Second Chance, Chapter 24
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Chapter 24
For body shaving, the boys had again taken over the large main bathroom. It seemed best to do it in the tub to keep from spreading shaving cream and hairs all over the floor.
The boys were dressed in old, skimpy Speedos that were thin enough to tell who was cut and who wasn't! Poor Garret seemed to be at half mast for the whole time, but he didn't display the embarrassment that he had the week before.
Body shaving was pretty intimate even though no one was naked. The guys paired up to shave each other's chests, arms, and legs. No one had hair on his back so shaving that wasn't necessary. However, everyone's treasure trail and bikini line did need attention. Eric and Josh performed that duty on each other with no hesitation. They even pulled the waistbands lower and pushed the leg openings higher to make sure their team suits would cover what was left.
Dylan said that he and Garret could do their own "personal" shaving. Garret expressed doubt about his upper leg area, so Josh and Eric took one leg each and performed the chore for him. The bulge in his Speedo seemed to suggest that he enjoyed the attention. Dylan seemed too busy to notice, but Eric and Josh looked up to give Garret cheeky grins.
All of them changed into lounge pants and T's after they had showered off the residue. Then they went downstairs to make popcorn.
Blake and Rob smelled the aroma of hot buttered popcorn and hoped that they would be included in snack time. They were not disappointed. Ben and Scott came down from Scott's office to join them too. Everyone sat around in the living room relaxing by the fire. It was the first time that most of them had had a chance to unwind all week.
Their domestic tranquility was broken by the cries of an unhappy baby. Rob jumped up; however, everyone but Dylan offered to go in his place.
"Please let me try," Blake requested. "I may never get the chance with one of my own."
"Oh, too bad! Are you sterile?" Dylan blurted out without thinking.
"I don't think so," Blake answered, "just gay."
"Boy, I really put my foot in it!" Dylan exclaimed after Blake had left the room. "I should learn to keep my big mouth shut! But, he just doesn't seem gay. I mean, you look at my brother and it's like he's got a flashing neon sign over his head."
"Do you think you can always tell if a guy is gay?" Rob asked biting the corners of his mouth to keep from smirking.
"Well, yeah, pretty much. My brother's the only one I know, uh, besides Blake, but I'm pretty sure I'd know one if I met one."
Josh seemed to be choking on popcorn and Eric slapped him on the back as if to dislodge it. The diversion was enough to change the subject and to keep them from falling on the floor laughing over Dylan's asinine statement.
Since this was a kind of team-bonding event, the boys opted to sleep near each other on the floor in the den. They blew up their air mattresses and laid them down for a cushion against the hardwood floor. Dylan set up his spot near the fireplace and Garret staked out the spot next to him. Eric and Josh placed their mattresses very close together on the other side of Garret.
After unrolling his sleeping bag, Dylan climbed in his and headed for dreamland immediately. The others weren't quite as sleepy, so they sat on the sofa far enough away that their conversation wouldn't disturb him.
"It doesn't seem to bother you that Blake's gay," Garret observed. "It evidently wasn't a secret because no one reacted."
"No, it doesn't bother us; should it?" Josh asked.
"No. I think it's way cool that you're cool about it. You don't seem like the kind of guys who'd harass anyone for coming out."
"You're correct again. You win the grand prize!" Eric teased. "Are you trying to tell us something?"
"Um, no. I mean... I know a guy at school who's pretty sure he's gay, but he's really frightened that he'll get taunted or beaten up if anyone finds out."
"I don't blame him for being careful," Josh said. "He needs to know who his true friends are. You can tell him that we'll stand by him just like we do Aaron. Aaron can be annoying, but he's a cute, harmless kid at the same time. We all try to protect him and we can extend that to you – I mean your friend – too."
"Your gaydar works better than Dylan's," Garret sighed. "Will you keep my secret?"
"Sure, if you keep ours," Josh whispered, taking Eric's hand and kissing his finger tips.
"Oh my God! Are you serious?"
