah took over.  “So we figured Will would tell us what’s really going on with his dad – you know, really level with us.  Will has always put on a brave face, but we think he’ll let his guard down with us.  And we’ll tell you the details, privately of course, so you’ll understand Seth better when you go talk to him.”

“Great idea, kids.  I wish I’d had someone to talk to when I was going through my sexual identity shit, maybe I would not have behaved so stupidly.  But I couldn’t tell my fellow rodeo riders that I was confused about my sexual identity.  And I sure couldn’t tell guys here like Randy and Zack, ‘cos I saw them as part of my problem.”  He smiled and took a sip of brandy. 

“You know, you two are smart as well as cute as a button. When do y’all plan on talking to Will?”

“Tomorrow, sir, as early as possible.  We figure the longer this goes on the worse it could get.”

“That’s how it was for me.  My paranoia fed on itself until I was a total basket case and ... well, you saw what happened next.”

“Sir,” Vic said, trying to look stern.  “You said that was all water under the bridge.”

“You’re right, guys.  Enough about me.  So, did you hear anything juicy at dinner?  You keep your ears open – so what’s the gossip.”

Their eyes sparkled.  “Well, sir ... “and they were off and running.  It was a bit like Brian spilling all the gossip to Grady and, like Grady, Charlie lapped it up, charmed by their wide-eyed enthusiasm.

They spoke fast and in turn, like a relay race, passing the baton to each other, but eventually they ran out of steam and Charlie grinned.  “OK, kids, time to sleep.  Luckily Randy always furnishes every bedroom with a king-size bed.”  He put the brandy glasses away and lay down between them.  “Night, kids.  I love you a whole lot.”

“Us too sir”

Charlie rolled over on his side and they all lay close like spoons – Charlie nestled against Vic’s back with his arm over him, Noah pressed against Charlie’s back and threw his arm over both of them.  And they fell fast sleep.”

<><>    The Story Of Seth & Will    <><>

Next morning when they stirred awake, they disentangled their limbs and Charlie kissed them both.  As if on cue Will knocked and came in with a big tray of coffee and croissants.

Charlie laughed, “Will, you did the same thing with me yesterday.  You have an uncanny sense of knowing when a guy wakes up and wants coffee.”

“All part of the service around here, sir – nothing but the best.  The usual buffet breakfast is all set out in the garden, sir, when you’re ready.”

Will arranged the cups and coffee pot on the tray, and seemed in no hurry to leave.  It was unusual for him to loiter, but he did now, as if there was something on his mind.  Charlie glanced at his boys with a sly wink.  “You know what, guys, I’m really hungry so I’ll go straight down for food.  But I don’t wanna rush you, so you stay here, drink your coffee and come join me when you’re ready.”

He quickly pulled on his jeans and boots, and his shirt that he left hanging open.”

Vic grinned playfully. “That’ll get the guys drooling, sir”

After he left, Will smiled. “Charlie seemed eager to leave.  Not too subtle ... d’you get the feeling he left us alone deliberately?”

“Yeah, he did,” Noah smiled.  “He told us last night he wanted us to talk to you alone, Will.”

“About Seth, I suppose.  Good.  I was hoping we’d have time alone so I could unload my problems on you, just between us three.”

Vic frowned.  “Er, before you start, Will, is it OK if we tell Charlie about it?  We tell him everything.”

“Of course you do, like I tell Seth everything.  So yeah, I guess it’s OK, ‘cos I’m hoping Charlie can help, maybe.  Seth wouldn’t talk about it to guys he works with like Randy and Zack, or even Bob.  But Charlie’s different ‘cos he don’t live here and he’s not here very often.  OK, so here goes.  By now, you know the story of Seth and me, everyone else here does, but it’s worth going over ‘cos it still has an impact on him today.

“Way back, when him and me lived together, my dad was known as a drifter, drifting from one temporary construction job after a another, drifting from one girl to another, and spending his money getting drunk in bars.  But that never satisfied him ‘cos he was confused about his sexual feelings – not like Charlie’s short-term problem, though.  My dad lived with his confusion for years and, as you know, he took it out on me, by trying to molest me.

“He always knew he was not my real dad.  His ex-wife slept with other guys. Including a redhead like me, but she ran off and deserted us when I was born.  So Seth was my stepdad, though I didn’t know that.  He raised me and I always treated him like my real dad.

“But as I got older, I had finally had enough. I ran away from home and got a job in a grocery store and lived alone.  That’s when my luck changed, when I met the twins in the store and, long story short, they brought me into the tribe and gave me a job as assistant chef. 

“One day Seth came and found me and tried to take me back, but Randy saved me and they had a big ol’ fight.  Randy won, of course, but only just, ‘cos Seth’s a real fighter.  That impressed Randy and – another long story short – offered him a job on his construction site.

