From across the room this perfectly handsome young man approached, their waiter, Miguel. He was not any taller than Chris, his black hair about Jerry's length but his body was slender and muscular beneath that crisp white shirt and short black vest. Overall impression said that the boy was hot. Gary had that confirmed when Jerry's mouth dropped open.

"Good Evening, Gentlemen. I am Miguel, your waiter for this evening."

Yeah, and Gary knew what Jerry was having...was this cutie on the menu? His English was excellent, undoubtedly a product of private schooling.

"Hello, Miguel ... would you bring me a dry martini please, no ice," Gary said. "Chris what will you have to drink with dinner?"

"A coke please, no ice." Was his reply. Miguel smiled at the boy and turned his head towards Jerry.

"Jerry, what about you?" Gary asked.

Miguel waited, Jerry looked up and they gazed at one another. It was like a bolt of lightning flashed through the room, they both smiled. "A tea, please," Jerry managed to say. He swallowed hard, an entranced look in his eyes. Miguel smiled; he could see the desire in those eyes as well.

"Yes, sir," Miguel said. "Sweet tea?"

"Please," Jerry replied. "I suppose it ought to have ice…is that okay?" Miguel's smile widened, he was amused...and they had connected.

"I understand the concern," Miguel said. "But we have filtered water at the hotel; it is all safe to drink."

"Then ice for them both by all means," Gary said.

"Thank you, I will return shortly." And Miguel left to get their drinks.

"That wasn't subtle at all, Jerry," Gary said

"I ... did you feel that?" Jerry asked, his eyes watching Miguel walk away.

"I did...we'll see. I'm not sure it's a good idea to molest the hotel staff, but Miguel seems open to the concept."

"You think so ... what do you think?" Jerry asked.

Chris spoke up. "He's cute ... is he gay?"

"Ricardo implied as much ... relax, let's all eat dinner before we decide if Miguel is to become dessert, okay?"

Chris laughed and patted Jerry's hand. "Hope it works out for you."

"Oh God, I'm stiff as a board," Jerry laughed, reaching under the table to adjust himself.

The first local they meet and Jerry is off and running. Gary could only hope that Miguel felt the same way. If Jerry needed help then Gary would do his best to grease the wheels of fortune. Miguel returned with menus and drinks. It took one sip and Gary declared the martini to be excellent, Miguel beamed with appreciation.

The boy moved around the table with the drinks ending up beside Jerry. Gary could read body language quite well, and Miguel had a definite lean towards Jerry as he placed the drink before the boy. "Thank you," Jerry said

"We don't need menus, Miguel...I know the food here quite well," Gary said. "We'll all have the chicken, fajitas if you please and some of that wonderful rice your chef makes. Boys, do you like your food hot?"

"Maybe a little spicy," Chris said.

"That's fine with me," Jerry said.

Miguel smiled at them and wrote the order down on a small pad of paper. "Thank you," He said, "It will not be too long."

Miguel left and Chris giggled. "I bet he saw your boner, Jerry."

"You think, huh? Well he can have it any time he wants. God, Gary...what can I do to sweep him off his feet?"

"He's just about in your lap now from what I can see...he's gay, but does he have a boyfriend? Information is what we seek, I'll work on it."

Dinner would take some minutes to prepare, this wasn't fast food. Miguel came back by the table a few minutes later and Gary realized they were his only customers on the floor. Ricardo was sharp, such a dear man.

"Would you like another drink, sir?" Miguel asked.

"Gary ... please call me that if you would. Ricardo and I are old friends, I feel at home here."

"Yes, Gary ... I have only been here this season. Mr. Delarosa is a wonderful man."

"Yes he is. Um, Miguel, can I ask you something?"

"If you please," He replied.

"Well, these two young men are closer in age to you than me. Jerry would probably love clubbing in the evenings, and at least this year he is eighteen. Not that I approve of excessive drinking at any age, what do teenagers do for entertainment here?"

Miguel smiled. "I am nineteen, Gary, and I understand your concern. There are several coffee bars with live music, I go to them myself. I would be honored to show you such a place."

"I'm not sure I would appreciate that as entertainment, and Chris probably wants something a little more stimulating. If I pay the bill, will you show Jerry the club scene?"

