Cheddars, Chapter 35
The same day that the grooms had left on their honeymoon, Ellie, Edgar, Jon, and Bart had flown to Florida, taking Dan and Taylor with them. Ken and Sally went home because both had to work the following day.
Toby had shuttled them all to the airport, and returned the van to Baxter's on Sunday evening, slipping the key into the mail-slot of the service department door.
Dan was happy to have his uncle and partner along because he was more likely to get to the beach than if it had been just the grandparents. He thought that Edgar or Ellie might have agreed to drop them off, and pick them up later, but they might have ended up on the south (family oriented) end, and would have had to walk miles to get to the nude section.
It didn't take a lot of arm-twisting to convince the younger men that they needed to spend time in the sun on Monday morning. Ellie packed her usual abundant lunch, and sent along the beach umbrella.
"So, you guys have been here before; do you have a favorite spot?" Jon asked, as they neared the area.
"We went up to lot 13 last time," Dan said, hoping he wouldn't get Parker in trouble for having taken them to the nude end. "That's where I met Tay and his dad."
"Ah, I've not been there," Jon remarked. "I think there was something on the `net about its being clothing-optional."
"Um, yeah, I guess so," Dan blushed.
Jon's quick glance in the rear-view mirror convinced him that Dan knew good and well it was true.
"We like hanging out nude, too," Jon grinned. "I have no problem being on that end of Playa Linda. I won't say anything to set off alarms in case the rest don't know."
"Thanks!" Taylor exclaimed. "Dad did take me there, but Mom doesn't have a clue about it, and I'd rather leave it like that. She's more prudish about such things. He thought it would further my education."
"So, I take it we won't be contributing to the delinquency of minors if we let you two loose around a lot of naked people." Jon laughed.
"My sperm-donor would throw a fit, but he's already given up on my soul after finding Tay and me sleeping in nothing but our birthday suits. That was before he took the belt to my back."
"Damn!" Bart swore. "I'd heard he disciplined you severely, but no one mentioned that."
"Grandma doesn't like to talk about it. It's not like she's trying to excuse him or protect his reputation; it's more like she's ashamed that her own son would do that."
"I can understand her situation," Bart nodded. "I'm very glad she took the steps to protect YOU from further abuse. She's a fine person."
"That she is!" Dan agreed. "I owe Grandpa and her bigtime."
Because they'd been visiting the whole trip, time passed quickly. They were at the parking lot before the boys got bored of riding.
Dan, being eager to get nekkid, organized their supplies and led the way over the wooden bridge. Just like last year, there were several naked people in view as they descended on the other side, even though Monday morning wasn't a time of heavy traffic.
Finding a pleasant spot far enough from the water to observe the walkers go by, but not make for a long hike to the surf, they staked out their territory.
Jon was impressed by the casualness with which the teens stripped and applied lotion to each other's body. He didn't think he could have done that at their age, but times were not as innocent today as they had been then.
Naturally, everyone took a quick peek to check the rest out, and all grinned, realizing they weren't as subtle as they thought they'd been.
A couple of coeds, on spring break, checked the four of them out, deciding the teens were too young, but the adults looked like fair game. Then seeing the wedding rings, assumed that this must be a father and son outing. Too bad! Those men were hunks!
This year, the boys were bolder than they'd been in the past. They lay at the water's edge kissing and nibbling until they got a "big rise" out of each other. Then, they went out further into the ocean to rub their bodies together.
Jon was about ready to go down to warn them not to be so overt, when they clung together kissing deeply, and then pulled apart. He rightly suspected that they had achieved orgasms and would be cooling off for a while. He did have a little talk with them when they came back to apply more sunscreen.
"Guys, what you shared out there was beautiful, and it will probably inspire a few jackoff sessions for some who watched. But, it could get you into trouble. Since you're sleeping together every night, I think you should save that level of intimacy for bedtime."
"I'm sorry, Uncle Jon," Dan looked at his feet. "We won't be so obvious in the future."
"Thanks," Jon replied. "I'm not trying to stifle you; I just don't want you arrested for indecent conduct in public."
The rest of the week past swiftly, revolving around trips to the outlet malls, Epcot, and a stained-glass museum. That latter destination hadn't been the teens' first choice, but they found it to be a good experience. Works on exhibit ranged from Louis Comfort Tiffany to Dale Chihuly with lots of others in between.
Both took pictures of various things. They knew there would be extra credit in their humanities class if they volunteered to give a report on the beautiful glass creations.
All too soon, vacation was over, and they were headed back to Minnesota and the rest of the school year.