And then a strange thing happened.  As me and Seth got to know each other better, on safer ground, he kept making amends for what he had done to me, and said he was still attracted to me.  There was something about him, the guilt, the clumsiness the ... the rawness about him and – here’s the weird bit – we fell in love, and eventually moved in with each other in that little house next door to here.”

“Wow,” Noah said, “sounds to me like a rough story with a happy ending.”

“You’re right, Noah – kind of.  We have a great time together.  I cook meals for him, we talk a lot, and sleep together.”

“So, what’s the problem, dude?”

“Basically, Seth can’t shake his past – the loser, roughneck day laborer who molested his own son. It’s not only the guilt, it’s the thought that he don’t fit in and never really will.  The only language he knows is the raw language of the construction site.  That’s the only place he feels that he fits.  

“One good thing about his former life is he learned a lot about construction.  He’s real skilled at it and works hard at it too.  That’s why Randy made him boss of a new site that opened, and the crew really respects him as their boss.”

Vic said, “So he’s one of the bosses, like Randy, Zack and Darius.  Don’t that give him confidence?”

“Only at work.  When he’s here he’s surrounded by successful, confident guys like Bob, Doc Steve, Doc Chad, who are sophisticated professionals. Seth has none of their social graces or manners.  He feels clumsy at meals.  The worst part is that he even feels inferior to me, ‘cos I’m this successful chef, an expert in fine, gourmet food, while he still looks like that sweaty redneck who used to stagger home drunk every night.”

Noah frowned, “That’s just plain wrong, Will.  Don’t he know that’s why we all find him so sexy, that tough, super-macho look with the ruggedly handsome face, mass of shaggy hair and his muscular construction-worker body?”

“I try to tell him that, Noah, but it don’t do no good.  He’s terrific sex, a gentle giant in bed, but that’s not the way he sees himself.  That’s why he sits looking broody all the time.  It makes me so sad, but I don’t know what to do. But hey, I’ve been going on and on here, haven’t I, unloading all my problems.  I’ve prob’ly been boring you gutless.”

“Hey,” Vic said, “don’t you start putting yourself down, Will.  Seth does enough of that about himself.  OK, you say you don’t know what to do, and neither do we.  But what we’d like to do is tell Charlie the story you just told us. That’s why he wanted us to talk to you alone.”

Noah said, “It may surprise you to know that Charlie had a similar earlier life to Seth’s, minus the molesting bit.  He was a jobbing cowboy drifting from one ranch job to another, fucking different girls along the way. His only real talent was with horses, and his luck turned when he joined the rodeo and worked his way up to become a star.  But unlike Seth, he managed to put those early years behind him and enjoy his present success.”

“Really, I didn’t know all that,” Will said.  “Do you really think he’d talk to Seth, man to man, and maybe help him see sense?”

“That’s what he wants to do, Will.  Only, the time and place have to be just right.  I mean, he’s never really spoken much to Seth, he’d be starting from scratch.”

“Hmm,” Will frowned, “maybe something a bit dramatic.  I have a crazy idea that just might work – or be disastrous.  But what the hell, let’s give it a try.  Seth has a couple days off work while they’re waiting for building permits to come through, so I’ll be spending a lot of time with him.  Sometimes we grab a sixpack of beer and go over to our favorite spot on the far side of the grounds.  We just hang out together and usually end up making love. Shall we say around two?”

“Around two what, dude?”

Will shrugged.  “Well ... if you and Charlie happened to be wandering around that part of the garden, near that big ol’ oak tree, around two o’clock, and just happened to come across my dad doing what he does best, it might just start the ball rolling ... or maybe not.  I’m not really sure what I’m talking about, but I just have this feeling ...”

Vic and Noah grinned at each other, and Vic said, “That’s good enough for us, buddy.  We’ll be there – with our cowboy.”

<><>    “Let’s Do It, Kids”    <><>

Will had to get back to the kitchen. He thanked the boys for listening and hugged them both. After he left, Noah said, “We told Charlie that Will might open up to us, and did he ever!  That was some story.”

“And what story was that?”  That was Charlie who had just come in.  He grinned, “I was watching for Will to leave.  So tell me the story, provided he gave you the OK to tell me.”

“He did, sir, ‘cos we think he’s kinda desperate to share his troubles with someone who can help.  And he thinks maybe you could.  Like Will said, Seth would be reluctant to confide in guys he works with like Randy and Zack, but you don’t live here, you have a life outside the tribe.”

“OK, boys, spill.  I’m all ears.”

Taking turns to speak, the boys repeated the whole story to Charlie, as accurately as they remembered, with each one jumping in to correct the other or add details.  Charlie listened intently without interruption.