Miguel looked like he had been handed a ticket to heaven, he was dumbstruck. Jerry glanced at Gary with love and adoration; his life had just become grand. Miguel looked down at Jerry and smiled. "I will take you...this evening perhaps?"

"Yes," Jerry croaked, cleared his throat and replied once again. "Yes, I would like that very much."

"I will come for you at ten when we close," Miguel said.

"I'm in room three-oh-seven," Jerry said.

"Yes, I know," Miguel said. "I believe your food is ready, I shall return shortly."

Jerry almost jumped out of his seat with joy. "Gary...I love you ... that was so smooth."

"Way to go, Pops," Chris grinned.

"Pops? Pops? I am not some old man, you little brat, Pops indeed." But Gary grinned in reply. Jerry was lost in a world of lust and anxiety.

"Jerry...Earth to Jerry?" Gary said.

"Uh...yeah, sorry...what?"

"I will give you money, you will buy everything unless Miguel insists on paying for something, then you will allow him to do just that, understood? He will not wish to feel bought by rich North Americans, he is a male...a gay male for sure, but he has his pride. I expect he might come back to your room tonight, he may not. Don't expect to get lucky on a first date, okay?"

"Yes, sir...good advice," Jerry said. "My God, I have a date with the most beautiful boy in town. I have to kiss him at least."

"Oh I know that will happen," Gary said. "You have no curfew with me, you know that, but he may have to work tomorrow so be attentive to his needs. You have condoms don't you?"

"Oh hell yeah, you know me," Jerry laughed.

"Well have fun, you deserve it," Gary said.

Jerry got up and came around the table. He hugged Gary from behind and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Gary...thank you," He whispered. "I have to visit the bathroom, be right back."

Jerry returned just as Miguel and another boy brought their food to the table. The plates were sizzling, and everything smelled absolutely delicious. Miguel personally served Jerry, smiling as the boy dropped the napkin in his lap. The food was placed and the covers removed to reveal a profusion of chicken and brightly colored vegetables.

Gary showed Chris how to prepare his food, and watched him taste the unknown. It was hard for a boy like him to know what he might like down here, but he knew Gary would choose the right food for his tastes. God he was such a delight.

Jerry was lost in the enjoyment of his meal and the anticipation of what was to come later. Chris was all bright eyed and bubbly, content in their company so very far from all he had known throughout his short life. This moment was special and Gary wanted it to last forever.

Miguel hovered in the background like a good waiter, but he didn't bother the meal except to refill their glasses. The last time he leaned close to Jerry, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. Yes, there was something going on between them. Gary knew they would be seeing a lot of Miguel from now on.

Dinner ended and Gary signed the bill, giving Miguel a generous tip but nothing outrageous. He escorted them to the door and promised to come by for Jerry in just over an hour's time.

"Do you need for me to arrange transportation, Miguel?" Gary asked.

"No, Gary, thank you...I have my own car," Miguel replied.

"Good, then I will see you later...maybe tomorrow?"

"Yes, I have one day left before my vacation," He said.

"Do you return to school so soon?" Gary asked.

"No, I am finished school here, I have the diploma. I would like to attend university in your country next year. But it is so expensive; I have to talk to my father about this. Now I go to sit on the beach for some days, then I return to work. It will be fun." The boy had a wonderful smile, Gary could learn to like having him around...Jerry would love it.

"So this vacation of yours, is there a plan?" Gary asked.

"No... just a time for nothing, no work," Miguel said.

"Do you like sailing?" Gary asked.

"On the boats...oh, you have a boat here? I have been on the sea before, but not much."

"We plan to sail up the coast and back for a few days, you would be most welcome to join us."

"I could not impose upon you, Gary...you will not have the room to take me."

"Miguel, I think Jerry would like to have you along, I would too. Maybe as we become friends you will decide to come with us, do something different for your vacation."

"Oh...I will think about this, thank you very much."

"Our pleasure, have a good evening...stay out of trouble," Gary laughed.

"Yes, I am a good boy." And Miguel smiled as they parted.

Jerry looked pensive in the elevator. "Do you think he might come with us?"

"Yes, he will...because you'll be there," Gary said.

