One Year

Year Two

March

The sound of a cell phone ringing breaks the silence of the room. It vibrates across the table as it rings till Tommy comes into the room, drying his hands, and touches ‘accept’.

“Hello.”

“Tommy? It’s David.”

Tommy hesitates, searching for what to say, shocked to receive this call from David so soon.

“David…it’s good to hear from you. I’m…surprised.”

“I got your letter.”

“Yeah? Well, I meant it. I’m sorry about…”

“Tommy, stop. I’m not mad at you. Okay? It was just…I couldn’t continue the way we were. You know?”

“I know.”

After a second of silence, Tommy anxious to hear what David is going to say, pacing circles in the living room. He looks up and sees Dien at the door listening.

“Tommy, everything is good. And I’d like to see you sometime. Have you planned on going home anytime soon?”

“Home? No…no, no. Mom and dad still don’t have anything to say to me. I’ve not spoken to them since last Thanksgiving when dad told me I was dead to him.”

“I don’t think he really meant that.”

“I don’t know; he was really angry. I sent a card with my address and new cell phone number back in December and haven’t heard anything from them.”

“Well, maybe we think about meeting somewhere between us. Adam and I have talked about going to Pensacola Beach or maybe head up to Asheville and hike in the mountains some this summer.”

Dien comes up next to Tommy nodded his head.

“What?” Tommy whispered to Dien.

“Tell them yes. Plan on meeting them.”

“I don’t know” Tommy replied to Dien.

“Well, it was just a suggestion” David replied thinking Tommy was speaking to him.

“NO…not you David. I was talking to someone else.  I’d love to catch up with you, and Adam. Summer is our busiest time of the year but let’s stay in touch and see what I might be able to work out.”

“What kind of work are you doing?”

“It’s a landscape company.”

“Oh wow. I guess summers are really busy.”

“That is what the owner keeps telling us as we start planning the work coming in.”

“Well if it helps any, we’re thinking of July Fourth week, using the holiday to cut down on time taken off.”

“Yeah, that might help. No one wants their yard torn up that week. Listen, I wish I could talk longer but I need to run.”

“Okay. Call me when you have time. You got my number on your phone.”

“Got it.”

“Bye, Tommy.”

“Bye.”

Tommy hit ‘end’ and turned toward Dien who is watching him intently.

“That was the David, I presume.”

Tommy nodded, then looked up smiling. He looked relaxed for the first time since arriving. He stood up straighter, taller.

“There seems to be a weight lifted off of you.”

“Yes. I’m glad David isn’t mad at me.”

“You still love him?” Dien asked with a questioning tone.

“In a way, yes. He was like a brother. But could we ever revisit where we were? No. I don’t think either of us could imagine that. Why? Jealous?”

“Jealous my ass” Dien replied.

Tommy moved up close, their bodies nearly touching. He reached out and rubbed Dien’s chest then leaned down and kissed him.

“You want to mess around a bit before going to meet Richard?” Tommy whispered.

“Yes” Dien replied as he took Tommy by the hand and led him to his bedroom.

Removing their clothes quickly, Tommy pushed Dien onto the bed. He landed on top and began to kiss him, to run hands along the lean body, caressing the skin, feeling the muscular form of it then sliding one hand between them, grasping the growing erection pinned beneath him. Dien cried out with the manipulation. Tommy pulled the loose foreskin back and rubbed the sensitive head then he tugged on it making Dien shudder.

Dien pushed Tommy over on his back and crawled between his legs. Head back, Tommy closed his eyes and focused his entire being on the sensation of a wet mouth on his cock. The up and down slide of lips along its hardening length and the tongue that swirled around the head then tried to bore into the slit. He cried out, clutching at the bed with both hands. He pushed upward with his hips and felt his entire cock engulfed in the heat of Dien’s mouth.

“Fuck…stop, stop Dien. It’s too soon” Tommy urged as he pushed Dien off his cock. “Roll the fuck over.”

Dien smiled at him as he rolled over on his back. Tommy wasted no time getting between his legs, lifting them to his shoulders and putting his wet cock at the tight wrinkled opening. Pushing forward he watched his cock sink into Dien, inch after inch till half of his cock was buried in him.

“Fuck…fuck me, Tommy…come on, give it to me” Dien pleaded as he worked his ass to take another inch.

Tommy pushed again, this time sinking all the way into Dien, then moved over him, folding him over. Dien’s ass lifted up perfectly and Tommy began to fuck. To pull outward and drive back in. Slowly at first, but as his arousal grew so did his pace. Soon he was slamming into Dien’s body. The sound of it echoed around the room. The rhythm of it fell in line with the squeak of the bed as it rocked beneath them.

“Oh…oh fuck. Fuck” Dien mumbled as he took Tommy’s fuck.

Tommy fucked to cum, drove with his hips hard, ramming inward over and over. He didn’t pace himself, didn’t try to slow down. He thrust harder and harder till his rhythm became ragged and he felt the surge of release. He jammed into Dien’s hole all the way and kept jamming against his ass as he came, ejaculating wad after wad into him.

Tommy pulled out roughly, cum still dribbling from his cock and dropped down on his stomach beside Dien.

“Fuck me…come on, get your ass up and fuck me” Tommy begged as he raised his ass for Dien.

Dien moved over him and he felt the wet cock being pushed between his cheeks, rubbed along his ass then pressed against his opening.

“Don’t toy with me…shove it in. Come on…fuck me” Tommy uttered as he grabbed at the bed and pushed upward against Dien’s cock. It squeezed through his tightness and sank all the way inside his hole making him shudder with the pain of entry. He kept his eyes closed; his awareness focused on that cock fucking him. He felt it push inward then jerk back in a rapid rhythm. An arm came around his neck and bear hugged him, tightening till he felt controlled. It was animalistic, this holding him down and breeding his ass.

Dien’s hot breath hit the back of his neck as the pace of their fuck increased. The bed rocked roughly, banging against the wall, and Tommy heard the rhythm of it aligned with the push into his hole.

“Take it…take me” Dien uttered between breaths and Tommy felt the familiar rough push inward then the jerking and shaking of Dien’s body as it filled his hole with cum.

“Shit why wasn’t I invited?” said Richard startling the two of them. Dien rolled off Tommy, his wet dripping cock flopping over his abdomen. Tommy twisted around and looked over his shoulder.

“Oh…we were just…”

“Save it. I know exactly what you were doing. Just wish I had been here to join in. But now I need the two of you to get the cum showered off and dressed. We’re going into New Orleans to check out a couple of sites.”

Tommy rode in the back seat, half listening to Dien and Richard talk about the two clients and the property around their homes. He was too easily distracted. First by the truck itself. It still amazed him, this huge one-ton truck with a crew cab and long bed. It was a diesel, with four-wheel drive, jacked so high it was difficult for even Richard to climb up in. It made his old truck with its vinyl bench seat in a regular cab and rusted out short bed seem like something ready for the junkyard. He’d been saving for a new truck and lately Richard had been pushing him to go find one with a few years on it. Maybe he would start looking at ads.

The second distraction was Louisiana itself. This low flat land that always reminded him water was nearby. He had been learning its cycles, the way the weather changed, sometimes drastically in a manner in minutes. There was the heat and humidity, the latter so much worse than what he had been accustom. And there were the mosquitoes. Late in the day there was a constant buzz around you when outside. But during the day, the hottest part of it when sweat just soaked your clothes heating you up worse, there were the gnats. Those small harmless bugs that flew in a large swarm, clouds of them hovering over the landscape. They would bore into your eyes, nose, ears and mouth. Richard complained about them the worst, saying they bored into a cow’s ass then into your mouth. As disgusting as the image was, Tommy knew it to be true.

Even with the harsh environment, there was something about the place. Something that spoke of those that lived off the land, or more often, the waters. It was a fragile place, so evident in the marshlands disturbed by drilling or the river itself that on hot days had the odor of contamination.

Looking at Dien, then Richard, he knew the third distraction was his place in all of this. He had not felt this secure in a place in a long time. It was such a relief to be around guys such as himself. But he felt something was missing. Some part of life he felt was slipping through his fingers.

“Hey Tommy, pass my notebook up, will ya?” Richard asked as he turned into New Orleans heading to the first site.

“Sure” holding the electronic tablet between the front seats for Dien to take. Leaning back, he watched the way the two of them interacted and knew there were times he fit into that circle easily, without any holding back from anyone. But he wasn’t sure why, but it didn’t seem enough. As the truck slowed then eased into a narrow drive to one of the old homes of Gentilly Terrace, he knew he would need to think about it more seriously when he could get alone with his thoughts.

April

Dien found himself at a friend’s party, one where he assumed, he’d be the token gay guy. He felt no anxiety about being there or being openly gay. No one harassed him. Instead he was treated as one of the gang. He heard a group of women laughing loudly in the living room as he made his way to the kitchen for a beer and wondered which guy they were joking about. He could see it, so much more obvious to him than with the straight guys, how the women were checking them out. He wondered if a woman was amongst his gay friends, could she see the same.

“Hey Dien, where the hell have you been?” yelled Ryan across the small kitchen.

“I was on the front porch talking with Shelley and Darren.”

“Well, grab a fresh beer and come on out back. We’re firing up the grills and need those that don’t burn food manning them.”

“I’ll be right out.”

He watched Ryan go out the door, the screen door slamming closed behind him. He’d known Ryan since kindergarten and to this day he was his best friend. The one he came out to first, the one who helped him hook up with Ken in high school when he had been too shy to even talk to him.

Beer in hand Dien went out the door onto the back porch. He scanned the crowd looking for Ryan finding him at the grill near the back fence. Ryan was standing next to Andy and Mitch, his two roommates. The three of them rented this old shotgun house, had been for a year now. There was a rumor Mitch’s parents were considering making an offer to buy the house, but Dien wasn’t sure anything came of it.

He strolled across the yard passing the cheap above ground pool with several sitting in it or lying on floats and the firepit area where he saw another joint being passed around the circle. At the grill he moved up next to Mitch avoiding the smoke billowing up from the burning coals.

“Looks like it needs to burn down some more” Dien stated as Ryan looked his way.

“I think ten or fifteen more minutes and we can start getting the meat out here” Ryan replied.

“We have three grills going, so who is manning each one.”

“Well, Mitch is not. He burns the fuck out everything” said Andy pointing at Mitch.

“Hey, I never said I could cook.”

“And you definitely cannot” said Dien.