When they finished at last, he said, “Poor guy, he’s going through a real rough patch.  And more that just a patch.  I can relate somewhat, but mine didn’t last long, thanks to you guys and my brothers.  Seth’s been living with the guilt and inferiority feelings for a long time, now, and it seems it got worse lately.  It goes a whole lot deeper than just not knowing what fork to use at dinner.  I’d love to help him, but how?  Did Will have any suggestions?”

“He did – kinda,” Noah said, “though we didn’t understand what he meant.  What makes Will think he’ll talk to you is that you’re something of a stranger to him, but that also creates a problem.  You’d be starting from scratch – you can’t just walk up to him and say, ‘OK, Seth, I’m listening, spill your guts’.”

Vic took over.  “Will thinks it’ll take something a bit dramatic.  He said Seth will be home all day today so they’ll be spending the day together.  He said they often go over to that old oak tree in the grounds and hang out together.  He thinks that if we happened to saunter casually over there around two o’clock, casual like, we might see Seth doing what he does best.”

“What d’you think he meant by that?” 

“Well,” Vic replied, “according to Will, the two things his dad does best is construction work, and making love.  And it sure won’t be construction. Will is going by instinct and he don’t know if you can do any good – might even be a disaster. But it’s worth a try, don’t you think, sir?”

“It sure is, guys.  And I’m up for a little mystery.  So, two o’clock, eh?  Let’s do it.”

<><>    Seth Gets Mad – Charlie Gets Even    <><>

Shortly after lunch Charlie grinned at the boys.  “You feel like taking a walk around the grounds here, kids?”

Vic shrugged, with a conspiratorial smile, “Sure, why not, sir.”

Of course they were longing to sprint across the garden and check out what Seth was up to, but they kept it casual and sauntered rather than sprinted. They admired the expert landscaping work of Miguel’s boy, gardener Finn, but their focus was on the sprawling oak tree, and they kept a keen ear open for sounds of activity.  They were rewarded by the muted sound of grunts and what sounded like squeals of joy.

And then, coming up to a secluded spot behind low bushes, they glimpsed Seth and Will ‘going at it’, as Noah jokingly called it. “We told you, sir ... it’s sex.”

“Damn, that guy has nothing to be ashamed off, he looks fucking gorgeous,” Charlie said of Seth.  Hidden behind the bushes they were watching Seth fuck his boy Will – or, more exactly, making love to him.  Both were shirtless, Seth in open jeans and boots, Will on his back in shorts round his raised ankles.  Seth’s cock moved gently in an out of the young redhead’s butt, and he bent down and kissed Will as he made love to his ass.

Seth was often called wildman Seth, but this picture was different – a gentle giant making tender love to his stepson.  The muscles in his back rippled, and his rugged, tousled looks were softened by a warm glow. 

Vic and Noah had immediate boners, and Charlie, while not sexually roused, looked on in admiration of the magnificent hunk of man.  He said softly, “So this is what Will meant by his dad ‘doing what he does best.’ He wanted us to see this – the other, gentler side of the roughneck construction worker.”

They watched in awed silence as Seth and Will smiled at each other.  Their lovemaking had apparently been going on for a while already, and they soon approached their climax.  Will purred, “I love you so much, sir.  Let me feel your jizz inside me.”

“You got it, kiddo.”  Seth pushed in deeper and groaned loudly as he unloaded in Will’s ass.  Will stroked his own cock to a gushing orgasm, accompanied by deep ecstatic sighs.

Seth bent down and kissed his boy again while gently easing his cock out of him.  With a satisfied grin, he stood up, stuffed his cock back in his jeans and zipped up.  He reached down, pulled his boy to his feet and Will pulled up his shorts.

Seth was about to hug Will, when they suddenly heard the sound of loud applause.  He whirled around and was shocked to see the cowboy and his boys.  He reacted viscerally, reverting to the wildman of his reputation. 

“What the fuck you doing here, cowboy?  You’re spying on us, to see if I’m molesting my boy again.  You think that’s what I do?  Well, fuck you, asshole, I don’t answer to you.  Just because you’re this hotshot rodeo star you think you can look down on a lowlife like me.  I may be a roughneck laborer, but I know how to cream assholes like you.  OK, let’s see what you got, cowboy.”

“Seth, I wasn’t spying on you, I came here to help you.”

“Help me?!  That’s a laugh.  What makes you think I need help from a my-shit-don’t-stink asshole like you.  You chicken or what – all talk and no fight?  Come on, stud, fight so I can rip you apart.”  Seth jabbed at Charlie forcing him backward.”

“Seth, don’t do this, man, please.  Your boy told us you’re in trouble and ...”

“No, douchebag, you’re the one in trouble.  He slapped Charlie’s face from side to side, harder each time.  Charlie snapped, “OK, dude, you wanna fight?.  Bring it on stud.” 

