The drill: This story below is a work of fiction, set in the format of reality. Any resemblances to real people, alive or in the hereafter, is entirely coincidental in nature. It is not meant to accurately reflect upon persons, of continents or islands, in countries, counties, cities, towns, villages, school campuses, crowded beaches, neighborhoods, streets, cul-de-sacs, nor governmental or non-governmental areas, which the story is staged.
% If a sexual scene involving male-to-male relationships offends you, then why are you here? Seriously, if guy-to-guy sex stuff makes you barf or is going to screw up your mind, causing wet nightmares over and over, you should not read this story.
Various states and countries have various rules regarding reading or viewing adult material'. It is up to the reader to research this subject, abiding by their own laws. The pages of this story contain adult material', intended for an `adult audience'. Bypass this warning at your own risk.
% Sexual safety matters. Remember guys, this is fiction. In real life, use protection.
Hey dudes, if you have enjoyed reading NiFTy stories as much as I have, over the years, consider adding some support for `internet $pace' or else I will have to start cutting steamy characters out of my stories.
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
^o^ Concluding remarks ~ reading this story could make you stiff or gooey, so I would suggest not reading it in a classroom...you should be paying attention to the professor anyhoo...just sayin'! :)
%
ALeK iN wONdeRfULaNd 23
WriTten by T. Chase McPhee
^o^
%
"Hey, are you busy?"
He was busy, Glenn making sure Jimi was coming back to the pool.
Waiting around with Sam, keeping tabs on the situation.
"A little," Glenn replies, but then sees that Sam has disappeared, "Well, I suppose I'm not now!"
Other than nights or afternoons, therapy sessions with Sam, when it came too close to talking about other things, like if they could ever be happy together, Sam would fade into thin air!
It made Glenn smile, thinking of the worn out subject, Sam not wishing to enter into anything permanent. Looking back at the many times Glenn has posed the question to Sam, the response was always the same, a humorous, `I'd be no good for you in the long run.' Unlike the lost love of his life, cheating on him, Glenn did not have the same opinion of Sam. Dreaming on, Glenn stare at the massive back, getting smaller by distance, holding up for values a good man possesses, among them, a person mindful of seeing others happy. Always the case, Glenn wondered why he wasn't more insistent considering the idea they could be a couple. Here was a man who had all the superlatives a person could ever want, including hot in bed, only to let the opportunity slide through his fingers, like Elmer's glue.
"I was wondering if you would like to join me at my table?"
Glen's vision of happiness is disrupted, looking to his side.
Not really into the `cub' type, he lets the guy down gently, "Scooter, is it?"
"That's me," Scooter doesn't give Glenn much choice, taking the plate out of his hand. It has made the rounds, Sam consuming much of the melon, "C'mon. We can sit and chat."
It was way too obvious, Glenn knowing Scooter wanting to do more than eat and chat, "Okay. Maybe for a few minutes," he turns the attitude right around, Sam's disappearance now a vague memory.
"You're not sitting with anyone else?" Glenn asks, Scooter plopping his plate down on the table.
"Uh, no. They're all talking about things which don' t interest me, sports mainly," Scooter says. "Can I get you anything else?"
"No. I'm okay with the melon," though Glenn wasn't sure that 2 chunks is going to quench his appetite.
Friendly condemnation, his mind pictures Sam!
About ready to say something, Scooter is left with his mouth open, Tommy, Adam and DJ approaching, sitting, Adam asking, "Mind if we share?"
What could be said against it, friends sitting with comrades!
"Of course we don't mind you inviting yourselves," Glenn laughs it off.
"Oh, I'm sorry," DJ says, hand on his chair, bent, ready to sit, his ass hovering above.
"Sit," Tommy says.
Tommy had the bod of a cub, Adam more as DJ's physique, average to slender, but one thing all had in common, hairy!
Something quirky with Glenn, since he was primarily smooth, except for what led to the treasure, "What is this...a hairy-man convention?"
He should have kept his thoughts to himself, Scooter saying, "Why? You don't like hairy men?"
Silence prevailed, which really put the gun to Glenn's head, "Uh, yeah. Love'em! Who doesn't?" then laughs it off.