“I thought Ryan and I would watch this one, Mary and Steve will watch the one over there” said Andy pointing at the grill closest to the porch, then pointing to the one between them, “and Owen and you take that one.”

“Owen?”

“He started working at the firm two weeks ago and is still trying to learn his way around the Big Easy” said Ryan giving Dien a mischievous smile.

“I see. And is this Owen gay?”

“Why, I do believe he might be. Why don’t you find out?”

Dien wanted to be aggravated with Ryan. He had told him several times over the last few months to stop trying to hook him up with every gay guy he crossed paths with. He had Richard and Tommy, and no it wasn’t a real relationship, not the way Ryan and the others thought of it, but it was a good one. He knew there was aspects it lacked. A real intimacy being the main thing. But he had been telling himself that was a straight thing, something Richard, Tommy and he didn’t need. But lately, when alone with his own thoughts he wasn’t so sure. He wondered if he really could live like Richard and his friend Christopher. Just one casual relationship after the next, with nothing but the sex to bind them. He didn’t fault them for it but had begun to wonder if he could really continue to live the same way. And he was pretty sure it was an issue for Tommy. He had seen how there were times Tommy seemed distance, distracted by his own thoughts. He knew sooner or later Tommy would find someone else, someone who would give him what he wanted.

As Dien strolled across the yard to the other grill he wondered if he should approach Tommy differently. Could he change how things were between them? Would he want to? It was a tantalizing prospect, but had things become too established between them. The casualness of their sex, going at each other whenever the desire took hold of one them.

The grill wasn’t smoking as much as the others. Opening the top, he saw the coals were beautifully burned down. He scrubbed the grill with a wire brush getting the last of the residue off and closed the top.

“Hey Ryan…Mitch…this one is ready to start cooking.”

“I got the hamburgers” came a voice from the porch and Dien looked up to see a guy approaching him holding out a plastic container of patties. He was about his own height,  but a stocky build evident by the lack of a shirt, wearing only swim trucks still wet from recently being in the pool. Blonde hair hung over his forehead which was still damp. Up close freckles were evident across his cheeks and nose and when he smiled, dimples formed that made him look boyish. ‘Damn’ thought Dien trying to act cool, but all he could focus on was the vivid blue eyes staring at him.

“Hey…I’m Owen.”

“Of course, you are…I mean hey, I’m Dien” he stammered, feeling flustered for the first time in a long time around another guy. “Just set those here and I’ll toss them on the grill.”

“Ryan says you guys go back a long way.”

“Yeah, kindergarten, if you can believe it.  How long have you lived in New Orleans?”

“I just moved here a couple of months ago.”

“Finding your way around?”

“Working on it. How long have you lived in New Orleans?”

“I was born here but I currently live outside the city a few miles away.”

“The landscape business you work at?”

Dien looks at Owen and smiles at how he seems to know about him than he lets on. “Yep. I guess Ryan told you about me?”

“Some…”

“What did he say, and I’ll correct all the lies he might have told you” Dien jokingly stated as he closed the top of the grill and set the empty container on the nearby table.

“Your grandparents came to the US at the end of the war in Vietnam. Your father and his two sisters were young. I think your father was three or four, and they landed in California then after a few years moved to Louisiana, living in some small community outside New Orleans. You have two brothers, one older, living up north somewhere and one younger, still at home” said Owen, rattling off the synopsis of Dien’s life without stopping. “Oh, and you and Ryan met in kindergarten and have been friends ever since, you’re twenty, I think, and you work for…”

“Okay, okay, damn, that’s embarrassing. You know a lot about me. What about you?”

“Well, what would you like to know?”

“First, are you gay?”

Owen looked at Dien with shock, then slowly, gradually his expression changed, softened, the dimples formed as he began to smile. “Straight to the point, and…yes.  And you?”

“I think with what Ryan has told you already, that was probably one of the first things he told you.”

“No, I think it was the second time he mentioned you; not the first” and they both laughed.

As they kept a watch on the burgers, flipping them once, Owen told Dien of growing up in Oklahoma, in the capital to a father who was a lawyer and a mother who taught high school. He went to college at the university there and upon graduation he moved to New Orleans with a job secured where Ryan works. His father struggled to accept him being gay, but his mother was supportive and slowly getting his father to change his views.

“Is that why you moved away? To get away from your father?”

“Maybe…I don’t know. I just wanted to be somewhere his influence wasn’t so evident. Everything I did growing up was judged by who my father was…this big shot lawyer. Every little thing I did wrong was magnified. So maybe being gay had a part in it, but I think it was more about getting away from my dad’s influence.”

“I wouldn’t know about that.”

“I guess not.”

It was late, the moon low in the sky and it was quiet, the party settled down, for everyone had overeaten and drank too much. Dien found himself sitting on the front porch next to Owen, just the two of them watching a few cars ease by. There knees bumped and then their hands lay next to the other’s. Fingers toyed with each other making them smile at the other without comment. Owen leaned toward Dien, so close it made Dien’s heart beat faster.  It was a low voice that whispered to him, so low he could barely hear it. It blew over his ear like a gentle breeze, caressing the soft curves of it.

“Will you go out with me?”

Dien smiled and nodded his head. “I’d love to. When?”

“Tomorrow evening?”

Dien couldn’t stop smiling. “Tomorrow evening it is. I have a shitty truck, but I could pick you up around seven.”

“Why don’t you come to my place and we’ll just walk down the street to this great little seafood place. It’s a bit a dive in appearance but…”

“The food is great? I think I know what restaurant you are talking about, and it is good. I’ll see you at seven.”

“Hey Dien, get your ass in here and bring Owen. We’re going to play that new video game” Ryan yelled out from the screen door.

“Shall we” Dien said to Owen as he stood then held out a hand to help him up.

Music played softly in the background and only a lamp on an end table lit the small apartment. It was an older apartment, on the upper floor. It was quaint, small, with walls painted far too many times, old wood floors scuffed and scratched from decades of hard use and light fixtures that hadn’t been in fashion since the sixties. Maybe even longer. But the flaws added to its charm instead of distracting from it. It was intimate with its dark red walls and woods aged to a dark honey color.

They sat on the sofa, a foot apart, suddenly acting like high schoolers on a first date. Conversation had flowed freely in the restaurant, but now it was stiff, one or the other stammering to make some comment.

Dien knew he either had to leave or see if Owen was open for something more intimate, sexual in nature. Oddly enough, he wasn’t sure he wanted to push it that far on this first date. The idea of tearing Owen’s clothes off and fucking him was more in line what he did with Richard and Tommy, and he didn’t want that, not with Owen.

“Maybe I should go” said Dien as he started to stand.

“Dien…please, don’t go.”

“You want me to stay?”

“Yes.”

Owen slid closer till their legs touched and he leaned toward Dien, bringing their lips together. “Stay with me tonight” he whispered as he put one hand on Dien’s thigh and used the other to hold his chin as he kissed him again.

“Let’s go to your bedroom” said Dien, as he backed away and pulled Owen up as he stood, then led him to the bedroom. The small room was sparsely furnished. A twin bed, two small round tables for nightstands and an old armoire that was the oldest piece in the apartment. Its darkly stained woods seem to absorb the light from the room. It was a dark massive thing occupying more of the room than its physical size suggested.

They moved to the side of the bed and Dien began to pull at Owen’s clothes trying to strip him quickly.

“Slow down Dien, we have all night” Owen whispered as he pulled Dien’s hands from his shirt then began to undo the buttons on Dien’s shirt, slowly one by one.

Naked, the two of them eased down on the bed. Dien felt Owen’s hands roam over his body. Each touch, every caress and manipulation. He did the same, wanting to feel every curve, every shape of the muscular body lying next to him. When he raked his hand down Owen’s stomach, he felt hard cock fill it. He stroked it making Owen moan. As he manipulated it, he felt Owen’s hand come down his back, slide over his round ass and slip between each cheek. Fingers probed down along his ass, raked the sensitive skin till rubbing over his tight opening. He pushed back wanting Owen to keep touching him. As his own hand became slick with Owen’s drooling cock, he felt those fingers bore into his hole. He shivered with the stretch of his opening and the feel of fingers twisting and turning in his hole.

“Fuck” Dien uttered breathlessly as Owen slipped another finger into him.

Owen guided Dien onto his back, moving between his legs. Dien held his legs at the knees pulled back and spread apart. He opened  himself to Owen, put on display his body, fully revealed, wanting the pleasure of Owen’s fuck. He begged Owen, pleading with him to do it, to put that cock in him.

Owen shifted closer and Dien felt the wet cock rub over his ass then push at his opening. Then he felt himself stretch open, the penetration by Owen, inch after inch pushing inward till their bodies were pressed together. Head thrown back, eyes closed, he relaxed into Owen’s fuck. Initially it was a gentle rocking as cock pushed into his depths and slowly, almost painfully so, pulled outward. Owen stroked his desire, fueled his arousal till he felt his own hardness. The ache of it. Then he felt Owen’s hand take it, stroke it till he was shuddering from the stimulation.

“Please….fuck me…fuck me harder” Dien pleaded as he grabbed at the bed and pushed with his ass trying to get Owen deeper.

Owen’s pace increased and he rocked more roughly on the bed. It squeaked with every push inward. Then he heard the smack of Owen’s abdomen against his ass, then that of the bed against the wall. It drove him to a state he was pushing up with his hips thrusting his cock through Owen’s hand, then downward onto the cock sinking into his hole. Their pace increased and furiously Owen pounded his ass.

A hand came to his neck and pushed down pinning him to the bed as Owen further increased his pace. He took his own cock and stroked in rhythm with Owen’s fuck. He was sweating and his skin felt on fire. Nothing came into focus except Owen in his ass, fucking, fucking hard. He wanted to come.

“Harder…harder…fuck me…fuck…” Dien stammered as he felt his own imminent release, the surge through his body. He jerked around on Owen’s cock then froze, every muscle locked tight, as cum exploded from his cock. He came hard, harder than ever before. Cum spattered his face, then neck and finally his body. It covered him, the smell of it filled the room, and it seemed to push Owen over the edge. Holding him down and jamming into his hole hard, over and over, Owen cried out then filled him with cum. 

Dien stayed the night and woke early in order to get to work on time. As he was pulling his jeans up Owen rolled over and looked at him with bleary eyes.

“What time is it?”

“5:30.”

“What?”