Charlie pulled off his shirt and the two macho bare-chested men circled each other.  Seth took a wild swing but Charlie blocked it and defensively punched him hard in the stomach.  Seth doubled over, then charged forward and head butted him, sending both men crashing to the ground.  They rolled over and over, trading blows, straining for the advantage.

Horrified, Will ran over to Vic and Noah.  “It’s all gone wrong, and it’s all my fault, with my crazy idea of bringing them together. We gotta stop them.” Will started to run over to the grappling men but Vic pulled him back.

“No, Will, you’ll only get hurt.  Leave it to them.”

“Besides,” Noah said, “you don’t know Charlie like we do.  Like his brother Randy, he’s a great fighter, but unlike Randy he won’t get mad and go all caveman.  Trust us, he won’t hurt Seth, he still wants to help him.  Just watch.”

The fight was surprisingly short, and ended with Charlie on his back, Seth on top, kneeling astride him and pinning his arms to the ground with his knees.  “See, Will,” Vic said, “Charlie let him win.  He prob’ly wants Seth to vent his anger physically and boost his confidence.”

Vic got it right.  Charlie was confident, even arrogant as he panted, “Not such a tough guy now, eh, cowboy?  You’re supposed to be this macho straight guy, sneering at us for fucking boys.  I’ll show you what I think of smart-ass losers like you.  I still got some jizz left in my balls, and it’s all yours, straight boy.”

Charlie could have powered out of this, but he deliberately let Seth vent his anger, as Vic had rightly guessed.  Seth yanked his cock out of his jeans, stroked it hard and pointed it at Charlie.  Pretty soon he grinned triumphantly and sprayed the remains of his semen all over the cowboy’s handsome face.

OK, time to end this, Charlie thought and at last he powered out of his predicament.  Jerking one arm up, he forced Seth off him and over on his back on the ground.  Quickly he sprang up, knelt across him and pinned his arms to the ground, exactly as Seth had pinned him.

“Positions reversed ... payback time, Seth.  Even a straight guy can appreciate how fucking sexy you are.  But don’t take this the wrong way, stud. It’s not you who gives me a boner, but a good fight always leaves me horny.  So here goes, dude ... a taste of you own medicine, a load of hot straight-boy jizz.”

Seth groaned, but didn’t struggle as he gazed up at the handsome, sexy cowboy pounding his rod.  “Here we go, Seth.  Now we’re even ... aaagh ...”  Cum poured from his cock and splashed down on the construction boss’s stubbled face, and in his gasping mouth.

When his load was spent Charlie fell forward and licked his own juice from the craggy face.  He sucked it all in, then kissed Seth ferociously.  Finally, he pulled back and smiled.  “Right, now we’re even, Seth, maybe at last, we can talk.”

<><>    Charlie & Seth Straighten Stuff Out    <><>

“Mission accomplished, Will,” Noah grinned.  “Maybe now the two guys know each other well enough to talk.”

Will went over to. Seth who was on his back, propped up on his elbows.  “Are you OK, sir?”

“Sure I am, kiddo.  This guy here is quite a man, even though he’s straight.”

Charlie laughed.  “Hey Will, is there any of that beer left for my buddy and me?”

“Sure is, sir.  Four bottles.”

“Good, two apiece, while we talk, eh Seth?”

They both stood up and Seth ruffled Will’s hair.  “You’re a great kid, Will.  I have a feeling you set this whole thing up, and I’ll deal with you later, after Charlie and me have got a few things straightened out.”

“I look forward to it, sir.”

Noah said to Charlie, “Will you be dealing with us too, sir?”

“You bet your sweet ass, kid.  But skedaddle now, guys, ‘cos we men gotta talk.  We’ll come and look for you when we’re done.”

The three boys exchanged grins and walked off happily. The men sat cross-legged on the grass facing each other closely, leaning back against adjacent trees.  Seth tossed a bottle to Charlie, took one for himself, and they twisted off the tops, clinked bottles and drank.

Seth smiled.  “This was a setup, wasn’t it, dude, and you were in on it?”

“I’ll level with you, Seth.  When I heard about what you were going through I had a feeling I could help ‘cos, as you and everyone else knows, I’ve been going through shit like that myself – not for the same reason, but close.  But you and me haven’t talked much in the past so, as my boy Noah said, ‘You’re kind of a stranger to Seth – you’d be starting from scratch – you can’t just walk up to him and say, OK, Seth, I’m listening, spill your guts’.”

Seth chuckled, “He’s got a point there. So who came up with this?”

“Your boy Will did ... kind off.  He thought the situation called for something dramatic, so he took a chance and told my boys you would be out here with him.  He wasn’t clear in his mind and said it might not work – and it did go off the rails there for a while.”

