The Man with the Jeep
Chapter 74
Eventually, John and Andrew had to get out of the soothing hot tub and head back down the mountain. Neither really wanted to, but the visit had done its job. Their aches had faded away and they were relaxed and recharged.
As John drove them down the trail, Andrew's mind wandered a bit as it was prone to do.
He was surprised at himself for how he had handled everything that went down back at the grotto. He never even thought of resisting this time when John had him stand up and get trussed up. He knew he was prone to people-pleasing, but this was a bit more placid than normal even for him. That struck him as worrisome. He really didn't want to be a doormat for anyone. Even John. But there he was being `led away like a lamb to the slaughter,' he joked in his head. Maybe he should have put up more of a fight or at least resistance. But he trusted John not to hurt him, so he just went with it.
And then when Hank and Kyle showed up, he went along with getting handed off too. Just like that. That was definitely a new thing, and he barely batted an eye.
To be fair, John had given him a chance to say no when he confirmed that he was okay with being open. Andrew had agreed readily having thoroughly hashed that issue out in his mind so recently. It was a bit of a surprise to be called on it less than a minute later, but after just a few moments' pause, he rolled with it gamely.
He had to wonder whether it was due to the amazing feeling of John inside him at that moment, or because he was starting to feel more comfortable being adventurous, or because he finally really did fully trust John, or because of how hot Hank was.
He settled on all of the above. It was the perfect storm of reasons/justifications, though his actions still gave him pause.
And seeing John play with Kyle was shockingly hot. He never would have expected that. Especially after his response to stumbling across John's porn a while ago.
Not too long ago, he would have never dreamed of this scenario in the first place, let alone gone with it. Now he found himself fully on board.
He started to wonder how much more he could surprise himself.
But then he stopped himself short.
Did it matter?
After some minutes of wrestling with that, he decided it didn't matter much. Change is, after all, the only constant in life. And he had to admit he was enjoying the exploration overall despite being discombobulated on occasion. This was one area of himself he had been too afraid to explore, but with John as his de facto anchor, the cat was out of the bag at this point. He might as well see it through now.
He looked over at John and was once again enraptured. The golden late afternoon light lit up the hair on his arms and legs and it was mesmerizing to watch as his muscles clenched and released while he worked the pedals below and sawed away at the steering wheel piloting the old red rattletrap along its way. Andrew couldn't help but be reminded of the amber waves of grain of the old song as he watched the light constantly shift along John's limbs.
John glanced over at one point and noticed.
"How are you doing over there?" he asked.
"Fine," Andrew answered. "I was just going over the grotto in my head."
"You mean what just happened up there?"
"Yeah."
John chuckled. "I figured that's what you were doing. What are your thoughts?"
In broad sweeps, Andrew went over what was going through his head.
"That sounds totally reasonable," John assured him. "I know this is pretty different for you. Are you okay?"
"I think so," Andrew said thoughtfully.
"I'm glad, but you need to make sure to tell me if I go too far. Deal?"
"Deal," Andrew agreed.
"I knew it was a risk to spring Hank and Kyle on you like that, but I just kind of went with the moment."
"I get it. And you did sort of confirm with me beforehand I guess."
"I tried, but you know how I like to surprise you and keep you guessing."
"Yes, you really do," Andrew said thoughtfully.
"Was it really okay, or was it too much too fast?" John coaxed him.
"It caught me a little off guard, if I'm honest," Andrew admitted. "I don't regret it, but I feel like I should have picked up on your question."
"You mean when I asked if you were really okay with being open?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't know how to see if you'd be game without giving away the punchline, so to speak."
"That makes sense," Andrew allowed. "But I trust you. If you want to surprise me, go ahead and do it. If I'm not up for it, I promise to tell you."
"Ah, but before or after?" John asked perceptively. "I don't want to put you on the spot only to find out later you didn't want to do it."