"Sh," Eric cautioned. "Yeah we're serious. Is your gaydar as out of whack as Dylan's? Didn't you suspect anything when we were camping? We thought that you'd know about us since we had you pretty well figured out from the way you look at Dylan. Your constant hardon tonight made us certain."
"Am I that obvious? I'll have to watch it so I don't get caught. Can you please not tell it around? I'm not sure how Dylan would take it. He's my best friend besides you guys. I don't want to lose him."
"We can do that, but it may be difficult to keep it from Rob since he lives here," Josh admitted. "Would you be upset if one of us slipped around him?"
"I guess not. Not unless he'd worry about having me around the baby. I really love little kids. I'm not, like into them..."
"I know what you meant. I'm sure it wouldn't matter to Rob that you're gay. He would understand. He knows we're gay and he lets us do everything for Robbie."
The aroma of breakfast greeted the swimmers early in the morning. They had to move quickly to get to school around 8:00 to board the bus for the meet in Minneapolis. It wasn't far, but traffic in the winter tends to be unpredictable. At least they didn't have to be bouncing around on a school bus for hours like teams from outlying districts. They could have gone directly to the university pool, but that would cause parking problems if everyone drove singly. Besides, Coach David wanted his guys all to ride together. Keeping them organized was a bit like herding cats, but he stood a greater chance of success if he enforced the rule. He felt that the camaraderie of traveling together was a good thing too.
Eric, Josh, Dylan, and Garret were finishing their meal when Blake came into the kitchen followed by Rob with Robbie in his arms.
"I feel stupid. I fell asleep on Rob's bed and he didn't wake me and send me home. I'd better get back so Reese doesn't think... Oh crap, for a moment I forgot he's gone."
"Please sit down and have breakfast with those of us who aren't leaving," Ben invited him. "The swimmers have to get a move on. Scott and I will be going later to watch them."
"I really shouldn't..."
"Yeah, you should!" Rob said. "They won't take `no' for an answer and, as you know, I'm really thankful for that!"
Blake hadn't told the whole story about staying over. He had fallen asleep on Rob's bed and had awakened about midnight. He had planned to go home, but Rob had asked him to stay. Clad in their underwear, they had shared the bed like two buddies might. It was totally platonic, but they ended up snuggled together sometime in the wee hours after Rob had returned from feeding the baby. With Rob next to him, Blake had slept better than he had since he'd broken up with Reese.
The swim team had a fantastic day, winning more than their fair share of honors. The four-man relay squad of Josh, Eric, Dylan, and Garret set a new state record. Of course, they were elated.
Aaron won his diving event and went around hugging several of his teammates in his excitement. Most of them hugged him back. Jake stayed far away fearing that Aaron might include him, even though that seemed highly unlikely. Damian, however, didn't shy away from the exuberant kid. Aaron loved being tight against Damian's body for that split second, but as far as he could tell the other boy didn't respond the same way. Oh well.
Ben and Scott spent the whole day rooting for their sons, photographing as much as they could. But they weren't the only family members there. Rob showed up in time to witness the relay team's victory. Blake had brought Rob and Robbie for a couple of hours before the little one got too fussy to stay any longer.
Scott invited Blake to come over for a family pizza party that evening to celebrate the winning season. Blake accepted immediately. He was beginning to feel like part of the extended family. Their love helped to fill the vacuum in his heart.
After the family's private festivities, Eric and Josh went to Dylan's home for a party with the rest of the team. The Reid's large basement rec room was already half filled with merry-makers when they arrived.
There was no alcohol served, but the boys wondered if Aaron had gotten into his parents' liquor cabinet because he seemed more "on" than usual. At the moment, he had an uncomfortable looking Garret trapped in a corner and was openly flirting. Spotting what was happening, Dylan came to Garret's rescue by whispering something in Aaron's ear. Aaron tamed down instantly and acted like a gentleman for the rest of the evening.