“It sure did, thanks to me and my stupid paranoia.  You got a glimpse there of some of the crazy hang-ups I’m wrestling with, Charlie, like accusing you of spying to see if I was molesting my boy again.”

“Yeah, Seth, and you said that just because I’m this ‘hotshot rodeo star’ I think I can look down on a lowlife like you.”

“Jesus, I really did say that didn’t I?  I sure am one fucked up mess, ain’t I?  But Charlie, I don’t know where all that is coming from.  Look, I got a great job that I’m good at, thanks to your brother Randy.  I’ve got a terrific kid who loves me a whole lot and I live with him in that neat house next door to a bunch of guys who like Will and me.  So what’s my fucking problem?”

Charlie smiled.  “If you want a name for it, dude, it’s what the shrinks always call low self-esteem.   The question is, where does that come from?  That’s what I kept asking myself about my own problem.”

“Yeah, I never got what that was all about, Charlie, a tough successful guy like you?”

“With me it was sexual confusion.  It’s not easy being straight and surrounded by all these hot horny guys of the tribe who love nothing better than fucking each other.  What set me off was those punks at the rodeo yelling out ‘faggot’ when I was in the ring.”

“Dude, that’s a cheap insult that assholes throw out all the time, has nothing to do with sex most of the time.”

“That’s what everyone told me, but then I thought of Vic and Noah who I love in every way except sexual.  I thought maybe I was fooling myself about being straight.  But my brothers set me right on that.  Randy fucked my ass, then Doc Steve did his thing and made me watch his boy Tommy do his gymnastic workout.”

Seth chuckled. “Yeah, that would be the acid test alright.  I’ve fucked that epic ass of his, and anyone who don’t get hard watching him has to be straight.”

Charlie laughed, “That’s what Steve said, and yeah, that did kinda clinch the deal.  But the difference between you and me Seth is that my problem flared up out of nowhere, and I was soon able to knock it down with the help of my brothers and my boys.  But your issues have been festering for a long time ... from years back, living with your kid.

“Let’s look it square in the face, Seth.  You really were all the things you accuse yourself of ... a redneck day laborer, drifting from job to job, spending all your time and money in bars, getting drunk and fucking easy girls.  Then going home and trying to molest that sweet kid of yours. That is ... was ... the picture of a loser.

“But here’s the problem, Seth.  For some reason you can’t get over those days and consign them to the trash bin of history where they belong.  How do I know all this?  ‘Cos I’ve been there myself, dude.  For a long time in Texas I was as lost as you, sleeping rough, working a few days at one ranch before drifting off to another.  I got fired from most jobs ‘cos I was drinking too much and showing up drunk.  And like you, I was fucking any hooker who came along.

“But then I got lucky.  There was thig guy, a rodeo scout, who watched me ride and rope steers on one of my sober days.  He said I had talent and persuaded me to join the rodeo.  And the rest is history, here I am, a success.

“So ya see, I’m a lot like you, Seth, except for one major thing.  I was able to turn my back on that loser cowboy and live in the present.  As Randy puts it, water under the bridge.”

“See, Charlie, my problem is that even though I’ve turned my life around, I’m still some of those things I was then.  I’m still a construction worker at heart, rough and ready.  I don’t think I fit in with more social, self-confident guys like Bob, the docs Steve and Chad, Pete, and the top chef Miguel.  I don’t know shit about table manners and intelligent conversation. Mostly at meals I sit mute while the other guys talk and laugh about all kinds of stuff.

“Shit, even my own boy is more sophisticated than me.  He knows all about gourmet food and fine dining.  He has an open job offer from Miguel to come and work at his fancy hotel. Yeah, my kid sure knows the right fork to use at dinner.  I sometimes think he might look down on me.”

Charlie bristled.  “Now that is pure garbage, Seth, you can get that idea out of your head right now.  The boy is totally in love with you, and that trumps everything. 

“But in your list of guys just now, you missed one out ... Randy.  Now that guy’s as rough and raw as they come, especially when he goes caveman.  He don’t have a clue about what he should wear or what fork to use, and he don’t give a shit.  Hell, a lot of the time he eats with his fingers.  And he’s so totally self-confident it borders on arrogance.”

“Randy gets away with it, Charlie, ‘cos he’s the big boss of everything.”

“But you’re a boss too, Seth – maybe not of everything, but of one of the construction sites, right up there with Zack and Darius.  Look, dude, like you said, you’ve turned your life around and got everything you could want.  You’re a successful, respected guy.  All you gotta get rid of now is those last bits, like feeling confident in yourself and in company.”

Charlie grinned.  “In the big scheme of things, all that social stuff is superficial, not important, especially in this crowd of down-to-earth guys.  Damn, if a guy dropped a whole plate of food everyone would laugh, applaud and cheer him on.”

