Cheddar's, Chapter 6
Ralph was up early the morning after Christmas. He turned down his mother's offer of a big breakfast in order to get on the road as quickly as possible. Ellie thought it ironic to have a son who had the desire to escape from his family's home because of an inclusive atmosphere instead of vice-versa. If she hadn't been so upset with him, she might have found it amusing.
Parker and Adam were sorry to see Danny rousted from his warm bed by his father's inexcusable actions. Ralph strolled into the bedroom they were sharing without so much as a rap on the door, and unceremoniously pulled the bed-clothes off his sleeping son. Danny hadn't put his soggy boxers back on the night before, so now his erect cock was exposed to his companions.
Ralph next grabbed the sheet and blanket off of Parker and Adam in a similar manner. They were wearing tented boxers, which hid their privates, but didn't do a lot to disguise the fact that they had morning wood.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Parker yelled. "Are you some kind of pervert? Why are you in here? Do you want a good look at my junk? Get out of my room, DAMN IT!"
Ignoring the dressing-down from his nephew, Ralph told Danny to be packed, dressed, and down to the car in 15 minute's time.
Danny rushed to the bathroom, still naked, to empty his bladder and brush his teeth. He left the door open, so Parker and Adam followed, hoping to be able to piss as well.
"May we come in and pee?" Parker pleaded.
"Sure, I haven't got anything you haven't already seen this morning. I'm so embarrassed!"
"What do you have to be embarrassed about?" Parker asked. "You can't be held responsible for your father's actions."
"I know. I was thinking more about being exposed without having any say in the matter." Danny blushed as he spat the toothpaste residue out and rinsed his mouth.
"Again, you have nothing to be ashamed of," Parker grinned. "That's a nice piece of wood you showed off."
"Do you really think so; I probably look like a little kid compared to you guys."
"I don't think so," his cousin said, turning so Danny could get a good look at his equipment as he shook off the last drops.
Adam did the same because he felt that fair's fair. He hoped their actions would help lessen Danny's stress over being so rudely exposed by his father, and it seem to work.
"Thanks, guys; you make me feel better!"
Danny rushed through his shower while the other two packed his suitcase, remembering to pick up his discarded boxers from the cot he'd slept in. They threw on their lounging pants, but didn't bother with T-shirts as they followed him downstairs.
Grandma handed Danny an egg and sausage muffin she'd prepared, and wrapped in a napkin, for him to eat in case Ralph didn't stop for breakfast. Then she hugged him tightly before he headed to the garage. Parker and Adam hugged him too, as did Grandpa. All of them requested that he stay in touch often to let them know how he was faring. Parker considered going out to the garage with him and giving him a big hug and a sloppy kiss just to piss off Ralph, but decided it might be less aggravation for Danny if he resisted the temptation.
"We need to see Kevin as soon as we can get an appointment!" Ellie said to Edgar, as they heard the garage door close.
"Who's Kevin?" Parker asked.
"Our lawyer," Edgar answered. "We've been considering making changes in our wills, and this latest outrage cinches it!"
Parker's mid-afternoon appointment with Dr. Schmidt allowed for a laidback lunchtime before the short drive to his office in Barrington. For Parker, this would be his opportunity to unburden his soul completely.
The office was modern, and unpretentious, but the subtle colors and plush furnishings lent it a comfortable air. There was a large aquarium with beautiful fish swimming lazily in it. The sound system played Baroque classics at a soft volume. Everything was understated in a perfect way, rather like a luxurious hotel lobby. Given his recent course in the field, Parker was now aware of these various features which were intended to make patients feel at ease.
They didn't have to wait long before being ushered into a private room. It too, had none of the sterile quality people might associate with the medical field.
Parker introduced Adam to his therapist, and then they all headed for three comfortable chairs which were placed in a loose triangular arrangement near the dancing flames of the gas-log fireplace.
"Parker, you look fantastic!" the doctor exclaimed, as they were sitting down. "Things must be going well for you in college."
"I feel the best I have in recent memory, and a major reason for that is the guy sitting to my right."
"I gathered that from your message when you set up the appointment. What else do you want to share today?"
"I asked him to be my boyfriend, and he didn't hesitate to accept."
"Great! I wish you both a long and happy relationship."
"You're not going to give us any kind of warning about two teenagers of the same sex dating?"