"Oh great," Adam says, "because I was ready to call my attorney and slap you with a bias-crime!"
Scooter wasn't ugly', only chubby around the face. With the shirt, tie and jacket, no one could tell the shape he was in, except, chunky.' With the loosened tie, unfastened top button, one could tell a rug was underneath.
From the other three being opposite, Scooter says, "Well, it's not like I'm not working on it," pierces a chunk of watermelon with his fork, "I've already dropped 25 pounds."
Glenn took it for what it was worth, Tommy thinking he talked weight' and not fuzz'!
That's when DJ kicks up the conversation, "Are you on a diet?"
"More an eating lifestyle change. Ever hear of the caveman way of eating?"
Tommy was feeling woozy, wanting to get `caveman' with Scooter. Adam, sensing it, seeing it, a little taken himself, patted Tommy's thigh, "Calm down, caveman!"
"I certainly have. In fact, I'm patterning the menu at the lodge after the Paleo movement," DJ informs them.
Oh good,' Glenn thinks, with DJ chatting up Scooter, maybe...'
It didn't go as Glenn thought, DJ suddenly getting up, saying he had to meet with the kitchen staff, before dinner time.
Adam and Tommy, they made excuse, something important to be done, but Glenn knew they were headed back to their cabin!
Not sure how to embark on this conversation, without the conversation-makers flanking his sides, Glenn says, "Well, I certainly admire you for wanting to get into shape. The longer you wait, the harder it is!"
Secretly, Glenn's mouth watered, wanting Scooter to loosen up his tie some more, unbutton the shirt.
Modest man, when a hint was thrown, Scooter knew how to turn it into a suggestive joke, "I'm kind of `that' too!"
Glenn didn't get it, "Excuse me?"
Knowing certain subject matter could turn a man off, Scooter changes his line of thought, from cock to common sense, "Nothing. Forget it. Tell me something. I've recently taken up hiking, you know, to increase my cardio, and I know you're from around here. You know of any places to go hiking?"
It clicked in Glenn's brain, Scooter having checked him out', knowing he was from around here.' What else did he know? "I might know a few places. If I had a map I could mark some trails for you?"
Glenn didn't blame Scooter. It's nothing he wouldn't do himself, when wanting to grab up a guy, instead of allowing him to slip out of his hands.
"I'm not that good with maps. I was thinking more like you could be my trail guide?"
He was smiling, which Glenn could not say it made Scooter look kind of cute, but with some quick thinking, not want to seem easy, "Um, maybe we could get a group going?"
It was a wrench thrown into his plan, wanting to be alone with Glenn, but compromising rather than losing the whole game, "Who?"
"Adam and Tommy," Glenn names, adding, "and DJ." Then, to get even for Sam leaving him, "And Sam. Yeah, he knows these parts like the back of his hand. Y'know he's part Indian?"
"He's from India?"
"No-o-o-o!" it made Glenn laugh, at the same time, a gut reaction to pin the joke on Scooter, whether it was meant of not, grabbing the cub's arm.
"Oh, you mean," Scooter took Glenn's touch for all it was worth, "Sam is part Native American? My bad!"
Still clutching Scooter's forearm with a hand, "Yeah," Glenn smiles.
Not which he minded, more for intention's sake, Scooter asks, "Uh, can I have my arm back?"
Detaching his hand, Glenn says, "Oh sure. Sorry about that!" Then to fend off the touch, "Nice shirt."
Wanting to boast about the muscle he's built thus far, plus to catch a look of Glenn half-nakid, "I was thinking of swimming. Wanna come?"
A result of all the big hooey going on, Glenn knew he had the day off from landscaping, "I'd like that, but I still have some work to do over by the cottages. My job. I'm a landscaper here at the Plaza."
"Oh. Really, because I thought I heard Ernesto say..." then Scooter got it, the brush off, "never mind. It's not important," he gets up, "thanks for the lunch."
He knew what Scooter was going to say before he got up and left, which made Glenn stew in his words, condoning himself with being a inconsiderate dumb-ass. Another thing, he was really looking forward to having a day off, lounging around, at Ernesto's expense. A dedicated employee, he wasn't a fool and decided right there that it wouldn't hurt going for a swim!