“It’s 5:30. I have to be at work by six thirty to help load up plants, and by the time I drive home and get changed I’ll be pushed to get there on time.”

“Can you let yourself out?”

“Yeah” Dien replied buttoning his jeans. He picked up his shirt, shoes and socks and eased up next to the bed. Owen was watching him and smiled as he approached. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“I hope so. I’ll probably be working late today so call after eight or nine.”

“Okay.”

“And Owen?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. I had a nice time.”

Dien watched Owen blush and he wanted to pull his jeans back off and climb in bed with him. He leaned over and kissed him, then said goodbye. He put his shirt on as he made his way through the living room. He sat at the dining table and put his shoes on, grabbed up his keys and cell phone and headed out.

June

Richard knew the day would come and shouldn’t have been so surprised it came sooner rather than later. He didn’t know why he had acted the way he did, at first dismissing it, then trying to put it off. It was, after all, the way he worked his way into the landscape business, working for Mr. Guidry at his greenhouses. Mr. Guidry even sold out to him a few years later, and now the greenhouses that Mr. Guidry had were increased twofold supporting his landscaping business. So, he had swallowed his pride and apologized to Tommy and told him it was a good idea.

Tommy had come to him about starting his own lawn service since a lot of their customers asked about it. It was a market to be tapped. And it was an avenue for Tommy to become his own boss. Everything Mr. Guidry had done for him came back in vivid detail. The loan to get started, allowing him to borrow equipment till he could afford his own and the use of one of the greenhouses for such a cheap lease he knew the old man wasn’t making a dime off of it. When he called Tommy back into his office, they laid it all out. First, Tommy’s plan to keep saving and begin the next spring, which would give him more than enough time to hire someone and train them. He then added his own part. A loan to buy the equipment he would need, including a more reliable truck. And Tommy could use the old barn to the south of the greenhouses, one Mr. Guidry had used to store equipment, seed, and bags of fertilizer. It still had a good roof and more than enough space for a couple of trailers, lawn mowers and other equipment.

He’d never seen someone so shocked, so happy, and by the time the reality sank in, appreciative.

He also knew Tommy was getting restless. He saw it when they still hooked up, which was more frequently now that Dien was seriously dating that guy back in New Orleans.  He knew the problem, had seen it often. This need for something else that more often, than not, they didn’t even know what it was themselves. But he knew. He’d seen the evitable conclusion. They wanted a more serious relationship, something more stable than merely hooking up for sex. Dien had gone through it and he had not been surprised when Owen showed up. Tommy had been shocked, but he didn’t understand. For all the bravado, the claims of not wanting to live like straight people, for some, there was a need for something more permanent in nature. A stability from knowing someone is there all the time. He had wondered about it himself, although whenever he was around Christopher, their ole ‘not for me’ attitude came to the forefront. If anyone was never going to settle down, it was Christopher.  He had played around with Christopher enough to know.

But what about himself? He wasn’t so sure anymore. Seeing Dien with Owen and seeing the signs with Tommy, it made him think.

Glancing at his watch he saw it was seven thirty. It was time to get on the road. They had a new job on the outskirts of New Orleans to start. It was nearly an acre lot with a pool and a guest house to landscape around. Grabbing up his cap he stood to go out when the phone rang.

Dien was sitting in the passenger seat and Tommy was closing the tailgate when Richard finally made it out. He climbed into the truck and started the engine. The rear door closed, and he knew Tommy was on board.

“Guys, I just got a call from the Park Service. It was about a job I had forgotten about, figuring it was either dead or someone else got it. It seems we have it.”

“What kind of project is it?” Tommy asked from the backseat.

“It is a raised walk to a river with some observation sections.”

“Wow, that is going to be tough construction” Dien replied looking back toward Tommy, then at Richard.

“Yep. I planned on that and the budget accounted for it.”

“When does it start?”

“Not sure. I’m going out to meet with the Park Service next Tuesday to see what the schedule is and discuss any changes to the program.”

“Do I need to cancel my vacation in July?” Tommy asked, and Richard could hear the anxiety in the tone. The fear he would have to give up his vacation, one he had been planning for months.

“Hell no. We all need to take vacations. We’ll plan around it.”

Richard drove to the highway, then headed toward New Orleans. He accelerated slowly, feeling the weight of the trailer behind him. After covering a few miles, he suddenly remembered something he meant to tell Tommy.

“Tommy?”

“Yeah?”

“There is a three-quarter ton truck for sale over in Gibson. It supposedly is a low mileage truck owned by some guy who kept it garaged. I called yesterday about it and told them we’d come by tomorrow to look at it.”

“Really? Thanks Richard.”

Dien looked over at Richard then back at Tommy but he didn’t ask, instead turning back in his seat to watch the road in front of them.

The sun never broke through the cloud cover on Tuesday. Instead the winds howled and threatened rain. Richard drove down the lane from the greenhouses wondering if he should cancel the meeting and stay to make sure any damage was quickly addressed. He knew the winds were to get worse for a storm in the Gulf was working its way north. But he was also anxious for the new project, one that would open new avenues of work.

He was in one of the work trucks, a F250 with four-wheel drive and a fifth wheel hitch in the bed. The interior was spartan with vinyl seats and flooring. He loved the old truck, one of the first trucks he had bought. He kept it around due to its reliability and ruggedness. On the road, the wind whipping around the big mass, it rocked with every gust but held its line on the narrow road as he headed to the park.

The parking lot at the guest center was empty save for two park service trucks; one a pickup and the other a Tahoe. As he pulled into the lot, the driver’s door of the Tahoe opened and a man stepped out, slipping his hat on. Richard found himself stopped, staring at the man before him. Solid build, tall, with a five o’clock shadow that revealed itself to be strawberry blonde, darker than the blonde hair visible around the hat.

“Richard?”

“Yes.”

“HI, I’m Jonathon with the Park Service.”

“Jonathon, nice to meet you” Richard replied, thinking he like to do more.

“I guess you have the plans on what we’re wanting.”

“Yes, the walk going out to the river and then parallel with it to that small island.”

“That’s right. Today, I’m going to take you out to look at the site again. Do you have waders? If not, I’ll get a pair out of the office.”

“I’ve got a pair.”

“Good, grab them and we’ll take my truck.”

The conversation had taken only a minute, but as Richard walked to Jonathon’s truck, he could draw him if he had had the talent.  His hair was truly blonde, and his beard was coming in with a red tint. His skin had a red tone to it, cheeks rosy. But the thing that caught his attention the most was Jonathon’s eyes. An icy blue or sapphire. Whenever he had looked at Jonathon, those eyes zeroed in on his.

He expected Jonathon to take a Park Service road next to the Visitor’s Center, but Jonathon circled around and headed back to the road.

“It’s quicker to take another lane we have at the edge of the park” said Jonathon as if he could read Richard’s mind.

Down the highway about a mile, Jonathon turned off the road down a dirt lane. They passed two ramshackle houses. The second one had children running around the yard chasing chickens and a porch that was sagging so Richard was surprised it had not broken from the main wall and collapsed. They bounced along the lane till they came to a fire lane and Jonathon eased the truck into four-wheel drive and made his way over a mound of dirt meant to keep trespassers out then let the truck idle along the rough fire break. Limbs raked over the hood and top and there was the constant scrub of the underside.

“Is this the access we’ll have to use?”

“Yep, but don’t worry. I’ve got a crew set to clean it up and grade it. There are some bad sections we’ll gravel.”

The lane curved to the right and when it straightened up Richard could see the river through gaps in the trees growing along its banks. Jonathon stopped at the end of the fire break, pulling under the canopy of a tree for shade.

“Grab you waders and I’ll show you what we want to do. There is one slight change in the angle of the walk from here to the small island. We’ll hit the island on the opposite side, away from the river.”

“That should be no problem. Either way is still going through that marsh.”

Suited up in their waders Richard followed Jonathon through the marshland, water sometimes coming up to their waist. He followed him, listening to the description of the project, knowing most of it from his previous time here when seeing the scope for their bid. At the upper section where the raised walk would branch off to the island further up river he looked in the direction of Jonathon’s pointing finger, visualizing a walk cutting through the marsh all the way to the land mass beyond.

Back at the truck, they climbed up on solid ground and stripped off the waders laying the wet things over the rear fender of the truck. Richard tried not to stare, had been since they first met and all through their wading along the edge of the marsh. But now that their time was nearing an end, he found himself thinking of ways to delay leaving, something to keep up this meeting.

“Jonathon, when we start the walk from the main path down there” pointing back to the south where the public would access the raised walk, “should we run it along the solid ground for a certain distance, or kick it out immediately and run closer to the river?”

“Well, we were thinking it would kick out immediately. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no real reason. Just wondering about the way the public will first move out into this section.”

Jonathon walked down to the edge of the solid ground to the edge of the marsh and looked along the area where the walk was to be constructed. Richard came up beside him, looking down along the edge of the marshland. He didn’t notice how close he stood at the point where the ground rolled into the marsh and when he took another step. he lost his balance. Arms pinwheeling, he tried to swing his weight away from the marsh. Jonathon grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, and in the process threw his own balance off and he went over, head first, into the water. It was only a couple feet deep where he landed, but falling forward flat on his front, he went down completely. Jumping up, spitting and wiping at his face, Jonathon steadied himself on his feet.

Richard jumped up off the ground and started toward him.

“Stop…no need for both of us to get wet” Jonathon called out, holding up one hand. Richard, feeling embarrassed and responsible, stopped, fighting the urge to wade out to him. “Damn…I do this all the time” looking up at Richard, laughing. “I carry a change of clothes and must use them 3 or 4 days out of 5.  Stand back so I don’t accidently pull you in if I lose my balance again.”

Richard watched Jonathon make his way up the slick bank and onto dry ground. He couldn’t help but notice how the wet clothes clung to his body. Jonathon kept talking about the project as he went to the truck and opened the toolbox that sat across the bed against the cab. Richard tried to focus on the conversation, replying occasionally while he kept his eyes trained the body before him. The wet clothes clung to it revealing his muscular form. 

Jonathon pulled out a dry sack and unrolled the top. Reaching inside he pulled out a clean shirt, pants, boxers, socks and a towel. Richard noticed the boxers and had to fight the urge to smile.

“You don’t mind if I just change here, do you?” Jonathon asked holding up the boxers.

“NO…no, go ahead and get out of those wet clothes.”