"Okay, if that's what you want me to do; here it is. Don't eat onions or garlic before going to bed unless both of you do. That can really put a damper on one's love life!" Dr. Schmidt grinned as he watched the boys' faces for their reactions.
"Thanks! I was hoping you'd be okay with us as a couple," Parker chuckled in relief.
"Your relationship seems to have very positive benefits for you and it's no one's business but your own."
"My uncle doesn't see it that way!" Parker explained.
He went on to share a few details.
"I take it the rest of the family doesn't agree with him."
"True; everyone else is in our corner, as far as I can tell. Grandma and Grandpa certainly are."
"Good. You said you had something you wanted to get off your chest, I believe."
"Yeah, this is going to be hard. I've lived with this secret for about 13 years, and I have to let it out."
When he had finished his narrative, Parker found himself standing with tears running down his cheeks, wrapped in Adam's embrace, and in a three-way hug with Dr. Schmidt holding onto both of them.
What he had revealed was the final piece of the puzzle necessary for freeing him to love himself and others without reservation.
He had never told the whole story of the day his beloved Nanny Louisa had been ripped out of his life. Until now, he hadn't revealed that he'd witnessed the attack while cowering behind a wingback chair in the sitting room adjacent to the foyer where she'd been shot. At the time, he'd been afraid to tell anyone who had done it, lest the man kill him and his family. Since he'd never told anyone, that fear had never been dealt with.
Although in a state of shock, he had done exactly what he'd been taught to do in case of an emergency. In his 911 call, he'd only said that a man had shot his nanny, and had given the address of his home. He'd remained stoic during the arrival of the emergency personnel and the police. Through all of it, he never identified the perpetrator.
However, Louisa had lived long enough to tell the first-responders that it was her son who had shot her. He was apprehended within a day of the incident, and died in a gun battle with the authorities.
Parker was told later that the man who had hurt his nanny was gone forever and wouldn't be able to hurt him or anyone else again. Still, Parker had felt guilty that she was dead and he had lied when he said he didn't know who did it.
"Wow, I'll bet that explains the bad dreams!" Adam spoke up toward the end of Parker's "confession."
"Oh, have I had a lot of those since you've lived with me? I know you mentioned something about dreams before."
"Yup. The first one happened not long after you took me in; I think it was the night of the homecoming game. I didn't know what to do, but I knelt by your bed and stroked your hair until you calmed down and went back to sleep."
"Now that you mention it, I have a kind of hazy memory of that. It was cool that you showed me compassion when you really didn't know me well. You probably thought you'd gotten hooked up with a nut-case!"
"Nope, you'd already shown kindness to me. How could I react differently to you?"
"Parker, with the breakthrough you've made, I feel you'll no longer need my services, and I plan to discharge you as a regular patient," Dr. Schmidt said as they were about to wrap up the session. "However, if you ever want to consult with me via text, email or in person, my door will be open to you. In discharging you, I'm not casting you out of my life."
"Thank you Sir!"
"Please call me Ryan' or Smitty,' whichever you like. Over the years, you've become like a family member as well as a patient, and I don't feel we need to maintain a professional distance anymore. With your interest in studying psychology, we could even become colleagues in the future; who knows?"
Those final tears had been shed in relief and joy. They had cleansed Parker's soul completely.
By the time the guys returned to Inverness, not only had Parker's tears dried up, but the puffiness around his eyes had gone away too. They had stopped for a snack at a little place on the way to give him more time to compose himself.
Adam was given the opportunity to drive back from the diner, so he could experience suburban traffic. He was probably a little more tense than usual behind the wheel, but he felt a sense of accomplishment when it was over, and he hadn't screwed up. He was learning to deal with it!
"Chip, you look even more stress-free than you did when you first arrived, despite Ralph's scene," Grandma said over dinner.
"I feel like a new man, or maybe a new boy," he grinned sheepishly.
"You had it right the first time," his aunt Sally smiled.
"The way you stood up to Ralph makes you a man in my book," Ken added.
"Hear, hear!" Edgar said raising his wine glass. "I thank God my grandson has more sense and compassion than my own son has. I see no way to alter Ralph's outlook. He may try to suck up to us when he hears about the changes in our will, but then it'll be too late!"