"Hmm," Andrew said, frowning. "You know my default answer is probably always going to be no, but you have a pretty good batting average so far."
"I try," John replied with a small happy smile. "But how would you like me to handle it from here on out?"
"You know what? I realized today that I really do trust you, so I will let you call the shots."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. How will I keep surprising myself with new horizons if I leave it to myself?"
"Fair enough," John laughed. "But I still need your feedback, okay? No holding back!"
"Okay," Andrew agreed.
"I have to admit that went easier than I expected," John commented.
"What did?"
"Resolving that."
"Yeah, I'm not too worried."
Andrew weighed the transaction in his head. He essentially just gave John carte blanche when it came to playing around. It was indeed nice to have that settled. Or at least defined, he corrected himself.
But then there was another niggle at his mind.
In giving John free rein, where would this journey take him? Where would it end? Would he become a clone? A little John?
Of course, there was no way to know at this point, but as much as he loved and admired John, he didn't want to become him. He had a strong sense of value in his...not worth, exactly, but his individualness. Was that even a word? Probably not, he mused to himself, but it captured his idea of somewhere between individuality and distinctiveness. What really made Andrew Andrew.
He fought within himself as he battled the old familiar feeling of worthlessness and tried to reconcile it with his essential belief that everyone was worth respect and consideration. Would he be getting better, or losing a bit of himself? Or was it both? By letting go of some of himself, would it make him worth more? To John? To himself?
They continue to clamber down the trail for a bit before John tossed Andrew another question.
"So what else is up?"
"What else?"
"Yeah. You're chewing your lip, so you're wrestling with something else."
"It's nothing," Andrew said quickly.
"Bull," replied John just as quickly. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but you never stress out about nothing."
Busted. Again.
Andrew really didn't want to talk about it, but he had just had a revelation of how much he trusted John, so maybe it was time to flex that a little bit.
"I just don't know how to say what I'm feeling," he finally said cautiously. "Sometimes words suck. I guess I'm worried about losing me, if that makes any sense."
"I think I get that," John answered. "And a lot of people get to that point, unfortunately, but I hope you never do," he said earnestly. "Can I tell you my perspective?"
"Sure," Andrew shrugged.
"When I first met you, I saw you kind of as a flag laid out on a table: beautifully made, striking to behold, and distinctively different from any other. But flags aren't made to lay on a table with stuff laying on top of it, spilling over and staining its beauty. They are made to fly proudly where people can see them. That's what I want for you: For everyone to see you and be blessed and inspired by you. I'm not saying you need to be frantically waved around in front of people's faces, but displayed in a place of honor where you can be anchored securely enough to wave freely in the sun."
"Wow," said Andrew quietly.
"So don't ever let me change your colors, okay? Slap me in the face or whatever you need to do to bring me up short."
"But how will I know?" Andrew asked.
"You will know," John said confidently. "More than anyone I know, you know who you are."
"I don't know about that," Andrew said. "I'm starting to feel I don't know myself as well as I thought."
"Why? Because you're doing new things?"
"Because I'm finding I like them. And I always thought I wouldn't."
"That's only because you're overthinking things again," John said confidently. "If you find out you actually like papaya six weeks from now, will that threaten your sense of self?"
"But I hate papaya," Andrew replied.
"I remember. That's why it's a perfect example. What if you find you like it after all? Or suddenly and inexplicably hate cheesecake? Will this change who you are?"
"I guess not," Andrew admitted.
"Then there you go! I promise you, this is not an existential crisis."
"I suppose you're right," Andrew said.
"I know I am, buddy," John said confidently.
By now they were very nearly back to the glade by the garage.
"What shall we do for dinner?" John asked.
"Hmmm," Andrew said thoughtfully. "I don't feel like cooking, and I'd rather not go to Mabel's this time. What do you think?"
John pulled out onto the highway before answering. "Fair enough. I actually don't want to cook tonight either. If you aren't too hungry, we have time to get back to town and find something."