Jerry danced around with Chris until the doors opened. He went to his room for another shower and to change. Gary counted out a hundred dollars in pesos and told Jerry to bring back the change if any. Then he shut the adjoining door and left Jerry to his own devices. Miguel was a smart boy and he would not allow himself to be overwhelmed with boyish passions. But they would do something together, Gary was sure of that.

There was little in the way of family nightlife here in this port city and everyone headed south to Cancun for their fun. But after that heavy meal Gary took Chris for a walk on the beach. They had moments of barefoot splashing in the warm Caribbean water and some hugging while sitting on the warm sand. But they were tired and didn't stay out too long.

The large bed looked inviting and Chris quickly undressed and hopped in. Gary made him get up and go brush his teeth before sleeping, and Chris went with a "Yes, Daddy." After his own preparations Gary left the bathroom and slid under the covers. It was the last thing he remembered of their first day in Mexico.

Dawn brightened the curtains as Gary rolled over away from the light. Chris snored gently beside him. Gary knew he would love to awaken just like this every morning for the rest of his life. It was some time later that Gary awoke once again. Chris was snuggled up close, his body tight in an embrace. The boy was awake, he should be...Gary's hard cock was stuffed between his thighs.

Chris giggled. "Hmm, I might just never get out of bed."

"I'm sorry…I didn't expect to wake up like this," Gary said.

Chris laughed, and then turned around, pulling away from Gary's erection. "It was sexy, but I'm not ready for anything like that."

He gave Gary a kiss, and then their eyes locked. "It's not something we have to do," Gary said.

"But you want to, don't you? I mean, it's something you do when you love someone."

"Yes, but we're not there…"

"Maybe we will be," Chris said. "I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"Never…we don't have to think about that now. Are you hungry?"

"Yup, I'm a growing boy," Chris laughed.

They showered and dried off, pulling on clean shorts. Chris looked over at the adjoining door. "I wonder how he did last night?"

"I know better than to ask, let him sleep," Gary replied. "No matter what happened, I bet he and Miguel got to know one another better."

"Do you think they…fucked?"

"Probably not, Miguel isn't as hotheaded as Jerry, I respect him for that. We can't ask you know. That would be rude."

"I bet Jerry will tell me," Chris said.

Gary laughed. "You won't have to ask, we'll probably know the minute we see him."

They went down to the restaurant for breakfast while Gary contemplated what Jerry might like to do today. They could take Chris into Cancun to see the sights and get in a little beach time. He was just finishing a second cup of coffee when Jerry walked in. He looked rested and showered and there was this wonderful smile on his face.

"Hey guys," He said, joining them at the table.

"You get some sleep?" Gary asked. "I was thinking of going into Cancun, are you up for that."

"Yeah, I'll go...can Miguel come along?"

"Sure, does he have to work?"

"Maybe later, he isn't sure. He'll be down in a minute, I came ahead to make sure you didn't leave or something. Thank you, Gary."

"What for?"

"Last night, we had a blast. I never met so many crazy people in my life as at that coffee bar. They had an awesome band, even if I didn't understand a word they sang. Miguel and I tried to talk but it was too loud in there so we went to the beach."

"So you know more about him now, that's good," Gary said.

"Oh yeah...his father is the frickin mayor down here. He and Ricardo are tight as hell, Miguel doesn't need this job. He lives in a mansion and drives a BMW."

Gary laughed at his earlier assessment of the boy as a poor struggling student. Well good, Miguel was smart and Jerry was completely taken with him.

"Um, he wants to go sailing with us," Jerry said. "How cool is that? But you have to meet the father first. He said his parents are very protective...and they don't know he's gay."

"Oh...that sucks," Chris said. "Is he a good kisser?"

Jerry blushed a little. "He's good at a lot of things...and no, we didn't go all the way. He wants to know me better, that's so sweet."

"Smart boy, your relationship will last longer if you don't rush into things right away," Gary said as Miguel appeared at the door. He walked over to the table and sat right down. "Good morning to everyone," He said.

"Good morning, Miguel. Jerry has just been singing your praises," Gary said.

The look he gave Jerry said it all; there was something strong going on here. "We had some fun last night...may I still come on your boating adventure?"