Marissa was by Dylan's side all evening. Several other girls were there with their boyfriends who were part of the team. The stereo blared out tunes for dancing and there were tables loaded with snack-type foods and soft drinks. It was a fun time for everyone.
When the boys arrived home after 11:00, they were somewhat surprised to see that Blake was still there. He blushed when they gave him the thumbs-up. Rob had his back turned and didn't see the exchange.
Eric and Josh headed up to their bed to have their own, more intimate celebration. It involved attempting to suck each other off through their Speedos. Happily, they were quite successful in their endeavor!
Rob, Josh, and Eric all made it through the first semester with flying colors. While Eric had found classes more challenging than the ones in his old high school, he also found that he was up for it. He credited his two housemates with teaching him to concentrate despite a myriad of distractions – swimming, baby-tending, and sexual activity.
Although they had registered for second term some time ago, there were a few minor adjustments that could be made in their schedules. Neither Eric nor Josh felt the need to, but Rob did. He had originally signed up for a lighter load because he had thought he'd be working many hours at the Pine Inn to keep body and soul together and hadn't been sure but that he'd have to drop out of school completely. As it was, with the settlement from his father and the help of everyone in his household, he could take a full load of classes so he could possibly have space in his schedule to earn a few college credits in his senior year. He needed to keep on track if he hoped to get into a profession where he could make a decent living for Robbie and him.
He made an appointment with Miss Burgoyne to see what was available. There was a course on parenting that interested him, so he was advised to check with Miss Hovland who taught the class. It would count as one of his electives.
Miss Hovland welcomed him into her room. She was especially keen on having males enrolled into her class because she felt that they needed to take an active role in raising their children. It was her mission to help stamp out child abuse and she felt that teaching young men how to deal with fussy infants in a gentle way was a big step in the right direction. She also thought that once a guy found out how difficult it is to care for a baby, he might be more responsible about using birth control in the first place.
"Let me show you our life-like robotic babies," she offered. "These are state of the art! You would be expected to tend one of them for 24 hours a day for a week as part of your requirements. You have to take them to classes with you and find babysitters for them when you go out. They are programmed to cry unexpectedly and they may not respond to what you do for them. For instance, you might try to feed them only to find out that they need burping or need a diaper change. They're very much like the genuine article – so educational!"
"Not quite," Rob smiled.
"What do you mean?"
"They aren't warm and cuddly and they can't respond to love."
"Well, I suppose not. But, what better options are there?"
"Having a real baby to look after for that time, I guess."
"You're right, but what parent would allow her child to be a guinea pig?"
"What if a student brought his own baby? Would you allow that?"
"Certainly, but how are you going to conjure up a child by next week?"
"Let me show you some pictures of my son..."
Miss Hovland was pleased to add Rob to her roster, but saddened to think that he was burdened with a child at such a tender age. Yet somehow, he didn't act like he felt imposed upon. Whatever he felt about his situation, he and his baby would bring a whole new level of insight to her class.
January had brought the usual hardships of ice, snow, and bone-chilling temperatures, but had ended with several days of above-average temperatures. It made the guys feel hopeful that spring might be only a few weeks away despite the fact that the groundhog saw his shadow.
In the first week of February, Blake asked Rob if he'd like to go downtown to the Fitzgerald Theater to see the "Prairie Home Companion" show live. Rob was hesitant to go because he'd have to find someone to babysit and he didn't feel like he could burden his family anymore than he already had.
"Josh has his gallery opening on the 13th, so I know that he and Eric are going to be busy the whole week before. Scott watches Robbie a lot of hours, so he needs time off. Ben has a full caseload right now. I just don't know whom I could get."
"Why don't you ask your friend Garret who really seems good with Robbie? Didn't you say he's in that parenting class with you? Maybe he could get extra credit. I'll even pay for it. I got the tickets for free from a parent at the country club who isn't going to be able to use them, so it's a pretty cheap date, so to speak. You need to get out more. It's only right for a dad to have a little time off to recharge his batteries. Robbie can't sit through something that long without fussing or we could take him along, but I also think you need time away from him once in a while. When he's a little older, we can take him to the zoo and stuff like that."