Jonathon seemed to recognize something in Richard and in the way he responded. He smiled knowingly then began to undress. The wet shirt went over the side of the truck bed and Richard stared at the muscular upper body. The smooth chest and the thin trail of hair around the navel that descended into the pants. Shoes came off, then socks, each tossed over the side of the truck bed next to the shirt. Water still trickled out of the wet garments down the side. Richard tried to act nonchalant about it, but he knew he was obvious as he watched the pants get pushed down and each leg worked out of them. Jonathon had on white boxers, made transparent by being wet and he could see the flaccid cock moving around within. It seemed to be framed by the darker hair fanned out above, bringing his focus right to it.

Jonathon tossed the wet pants over the side of the truck bed and spread them out, then he turned toward Richard and pushed the boxers down his legs and stepped out of them, using his left foot to lift them up to take in hand. He tossed them over the side of the truck with the other garments and tugged on his cock. Richard’s eyes were glued to it, unable to look away. The shaft and sac were darker skinned, and the flared head was arrow shaped. It hung thickly over the sac, a few inches long and Richard kept his eyes on it as a hand tugged on it, stretched it out. The shaft thickened and elongated a couple of inches at the manipulation.

“You like what you see?”

Richard watched the hand manipulate it, rub over the head and tug on the shaft making it grow larger and larger.

“Richard…you like what you see?”

“Huh…oh, yeah” Richard replied with a breathless voice.

Jonathon moved closer to him, only a couple of feet away. “I’ve been here six months and met a few guys but most…well, weren’t my style. Far too often I’m just stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, alone, horny as hell.”

“Yeah?  I know what you mean” Richard replied.

“I’m horny as fuck now; you want to help me do something about it?”

Richard didn’t reply, instead he took a step toward Jonathon and squatted down in front of him, taking the growing erection, letting it fill his hand.

“Go on…take it…take it, Richard.”

Richard leaned forward and swiped his tongue over the head and Jonathon shivered from the sensation. Then Richard put the head to his lips and let it slip through them and he pushed forward. Hands rested on his head and began to guide his movements, kept his pace slow as he pushed forward as far as he could then pulled back. His cap was pushed off and the hands grabbed his head by the hair and forced him down on the fully erect cock till he gagged.

“Come on, Richard…take all of me.”

The hands pulled him forward again and this time he controlled his breathing and let the long shaft slip into his throat cutting off his air passage.

“That’s it, swallow a couple of times. Let me feel that throat.”

Richard swallowed then gagged and Jonathon let him pull back as drool dripped from his chin.

“Stand up” Jonathon commanded, and Richard rose to his feet. Jonathon roughly pushed him to the back of the truck forcing him to bend over the tailgate. He felt hands working furiously at his belt then his jeans. The jeans along with his boxers were tugged down his legs. Jonathon pulled his shoes off then worked the jeans and boxers off leaving him stripped from the waist down. Legs kicked apart and a hand pushing down in the middle of his back, he felt it, Jonathon’s cock raking up and down his ass. Wetly it rubbed against him. He couldn’t help it. He wanted it too much. He pushed back against it. Jonathon laughed as Richard felt the push against his tight opening. He’d not been fucked in a few months. With the boys he did the fucking. It was typically Christopher who fucked him, or the occasionally man he met online. Now he found himself bent over and ass spread for this Park Service Ranger. Young, well built, hung and ready to fuck.

The pain surged up his spine as he stretched open, slowly, letting the head of Jonathon’s cock push inward. It was a slow penetration, Jonathon taking his dear, sweet time, savoring the feel of his tight opening squeeze down on his cock head.

“Fuck; you’re tight” Jonathon uttered as he began to push into Richard. Inch after inch bore into him, each one making him shudder with the painful stretching of his hole. He reached his hands straight out and pushed against the sides of the truck bed while Jonathon pushed the final inches into his hole.

“Fuck, you opened right on up. Most guys make me go slower when I put my cock in them” Jonathon whispered in his ear as he felt the pull outward for a few inches then a push back in.

Richard felt the increased pace, the push inward that filled his hole, then the pull back that left him feeling empty. Jonathon held him by the hips and fucked him hard. It rocked the truck and made him moan and grunt and at times cry out for Jonathon to fuck him harder.

“Yeah…take it” Jonathon uttered as he grabbed Richard’s arms, pulled them back and held him in place as he fucked him, pulling back at times till his cock slipped free, then shoved forward busting through the closing opening and back into Richard’s depths. Over and over and over, Jonathon hammered his cock through Richard’s tight opening. It milked his cock, squeezed every inch as it slid inward then back out, tugging at Richard’s tightness till he was shaking.

Jonathon was physical, rough with every move. Far rougher than Christopher ever was when they fucked. It scared Richard, but it also excited him, made his cock get so hard it ached. It flopped against the tailgate as Jonathon hammered away at his hole. We wondered if the head would be bruised as Jonathon’s grip tightened on his waist. The rhythm of their fuck grew ragged, Jonathon jamming inward as if he were trying to get his whole body inside him.

“FUCK…I’m coming” Jonathon exclaimed, and Richard felt the thick cock flexing in his hole. Jonathon began to slow fuck him, to push inward all the way slipping wetly through his load. Then he pulled out and Richard felt empty, wondering if Jonathon could go again.

Richard stood, turning to set back on the edge of the tailgate and began to finish himself off. His hand was a blur as he stroked his cock. It glistened wetly in the harsh sunlight as his hand moved over the head and down the curved shaft. He watched Jonathon, naked, cock dripping, move toward him. Jonathon brushed his hand away as he lowered himself between his legs. He held tightly to the edge of the tailgate as he felt his cock sink into Jonathon’s mouth. The hot slickness made his cock flex and he wondered how long he could last, knowing it wouldn’t be long.

Too soon, Jonathon was swallowing his load.

July

The fireworks launched from somewhere in the port and arced out over the bay. One explosion after the next filled the sky and reflected off the shimmering night time waters. Across the bay on the sandy shore of the barrier island thousands were gathered to watch the spectacle. All along the coast and on boats floating near the shore they watched.

Near the end of the island at the channel leading to the bay they sat on the old wall that traversed the end of the island around the old fort. David and Adam seated next to each other and to their right sat Tommy. They had been at the beach for a couple of days, two large tents set up in the campground near the fort. The three of them had done the tours, rented bikes to ride the trails, gone to the commercial district to browse in the tacky souvenir shops and eat seafood and they had spent hours on the beach. Early mornings wondering along the shoreline looking for shells, during the day sitting under an umbrella or frolicking in the water and at night, just sitting in the dark looking at the stars and moon while listening to the waves break on shore.

Tonight, they were going back into the city. It was the fourth of July and the bars and clubs were to be open as another avenue for celebrating. Adam had found a small gay club not far from where the bay bridge came into the city, and as luck would have it, a small bar in between that they could go for pre-club drinks.

David bumped shoulders with Adam as the last of the fireworks exploded out over the bay earning him that special smile of Adams. Looking around the other way he looked at Tommy and saw someone he barely recognized. They had met at the campground on Sunday afternoon, three days ago, and struggled to find that old ability of just talking to each other. The easy going banter they had had. Things were different, none more so than for him and he knew it. Adam was now in his life and Tommy was the past.

Tommy had put on a brave face, greeting Adam warmly and asking all the right questions about what he had been up to over the last days since they last talked, making final arrangements. But when he thought David wasn’t looking, when he thought he was alone, there was a melancholy about him that seemed sad. There was an isolation about him, some self-imposed aspect David thought related to their past, but as he watched, gave special notice to some of the things said, and how they were said, he knew there was more to it than that.

“Hey, I’m heading back to change” said Adam as he climbed to his feet.

“I’ll be right behind you” David replied, then leaning closer as if to kiss him, whispered “I want to talk to Tommy a minute.”

“Okay” Adam replied. He knew what David was worried about for they had discussed it whenever away from Tommy.

Tommy stood and came over next to David as Adam headed down the wall toward where their bikes were parked. Indicating he should follow, David headed toward the pier in the opposite direction.

“Okay, it’s just the two of us. Will you tell me what is going on with you?”

“Nothing…really, it’s nothing.”

“Come on, Tommy. We haven’t been around each other for several months, but I still know you. Something is wrong.”

“Look, there isn’t anything really wrong. It’s just…”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I thought I knew what I wanted, or…” Tommy stammered, then took a deep breath, “I never had been as secure with myself as you are; you know that. But living in Louisiana with Richard and Dien there had been a time when I thought ‘this is it’, but…”

“It wasn’t what you imagined?”

“No, it…things have changed. I thought Richard and Dien would always be, I don’t know, free. Be lone wolves  and just living life.”

“Now Dien has…”

“Owen, and Richard; I don’t know. Something is going on with him. He hasn’t wanted to mess around in three weeks or so. The last time was when he came back from looking at this park project we are to start in September. God, he came back from the meeting horny as hell. I even had bruises where he held me too tightly.”

“But since then?”

“Nothing. I’ve even tried to make the first move. Fuck, it’s embarrassing what I did the other day, letting him find me naked in one the greenhouses. I begged him to fuck me.”

“Really” David asked in surprise.

“Really. And you know what he did? ‘I can’t right now’, turned and walked away.”

“What do you think is going on?”

“I think it is this guy at the Park. I overhead one phone conversation with this Jonathon guy. But that doesn’t make sense.”

“Why?”

“Because Richard is like his friend Christopher. Neither of them wants a boyfriend that will tie them down. Someone who’ll be in their homes too much, touching their stuff. You talk about two guys who live in the moment.”

“Maybe Richard was just mirroring Christopher, but really desires something more.”

“Maybe. It would explain a lot. The last week has been the worse. Richard had been disappearing almost daily, then going out at night, but all of that stopped two weekends ago. I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong, but I overhead Richard call the Visitor Center at the park asking for Jonathon. You should have heard him, the way he sounded desperate when Jonathon got on the phone. Some family emergency back in Tennessee and he had to go and didn’t know when he’d be back.”

“Sounds like it got serious and now Jonathon is out of the picture. What do you want? I mean, really want?”

“I…want…” Tommy stammered, and David squeezed his shoulder. “I think I want what you have, if I’m honest. I was hurt when Dien met Owen, and honestly, when I found out about Adam…dear god, that hurt too. So, maybe I’m jealous of what you guys have, which means…”

“You want the same thing?”

Tommy just nodded as they came to the end of the wall and turned to head back. They knew by the time they got back to their bikes and to the tents Adam would be changed and ready to go.