The first of April was a lovely warm day in eastern Iowa, and Adam wanted to get the yard shaped up before the lawn service came to make the first weed-control and fertilizer application. He was alone at the house on Saturday afternoon because Parker had a group project to work on at school, and the rest were at their jobs. This mindless task would relax him after a busy week of studying.
He got a rake from the garden shed and started in front, so that whether he managed to finish the whole yard in one afternoon or not, it would at least look good from the street.
Shortly after he'd begun, a young Latino-looking guy stopped to talk to him about hiring on to do lawn work. He looked kind of scruffy, and was carrying three plastic bags.
"My name's Mike Acosta, and I'd be willing to do what you're doing for half what your parents are paying you if you'd let me. You could have the afternoon free, and still make a profit."
Adam made a quick decision not to correct the young man's impression about being employed by his parents, and see where this was leading.
"So, if I'm getting $50 to rake up all the dead stuff and put it into the yard-waste recycle can, you'd do it for $25?"
"Yup. I'm good, and I work fast."
"Hmm... that IS tempting," Adam nodded. "Tell you what, I'll get another rake and we can do it together. Then we'd have a shot at finishing it today, front and back."
"Okay, how much would you pay me if we work together?"
"The same," Adam smiled.
"Really? Cool!
That amount of money was pocket-change to Adam after coming into his inheritance, but he suspected it might mean a lot to the slender kid who looked underfed and a bit unkempt.
When he got down-wind of the boy, there was an odor about him that suggested he might be living rough. The kid made him think of the story Josh and Eric had told about their "brother" Rob. Adam decided to engage him in conversation to see what he could learn without appearing too nosy.
"So, do I know you from someplace? You look vaguely familiar."
"I'm a junior at City High. You may have seen me if you go there. I was on the soccer team freshman and sophomore years, but I've had to drop it."
"Oh, I think I remember, now. Didn't some sports reporter refer to you as `the Mexican Avenger?'"
"Yup, that upset my parents because they always did their best not to draw attention to our heritage. They gave me the Anglo form of my name, instead of `Miguel' so I'd fit in. I mean, they weren't ashamed of our culture, but they tried to keep a low profile."
"You keep talking about them in the past tense. Does that mean they've passed away?"
"It's almost as bad! The ICE agents picked them up to deport them back to Mexico because they were undocumented. My brothers and sisters were grabbed too. Last I knew, they're being held somewhere in detention, but I haven't been able to communicate with them."
"How did you manage to stay? Are you on the run?"
"No, I'm an American citizen. I'm the youngest, and I was born in this county. I have my birth certificate to prove it and I carry it at all times," Mike said as he pulled the document (sealed in a Ziploc) out of one of his bags. "You never know when the immigration authorities will make a raid."
"So, are you living on your own?"
"Sorta. My parents made a deal with neighbors to keep me. They gave them money to help feed me and stuff. But, the people had to skip town to avoid being sent away too. I chose to stay here, and they gave me the last $50 that was left by Mom and Dad."
"So, how have you survived since?"
"I stayed in a shelter in February, but those tend to close up when spring arrives."
"Then, you're basically homeless now?"
"Yeah, but please don't report me to DHS, because if you do, I'll end up in an orphanage or group home or something. I've been staying under the radar because I lied about my age."
"Man, I can't stand it knowing you're on the streets."
"It's okay; I'll get by."
"Or get killed, or sold into human trafficking."
"Hey, way to cheer me up!"
"Sorry, I wonder if there's some way I could help. I don't mean to be nosy, but I have to get involved."
"Maybe you could let me live in your garden shed. It's nicer than a lot of places I've stayed."
"No, that's out of the question. My neighbor, who really IS nosy, would report you as a vagrant, and have you arrested for trespassing if she saw you. Besides, it still gets cold at night."
"It wouldn't be bad with a sleeping bag. I have one stashed."
"Let's take a break and have a snack," Adam suggested, suspecting that the boy might be hungry.
"Okay, I hate to slow down the work."
"That's not a problem. We can continue tomorrow if we don't finish."
Mike's eyes lit up as he saw the spread Adam put out for them to eat. It wasn't just a cookie and a glass of milk. There was a loaf of artisan bread from the New Pioneer co-op, lunch meat, cheese, lettuce, potato chips, and fruit, plus cookies for dessert.
He didn't want to appear like he was famished, but his stomach gave him away by rumbling at the sight of so much food.
The two of them washed their hands at the kitchen sink before preparing to eat. Mike bowed his head for a few seconds and crossed himself prior to taking the first bite.