"I'll think about it." Rob replied.
"Why don't you call Garret right now to see if he's at all interested and then we can go from there?
"Okay," Rob smiled. "It would be fun to go out for a change.
As Rob was drifting off to sleep that night, he suddenly thought about what Blake had said. Blake had used the word "date" when asking Rob to the show. He'd also talked about future outings in which Robbie would be included. Rob wondered if this was more than an attempt to give him time away; or was he reading something into it that wasn't there?
He slept soundly because his son didn't wake up until 6:00. Scott's recommendation of feeding Robbie a bit of rice cereal at night to hold off his hunger was working. The pediatrician wanted him to feed the baby only milk for the first three months, but Rob remembered that his siblings had been started on "real food" more quickly than that. He had decided to take the advice of someone who had experience with raising a child rather than someone whose knowledge was based solely on textbook theory.
Garret was pleased to be called to babysit. He had done that for several neighbors, but those kids were five or older. With them, he was more like a big brother or counselor. This would be a chance to get real-life experience with an infant. Besides, Rob was a really cute guy even if he was straight. He seemed really gentle and could almost pass for gay, but that couldn't be the case since he had fathered a child. Too bad!
Ben and Scott were both going to be home all night, so they would be around if any emergency arose, but they took a hands-off approach. Josh and Eric were at the gallery helping Mr. Hadley and his assistants hang Josh's show. So, Garret was pretty much on his own after dinner.
When Robbie got fussy after eating, Garret tried Rob's method of holding the kid on his bare chest. He sat in the rocking chair patting the baby on the back and singing a lullaby to him. After Robbie gave one gigantic burp, he settled down and went to sleep. Garret could have put him down in his crib, but chose to hold the tiny bundle in his arms until he too almost dozed off.
"You're such a little miracle," he said to the sleeping child. "I hope I can have a kid like you someday. I don't know if they'll let me adopt. You know how many good-hearted people out there are frightened by the idea of a gay father. No, of course you don't know. You're just an innocent little guy. I pray the world will be kinder when you're growing up. Maybe you could help make it a better place..."
Rob had a wonderful time seeing Garrison Keeler and the other performers. He laughed heartily at the silly jokes and antics of the group. The "Guy Noire" sketch particularly gave him the giggles. He felt like a carefree teen for a couple of hours.
Blake sat beside him enjoying Rob's reaction even more than the show itself. His chest swelled with pleasure knowing that he had done something to make Rob happy. He wished he could do more. He'd love to date Rob on a regular basis, but he'd have to be careful not to get his hopes up. He was, after all, three and a half years older than Rob and barely coming off of a several month relationship that he had thought was a "forever" thing. He couldn't risk losing Rob as a friend and he couldn't bear getting his heart broken again so soon. He'd have to keep his developing feelings hidden.
With everyone out of the house but Garret and the baby, Ben and Scott took advantage of the peaceful evening to have a bit of much-needed quality time. They showered together exploring each other's body as if it were their first time. They reminisced about their college days, realizing how great it was that they have been given a second chance to have a life together.
"I can't imagine living without you," Scott said quietly in the afterglow of their first orgasm. "We are very lucky."
"That we are!" Ben agreed. "I hope that our sons are as fortunate. They seem so compatible that it's almost scary. Let's pray that they don't break up like Blake and Reese."
"I'm not that surprised about Blake and Reese. Reese had a roving eye from the start. I feared that he might mess our boys up. He even flirted with you and me!"
"Well, why not?" Ben laughed. "We're pretty hot. You are absolutely stunning since you've tightened up your abs. Not that I didn't love you as much when you were softer in the middle, but wow!"
"Thanks!"
"Do you have any vibes about what's going on with Blake?" Ben said going back to their previous subject.