Meanwhile, Alek had shone much interest in all which was going on and what things would be transpiring over the next two months. Of one thing, which made him happy, Alex and Kyle had reconciled. It brought happiness to him, because he felt Alex was a really cool guy, though sad that he left to go back east.
Tom was a really cool guy, but he and Tom were not of the same tree. After those days in the park, Alek had thought it not the way he wanted his future biography to read. It made him smile, thinking of all those guys, some who could be a helluva cocksucker, others mediocre. It also had Alek thinking, what a lucky break, not having a condom split in the middle of a hot fuck and contracting something unwanted. It made him think twice about a guy by his side, wanting to go the long term route. However, none of the guys in the gang matched up to his expectations. This is why he turned his mind towards the goings on, what he's heard, the other guys boasting about turning this place into a resort, man-made lake, boating, fishing, golf course, better rooming and to top it off, CK wanting to build himself a new mansion!
"Alek?"
"Huh?" Alek sat there, dumbfounded when his name was mentioned. If anyone quizzed him, he would not be able to repeat the last item said!
"Sam," Ethan says.
"What about him?" Alek asks, paying attention, with a smile!
"Sam has communicated to us, he'll be bored stiff, stuck in the lodge all day, not which we think he will be. He's kind of an outdoorsman, which we can be sympathetic with him. We were wondering if you would like to be our liaison here, at the lodge?"
"Sure," Alek is not sure, sketchy, especially of the skills involved. Mesmerized by Ethan's cute face, "even though I don't know what I'm getting myself into!"
Though, standing there, locking eyes with the new twenty-something-year old guy-on-the-block, he wasn't certain whether he wanted to stay out of the sunshine all that long a time, "Uh, second thoughts, you think you have a guy who might want to share? I mean, spend half the time indoors and the other half out in the clean, fresh air?"
Ethan, standing there, thinking on it, smiled, feeling so stupid, a guy wanting to spend so much time glued to a walkie-talkie, when he could be out and about, hauling timber, tearing apart a barn, getting all sweaty, with the prospects of wanting to strip a shirt, or more, "Right now I can't pin down anyone whom I think would be responsible. It's not like you can't bring business out to the pool?"
Locking eyes, staring deep within seemed to be developing a trademark between the two, Alek sensing a connection, "And, if you can get away, Ethan, there wouldn't be any harm in coming back and taking a quick, refreshing dip?"
Normally, business would be business, pleasure something which comes with putting in a full day's work. Ethan cracked half a smile, which would send the message, he liked the idea, which propelled him into saying, "I like your way of thinking, Alek. See? I told you you were the man for the job!"
Stepping closer to Ethan, finger and thumb grabbing up a pinch of his shirt, Alek was melting, "Then make it happen, boss!"
He was boss' all around, having to wear the position of head honcho to send a message from the start, or else suffer through having to order guys around, whom in Ethan's opinion, could very well wander. This was dangerous for a person of Ethan's executive standing, because it could result in accidents and being frank, not much would be accomplished. A project manager had time against him, dates to finish by, but with Alek right there in front of him, some things were too great a challenge to fight, "I'll see what I can do, boss!'"
Ethan's smile turning and taken away with him, walking off away from the building, into the wilderness, Alek wondered what that was about, being called the `boss'. Though, he had a sneaky suspicion, during lunch time he might see Ethan come back for that dip!
Off on a tour, Ethan led the makeshift crew, leaving them with much hope, "In two days I'll have a construction crew here to help," being truthful, "because I have the feeling not all of you are able to hit a nail on the head!"
Aronold says in Slim's ear, "But I could do a lot for the boss' plumbing!"
"Maybe we can work the pipes from both ends?" Slim draws a smile across his face, thinking of how it could be.
Like he could taste it, Aronold says, "Nothing like a pair of hot, sweaty balls, after a sunny day, wrapped up in musky briefs to savor, huh?"
Thinking it settled, Slim says, "Oh yeah...you on his balls, me on his cock...damn, you made me thirsty!"
They had a good laugh over wishful thinking, both feeling a silent tingle.