"Yes, we would love to have you. Jerry will tell you what to bring along."

"He did," Miguel laughed. "He said to bring a toothbrush and I wouldn't need anything else...so now I am confused."

"Jerry...you had best explain that," Gary said.

"We go naked most of the time, Miguel."

"Oh...how exciting, that will be fine."

Gary told Miguel they would be going into Cancun today and asked if he would accompany them.

"I can do that, I am not working today," Miguel said.

"Ricardo said something about a car and driver," Gary said.

"I will check for you," Miguel said. He got up and walked out to the front desk, returning a few minutes later.

"The car will be here in one hour, is that good for you?"

"Yes, Miguel, that's fine. Boys, lets eat breakfast and go get our bathing suits, we may need them."

Gary packed a sling bag of towels and suits, wallet and watch and enough sun block to slather all of them. When he got downstairs the car was waiting and Miguel greeted the driver. Gary told the man in Spanish that they wanted a drive down the coast to see the resort city before deciding where to stop. The driver nodded and they loaded up.

"You speak the language very well," Miguel said.

"Your English is much better than my poor knowledge of Spanish. You must be smarter than me...definitely cuter."

Gary was amazed, the boy actually blushed. "I'm sorry, Miguel...didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Watch him, Miguel...he's been known to embarrass guys every chance he gets," Jerry said. "Just ignore him if he offends you."

Miguel smiled. "You talk to your father like this? I could never do such a thing."

"They're not really my sons, Miguel. Jerry and I met early last year. Chris and I have known each other barely a week now."

"Oh, this is for convenience and travel, I understand."

"Gary saved my life," Jerry said. "He's like a father in many ways, I live in his house."

"Then I truly understand, a compassionate man serves everyone else first...is this your choice, Gary?"

"I love both of them, Miguel. Jerry is growing up and wants his own life. I believe he's just about ready to handle that. Chris is just discovering life. He will learn and grow at his own pace. This trip is all part of that growth for the both of them."

Miguel smiled. "Rarely do I meet such a wise man, they are lucky to have you."

Chris had listened to the whole exchange and at some point had slid his hand into Gary's. Miguel looked at the boy and nodded. "It's good to have love," He said, and Chris smiled in agreement.

The highway to the beach was crowded but the vast area of hotels loomed in the distance like mountains rising up from the sand. Gary had first seen Cancun from the sea, a line of huge concrete hotels lining the water. The bar of sand they sat upon was narrow and exposed to the violence of the ocean. One major storm could erase all this man made majesty.

But if this built up area was a gamble, so far they were winning. Thousands flocked here every day, millions over the years since it had been erected. Miami Beach looked tame compared to Cancun. This reminded Gary more of Las Vegas, Mexican style.

Slowly they reached the buildings at the northern end of the strip and drove down hotel row. Great piles of stone, some with architecture reminiscent of the ancient past, Mayan palaces for modern tourists. Miguel talked about the tourism, the nightlife and anything else he could think of to amuse them. Finally they reached the inlet for Laguna Nichupte, the large bay behind Cancun, and turned around.

Gary had traveled further south, even visited Chichen Itsa and the ruins of the Mayan temple there. All fascinating stuff, but he didn't think Chris or Jerry would appreciate it. There were signs for the public beaches, and Jerry pointed to a video arcade.

"This looks like a good place to stop," Gary told the driver and he pulled over. They set up a time for a rendezvous. The driver would come back for them at four. Six hours of sun and fun, enough for any man to endure, Gary thought, especially this one. The boys took off for the arcade since Jerry still had money, Gary headed for the beach.

The hotels claimed privacy rights for much of the sand up and down the shore, what they didn't know was how to control it. Gary walked along the shore gazing up at the new buildings and felt disappointed. The Outer Banks of North Carolina he remembered so well from his youth were protected beaches, preserved for the ages and generations to come. All this asphalt and concrete would be long gone someday while the loggerhead turtles still nuzzled their way into the Carolina sand.

Man and nature were in a constant battle, but nature always won, it had to for the planet to survive. The sooner he was away from this man made hell the better. Let the tourists have it all for a few days of glory; Gary would hate himself if he stayed too long.