A playful smile crept over Charlie’s face.  Besides, I have the beginnings of an idea – something you said about Miguel.  That guy is the executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton Hotels, so he’s the expert on fine dining and etiquette.  Plus he’s a terrific guy and respects the hell out of your boy Will. I think I’ll have a talk with him.”

Seth smiled.  “I have a feeling there’s another set-up coming on, dude.  Hope this one don’t include a fight.”

“Not if you don’t want it, Seth – though I’d be happy to go another few rounds with a stud like you.  But right now we better get back to our boys.”

“Charlie, thanks for spending all this time helping me sort out my crazy mind.  You’ve been a real help.  And dude, I wanna apologize again for all those stupid ugly things I said to you.”

“Hey, no sweat, buddy.  It’s already forgotten.  Remember that saying we mentioned?”

“You mean ‘water under the bridge?”

“That’s the one.  That murky water has flowed under the bridge, all the way to the ocean and got lost at sea.  Now let’s get back to our kids, dude.”

<><>    Charlie Plots With Miguel    <><>

When the men rejoined their boys Vic and Noah pumped Charlie for details of his chat with Seth, and separately, Will did likewise with Seth.

Seth gave him the gist of it.  “Charlie was real helpful about the past and, as for the present, he said the only thing I gotta sort out is the socializing bit – you know, me always feeling like a fish out of water.  But he said that, compared with my messy past, the rest was superficial.”  Seth grinned.  “He compared it to learning what fork to use at dinner.”

“But us chefs only set out one knife and fork on the table.  That’s all our guys ever use.”

“Yeah, I get that, but I think he was talking about real posh meals, like at Miguel’s hotel.  In fact he said something about him having a talk with Miguel.  I dunno what that means, but I think he’s hatching some kinda plot with that Hispanic hunk, like you and him did before.”

“Well, sir, that turned out fine – except the fistfight – so let’s hope this one does too.

They didn’t know that Charlie was already on the phone with Miguel for a long chat.  Miguel said, “Sounds like a grand idea, Charlie, count me in.  I know just how to go about it.”

It wasn’t long before Will got a phone call from Miguel. As he listened, a smile spread over his face.  “Of course I will, sir, I’d love to.  You don’t need to call Seth, I’ll tell him, he’s right here.”

“Tell me what?” Seth grinned.

Miguel said he called me first to clear something with me before he spoke to you.  He has invited you and me to dinner, with his boy Finn, and Charlie and his two boys.  And he wants me to work with him in his kitchen.  He has this big dining room in his apartment and he’s given private dinners like this before to small groups. 

“Is it alright, sir, if I go early to help him?  He’s such a great chef and I always learn a lot from him. I would accept his offer of a job at his hotel, I’d go like a shot, except that I have so much fun in the kitchen here with the twins and Felipe.”

Seth hesitated.  “Hmm, sounds like one of those big fancy dinners where I don’t feel comfortable.”

“I’m sure not, sir.  Miguel has told me his aim is always to make guests feel comfortable – in his hotel and at his home.  And he’ll sure do that with this little group.  So it won’t be grand, he said it’ll be real casual.  What do you think, sir?  Can we go?”

Seth smiled and ruffled Will’s hair.  “Well you obviously want to go, kiddo, and that’s good enough for me.  Right, it’s a date.”

So, early in the evening Will said, “I should be off, sir, as I’m Miguel’s assistant chef.  Don’t that sound great?  Dinner’s at eight, sir, and Miguel said dress casual..  Will you be OK till then?”

“Sure kiddo.  I could use some time alone in this little house we love so much.  Give me a chance to kick back and sort out some of my thoughts after everything Charlie said to me. It’s been quite a day.  So go on, kiddo, have fun in the kitchen with your handsome executive chef.”

They hugged and Will left with a big smile on his face.

Seth was feeling good after his eventful afternoon and poured himself a drink.  More confident than usual, he was actually looking forward to the dinner.  He usually hunkered down here with Will, they rarely went out, except next door to dinner with the tribe. 

Hmm, he thought, dress casual, what the hell does that mean, jeans and a T-shirt?  For Will’s sake he should make a bit more effort than that.  He smiled to himself as he decided on jeans and the black polo shirt Will had bought for him.  It’s Will’s favorite, he recalled – always says it makes me sexier than ever.  He smiled to himself and poured another drink.

<><>   Chef Miguel Trashes Manners Myths    <><>

When the time came Seth was actually feeling a bit nervous.  But that soon disappeared when he went next door and up to Miguel’s large second floor apartment.  Miguel’s boy Finn met him and shook his hand.  “Welcome, sir, it’s a pleasure to have you in our home.  Miguel’s in the kitchen with Will, working their magic on dinner.  What would you like to drink, martini or a beer?