Ethan lay down some rules, one which the guys didn't like at all, `working on their tan', needing to keep their khaki, long sleeve shirts on, a safeguard against picking up ticks, or scrapes from branches or thorny bushes...
"Did he say horny' or thorny'?" Drew asks Scott.
Wanting it to be as Drew heard it, Scott says, "It's a def...he said horny. I didn't catch it, did he say it was okay to get horny?"
"Like, do you think we can control a thing like that?"
They had seen each other at the pool, caught each other staring or at least catching a glimpse. Sometimes when they were supposed to be paying attention to what was about to happen today, they were more drawn to exchanging smiles or hands touching where they should not go in public.
"By the way, dude, I like your hot chest!"
Drew smiles, saying, "If you like it hairy. Me? Man I could make a meal out of your meaty pecs, like your nips, they're stunning!"
Casually, Scott admits, "Yeah, well I try."
"Try? Like what?"
A little embarrassed to say so, Scott says, "Keeping them firmed up?"
Looking down, pulling his shirt tight over his pecs, Drew says, "More perky than these things!"
Stopping for a second to allow the guys in front of them to forge on ahead, Scott says, "Well, not only is it cool to tweak them up, but it really sends vibes to my balls, if you know what I mean?"
He knew, but lied, Drew saying, "Nah, I don't get what you mean."
The message was coming in loud and clear, Scott saying, "It's hard to explain. Only way to do it, is to show you, if you're up for it?"
"Now?"
Drew's hopefulness made Scott look forward, eye-catching the backs of khaki shirts 20-feet ahead of them, "No, later, you moron!"
Unknown, each to the other, either it was Drew, wanting to lick, tantalize the muscle-builder's perky pecs, or Scott, whom would be smooth against hairy, drawing his tongue over Drew's mossy chest. More of a mystery, would it wind up with one fucking the other or a 69 move, whichever, caught up in the rapture of the moment?
%
Meanwhile, back at the lodge, with the desertion, Alek immediately became bored. Only other company he had, were the cooks, taking lunch inventory and Johnny. Of course, he wandered out to the pool with his walkie talkie, "Hey, Johnny!"
When he dropped his rump into a lounge chair, Johnny looks up, "Wow, I wish I had your job, Alek!"
"Yeah, me too...I mean, I wish I had a job," Alek replies.
Taking much pride in `his' pool, Johnny says, "If you get too bored, you can help me?"
Anything to get out of the hot, khaki shirt, Alek says, "Why not?"
Placing the walkie talkie on a side table, Alek pushes himself up out of the lounge and begins unbuttoning, which got him to thinking about, "Uh, Johnny, I don't think Edward meant you have to wear your shirt in the pool?"
"That's what I thought," Johnny replies, "but Edward says there's ticks and I think he's a smart man."
"You're right about Edward. Trust me, I should know, but about the ticks. I don't think they know how to swim!"
Well, because Johnny had his swim trunks on, long sleeve khaki shirt buttoned up and wearing it like a skirt, to undo the wet garment and take it off, while Alek slipped into the pool, feeling obligated, "Need some help with that, Johnny?"
His net floated while undoing the buttons, but try to peel the wet, heavy canvas shirt off, was another story, "I am having a tough time."
"I can see that. Here, let me help you."
While helping Johnny strip off the shirt, it became impossible for Alek not to touch skin, especially having to place his hand on against the back to act as a catalyst to stripping.
"I hope people don't think we're doing anything?"
"Why? Do you think we're doing something we should not be doing, Johnny?"
Alek hadn't seen Johnny wear a smile in a while!
"You're just helping me take off my shirt, right?"
Thinking more to this than a pair of helping hands, Alek asks, "Is there a question on your mind, Johnny?"
"Yeah, but I didn't know whether I should ask it or not."
Smiling, Alek felt a little entertained, "Go ahead. Ask."
"You were taking my shirt off, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"When a guy helps another guy take his shirt off, it's something like they're gonna get sexual, right?"
It made Alek smile, but refrained from giggling, "Johnny, it's only something sexual, if both guys have a certain something on their minds. I know I couldn't help but touch you, but it's not like you were doing anything back to me. Besides, it was just a shirt."