The bar had been a small place. The bar itself took up most of one room and two pool tables most of the other. Only the patio had enough space for people to really gather and it had been packed. The guys hadn’t stayed long, quickly making their way to the club. It was a small too and was not especially crowded. But the music had been good, so after a couple of drinks they found themselves on the dance floor. Tommy didn’t dance long, soon making his way to one wall to watch David and Adam. Neither were particularly good, and they moved slower than everyone else. But they looked good together and it was obvious to Tommy they had something special.

“Hey, I’m Cody.”

Tommy was surprised to find a guy leaning against the wall next to him.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m Cody. And you are?”

“Tommy.”

“So, Tommy, are you new to the area or just another tourist?”

“Tourist.”

“Figures. You want to dance?”

“Not really. You want to get a drink?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Tommy stood at the bar talking with Cody. There was the music, the DJ working at that moment and the one to come on at one, who was obviously much better. Cody talked about the city and what it was like living in the area and Tommy talked about Louisiana and living near New Orleans.

David and Adam came over and asked Tommy if he was ready to leave. Tommy knew they wanted to get back to the campground, for he could tell by how they were dancing with each other they were ready for more.

“I can take him back” Cody interjected.

“No, it’s okay. It’s such a long way back to the park.”

“It is some distance, but I live on the island, so I’m going most of the way anyway.”

“If you’re sure?”

“Yes, come on, hang out with me. You’re the most interesting thing in the club.”

It was flattery and Tommy knew it, but it was nice to hear. “Yeah…okay. David, you guys go on back.”

David smiled at him, nodding as he did, “See ya back at the camp site.”

 David and Adam made it back to the camp site to find it quiet. They saw no one out and about. Only a few RV’s had a light on. Everything else was dark. They pulled up to their tent, grabbed some clothes from the trunk and headed toward the bath house.

“I hope we have it to ourselves” Adam whispered as they crossed the grounds.

The room was quiet. There was no hint of anyone around. Even the air had dissipated the moisture and odors of previous users. They moved to the last shower stall, the two of them going in together hoping no one would come in and catch them. They stripped out of their clothes, giggling at their antics. Adam was naked first and he turned the shower on, holding his hand under the spray to adjust the temperature to their liking.

David came up behind him hugging their bodies together while kissing the back of his neck. “Is the water warm?” he whispered in Adam’s ear.

“Yes” Adam replied leading David under the spray.

They soaped each other, hands gliding over slick skin. Adam leaned back against the stall wall, eyes closed, letting David manipulate him. Fingers rubbed his nipples till they stuck out hard, then they were twisted and pinched making Adam moan and push his chest out. Kisses ran along his neck, jaw then pressed against his lips as hands moved down over his stomach till one grasped his erection and stroked it. The other hand moved around his waist and over his ass. Fingers probed between the cheeks then rubbed over his hole. Adam moaned and brought one leg up wrapping it around David’s waist.

“Finger me…shove them in…” Adam pleaded as he pushed back against them.

David penetrated him, sank two fingers into his hole and twisted them around, pumped them through the tightness till he felt it loosen to his manipulation. Then he spun Adam around, held his hands against the wall as he put his cock to that tight opening.

“Take me…” David uttered as he pushed against the tightness. Slowly, painfully, he felt the head of his cock breach the tightness. He pushed through it, feeling it milk his shaft as inch after inch squeezed through it. He pressed against Adam’s back. Working his hips, he fucked into Adam’s depths, drove inward as far as he could. Adam cried out, the sound echoing in the small room.

Stepping back, David took Adam by the waist and pulled his lower body back, head still resting against the wall, and he began to fuck. He moved with an increasing pace, his need for release too great to slow. The sound of bodies smacking together, and Adam’s reverberating moans grew louder and louder.

“FUCK” David uttered as he shoved into  Adam and came.

When he pulled out, his cock still half hard, he fell back against the opposite wall. Adam was on him quickly holding him against it, where he felt hands holding each thigh. He put his legs around Adam’s waist as cock penetrated him. Throwing his head back he cried out as inch after inch stretched him open.

Adam didn’t hesitate, didn’t hold back, as he fucked David, thrust into him harder and harder. Once again, the room echoed their fuck, the loud moans and the squeaking stall as Adam hammered David’s hole. David clung to Adam, begged him to fuck him, to fuck him harder. He felt the nip at his neck, the hot breath on his skin and the cock that piston in his hole faster and faster.

Adam cried out, bit down on his shoulder and shoved into him roughly. He felt the shuddering body against his own and the cock flexing inside him with each release.

A few miles up the island road, in a small condo on the bay side, Tommy was on his back, legs pressed down onto his chest, as Cody was hammering away at his hole. Hips would swing upward till his cock came completely free, then he’d shove back in. Each time Tommy felt the punch through his tightness, and he clung to the bed, head thrown back, eyes closed and took it. Took every penetrating thrust and begged Cody for more.

Pulling out, Cody flipped him to his side, twisted him at the waist and shoved back into his hole, roughly, hitting his prostrate, then hammered away at it. He saw stars and his own cock grew harder. It bounced on his thigh leaving it wet while Cody fucked him, drove into his depths, pulled back then hammered inward again and again.

Cody wrapped arms around his torso and clung to him as his rhythm grew ragged. He jammed inward trying to get further inside of him then he cried out. He felt the shuddering body against his own, the flexing cock in his hole and the whimpering cries behind him as Cody filled his hole.

When Cody slipped out, he rolled him over on his stomach. He was ready to fuck now. His cock angled up hard, the head wet and he pushed it between the round cheeks of Cody’s ass till it pressed against his tight hole.

“Take me…take me like I did you” Tommy uttered as he punched through the tightness and drove his hips forward sinking every inch into Cody’s hole.

Tommy held him down and fucked him with a furious pace. Then he would bear hug him, arm wrapped tightly around Cody’s neck and slowly grind his cock into Cody’s depths. He built up his need to cum, then slowed, allowing the need to subside, then he would hammer away at Cody’s insides once again. Over and over, for what seemed like an eternity, he kept up their fuck. He held him down and used his hole for his own pleasure, as Cody had done with him. This was a fuck, a way for sexual release. They knew the score when they left the club. The long drive over the bay bridge where Tommy leaned over and sucked Cody to full hardness. The pull of his hair to get him to stop. Then the staggering, stumbling walk across the parking lot, up the stair and into the condo, kissing and touching and groping the other as they tore at each other’s clothes. Then Tommy on his back and now Cody on his stomach.

Tommy wanted to see his face when he blasted his wad into him. He pulled out and roughly flipped him over. Cody didn’t have to be told what to do. He took each of his own legs and pulled them up and out, spreading himself open.

Looking down, Tommy saw the still hard cock lying wetly against Cody’s abdomen. He took it and manipulated the sensitive head till Cody was shivering and begging him to stop. He didn’t stop, instead he punched his cock through Cody’s tightness and sunk into his depths once again. He stroked Cody’s cock and fucked his ass, roughly, rocking the bed and making Cody beg him to fuck harder.

Then he felt it, the surge for release. He hammered his cock inside Cody till he was crying out and filling him with his load. Looking down he saw cum spattered over Cody’s chest and stomach, then he saw a smiling face of someone finally spent.

“Thanks; I needed that” said Cody.

“Me too.”

Looking toward the window Tommy saw sunlight filtering through the blinds. He glanced down at his watch and saw it was nearly seven.

“Hey, before you crash out, can you give me a lift down to the campground?”

“Yeah, sure.”

The rest of the day was spent lounging around the campground or down on the beach. They prepared the most basic sandwiches for lunch and dinner, none of them wanting to grill nor go back to a restaurant. They were leaving the next morning and all they wanted to do was rest up.

Tommy watched how David and Adam acted around each other. The casual way one would do something for the other, sometimes without being asked. He saw a comforting aspect of their relationship, this knowing the other at a level that was instinctual. It made him think of his relationship with Dien and Richard, and how it had changed so easily, for there had been nothing to hold it together. For people like Christopher, it was great. The freedom to do as one pleases and not having anyone disturbing their own world. But Tommy kept coming back to how it didn’t seem enough, not for him. He watched David open a soda for Adam and hand it over. So simple a gesture.

When he got back home, he knew the first thing he had to do was finish his planning for the yard maintenance business. The budgeting of equipment and employees he would need. Richard told him he’d need at least two other guys to begin. It was frightening in a way, to be responsible for others, but it meant he wasn’t dependent on someone else.

He knew once he felt secure, standing on his own two feet, his mentality about his own personal life would change. It seemed like a threshold he needed to cross over.

The next morning David and Adam got Adam’s car packed, the rolled-up tent the last thing they stuffed in the back. Tommy tossed most of his things in the passenger footwell of the truck, but the tent and cooler went in the bed, secured with bungee cords. There was an awkward moment when he wasn’t sure how to say goodbye. Was it to be a simple word of goodbye or should he give David a hug, a gesture that might seem too intimate? Adam solved the problem by coming to him first and hugging his neck.

“It was good to finally meet you. Take care” Adam said in the sincerest tone.

“Thanks…and take care of David, will ya?” Tommy replied giving him a smile trying to make it sound like a joke.

“Oh, I will.”

David came to him next, and their hug was longer, their bodies rocking back and forth.

“I’ve missed you; you know?”

“I missed you.”

“Keep in touch and we’ll plan on getting together again soon.”

“Maybe I can talk David into a trip to the Big Easy” Adam interjected.

With each of them in their own vehicles they left the campground and drove down the narrow two-lane road along the island. Tommy followed Adam and David, across the bridges, through a short section of the city and onto the interstate connector. They motored north till they got to I-10. David and Adam headed east and Tommy west.

December

Tommy slowed as he came to the exit, easing over into the exit lane and down the slope to the stop sign. He sat for a moment, his stomach in knots, thinking how easy it would be to go straight and back on the interstate. He could go to Atlanta or Savannah or anywhere else for the holidays. He looked left then right once more and pulled out, turning left.

He drove slowly scanning his surroundings looking for the familiar and things that had changed in the last months since his leaving. Not much had changed. A new barn behind the Snider’s house and the bridge over Jackson creek was being replaced, the road diverted to the side over a temporary bridge. When he made it to the next plateau he slowed, taking Highway 325, a small detour that would let him ride by the Hill residence. He would see if David and Adam had made it. He debated whether, or not to stop, putting off making it to his own home.