Adam left the room on the pretense of needing to use the bathroom, but, instead of peeing, he pulled out his phone to call Ms. Anselm from school. She'd given him her cell number back when he'd relied on her for help. When she answered, he cut right to the chase.
"Hello, this is Adam Baxter. Sorry to bother you on the weekend, but can you tell me anything about Mike Acosta who's a junior at City High?"
"From what I've seen, he's a model citizen and a very good student. He's looked kind of seedy lately, but I haven't had a chance to find out what's going on. What with trying to get kids preregistered for next fall's term, I haven't had time to breathe. May I ask why you're interested."
"He's doing yard work for me, and I think he's homeless. I want to know if you'd trust him in your house."
"As far as I know, he's completely trustworthy. Are you thinking of intervening?"
"Yes. I need to run it by Parker and the other guys, but I can't bear to think of him living on the streets. I HAVE to do something!
"Thanks for the info."
"Have you eaten today," Adam asked as he returned to the kitchen.
"Yes, I just had a wonderful sandwich, chips, and an apple," Mike said with a little grin.
"I mean before that, silly?"
"Um, not really."
"And last night?"
Mike didn't say anything, but a couple of tears escaped as he looked away.
"Okay, please have enough to tide you over until dinner. You'll be eating here tonight. Go ahead, and please don't wait on me; I have to text a few people."
Mike made another sandwich, which he chewed slowly. He was afraid if he ate too much all at once, his stomach might turn on him since it had been pretty empty for so long.
Within a few minutes, Adam had responses from most of the guys, and he knew the others well enough that they'd be pleased with his decision.
Next, he emailed Carl Novotny to ask legal advice about taking Mike in. He got an automated "out of the office" response, but felt that by leaving a detailed message, he'd covered his butt if there were any fallout.
Back working in the yard again, Mike seemed more animated than before. The snack seemed to have renewed his energy and lifted his spirits. The promise of a real evening meal probably helped as well.
"Mike, I think we can offer you a place to live. I've contacted the other guys in the house, and they're in favor of it. But, I need to be transparent about us. There are no parents living here, and we're an all-gay household."
"That's okay, I'm not sure how I could repay you," Mike said, studying the twigs he'd just raked up.
"I'm sure we can work something out, if you're too proud to accept help without feeling like you're taking charity."
"I've never traded my body before, but I'm getting desperate. You seem very nice. I'll do my best to please you."
"Oh Mike, you sweet boy. No one in this house is going to take advantage of you! We're three couples, two of which are married, and we don't mess around with anyone but our lovers. I wasn't implying that we'd be looking for sexual favors. I thought maybe you could help with the lawn and stuff like you're doing now. We might be able to get you a job if you're interested in earning some spending money."
"Thanks!" Mike began to sob. "I don't know what to say."
"You've already said it. `Thanks' is sufficient.
"We should probably stop now, so I can get dinner started."
"I can keep going on the yard."
"I think we should clean up instead."
"I stink, don't I?" Mike asked, point-blank.
"Well..."
"I try to keep clean. I shower on gym days, but my clothes haven't been washed in a while."
"We can take care of all of that right now. I'll loan you a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt while we put your stuff in the washer. You can shower down in the basement. And before you get the notion that I'm treating you differently from the other guys in the house, that's where we all go to clean up after doing chores that make us especially dirty."
"I'm not proud! I'd stand in the backyard in my underwear and let you hose me off if that's the only way I could get clean!"
Adam found the clothes and a towel for Mike, and then went upstairs to take a quick shower. He would ordinarily have used the basement facility too, but didn't want to spook the boy by being naked in his presence.
It was a good-smelling, smiling kid who came up from the basement to help Adam prepare dinner. Adam couldn't avoid noticing that the boy's goods flopped around in the nylon shorts. He should have offered a clean jock or underwear, but hadn't wanted to offend the boy. Some people have an aversion to wearing intimate apparel that belongs to someone else, even when it's been laundered. He'd have to get the kid new underwear of his own.
Soon Mike was slicing veggies which Adam was going to put on the grill along with ground-beef patties. He'd made a potato salad in the morning, so with a tossed salad to boot, there should be enough to fill up everyone.
"That's a cool bedroom down in the basement. Will I be sleeping there?"
"We have a guest room upstairs where the rest of us sleep. Would you rather be down by yourself?"
"I'll be thankful for anything. I don't want to be in the way."
"I don't want you to feel like you're relegated to the cellar! But, there IS that bathroom down there which you could claim as mostly your own. You might rather be there than sharing with gay guys."
"I'm not prejudiced against gay people. I only knew one at City High who was gay for sure. His name was Dave Newton, and he made me kinda nervous."