Another thing on Johnny's mind, "You know what?"
"What?" Alek says, watching Johnny take his shirt to the side, lay it out in the sun to dry.
"I think I have a crush on you."
A bit embarrassed, Alek says, "No problem, as long as you don't," he nods, "fall on top of me and crush me with that monster of yours!"
Johnny might have been stoopid about some things, but guys calling his long, thick shaft a `monster', he could relate, "Oh, I never would do that, Alek, unless it was an accident."
Being that they were on the same page, Alek figures another person has called Johnny's hefty cock called a monster, "Of course, Johnny. Just what I was thinking," he adds a friendly pat on the shoulder.
When Johnny slipped back into the pool, Alek was already skimming.
"I can do that, Alek."
Pulling the skimming device away, like he owned it, Alek sent the message he already `had it'.
Always trying to build Johnny's confidence, he says, "Man, you look great without a shirt, Johnny."
"You look really awesome, too, but I wish I looked more built like you?"
Alek had the handle in his hand, the rounded net part in Johnny's hand. Playing an easy-going tug o'war, Alek says, "No reason you can't have a muscled physique too, Johnny. All you have to do is work for it."
"Can you show me some stuff?"
Smiling, Alek placed himself in danger of widening Johnny's opinion of him, the crush, but chanced it, "Well, I can't see us in the pool for the next 3 hours. Ready?"
He wasn't a personal trainer, but knew how to go about it, first pumping up the cardio, telling Johnny to run from the pool, to the back gate, and back.
"You're not going to run with me?"
"I suppose I could use the exercise too," Alek took off with Johnny.
After 3 relays, they were both sweating like a sauna.
"Pool time!" Alek's last leg of the relay took right into the pool, the perfect dive!
Standing on the side, Johnny waits for him to surface, "There's no diving in the pool, Alek."
Spitting out a stream of water, Alek says, "Oh. Sorry about that," wondering if Johnny's crush on him would heal the wound.
"I'll let it slide on account you didn't know better."
`Yup!'
"Thanks, Johnny. I really appreciate it," Alek thought Johnny so damn cute!
"But it's okay to cannonball," which Johnny did!
It splashed Alek in the face like a hand slap, which prompted him to say, "That was some cannonball, Johnny!"
Surfacing, Johnny says, "What's next?"
Alek thought about it. There wasn't really anything to work out with, no weights, or what he liked much, TRX straps, nor any other exercise equipment they had back in the high school gym.
"Uh, swimming's next."
They swam over to the shallow end, beginning relays.
When they returned to the same side they started, Johnny comes up with the idea, "We should get out and run again, then swim."
"I agree, but we need to stay hydrated as well."
Alek dried off as best he could, went inside and came out again. When he did, Johnny was bent over, hands on his knees, panting.
"Don't tell me you didn't wait for me to take another lap, Johnny?"
"Sorry," Johnny says, realizing a reason why Alek went to get bottles of water.
"Here, sit," he uncaps a bottle, hands it to Johnny, "drink."
Taking a big guzzle, Alek says, "No, slow down. Let it get into your system slower."
After Johnny guzzles the contents, some escaping from the sides of his mouth, trickling down the front of his bod, it stimulates Alek into uncapping another, holding it over Johnny's head, dousing his whole self.
"Oh-my-god, Alek!" Johnny hops out of the shower.
"It's only water?"
Johnny, being thrifty-minded, "I know, but we could have jumped in the pool?"
"We still can!"
This time Alek forwent the ridicule, doing a cannonball.
Johnny, catching up, floating face to face, asks, "How come you know so much?"
Alek told about playing football in the park, but carefully steered clear of what happened after practice!
"You're an athlete. I can tell."
"Oh really?" Alek buoyed there, wanting to stir up some mischief, "Like, how can you tell?"
Instead of zeroing in on the tight pecs, defined abs, Johnny remarks, "All of you Alek. You're totally perfect."
"Are you trying to make a pass at me, Johnny?" Alek laughs.
Said seriously, "Not at all, Alek."
"I was joking, Johnny. If a guy says that to you, you're welcome to compliment him, like, tell him he's really hot. Like, um, what part of me do you think is hot?"