When the Hill’s house came into view he slowed and fought the urge to stop. The plan was to get together the next day for dinner with David’s family. It would make Saturday bearable but the next day, Sunday, would be another matter. His mother had been hinting for the last two weeks about going to church, something he knew was a mistake. But with their conversations so stiff, a fragile truce that made them strangely formal, lacking anything really personal, he had put off telling her he wouldn’t go.

He had reached out once again at Thanksgiving and was surprised his mother replied. He heard the anxiousness in her voice. She was trying to reconnect him. But it was painfully obvious his father wasn’t ready to do that. Another two weeks and slowly, over several phone calls, his father finally spoke to him on the phone. They talked about the landscaping company and his setting up a lawn maintenance company starting up next spring. But there was nothing personal.

After his detour, Tommy came to his home and he wondered at the reference. Calling it home. It had been, once, but it no longer felt like it. His home was back in Louisiana where there were people who supported him, encouraged him, made him feel good about himself. As he pulled around the house and into the space, he had considered his own he wondered once again if this had been a good idea. Maybe they should have waited till after the holidays, met up somewhere in the middle, some neutral ground.

Stepping down he saw his mother come out followed by his father. He closed the door and let his mother come to him, wondering how she’d approach. She came to him without hesitation, wrapping her arms around him.

“Oh, Tommy, I’m so glad you came home.”

They hugged as Tommy struggled on how to reply. Finally, he responded with a small quiet voice.

“Thanks mom.”

His dad came up but didn’t hug him, keeping a few feet away.

“No problem driving up?”

Typical of his father. Go for the casual comment about anything but the main thing between them. He knew to play along, to let his father have all the space he wanted. It would make the next few days bearable.

“No, no problems. Traffic was a bit heavy but no wrecks.”

“Good. I see you got a new truck.”

“New to me” Tommy responded. It was the truck Richard had found and helped him buy. Some older man had bought it then didn’t use it much. It was eight years old but had low mileage and a solid body.

“Looks good, but four-wheel drive? Do you need that?”

Always some criticism but Tommy let it roll over him.

“There are some areas in Louisiana that make it useful.”

“Come on, enough about a truck, let’s get inside. I’ve got dinner on the stove” his mother interjected.

“I’ll grab my bag” Tommy replied moving around his truck to the passenger side.

Dinner had been an uneasy affair, his mother making most of the conversation. Tommy wondered if his whole stay would be like this, but relieved to find his father relaxing once they were in the den, television on one of the college football games. They began to talk about his business plans, what he expected to make and how Richard was helping him get started, thinking it would be a benefit to his own business. An ability to recommend someone to care for the work he had put in place for each client.

The next night, dinner was more festive, lively in conversation. Tommy saw his father’s initial unease being around David and Owen. But Owen was his usual talkative self and was so personable that even his father laughed at his jokes and contributed to the conservations. There were moments he was sure the façade would break. When David had held Owen’s hand when leading him to the dining table or later when Owen kissed his cheek after some silly comment. He’d held his breath so often, but in the end the night ended with everyone getting along.

Christmas had been awkward at first, but with his older sister’s arrival with her family in tow, the day passed without incident. It was his sister that broke his father down the most, and she treated him as she always had. Her little brother.

For David, it was a just another trip to his parents. They had made the trip back in August, and after Thanksgiving at Adam’s parents, they spent Christmas at his home. They stayed till the day after then headed to Adam’s parents for the remainder of their holiday vacation. Tommy came over Christmas night and hung out with them till late. He was staying till Saturday, and after the morning, opening presents and hanging out with his sister’s kids it felt like everything would be good.

March

Tommy drove into New Orleans heading to the Roland residence. It was their fifth job since starting up last month. He’d been surprised, thinking it would be toward the end of March before getting work but an early spring and many wanting their yards cleaned up after winter, and he had been busy for three weeks. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw the now familiar white Dodge truck. It was Alejandro, the first guy he had hired, who came from a competitor that Alejandro hinted was not doing well. With Alejandro was Simon and Quyen, his other two hires. Together they made up his crew. It would let him utilize two mowers, weed eaters and blowers taking care of each lawn quickly and efficiently.

The last two months had been a blur. He had his shop set up, with grinders for sharpening blades, air compressors and tools he would need to maintain and repair the equipment. Simon had experience repairing 2-stroke motors and with all three’s background around equipment he felt he had the crew he needed.

For the business anyway.

He had found himself looking at Simon, then Quyen at times wondering what it would be like to have sex with them. It had been tempting. He thought about how Richard had done it with Dien and he, but in the end, he also saw how it didn’t work out well, not for Richard anyway. Only Alejandro seemed totally off-limits and thus never tempting. He was married, with children, and seemed so happy with his family life, Tommy couldn’t image him ever doing anything to hurt it.

Turning on Esplanade Avenue, he new it was only a few blocks more before their final turn. It was the best of their first jobs. The client was old money, very old money, of New Orleans and lived in a house initially built in the 1700’s with later additions over the years. It was a huge house with large private grounds around it. The yard was very traditional with oak and magnolia trees, understory trees of dogwood and azaleas grouped all around. Only the area on one side was different. A rose garden with statuary and small reflecting ponds. Tommy knew the property would take nearly all day to mow, trim and clean up.

He remembered the first meeting, Mr. Roland leading him around the property, pointing out areas the last company never did to his satisfaction. Tommy took notes, sketched the property as best he could, marking areas for them to pay special attention, the rose garden being the main area. He had been so intimated by Mr. Roland, and the wealth displayed by the place, he had had trouble thinking clearly, wondering what he should charge for such a large job.

Mr. Roland had led him back to his truck and before he had a chance to ask, made an offer of what he was willing to pay. It had floored Tommy, being double what he had been thinking. He stammered and hesitated, trying not to sound too overjoyed at the price as he agreed, telling Mr. Roland he would draw up a contract and sent it over for execution.

As he approached the gated entry to the Roland residence a Porsche pulled out and passed them. Tommy recognized Mr. Roland as he accelerated past. With the others following, he eased into the stone paved drive, following its curved path toward the rear courtyard between the house and garage. As they pulled in he saw a new four-door Jeep. Jacked up with after market wheels and tires, it reflected the harsh morning light from its pristine body. A garage door rose, and a Range Rover backed out. A woman about Mr. Roland’s age waved as if she knew them and eased down the drive. Tommy assumed it had to be Mrs. Roland.

They set to work, Alejandro and Simon with weed eaters and Quyen and he with mowers. They worked tirelessly, making their way around the house, saving the rose garden for last, for it would need the most work. Simon brought a push mower around for too many areas were too tight for the big mowers. Tommy used the trimmer on the hedges that surrounded the garden. He started on the far side and made his way around.

Unbeknownst to him, watching from a second-floor window, then one of the French doors leading to the terrace that overlooked the rose garden, someone was watching. They had watched each of them working around the garden, but after a while it was Tommy they focused on. They studied his tall lean build, the way he moved and how he spoke, his southern accent different from the local one, with its many influences.

Tommy called for a break and the guy moved back around to where they were parked. Under a tree sat a bench and Alejandro and Simon sat on it while Quyen and Tommy sat on the ground. They ate mostly in silence, wiping at the sweat that still trickled from their hair and down their faces.

“Damn, I can’t believe it is hot already” Simon uttered as he reached for his bottle of water.

“Going to be a hot summer” Alejandro uttered in a low voice while he unwrapped his second sandwich.

“Well, let’s eat and get finished before it gets hotter” said Tommy as he wadded up the paper bag that had contained his lunch. “Don’t leave any trash lying around” he added as he got up and went to his truck, putting his in a bag behind the front seat.

They finished around three o’clock that afternoon and as they pulled out the Range Rover came up the drive. Tommy eased to a stop, lowering his window. The Range Rover pulled up next to him and its window lowered.

“Mrs. Roland?”

“Yes, and you are Thomas?”

“Tommy, yes mam.”

“I assume you are finished.”

“Yes, mam. Look around and let me know if there is anything we missed. If I need to come back I will, otherwise I’ll see you next week.”

“Thank you” she replied as her window raised ending the conversation.

Tommy added two more properties before the weekend realizing he was about to have to turn down work. He’d been so desperate for good paying work and now he was facing the reality he was going to be turning some of it down. He knew he could add a crew, planned on it, in fact, but not until he had enough money put away to get one set up and carry them until they got paid. For the time being he was going to do the work he could with the crew he had.

One week later he and the guys were on their way to the Roland’s residence. He had not received a call so they must have been pleased with their work. As before they passed Mr. Roland heading to work in his Porsche and in the courtyard saw the Jeep was parked in a garage bay with the door up. Tommy walked to the trailer to help the guys unload the mower and equipment. At the side of the trailer it gave him a view into the garage to the side of the Jeep and he saw the Range Rover was already gone.

After a few minutes of prep, they set off to mow and trim. Tommy had told the guys the rose garden took longer than expected and he was going to start there, and the rest of them could get the rest of the yard taken care of. He worked methodically, from one side to the other, constantly wiping the sweat from his face. It was hotter than the week before and his shirt clung wetly to his skin making him feel hotter. He set the trimmer down and undid his shirt. As soon as it billowed open the air hit his exposed skin and felt marginally cooler. Enough so, he slipped the shirt off and tucked it into waist. The sun hit his skin with an intense heat, and he felt the sweat slowly evaporate, too slowly to cool him down. He worked in the sun a few minutes then moved to a section under the trees. Alternating from the sun to the shade he knew it would be easier and he wouldn’t get as burned. He had sprayed sunblock on his arms and legs, but not his upper body.

As he moved along the hedge at the base of the terrace a shadow come over him and he looked up at the dark silhouette of someone on the terrace. Immediately he saw it was a guy, with a nice build but all the details were obscured by shadow. He cut off the trimmer and shielded his eyes.

“Yes?”

“You’re cooking out here. Do you have some sunblock for your shoulders and back?”

“Back in my truck, but…”

“Well, I brought some” the guy interrupted, tossing him a spray can.

“Thanks.”

Tommy sprayed the sunblock over his chest and stomach, down each arm and over his shoulders. He struggled to aim the can at his back and was surprised to have it taken from his hand.

“I’ll do your back.”