"You mean because he was always on the prowl? I know he made me feel like a piece of meat!"
"That's it, exactly."
"We're not like that. We tend to show affection and hug our friends. You might get that, but it won't mean that someone wants to get into your pants."
"You're nice!" Mike exclaimed, as he impulsively embraced his new friend. "I miss being around people who care."
They stood there embracing for several seconds, as tears ran down Mike's cheeks.
"This feels so good! I haven't been hugged since my family got taken away. I haven't even been touched, except by a kid who pushed me in the hall and told me to go back to my own country."
"Damn those xenophobes who've crawled out from under the rocks with the new administration in Washington. You're as American as any of us, and when you need a hug, I'm sure anyone in this house will give you one. You'll be like our younger brother."
The rest of the household trickled in for supper just before it was time to put the burgers on the grill. On introduction, each one of them either dapped fists with Mike, or high-fived him. What little apprehension he might have had about living with a group of strangers quickly melted away.
He remained quiet during their meal, and didn't initiate conversation, but he answered questions when directly addressed. He could sense a feeling of caring and camaraderie among them that would soon break through the wall of protection he'd built around his heart.
Adam related to the rest how their new housemate had helped prepare dinner, even after working hard on the lawn all afternoon. Mike blushed, and reminded Adam that he, too, had worked in the yard and done the lion's share of making their meal. Adam was pleased to note that the boy was not only polite, but self-effacing.
Mike jumped right up with the rest of them when it was time to clear the table and put the kitchen in order.
"Will you be going with us to church?" Parker asked.
"Probably not tomorrow. I need to wait until I can get something to wear that won't embarrass you guys."
"It's not too late to go to Coral Ridge. Between Penney's and Target, I think we can fix you up." Parker smiled.
"But I don't have any..."
"We'll be buying."
Besides several changes of khakis, jeans, shirts, socks, tennies, and underwear, Adam and Parker bought a spring-weight rain jacket and a zip-up hoodie to keep Mike comfortable. He was overwhelmed by their generosity. His family had always seen to it that he had adequate things to wear, but it was often in the form of hand-me-downs or serviceable used clothing. He'd only occasionally had anything new, certainly not in this abundance. At times, while shopping, he had trouble holding his emotions in check.
He felt a little better about accepting what they were doing, when Adam produced a coupon for 20% off the purchase prices at Penney's which reduced the bill quite a bit.
Before they went home, the guys found one salon with late hours. It wasn't their usual shop of choice, but Mike's hair needed a serious trim. The young styling apprentice did an excellent job of making him look as cute as could be. When she was done, Mike looked at his reflection in astonishment. He really liked the attractive boy who stared back at him.
Adam gave the hairdresser a heavy tip as he settled the bill.
When it came to choosing where he would sleep, Mike was indecisive. While he didn't want to be in the way, he'd really like to be around the other guys.
"This is an awfully nice room, but I can sleep downstairs," he said.
"Is it because you don't want to run into naked guys in the morning?" Parker asked.
"No, I've shared the locker room with lots of guys."
"Is it the `gay' factor?"
"NO! I'm not a hater! Gays, Black people, Muslims, and Mexicans all get bashed these days. We have to stand up together against prejudice."
"Well, what is it then?"
"I'm not used to anything this nice. What if I get it dirty?"
"Then, we dust, vacuum, or use the washing machine – whatever is called for. We have the equipment."
"I just feel unworthy."
"Michael Acosta, you are a beloved child of God. You are worthy of whatever good things come your way," Parker insisted as he hugged the tearful boy.
Mike lifted his eyes heavenward and simply said "thanks."
Author's notes: Hey faithful readers! Chapter 36 will be the last one in this series. However, I reserve the right to bring characters back in cameo roles later.
Thanks to all of you who send notes of encouragement. This week's list includes: Tony C, Kyle, F, Walt Sz, Joe W, Geoff S, Bill T, John D, Douglas and Lawrence, Randy McM, Avid R, Tony F, Bill K, Skip M, Tom A, Frank K, Tom S, Mendy D, Steve C, JLF, Jim W, Paul F, Jonny N, Ott H, Owen L, and Bill DeW. Hope I haven't missed anyone.
I thought this marriage proposal video was fun.
http://www.edgemedianetwork.com/?218689
https://www.queeryme.com/display/viewimage_story.php?id=218689
Watch: In Adorable Video, Man Proposes to Partner at the Gym (with Flash Mob) http://www.edgemedianetwork.com/?218689
www.edgemedianetwork.com
Some people consider the gym their church, so it makes sense that Nico Martina decided to propose to his partner there.
Hope you like it too.
David