"It's okay to say?"
"Sure," Alek places both hands behind him, hands on the rim of the pool, all the right muscles lining up, speedo a bit more pronounced.
"I like," Johnny's not sure if he should say...
"Go ahead. Say it," Alek takes his hands down, holds his speedo by the sides, "Is it below this?"
"Actually?" Johnny sums it up, "I like your hair, how it starts from all over your chest, then is singled out in a line and how it turns into a happy trail, before it hits the...you know?"
"Treasure?" Alek giggles. "Well, I think you have a nice pattern coming in there yourself!"
Looking down himself, Johnny feels the little fuzz at his neckline, small patch between pecs and then, like Alek, a stripe right down the abs, over the navel and removes his fingers as if touching the bottom of a hot iron, right at the happy trail. But it doesn't seem the same wet. Regardless, it's there.
Rather than use Johnny as the object of a lesson, Alek feels up his own hairy pecs, one hand gliding down, "Yup, sure does feel good feeling up a man's hair...well, wet, it's a little different!"
Half-crocked smile, Johnny says, "Part of my crush was feeling up yours, Alek!"
Alek smiled, thinking, `there's a new one!' He wouldn't mind a tradeoff, but surely things could escalate, "Uh, maybe we should get back to the training?"
Johnny agrees, but asks, "You think I should put on some sun lotion?"
"I thought you already had, Johnny!"
So, they got to feel each other anyway, but somehow, applying sun lotion wasn't as erotic as feeling up fuzz without reason, other than...
"Johnson!"
Alek had just finished priming Johnny's back, when he stops abruptly and without even turning around, "Hunter?"
Then he turns around, "Hunter? What the hell happened to you?"
"You didn't get the message I left with Slim?" Hunter says, walking right in, eyes more on Johnny than Alek!
"No, but next time I see Slim, he'll wish he had!"
Then Alek has second thoughts...wouldn't work with Slim; he'd turn it into something s&m and then it would be more pleasurable than punishment!
"Hey, Johnny," Hunter says, slinging a pack over one shoulder, a gym bag hanging from an extended arm.
"Hey, Hunter," Johnny turns to Alek, "Who's this Johnson guy?"
"It's complicated," Alek says. Rather then dwell on it, Alek takes the issue far, far away, "C'mon Hunter, strip down to your skivvies and do some exercise with us."
While Alek and Johnny were on the far side of the pool, turning they see Hunter in a Nouguet brief, Johnny saying, "He's quick!"
It made Alek smile, thinking whether Johnny meant stripping down or the bulge!
%
Out in nature, Edward had led the band to an old building, somewhat resembling a barn. Not far from it was an old, dilapidated house.
Drew asks, "I wonder if it's haunted?"
His pal, Scott, says, "I think I saw a ghost look from the upper window!"
"Maybe we should stand closer?"
"Maybe I should stand inside your shirt!"
While standing there, the two had no idea they were about to be ambushed.
"Ha-a-a-ya-a-a-ah!" Jaeson comes out of the bushes, arms raised, scaring the hell out of the two!
"Oh-shit!" Scott grabs Drew, making him his shield!
"What a woos," Jaeson claims, only he wasn't watching where he was going, trips over a dead branch, crashes into Drew and takes all three of them down.
Only, Scott didn't have the proper footing, falling backwards, right against a tree, "Ugh-h-gh!"
Drew had no choice but to pin Scott against the tree, his shoulders falling full force backwards, an elbow catching Scott in the stomach!
"Scott, I'm so sorry," Drew presses himself off, turning and facing his friend. "Scott?" he calls out.
From standing against the tree, when Drew removed his weight, Scott sank down.
"Scott? Oh shit!"
However, the sound of Jaeson's billowing lungs couldn't help but be heard by the others, many running towards them.
Edward took command and for the moment didn't pay mind to Jaeson, but looked after Scott. Checking his vitals, Edward says, "Let's see what this does?"
Opening a bottle of water, he takes off Scott's safari hat and douses him.
Not a perky wakeup, Scott mumbles, "Oh-h-h, uh-h-h, my head."
Drew couldn't help notice, the water making Scott's shirt pinned to his chest and there they were...his pec spots protruding. Blaming himself, Drew comes back to reality.