But there was glory in looking at all the tanned boys on the beach. It allowed him to ignore the half-naked women which he did most of the time. He wasn't a woman hater; it was just a lack of tolerance he'd developed over the years.

Every boy Gary took on had a bad mother behind them, what did that say about some individuals having kids? He could not in all good conscience bring a child into this world if he couldn't nurture them. Many of his boys had been abused and Gary had retaliated against some of the adults involved.

There was a dark side to everyone and all it took was to shine a little light on the abusers, they usually took the hint and left the boys alone. The man who had raped Jerry paid the price, he lost everything he owned and was probably living under a bridge at the moment.

Gary held that in mind as justice for the cruelty introduced into Jerry's already deficient life. Personally, he slept well at night knowing that he wouldn't allow anyone to mess with his boys. Chris would be no different; the boy's mother would need careful examination.

Gary was almost hit with a flying Frisbee and stooped to pick it up, tossing it back to the twelve something cutie who smiled back at him. Lord, the beautiful ones were everywhere. But this wasn't a lost child; one look told him this boy had someone who cared. Gary felt his mission in life was to save the others, the forgotten boys.

It seems Miguel wasn't one of them. He couldn't be rejecting his parent's wealth since he drove that BMW. The unequal status with Jerry would play itself out, the fascination would end and reality would move in. Maybe Miguel would come to the States for his university training. But would he find someone like Jerry a bit low in status for his taste by then?

They were both so young, and yet in less than twenty-four hours the infatuation had set in. Throwing caution to the wind Jerry was plunging into this relationship much too quickly. At this point Miguel seemed to be more rational…cautious.

Gary knew he could ramble on with these negative thoughts but so far the boy had shown nothing but compassion and good taste. But he knew that his feelings were to protect Jerry at all costs. Miguel had yet to prove himself worthy.

The days with Chris this past week had been delightful. Any time now Gary expected him to get back into their discussion about sexuality. Watching Jerry and Miguel in real time would be very instructive about how relationships developed. Love was built from tiny little caresses and smiles to full blown passionate moments of glorious sexual sharing.

Gary turned around in his walk and soon passed the Frisbee boy again, this time the kid waved. Not Mexican, but Spanish in some way. Gary waved back and the boy came running over. He rattled something off in what Gary determined was Portuguese. He could only reply in Spanish and that didn't work. The boy thought a moment and smiled.

"I am...I thanking you," He said in accented English.

"You are most welcome," Gary replied.

"Welcome...yes," He said. A killer smile and he ran off. The world was full of beauty.

Gary was back to the beach section where he had made his entrance. One look around and he saw three perfectly incredible young creatures, fortunately he already knew them. Chris came running up. "Where can we change?" He asked.

"Well you can wrap a towel around your cute little butt and wiggle out of your shorts or we can get a changing booth like that one over there," Gary said.

Chris laughed. "You wanna change with me? I'll wiggle my cute little butt for you."

"It's a deal," Gary replied. The changing booth rented for ten pesos and they stepped inside. It was crowded but Chris did wiggle his butt as promised. Gary kissed him and then laughed when he felt a hard cock against his thigh.

"Not now, sweetie...we do have to go out that door real soon or people will wonder."

"Oh...damn, I can't go out there looking like this."

Gary handed him a towel and said they could sprint for the water. They stepped out and saw Jerry and Miguel come out of the one next to them. Both of them held towels in front of their crotches and Gary smiled, must be the salt air. They all sprinted for the water, dropping the towels along the way.

Chris stopped when the water got to his waist and looked down. "Hey, I can see my toes."

"I can see your erection," Jerry said and Chris jumped on him.

The boys played around and Gary was pleased to see that Chris was a good swimmer. Now maybe they could have the pleasure of snorkeling together. The Caribbean had a large selection of corals and colorful fish one could see with a mask.

Miguel got away from the others and swam over. "They are very happy with each other," He said.

"Most of the time, yes. Jerry is very used to being around me; Chris has just learned what he likes about it."

"Jerry lives with you?"

"Yes, he was staying with his sister but that fell apart so he came home. He is always welcome but thinks Key West is boring. Nothing to do," Gary said.

"I hear it is a beautiful island, I would like to visit with you someday."