"That's fine with me," Andrew agreed.
Soon they were swapping the Jeep for John's BMW that they had left at the Jacks and then they were back on their way to Andrew's new house in the woods.
It was hard for him to think how this was going to be his new place in a very short time. He was so used to suburbia, he knew there was going to be some adjustment before he thought of this as home. Who would have thought he'd ever leave the city? Not him. And certainly not his family. They'd often teased him about how he would cope without a 24-hour grocery store around the corner.
But the truth was he was quite self-sufficient and confident he could adapt to anything. Even John's ways, he added sardonically.
As they pulled up to the house in the woods, he again got the sense that there was a sparkle in those big black windows somehow. The place looked so much better than the first time they came by. Rather than a dingy rundown place half buried in plants gone wild, it looked more the part of a sedate country manor nowÑthough "manor" might be a little overstating its level of grandeur. The paint was still a bit faded and in need of a good clean, but at least it looked like a proper house now.
They made their way inside, collected their things, and locked everything up again behind them. As they turned off the last light, Andrew was reminded about needing to find the source of power.
"Hey John?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you ever figure out how we have electricity?"
"No, I forgot," he said. "But let's take a look. We should be able to do it before it gets too dark."
They went around the house to the meter on the side and found ad hoc wiring circumventing it completely. Someone seemed to know what they were doing, as the connections were actually done well and properly sealed. Assuming Mr. Bradshaw had been telling the truth (as Andrew did), there was no clue as to who could have done it.
"I suppose we should call the power company and have them fix that, huh?" Andrew asked disappointedly.
"Well yeah," John answered. "Technically speaking you're stealing it right now."
"I know. I'm just sure they're going to throw some big penalty at me in addition to the charge for fixing what I didn't break."
"You're probably right, but I can ask Coop about it and see if he has any ideas."
"Thanks."
With that disheartening expectation, the drive back to town was a little glum for Andrew as he thought depressing thoughts of how much the fees and penalties might be. He of course had no real idea, but he was tired and hungry, so it was easy to assume the worst.
As the imagined costs ratcheted up in his mind, he started grasping for other options. One that he kept coming back to was solar. He didn't know as much about that as he probably should either, but it seemed very appealing to bypass the power company completely. And it seemed like it would be environmentally helpful at first glance as well, which he was always a fan of.
It turned out John hadn't looked into it recently either, but had periodically considered it for the Jacks. He knew there wasn't enough in the savings fund for a big project like that yet, and he didn't turn enough profit to trust he could make up the difference quickly, so it had been put on the back burner. He dismissed out of hand all the offers of "free" installations because the panels would belong to the power company and not the Jacks, and he was not about to endanger the free and clear aspect of his family's inheritance.
Andrew agreed.
So, what was the upshot? He'd have to research more. He tried to push it out of his mind for now, which he seemed unable to do until John brought up dinner again.
"How does Italian sound?"
"Sounds great," Andrew replied.
His grumbling stomach chimed in immediately afterwards, much to John's amusement.
"I guess that settles that," he laughed. "And I know of a great place."
"Groovy."
John laughed again. "Groovy," he echoed.
A few minutes later they pulled up to a nice stone building with arched windows and fancy deep green awnings. The sign above read "La Bella Festa" in elegant calligraphy. It had lots of blooming greenery and warm lighting, immediately lending an inviting atmosphere.
"This looks fancy," Andrew remarked as he got out of the car.
"And the food is as good as the ambiance," John promised.
Rather than the framed photos of famous landmarks or giant murals of vineyards or gladiators Andrew expected, La Bella Festa seemed more like an authentic restaurant from the old world with rich textures, deep colors, and lush greenery. There were a few mosaics and some statuary around, but this was clearly a higher class establishment than he was used to, endeavoring to be a fine restaurant instead of just a caricature.