They all watched, not out of seeing Edward perform a steamy act, unbuttoning Scott's shirt, but out of concern, "Is he gonna be all right?" Aronold asks.
Thinking this moment should not be turning him on, Drew blames Edward for tearing the top of Scott's shirt open. Now he felt compelled to find out why Scott's nips seemed to be always in perky shape.
"In about a half hour he'll have a very big headache, but he'll pull through," Edward says, taking some more water, rubbing Scott's face, head and pecs. "That'll cool him off. Here," he hands the bottle to Drew, "keep dousing Scott with water."
Standing, Edward knew, if he didn't get it through their heads that rough-housing wouldn't make it, especially when the guys had hammers or power tools in their hand, turns around, facing Jaeson, "So, what's your story?"
"Um," Jaeson scratches his head, adds a small smile of embarrassment, "I was just playing around," he says truthfully.
Whether he thought of lying or came out with the truth, it would render the same verdict.
In Edward's eyes, martyrdom was the best way of grabbing a person's attention from the start, "You can pack your gear and hit the road."
Slim says, "Can't you make Jaeson promise not to do it again, Edward?"
Another lesson to be learned, not meant to be mean, Edward goes off, "Who'd the boss here, Slim, you or me?"
The forest was silent enough to hear Slim gulp, "Uh, not me!"
Sam backs him up, "Edward's right. Like he said not ten minutes ago, this is serious business. We have to do everything we can to protect each other, keep an eye over our shoulder for not our friends playing jokes, but the elements of the forest."
Last ditch effort, not which he was crazy about working his tail off all summer in a construction job, Jaeson liking the hired hands he worked with, "I suppose `sorry' is not going to help at this point?"
"It might if you meant it, but let's not fool each other," Edward shows a keen sense of responsibility, "we both know you don't want to be here."
"I never fuckin` said that!" Jaeson defends himself.
Some of the guys had seen it at other times, Jaeson getting overly defensive for even some little infraction. He had a temper, which he was putting on display for all to see.
"What I think..." Sam starts to say.
"You're not being paid to think!" Then, Edward saw his temper was getting the best of him, "What, Sam?"
"A few minutes of your time, boss," Sam's wiggling finger draws Edward away from the crowd.
The others, except Drew, head back to the decrepit barn, Ethan taking over where Edward left off.
While they were away, Jaeson suddenly shows emotions which haven't been part of his personality, "I really hope I don't get kicked out."
Drew, washing Scott's chest with the water, says, "Well, for one thing you're not showing much remorse for what you did, Jaes!"
"I have a tough time with stuff like that. It's not like my life has been so perfect as yours?"
"I think we all have our skeletons in the closet, but you don't have to go and do stoopid stuff like you did, to make it worse?"
"I know. I'm sorry `bout that, but it looks like Edward has me marked."
He did, but Sam's little chat off in the woods somewhat helped Jaeson off the hook, Edward returning with, "You can stay for now, but you're to stick by Sam's side until you can prove you're trustworthy."
Sam smiles, says, "I don't bite!"
It could have led to something sexually funny, but it wasn't the time, nor place, Edward staying on target, "Starting right now."
Jaeson wasn't too sure about having an `older man' in his life, but he also wasn't too certain where his path would leave, being out in the world on his own again, so for now, "Okay."
"And I think you owe Scott and Drew an apology?"
Edward was making it tough on Jaeson, but maybe it's what the cure needed, "Sorry guys."
"Let's get Scott back to the lodge," Edward suggests.
"No, no, no, I can," Scott was about to say stand, inching his way up the tree, only to fall back on his ass, "I guess not!"
"C'mon," Drew grabs Scott under the pits.
"No," Edward stops him, "Jaeson, you and Sam take him back to the lodge. Drew is needed out here in the woods."
"Okay. If that's what you want?"
Delayed reaction, Drew watching Scott being taken away, his hands felt `blessed', like they touched the Holy Grail!
%
Copyright 2015 T. Chase McPhee
`ALeK iN wONdeRfULaNd', and developing segments of this story, may not be sold, nor made part of any collection, without prior consent from the author.