Standing next to him, Tommy really saw the guy for the first time. He was just a bit shorter than himself, but he filled out his clothes with a more masculine build. He had light brown hair, so light there were blonde streaks in it and Tommy knew he probably had been a tow-headed child with light blonde hair. A hand came down on his shoulder and he glanced over at the long fingers gripping him. Then he felt the cool spray of sunblock over his upper back, then down till the spray cut across his lower back just above the waistband of his cargo shorts.

“There, that should do it. I’m Ford.”

“Ford?”

“Well, actually its Crawford, but I’ll have you fired if you call me that” Ford replied, laughing, letting Tommy know he was joking.

“Tommy.”

“Tommy, nice to meet you, seriously, after the guys at college. Damn…it’s nice to meet someone who hasn’t got an agenda or is scared to disappoint their rich daddy.”

Tommy smiled then laughed, knowing he shouldn’t, for he was still just a laborer to the Roland’s.

“You live here in the city?” Ford asked as his eyes scanned up and down Tommy’s lean frame.

Tommy saw the look, recognized it, and he boldly returned the appraisal, letting himself really look closely at Ford.

Expensive haircut that let his hair look good even uncombed, eyebrows perfectly arched over each emerald green eye, a strong nose and thin delicate lips that curved upward at his staring.

“You like what you see?” Ford brazenly asked. “I do” he added as Tommy became flustered, unable to respond. “You see I have to go after what I want, for those that come after me usually have an agenda, a money grubbing one.”

“I see…”

“I find it better to take the initiative.”

“Yeah?” Tommy stammered, wondering where this conversation was going to lead. Then they heard the mowers rounded the corner of the house from the rear and from the front Quyen walking toward them with a weed eater. Tommy stepped back, afraid of how it looked.

“I guess I should go and let you guys finish. I hope to see you around, Tommy.”

Tommy watched Ford enter one of the French doors and disappear inside.

“Who is that?” Simon asked as he rode up next to Tommy.

“One of the sons” Tommy replied, knowing there were three sons total, two working in family business and the third still in college, he thought, obviously wrong.  “Okay guys, let’s get finished.”

Two days later, a few minutes after five, Tommy’s cell phone rang with an unfamiliar number. Ninety-nine percent of the time he would have let it go to voicemail but this time, for some unknown reason, he hit ‘accept’.

“Hello. This is Parkland Lawn Service, Tommy speaking.”

“Tommy, this is Ford” causing Tommy to sit up and lean over his desk on his elbows. What could Ford want with him and he remembered how Ford had come onto him two days before. He wondered if Ford would push it. Suggest some hookup at a hotel somewhere. Or would he suggest dinner, something Tommy doubted for rich boys didn’t really associate with blue collar boys. Or would this be when things go sideways.

“Ford? What’s up?”

“Well, Tommy, I’ve been talking with dad and we need to look at your contract.”

Here it comes Tommy thought, the rich boy toying with him.

“The contract? What’s wrong with it?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing, relax Tommy. It’s just, well you see, we have this boat house and the last time I was there the grounds were a mess. We want you to go out and look at it and see about adding it to the contract. We’d only need you to make the trip once a month, and it being small, I think only one of you could handle it.”

Tommy heard the change in tone, how Ford told him only one was needed.

“Okay, where is this boat house?”

“It’s just outside Crown Point on 301. Do you know the area?”

“No but send me the address and I’ll GPS it.  When does your father want to meet?”

“Oh, he’s too busy. You’ll have to deal with me” Ford replied, and Tommy caught the mischievous tone. He stifled a laugh then switched ears so he could make a note on the legal pad in front of him. Once a time and date were agreed upon, he would move it to the calendar in the email address system.

“Okay, Ford, when do you want to meet?”

“I know most people don’t like to do work on weekends if they can help it, but I’ll make it worth your while if you could come out tomorrow. I know it’s Saturday, but I’ll get some seafood to grill and a frig full of beer if you’d come out tomorrow.”

Tommy laughed as he scribbled ‘fuck’ across the legal pad, not sure it was an exclamation or what to expect from Ford tomorrow at their boat house.

“What time?”

“I know it is a bit of drive so why not aim for three thirty or so. That will give us time to look at the grounds, then I can fire up the grill for dinner while we enjoy a few brews.”

“Okay, don’t forget to send me the address.”

“I’m sending it now. See you tomorrow” said Ford, then the line went dead, and Tommy’s cell beeped with an incoming message. It was the address and after a quick address search realized it was a bit of a drive. He would have drive back to New Orleans then back out due south. He heard a truck pull away and looked up in time to see Richard leave, a trail of dust kicked up in his wake.

Richard drove home, stripped out of his dirty clothes and took a long hot shower. It had become routine, too routine, for afterwards, he would grab a scotch and sit on the sofa watching the news. The news gave what seemed to be the same old stories, night after night. A shooting somewhere, a plane goes down or a train derailed and some leader of a country abusing his power, the latter happening too close to home.

The last few months he had been trying to get back to his old self. To get to where he was at before he met Jonathon. It had been such a fairytale that for it to end the way it did seemed almost appropriate. A father is struggling with his business, afraid he’ll lose it after a bad deal and a mother calls frantic, begging him to come home, and just like that Jonathon is gone.

Of course, Jonathon called before leaving and had called since, but each phone call was strained, nothing promised. He didn’t know how long it would take to help his father recover from the loss, so he didn’t know when he would return. It was the jest of all their calls, which fell in number over the months from once a week to only one last month. He didn’t want to hold it against Jonathon for he could hear the strain in his voice. And he knew he had done nothing, no gesture or statement that gave Jonathon any hint of how serious he had felt. So, Jonathon probably thought he had moved on to the next cute guy, and he had not been able to say otherwise, afraid to admit the truth.

He flipped the channel from local news to the news on NPR. They were outlining the nights main stories and he almost turned the television off feeling it truly was the same ole shit. He wondered about dinner, suddenly feeling a bit hungry. He could go get something or cook something on the grill. As he debated what to do his cell phone rang. It was Jonathon.

“Hey, how’s your dad.”

There was silence for a moment then the relieved voice.

“He’s finally got a settlement from the courts and we’ve got the business over the loss, so any settlement will only give him more of a cushion.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Yeah, I just have to decide what to do.”

Sitting up, feeling a sense of panic, “What do you mean?”

“The Park Service called and the guy who has been filling in wants my position and so they have offered me a job over in Virginia. It’s up to me.”

“You can’t go to Virginia. You have to come home” Richard replied and instantly heard the desperation in his voice.

“Really? Why, Richard?”

It was now or never, and he knew it. “Because I want you to come back. Okay?”

Richard heard the soft gentle laugh then a deep breath. “So, you miss me?”

“Yes…yes, yes I miss you.”

“I was never sure. Richard you always keep things too close to the chest. I’m still not sure it is a good move. You could tire of me in no time and move on.”

“No…I know that is how it was in the past, but this time. The last few months…I’ve been miserable. I’ve…just been waiting for you to come back.”

They talked a while longer, each minute Richard being more and more open about his feelings and Jonathon sounding more like his old self. After nearly two hours on the phone they finally ended the call. Jonathon would call the Park Service and ask to return with plans to leave in a few days. For Richard, it suddenly did seem like a fairytale; one with a happy ending. Even though it was late he went out and fired up the grill. He felt like a steak, and another scotch and maybe even a salad. He put on music and slide open the glass doors letting it drift out to the deck.

It was after eleven, dirty plate carried inside and a fresh scotch in hand. He leaned back and looked up at the dark sky seeing a few stars, knowing many more were obscured by the lights of the town. He smiled for he felt happy, truly happy, for the first time in months. He wondered what the next year would hold for him. Tommy had his business up and operating and some of his clients had already called to tell him of the good job that had been done. Dien was taking more and more responsibility and he considered giving him a small partnership in the company and set him up with his own crew. He knew how to design, knew the plants better than he did and everyone who worked with him liked him. And it would let him slow down, take time to enjoy life a bit more, especially since Jonathon was moving back. He was tempted to call Christopher but knew that was a bad idea. He’d either be fucking someone or getting them to leave and neither of those scenarios interested him.

Another sip, feeling the warmth of the scotch move through him, he told himself to get up for it was time to go inside. But he continued to sit watching the changing night sky and he considered the future. It would be daylight before he went inside, feeling more refreshed than he had in months.

Tommy put on a pair of jeans and nice shirt, then took it all off. He slipped on cargo shorts and a tank top and started to take them back off. ‘This is ridiculous’ he thought as he slipped his feet into sandals, grabbed up his keys, wallet and cell phone and headed out the door.

He drove with the windows up and a/c cranked. It hot for March, too hot. Traffic was light and he made good time, driving to New Orleans then back south toward the address Ford had given him. At first, he drove by one housing development after the next. Cookie cutter houses lined up on narrow lots that sat on both sides of the road. Then the left side became woods and soon he was driving through woods on both sides of the road. At the turn for Crown Point his GPS indicated he was to continue straight. He went over the Intercoastal Waterway and turned right following the waterway’s path as it cut a southernly path. After a few minutes he came to the address on a mailbox situated by a drive that cut through some trees.

Following the gravel drive, he curved through the trees till he came to a clapboard sided house. It was obvious the house had been added on to and modified but the old structure, sitting up on brick piers about 3 feet high still showed it old influences. A porch cut across the front, turned down the right side and turned across the back, shading the windows from the harsh sun. In the drive sat the new Jeep with mud kicked up on the sides.

Tommy pulled in next it and climbed out. Music came from the backyard and he headed toward it. As he rounded the corner, he saw a large boat house on the waterway with a short pier to the side. He scanned the rear yard then the back of the house to get an impression of the scope of work they would be talking about. The yard was a mixture of grass and exposed dirt under the trees. There was little landscaping, and most of it was around the house. He saw the porch spanned the rear of the house; the last half screened in. Out in the yard was a gazebo with a grill and seating area under it and between it and the screen porch a firepit area.

Tommy followed the foot path toward the screen porch. As he approached, he saw a door open and Ford come out of the house, cross the screen porch and step out.

“Hey, you made it. Any trouble finding the place?”

“No, none at all.”

“Let me sit this down and we’ll go inside and look over the property plans before walking it. Dad is going to have the guy you use to work with do some additional landscaping.”

“Richard?”

“I think that was the name, yeah, Richard.”