"Um, you aren't cutting him out on my account, are you? I'd hate to see Danny lose out." Parker worried.
"Danny will be taken care of," Ellie maintained. We'll leave Ralph enough so he can't contest the will by saying he was cut out completely, but we'll leave the bulk of his share to his son, with a trust-fund stipulation that he can't give it to Ralph, not that it's likely to happen after the way he was treated today. Anyway, the `dead hand' rules in this state."
"It's your money, and you aren't obligated to leave it to any of us," Sally spoke up.
"It's what we want to do. We hope all of you will have sufficient means on your own, but we also want to leave you comfortable, as our parents did for us."
"Not to change the subject, but have you thought about letting Danny live here with you, like you did me?" Parker asked.
"We've discussed it," Ellie nodded. "He's a good kid, and I believe we'd all get along well. The only glitch I see is that we'd have to alter our plans about being snow-birds, but if he crosses his father to the point of being thrown out, we would certainly bring him here. While I won't encourage Danny to take that route, it might be the best for him in the long run. I can't believe Ralph would give up control of the boy unless it happened by drastic means."
When bedtime came around once more, the boys shared a shower, and then crawled into bed naked. With no audience to hinder their activities, they spent a lengthy time kissing and petting. Several times, they nearly blew their loads, but they had enough self-discipline to back off before it was too late. Thanks to the Internet, both were familiar with the practice of "edging," and both wanted to experience it.
Eventually, they could hold back no longer. When the awesome sensation of total release came at long last, they filled each other's mouth with a copious amount of cum. In the deep kissing which followed, their tongues played together until their slippery substances all got ingested. Then, they drifted off to sleep cuddled together.
The following morning, Parker was antsier than he'd been before his appointment with Dr. Schmidt. Today, he would reunite with the father he'd not seen in several years.
He had managed to arrange the meeting through Grandma's participation. She had Jon's contact information, as well as his respect. He'd initially been reticent to infringe upon his son's life, but had agreed to meet him when she impressed upon him that it was important to the young man's emotional health.
"What should I wear? Do you think he'll like me?" Parker asked of Adam.
"How could he not LOVE you? You're great-looking and you're genuine. You show love and kindness. There is an aura about you that no one can resist!"
"You're just saying that because you're my boyfriend," Parker demurred.
"I'm your boyfriend because you ARE all of those things. I've never felt like this about anyone before!"
"I think you're projecting your qualities onto me, but I'll take the compliment. Anyway, would you choose what I wear today? I'm too nervous to make a decision."
"Okay, let's wear the new shirts and sweaters Grandma gave us for Christmas. Before we dress, I think we should shower to rid ourselves of the aroma of good sex that probably still clings to our bodies."
"Of course, I'm not gonna meet my dad smelling of sex, even if, as you say, it was great sex. Will you wash my back for me?"
"I'll wash anything you like."
"Will you, um, distract my mind for a few minutes?"
"Yup! I'll suck all the stress from your adorable body!"
"Cool!"
Despite Adam's best efforts, Parker was still a little anxious about meeting with his father. For that reason, he asked Adam to do the driving when they traveled to the restaurant.
With their destination programmed into the Beamer's GPS system, finding the place didn't stress Adam out in the fairly light noonday traffic. At 12:20, with 10 minutes to spare, they pulled into the parking lot which was only moderately filled in the middle of a weekday.
It was an ideal place for a private get-together because it had a number of small dining rooms which formed a kind of "L" on two sides of a larger open space. The main eating area was broken up by booths which had rather high backs, ensuring a modicum of privacy there as well.
As they were getting out of the car, two men exited a vehicle three spaces away. Even Adam, who had never seen so much as a picture of Jon, knew which one was Parker's father. He was a slightly more mature version of the guy he loved. The nickname "Chip" fit perfectly.
Father and son quickly closed the space between them, wrapping each other in a sustained hug. While they were thus engaged, the other two got acquainted.
"Hi, I'm Adam, um, Parker's boyfriend," Adam introduced himself to the other man.
"Hello Adam, I'm Bart, Jon's partner. It's good to meet you."
"What did I hear you call my son?" Jon asked, turning toward Adam.
"He said `boyfriend' because that's what I am." Parker answered for him, a bit sharply.
"I'm sorry, Parker..." Adam began.
"No, don't be. I'm not hiding our relationship from anyone."