Happily seated at a cozy table near the opposite corner from the large boisterous family in front, Andrew wasted no time in picking up the menu and started picking out what he knew of the very Italian menu while his stomach complained. There were several things he didn't recognize, but was too impatient to pull them up on Google Translate to figure out what they were.
He decided on chicken parmesan and tried to be patient while John finished making up his mind and the waiter came back for the order.
When the waiter returned, he brought with him freshly baked bread wrapped in a white cloth napkin, creamy plated butter, and a tall slender vase with a single red rose in it to place in the center of the pristine white tablecloth.
"Welcome to La Bella Festa," he said in a rich Italian accent. "I am Giovanni, and I will be serving you this evening. What can I get for your enjoyment?"
They ordered their food, with John adding a bottle of red wine for good measure.
"Very good, sirs," Giovanni replied. "I shall be back shortly." And off he went.
"Okay, so this is really fancy," Andrew said in hushed tones. "What's going on?"
"I just thought you deserved something special tonight," John replied with a smile. "We are a bit overdue for having a nice `real' date."
Andrew smiled happily, the troubling thoughts pushed away at last.
Giovanni returned momentarily and poured sparkling clear liquid from a brown bottle into a wine glass for each of them without spilling a single drop onto the table and disappeared again.
"I don't remember ordering this," Andrew said nervously.
"It comes with the dinner, now relax and enjoy it."
"I thought you ordered a red..."
"The wine comes with the entrŽe. This is just water," John smiled before leaning closer. "I don't even like sparkling water, but let's live in the moment," he said with a wink before lifting his glass in humorous snobbishness. "To the future!"
"To the future!" Andrew repeated and followed suit, taking a drink.
The bread was still quite warm, and the center was soft without being encased in a concrete crust. Even the butter was easily spreadable and tasty. It was hard to say since he was so hungry, but Andrew thought it could be the best bread he'd ever had. Between him and John, they made short work of it.
Their server then delivered small salads that looked somehow artfully arranged instead of just heaped onto a plate and removed the bread and butter dishes, adroitly whisking every crumb from the table.
They delved into their crisp fresh salads, which had mercifully been spared drowning in the light dressing.
The arrival of the wine and entrees were perfectly timed to the last bite of lettuce.
"This is incredible service," Andrew breathed to John.
"I know, right? Like I said, I wanted to give you a very nice dinner tonight."
Andrew took the first bite of his chicken before he replied.
"Mission accomplished."
John grinned as he set to his own food.
"So you enjoyed that time with Hank and Kyle today?"
"Yeah, that was fun."
"I'm glad. And I noticed you wanted a front row seat once you were finished."
"Well duh."
"I wasn't sure after you saw that old video I did."
"It was different in real life." Andrew explained. "Plus, in my defense, this wasn't as shocking. But maybe I've just changed since then."
"Probably a little bit," John agreed. "But I'm really glad you enjoyed yourself."
"It was super hot watching you fuck Kyle."
"Yeah?"
"Heck yes," Andrew said firmly. "I knew I wanted to be right there, soaking it in."
"Was it everything you wanted it to be?"
"More," asserted Andrew. "It was so hot!"
He felt a twitching in his pants.
"What if he was right here, right now, bent over this very table, and I was sliding my cock into his tight little ass?" John asked him directly.
Andrew nearly choked.
Then he felt John's foot that he had somehow removed from his shoe kneading his boner as he sat there across from him.
"Just checking," John grinned evilly.
"What are you doing?" Andrew whispered fiercely.
"I told you: checking you out."
"Here?"
"Why not?"
"What if someone sees us?"
Just then, the waiter walked up.
"Pardon me, sirs..."
If you'd like me to let you know when a new chapter goes up, just send me a message and I will keep you posted. Also, it would be awesome if you could throw a few bucks at Nifty to help them keep this site up for our fun stories! Thanks again for reading, and I hope you have great day!
-DurtyRiter
DurtyRiter@protonmail.com