The dining table had plans covering it. A survey of the property with every structure and tree located, a landscape plan showing a new drive and parking court with new trees and shrubs all around the property and in back a new, larger gazebo with a screen section containing outdoor grill and other equipment. Tommy stood by Ford and took it all in, listened to the descriptions of work to take place and what would be needed on maintenance. It was a lot to take in, made worse by his closeness to Ford. A white shirt unbuttoned revealing a smooth muscular chest, and swim trunks that hung so low on his hips Tommy was amazed pubic hair wasn’t visible. He tried to keep his eyes on the plans and not on Ford, but he constantly glanced over.

“Oh, shit man, I’m sorry, how about a beer?”

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

Ford went to the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles, holding one out to Tommy.

“Why don’t we walk the property. It will not take long. There’s only five acres or so.”

“Okay, after you.”

The grill smoked with the seafood cooking within as Ford and Tommy polished off another beer each, their three empties sitting on side tables under the gazebo. After talking about the project and what Mr. Roland had suggested for a contract amendment, an amount Tommy easily agreed, Ford began to ask about his company, the crew he had with him, then more personal things.

Single. No, not seeing anyone. Haven’t met the right one. Louisiana was a change of pace. His parents were upset with him over the last person he was seeing. No, he didn’t want to elaborate. Ford pulled the seafood from the grill and put it on the table with the baked potatoes and salad already laid out. He nodded toward the undercounter refrigerator just behind Tommy and he knew to grab two more beers.

“Let’s eat.”

“Damn, this is good” Tommy uttered between bites.

“Dad gets everything from some old buddies he grew up with. They have three or four boats.”

As they ate Ford asked how Tommy ended up in New Orleans. Tommy stammered at first then grew bold and told Ford everything. How he had messed up with David then left home arriving at Richard’s place to find a new life. He thought Ford would understand, but he wasn’t entirely sure, but he knew if he was honest to the point of bluntness, Ford could either be repulsed, appalled at what he was confessing or not. As he talked of his relationship, if that was what you called it, with Richard and Dien he knew he wanted to know, know for sure, if Ford would want to distance himself from him.

Ford listened intently, not interrupting once till Tommy finally came to the present and another empty beer.

“You want another beer?” Ford asked as he slid out of his chair and squatted down next to Tommy opening the refrigerator.

“If you want me to leave...”

“Why would I want you to leave?” Ford replied holding out a beer.

“I just…it’s just…”

“You were not sure how I’d respond? If I’d be judgmental?” Ford interjected, laughing softly to himself. “We all have baggage. Money only buys some discretion…sometimes.”

“But we are so different…you and I.”

Ford moved up next to Tommy’s chair, hand coming to rest on his arm.

“I don’t know why, but there is an attraction I feel toward you that is different.”

“Because I’m just country boy trash?”

“Don’t say that.”

“I know…sometimes I feel…”

“Like you don’t belong? Try going to pretentious prep schools, then some over-priced private college then talk to be about not feeling like you don’t belong. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of gay boys, and they liked to mess around. But afterward…goddamn, they just crawled inside themselves and pretending nothing happened.”

“Couldn’t disappoint the family?”

“See, no difference between us in some ways.”

Tommy swallowed hard and tried not to think of it. All the ways Ford was so different from himself. The expensive clothes, the new Jeep just a few yards away and the houses, more than one, when he was relying on Richard, and…

Ford kissed him, gently at first, then with passion. The hand on his arm moved over it to his chest. It moved in a slow circular motion then down, over his stomach down to his crotch. It squeezed his growing erection till it hurt with the way it was trapped in his shorts.

“Let’s go inside” Ford whispered in his ear. He stood and helped Tommy to his feet then led him to the house. They moved through the kitchen, Ford switching off the light leaving only the one over the range on. He led Tommy through the Dining room and into the hall, past the bathroom and a bedroom till they were going into the last room. It was a large bedroom, a king size bed against an outside wall with windows spanning its entire width, the sill just above the bed.

Ford led Tommy to the side of the bed and faced him. Tommy wanted to say something, anything to break the silence and his own nervousness. He’d never felt like this before. It seemed different this time. No sneaking around, no worry about someone walking in on him, and more discerning, a seriousness to it that he’d never felt with Richard or Dien.

Ford undressed him. Garment by garment, taking each item off slowly, kissing Tommy between each one. When Tommy was finally naked, Ford squatting in front of him laying his boxers on top of his other clothes. He truly felt it, the intimacy between them, even though Ford was still dressed. He watched Ford reach up and take his cock and balls in one hand, pull them together and push them upward till his hard cock stuck straight out. Then Ford kissed it, tongued the head and slipped it in his mouth. Tommy gasped and held himself steady by holding on to Ford’s shoulders.

“Oh…f u c k…” Tommy uttered in a breathless voice as Ford took him.

He felt the heat, the slick hot wetness around his cock. He fought the urge to push with his hips, a need to for more stimulation. To feel the manipulation of his cock, the swirl of tongue over the head and down the shaft and the slide of lips milking it. He held on to Ford’s shoulders, so unsteady on his own feet, feeling the movement of Ford’s body, the rocking motion that aligned with the rhythm of lips on his cock.

Too soon, unable to hold back he pushed forward and felt the swallowing around the head of his cock. He stiffened then shuddered and filled Ford’s mouth.

Breathing hard he watched Ford stand. The dark silhouette moved toward him till it blocked all light and lips touched his own. He opened his mouth to Ford, took his tongue tasting his own cum. He pressed his nakedness against Ford still feeling aroused, his hardness pushing against the soft fabric of clothing.

 He pulled back and removed Ford’s shirt. He fell to his knees and took off each sandal, then rose to the front of Ford’s swim trunks, undoing the knot, then easing them down till they feel to the floor. Leaning forward he buried his face in Ford’s crotch feeling the hard shaft against his cheek. He mouthed the thick shaft then dragged his lips along its length till he felt the flared head. Ford shuddered as he took it in his mouth and sucked the sweetish flavor of precum from it.

“No…not so much…please” Ford pleaded as he pushed Tommy off his cock. “Too soon.”

Ford guided Tommy to stand and led him to the bed. He lay back, feet planted flatly on the bed, knees up, and guided Tommy down on top of his body.

“Fuck me” Ford whispered as he guided Tommy to him, held him against his tightness. “Please…” he begged.

Tommy pushed, gently, feeling the resistance, then the give as his cock squeezed into Ford. The tightness was almost too much the way it squeezed down on the head of his cock, then he felt a loosening within Ford, and he slid a couple of inches into him. Slowly, gently he pushed inward feeling the milking of his cock as he sank it into Ford’s depths.

He hooked his arms behind Ford’s knees and lifted them up and forward as he sank all the way into him. He folded him in half and pushed tightly against his firm ass. “Fuck” he breathed outward as he pulled up and pushed back in. Slowly, feeling every inch squeeze though Ford’s tightness, then the gentle push back in. He built up his pace till he is fucking into Ford’s depths with ease, the tightness given way to a pleasurable squeeze of his cock as it piston inside Ford.

Ford grunted with every deep push inward then begged for Tommy to do it, to shove it in him, to fuck him harder. Tommy didn’t know if it was the pleading, the urgency of it or the feel of his tight hole, but he couldn’t hold back, lost himself to the pleasure of their fuck and he increased his pace, hammered away at Ford’s hole till the thought he’d black out. He rose up on his hands and knees and increased his pace, pulling completely out at times, only to slam back through the closing opening as he shoved all the way back in. The bed rocked and Ford’s moans and grunts fell into rhythm with the bed’s squeaks and banging against the wall.

“Fuck…” Ford cried out and Tommy felt cum spatter his chest and stomach. It was hot against his skin and the smell drove him to fuck harder. Their bodies smacked together as Ford shuddered with release beneath him. He fell on Ford, lips smashed together, tongues dueling, as he felt his own release, the surge of it, and he slammed his cock all the way into Ford and came.

March – One Year Later

A small sports car pulled into the parking of the landscape store. The top was down and Dien could see the two guys within. One with a blue ballcap and one wearing a white one. They climbed out of the little two-seater and headed toward the door.

“Tommy, they’re here” Dien called out across the sales floor.

Tommy came out of the back office and around the counter carrying the screwdriver he had been using. The door swung open and he saw David and Adam walking inside.

“David…Adam, you guys made it.”

“Hey Tommy” David replied coming up to him giving him a tight hug. “Is this your place?”

“Oh, hell no, it’s his” pointing toward Dien, “this is Dien.”

“Hey, nice to finally meet you. So, what’s the deal? You didn’t mention anything about a retail outlet on the phone.”

“Richard kept expanding and after some trouble with some suppliers decided we needed to have retail in the mix. So, Richard builds the gardens and outdoor spaces, buying supplies from Dien, then I come along and maintain them.”

“A real monopoly. That is what you meant on the phone the other day.  And you have how many crews now?”

“Six” came the reply from behind Tommy and they turned to see Ford coming from the stock room with product to put out. “Three here in New Orleans, two up in Baton Rouge and one over in Slidell handling customers on the other side of Pontcharirain.”

“Hey, Ford. What are you doing? Stock boy?”

“Just helping out for the big opening next week.”

“Shit, he’s a silent partner in all of this” Dien replied going over to take the boxes from Ford. “You guys get out of here and go get cleaned up. Owen and I will catch up with you later.”

“So, we’re still on for dinner with everyone?” David asked.

“Yep, you’ll follow us on into town and we’ll get you guys settled in so you can clean up, then we’ll go downtown to the restaurant.”

“You sure it’s okay to crash at your place?” Adam asked coming up next to David, looking at Ford.

“Of course, Tommy and I want you to stay with us. No hotels to deal with and we can sit up talking into the night, telling stories about Tommy” Ford replied as he came up next to Tommy, putting his arm around him.

“Is Richard joining us” Dien asked.

“No. He’s driving out to Jonathon’s. Jonathon has the next few days off so…” said Tommy

“No need to go any further.”

“But they will come back into town tomorrow night for dinner.”

“We’re all set to grill out at the house tomorrow night, so it should be fun” said Ford.

“Why haven’t those two moved in together?” David asked as they began to walk toward the door.

“This bullshit thing about being independent and a free man” said Dien as he walked with them to let them out.

“More like scared of the commitment” Tommy replied, trading a smile with Dien, both knowing the truth of it.

They moved outside, under the late afternoon sun, feeling the warmth in the air slowly begin to seep away. It’d been three years since that night, the night David and Tommy came to the point their lives diverged, and since that time they found their own way, making friends and creating a life for themselves, and along the way found the heart of their own friendship, one that endured over time and distance.