“Beer, I think Finn.”

“I’ll join you – I always prefer beer to those fancy-shmancy cocktails.”

Seth knew that Finn’s background was as grungy as his own – a cheap hustler working the streets, living on the streets too.  But Miguel saw him as a challenge, had taken him home, cleaned him and tamed him.  Against all the odds, They had fallen in love, much like Seth and Will. So he chatted easily with Seth and they were soon joined by Charlie and his excited boys.

“So, this was your big idea, eh cowboy?” Seth grinned 

“Well, my idea to bring y’all together, but from now on it’s Miguel’s show.  And here’s his assistant, cute as a button.”

Will came in wearing his dark green apron and white chef’s hat.  Seth always loved the tufts of red hair poking out under the rim.  He got up and hugged him.  “You should wear that when I fuck you kiddo.  Turns me on.”

“Same for me with your black polo, sir.” Will announced, “OK, gentlemen, dinner is ready and the table’s all set.  So please come in and take your seats.”

In the dining room the big round table was set with glasses, wine bottles and – Seth was relieved to see – one knife, fork and spoon at each place.  Except for one, which was set in grand style with several knives, forks and spoons, neatly lined up.  When they sat down they all avoided that setting.

Miguel finally appeared, in his chef de cuisine white jacket buttoned up to the neck, which still couldn’t hide his muscular build.  He undid a few buttons and it flapped open, revealing a white T-shirt underneath.  “Gentlemen, before we begin I want to say a few words to dispel some of the myths about what’s called fine dining.

“For my money, fine dining refers only to the food, nothing else.  In the bad old days it was different.  The elaborate setting you see in front of me was the rule in posh restaurants and great homes.  These days, it’s considered pretentious.  In our formal hotel dining room, when a waiter clears a course, he clears the used cutlery too and brings new ones for the next course. So let’s get rid of this paraphernalia.” 

One by one he picked up the utensils until there was one of each left, like at the other places at the table.

“Voilà, welcome to today’s fine dining.  No wrong or right choice of fork ‘cos there’s only one.  As you all know, that’s the way it is with the tribe’s meals.  People eat how they like ... I’m thinking of Randy who often picks up his food and noshes on it.  And nobody criticizes him for poor etiquette.  As long as he enjoys his food, that’s all that matters.

“All those old wives’ tales of choosing the wrong fork is just bullshit. I wanted to make that clear right from the start.  So now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s eat, guys.  As Randy would say, I’m fucking starved.”

Amid boisterous laughter they relaxed.  Miguel and Will served the first course, then took off their kitchen uniforms and joined the fun.  Seth was well aware that Miguel’s little speech was directed mainly at him.   Earlier, Charlie had made him realize that his paranoia about his grimy past was all nonsense.  And now Miguel had just shown him that his worries about social etiquette were just as meaningless.

He raised his glass to Miguel and then to Charlie.  And he hugged Will next to him.  Will said softly, “I’m so happy, sir.  I love you.”

“And that’s all that matters, kiddo, I see that now.  And you know what?  I’m fucking starved.”

<><>    The Final Proof Of Seth’s Dominance    <><>

From then on it was all fun and laughter, as if a dark cloud had lifted.  They were all pretty sure that Seth’s feelings of inferiority had at last come to an end, thanks to the efforts of Charlie, Miguel, and his own boy, loyal and loving no matter what.  And now Seth felt free to talk, mostly about his work.

”Guys, you know that new hospital wing that Doc Chad has asked Randy to build?  Well Randy wants me to join him as a partner.  I went by there recently and it looks like a great project, a hospital for kids.  Randy and me will make a great team.”

This was certainly a new Seth – confident and forward looking, not stuck in the past.  As the meal progressed they all loosened up a lot.  And inevitably, as always when the tribe kicked back and drank a lot, it wasn’t long before sex reared its head.  At first the signs were subtle – a few suggestive words and lusty glances across the table.  But later, as the wine flowed, their self-control vanished. 

Newly emboldened Seth, who had been staring seductively at Miguel, said, “You know what surprises me about you, dude ... here you are, a hot-shot executive chef at a classy hotel in that sexy white jacket, but when the jacket comes off you turn into this macho, drop-dead gorgeous stud, built like a brick shithouse.  You don’t look like you belong in a kitchen, you should be bare-chested on a construction site.” 

Miguel grinned, “Like you, you mean Seth, with that wild sexy look you got going.  I love my job, but sometimes I miss the hard physical action you get all day.  Sure, I work out hard at the gym, and god knows I get a lot of great action in bed with my boy Finn here.  But my body is gym-built – your physique comes from real hard labor.  There’s a difference.”