"I think Blake is recovering pretty well. He's been a fixture around here since the baby came. I think he's attracted to little Robbie's daddy."
"Me too, but I think it's too soon for him to give his heart away."
"Hey, let's get back to talking about my tight abs, or would you rather talk about my tight ass?"
"I'd rather be a man of action and few words," Ben joked as he cupped Scott's balls while nibbling on his left nipple.
Thoughts about the younger generation were blocked out by feelings of passion, lust, and love.
Rob and Blake arrived home around 11:00. When they came in the kitchen door, they saw Garret attempting to feed Robbie rice cereal while Eric and Josh coached him. It seemed like a futile effort because he had to scrape most of it off of Robbie's face and try again. The baby's tiny tongue seemed to push more out than it took in. It was comical to watch.
"Everything else went well, but I can't get the hang of this!" Garret exclaimed.
"Don't fault yourself, Dude. We all have the same problem. It's Robbie that's not getting the hang of it. At least you're getting more in him than I did the first time I tried."
Rob said that he'd finish the job while Blake drove Garret home. He asked Garret what the going rate was for babysitting.
"I didn't expect to get paid!" Garret said. "You don't need to do that because it was a pleasure to do it. It beats sitting home on Friday night. And I'll have something to tell in parenting class."
"If you don't get paid then I can't ask you again," Rob stated firmly. "So if you want to come back, you'll have to accept the money."
"Okay, you win," Garret agreed. "I really do want to be asked back. Call me anytime!"
"Well, did you have fun on your date?" Eric teased after Blake and Garret had gone.
"It wasn't a date; it was just two guys going out..."
"If that's not a date, I don't know what is!" Josh chimed in. "I think Blake is getting over Reese quickly and I think you're the reason."
"He's a sweet, thoughtful guy," Rob agreed. "But I'm not sure that he'd want to be saddled with a kid."
"Are you joking?" Eric asked. "He loves that baby. Did you see the picture of him holding Robbie? He's got that same goofy, daddy look that you get almost every time you look at your kid."
"I don't know," Rob said.
"Haven't you noticed that Garret gets a similar look on his face?" Josh added. "There seem to be at least two guys we know who'd love to have a kid like yours."
Josh was headed back to the gallery on Saturday morning taking Eric with him when they encountered Blake in the back yard. He greeted them cheerily and asked if Rob was awake. They assured him that Rob was up and had been for a couple of hours.
"Do you think it would be okay if I came over to help him with Robbie?"
"Of course," Josh told him. "Rob has several things he needs to do and I know he'd love to have your assistance."
"I don't want to be a pest," Blake said.
"No one in this house is going to think that you're a pest," Eric smiled. "Am I correct in saying that you really love that little guy?"
"Yeah," Blake grinned.
"And you like the baby too," Josh joked.
"Yeah, I do. Wait a minute. What did you say?"
"I think you have feelings for the baby's daddy. Am I way off base? You can tell me to shut up."
"Shut up!" Blake snickered. "Seriously, I can't be thinking about Rob in that way. I'm over Reese, I think, but it wouldn't be fair to Rob to complicate his life by trying to be his boyfriend. Besides, I'm too old. He's gonna want a hot young stud."
"You're 20 and he's 17. That's not a big gap. You're plenty hot, but I think that Rob is looking for something more lasting than sex alone. Just keep on being his friend," Eric advised. "If it's supposed to be more than that, I'm sure you'll both know it. You're definitely a good steady guy and I think that's what Rob needs most of all. Don't give up on the idea."
Blake nodded as he headed for the house.
Author's notes: Hey guys, thanks for your emails. I appreciate your encouragement. The following have written since last posting: Denys, Vann, Rutabaga, Mike DeW, Bill K, Mark H, Dave J, John McD, Tom A, Jim We, Jim C, Paul R, Tim E, Ken, Polar, and Paul L. Hope I didn't miss anyone!
Sorry Polar, it looks like Rob and Blake might be getting closer together. I know you're jealous!
David