"And I'm not disapproving," Jon insisted. "I just wondered if I'd heard it correctly. Congratulations to both of you! We can discuss everything inside once we get seated. I've reserved a room with a view of the garden. It has a lot of evergreen plantings so it's beautiful all year around."
As soon as their drink orders were taken, the guys got into a good visit. There was no hesitation once Parker started it. First, he apologized to his father for his abrupt response earlier. Then, he proceeded.
"God, Dad, I'd know you anywhere! Awhile back, I told Adam I wouldn't recognize you if I met you on the street, but I was completely wrong."
"You two look like brothers!" Bart exclaimed. "Are you sure you didn't father him when you were in 9th grade?"
"I was thinking maybe 8th," Adam grinned. "You don't look old enough to have a son in college!"
"Chip, your boyfriend is a charmer," Jon teased. "You definitely know a good catch when you see one."
"I'm the one who lucked out," Adam claimed. "Parker rescued me in more than one sense of the word. He means the world to me."
"Son, I'm so relieved that you haven't chastised me for abandoning you. I've been so tense leading up to our meeting today. I was certain that you'd hate me."
"No, Grandma Ellie explained the circumstances to me, and I felt nothing but empathy, especially after dealing with Uncle Ralph's nastiness."
"So, did you come out to him, or what?"
"My orientation has been a kind of open secret in the family for several years. He had to have had some idea. However, seeing me with Adam evidently confirmed it, or something."
"Ralph is such a prig!" Jon exclaimed.
"Don't you mean prick, Dad?" Parker snickered. "And before you question my vocabulary usage, I know the meaning of both words, and he IS a straight-laced puritan if I ever saw one, but he's also a dick in the worst sense of the word."
"He reminds me of my father," Adam sighed.
"Is he really as bad as my ex-brother-in-law?" Jon asked.
"Possibly worse! At least it felt like that when he threw me out of the house at night with only enough warning for me to grab my most essential things. Luckily he didn't take my house key, so I was able to get the rest when they were gone to work the next day. If it hadn't been for my friend Darrin, and then Parker, I don't know what would have happened to me!" Adam began to tear up at the memory.
"I'm proud to know that Chip lent you a helping hand in your time of need. He's grown up to be the man I hoped he'd be, even though I wasn't around to help it happen."
"Dad, we'll have to make up for the years we've missed. Excuse me please while I make a phone call."
Parker went to the beautifully appointed restroom where he could make the call without the others at the table overhearing it. His grandmother readily agreed to have Jonathan and Bart for dinner as soon as it could be organized to fit everyone's schedule. She would make arrangements with a Greek restaurant for an entrée which was one of Jon's favorites. They discussed a few more details before Parker returned to the table with a big smile on his face.
"Grandma wants to know if you're available for dinner tomorrow night or the next. We have to plan this soon because Adam and I will leave for our place before New Year's Eve to avoid the holiday traffic."
"We don't have anything scheduled for tomorrow night," Jon said, consulting his phone. "That is, unless Bart knows of something I don't.
I hate to put Ellie to a lot of trouble."
"Nope, we're free," Bart responded, checking his phone. "But I agree with my partner about not adding to your grandmother's holiday stress."
"She already said it won't be any trouble. She'll have to plan a meal for Aunt Sally, Uncle Ken, and us anyway and she's going to call the chef at the Palatine Inn to order two pans of pastitsio because she said you love it. We can pick up ciabatta bread at Aldi to heat in the oven, and making a salad and dessert to complete the meal won't be a big deal. In fact, she'll probably buy baklava from the restaurant, and maybe horiatiki too."
"We do love all those things!" Jonathan beamed. "It's cool she remembered my tastes."
"Awesome! I'm gonna text her right now so she can get the plans started."
Author's notes: Hmm... I guess the holidays must have put people off schedule. I missed hearing from some of you. Hope everyone is well! Thanks to John L, Jim W, Wayne, Randy McM, Dan B, Dick M, Mendy D, Philip W Charles G, Walt Sz, Hotrod, GCD, Lawrence and Douglas, Peter C, Rick L, Jeremy R, Jim F, Zero M, Skip M, Bill T, Larry S, and Joe W who did contact me this week.
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Thanks to my editors Tom and David who put up with me.
Be good to each other!
David