“Let us be the judge of that,” Charlie laughed, “see which of you has the real strength.”

Finn jumped to his feet.  “That sounds like a challenge, and my guy loves a challenge.  I should know, taming me was a big one.  OK guys, bring your drinks into the bedroom and we’ll check it out.”

Miguel grinned at Seth and shrugged.  “What the hell, I’m up for it if you are, big guy.”

And so, a few minutes later Charlie, Vic, Noah and Will were sitting on the bedroom couch watching Finn drag a small table and two chairs to the middle of the room. Seth and Miguel stood facing each other.  Miguel pulled off the white T-shirt he had worn under his uniform, and Seth took off his black polo shirt.  They stared ach each other, stripped to the waist in jeans, and Seth growled, “Holy shit, fucking gorgeous, man.”

They stroked each other’s chest and flexed their biceps.  Then they sat at the table facing each other and Finn, said, “OK, gentlemen, elbows on the table. They complied, forearms raised, and locked hands in an opening wrist-wrestling pose.  Finn, a self-appointed referee, said ... “Begin.”

Charlie and the boys watched, mesmerized as the men flexed hard and the  trial of strength started.  “Quite the fantasy, eh kids?” Charlie grinned.  “My money’s on Seth.”

“Mine too, sir,” Will grinned.

The sight of two muscle hunks, sinews straining, was a gay boy’s dream, and Vic and Noah watched in awe, cocks hard in their shorts.  And it wasn’t long before one of them howled in defeat as his forearm was slammed down on the table.

“And we have a winner,” Finn said, gabbing Seth’s wrist and raising it in triumph.  “Damn,” Miguel, groaned, then smiled wryly.  “Guess that proves it – hard-labor muscle beats gym muscle every time.   And I don’t need to guess what the winner’s prize will be.”

“Damn straight, dude.  Get naked, you know you want it.” 

They stood up took, off their jeans and Seth shoved the handsome naked Hispanic back on the bed.  Seth threw himself on top off him and kissed him ravenously.  When he pulled back Seth grinned, “You wanted this all along, didn’t you, stud, a good dose of rough trade.  So here it comes, man”.

Seth spat on his cock, shoved Miguel’s legs back and drove his shaft in his ass.  Miguel groaned, then smiled up at Seth.  “Damn right, I did.  You are a sexy hunk of man, Seth, Young Will is lucky to have a dad like you.  So give it to me, man, make your boy proud.”

Will excitedly grabbed the arms of his pals Vic and Noah as he watched.  No longer the brooding insecure laborer, Seth had fought his demons and this was the ultimate display of his comeback triumph.

Finn knelt by the bed, kissed Miguel, then swallowed his cock down his throat while Seth pounded his ass.  Charlie was grinning proudly that he had played a part in this rehabilitation, and the three boys were on their feet, cheering lustily.  The tumultuous scene climaxed with multiple orgasms – Seth in Miguel’s ass, Miguel in Finn’s mouth and the boys over each other.

The proudest of all was freckled faced Will who ran forward and kissed Seth. “I love you, dad.”

“And I’m crazy about you, kiddo.  Now I can be the dad I should have been all along, dude.  It’s a whole new start for us.”

<><>    Uncle Mike    <><>

Later, as Vic and Noah lay in bed with Charlie, he said.  “What a day, eh kids?  Together, we demolished Seth’s wall of paranoia brick by brick.”

“With you leading the demolition team, sir.  You were terrific.  And by the way, you’ll still be here when Uncle Mike gets here.  Finn told us Mike and Larry are coming here for a week or so.  Seems Mike need’s Doc Chad to check out his leg, that he broke some time ago and Chad pinned back together.”

“It’ll be great to see old Mike again,” Charlie said.  He always lays down the law and makes sure everyone’s behaving, especially Randy, who he treats as a son.”

Noah said, “Maybe he can tell Randy how to sort out the problems with his son Pablo.  We like Pablo’s boy Tyler, who’s even shyer than we were, but when we talk to him it looks like Pablo’s not treating him so good.  Maybe Pablo needs a bit of discipline from Randy.”

Charlie chuckled.  “Good luck with that one.  Pablo has made himself like his dad Randy. Those two are joined at the hip, and Randy lets Pablo get away with everything.”

Vic grinned, “Maybe not when Uncle Mike gets here.  He’ll whip Randy and Pablo into shape.”

“Hmm, should be entertaining to see my big brother cut down to size by tough old Mike.  “We’ll just have to wait and see, kiddo.  But that’s for tomorrow.  But right now I’m bushed – just wanna fall asleep with my favorite boys.”

“No problem there, sir” the boys said in unison.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

TO BE CONTINUED in “A Trial Of Strength” – Book 14: Chapter 4