"You would be most welcome, Miguel."

"And Chris...does he stay with you as well?"

"Ahh, Chris. I honestly don't know what to do about him. I have some things to decide while we're down here. But I will have to wait until we return to be able to answer that."

Miguel smiled. "He loves you very much. I see it in his eyes."

"I'm beginning to see it too, Miguel. He's a very special boy, he has my heart."

"Such a lucky man. You know I am gay, yes?"

"The best people I know are gay. How do you feel about me loving boys like those two?"

"Even a boy needs love, Gary. I was with a man for several years when I was younger like Chris, even before that. I still remember those times fondly. But he was caught with a very young boy. The police…they shot him dead. They said it was an accident."

"I am sorry, you must feel pain for the loss," Gary said.

"Yes, he was close to me...I learned many things from him. I know you will not hurt a boy...it is not your nature. If they chose to have sex with you then they learn from a kind and gentle person, this is best. Jerry is very sweet to me because of you."

"He's had a hard life, one very different than yours," Gary said.

"Yes, I can tell. You worry for him...with me?"

Gary smiled, what a bright kid. "I worry for all my boys, including Jerry. I can't say it won't work, it will just be difficult for you both."

"I will come north next year if my father allows," Miguel said. "If Jerry still wants to be with me I will find him. I will go to school in Miami or Tampa; this is not far from Key West. I am much like Jerry. I have been looking for someone a long time now. Someone sweet and strong. Please help me with him; I want him in my life."

"You're on the right track, he likes you very much. Jerry said I need to meet your parents, will this be a problem for you?"

"No, I don't believe so. My father is a very busy man and that allows me some freedoms. I will try to make a lunch meeting, tomorrow if you like. I think it best if you bring your sons, he would like meeting your family," Miguel said.

"So he knows Ricardo...but does he know about Ricardo?" Gary asked.

Miguel smiled. "No, it is not possible...they have some business together, but I have never seen Ricardo do anything that might make my father...um, suspicious. The people here would not understand this part of Ricardo; he must keep secret his gay life."

"But you know him to be gay, and I guess he knows about you. Was that discovery difficult?"

Miguel smiled. "You are asking if he did something with me? No, I would not consider him in a sexual way. I am sad that he must marry that woman and pretend to be another thing, I could not do such a thing."

"It's normal in many cultures for men to hide their true feelings behind a marriage, and yes, that is sad. Ricardo has the benefit of being able to travel for his business, at least then he can be himself."

"My father will not know the truth about you or the boys, which will make it easier for him to approve of my presence with you." He sighed. "It is sometimes difficult with all this pretending."

"Soon you will be your own man, Miguel. Come to Key West and visit, there is much to offer a gay man there."

"Yes...and Jerry will be there...you know I will come."

"Okay, so you arrange lunch for us to meet your father. I want nothing to interfere in your relationship with my son."

Miguel would spend the next week with them and Gary could see what developed. Chris finally had to sit in the shade of an umbrella. Gary had pulled him from the water the minute he started to look medium rare. Sunburn would ruin their trip and so they drank iced coffee and Chris was covered with lotion.

"That Miguel is kinda cool," Chris said.

"And you say this because...?"

"He parties and says his parents are cool with that."

"So cool means drugs to you? Is that all you learned at home? Gary asked.

Chris looked at him and frowned. "I don't want to go home...ever."

"You don't think mom is worried about you?"

"No. And she probably rented my room out already."

"How would I get your mom to allow you to stay with me?" Gary asked.

"Just don't tell her where I am. I sure don't wanna talk to her now."

"Hmm, but you have school starting up in a month, and they'll wonder where you are. Then someone will ask your mom and she'll say I don't know and then you end up as a picture on a milk carton for everyone to see."

"Wow, you're pretty clever...that might just happen."

"I have Max checking your mother out to see if she's told anyone, maybe she will allow me to adopt you...would you like that?"

Chris looked at Gary and his face seemed to freeze. His lower lip began to tremble and tears form in his eyes.

"Chris, don't cry on me now...I want you to stay with me."

He sniffled and a single tear ran down his cheek, but he smiled. "You want to be my daddy…for real?"

"Oh sweetie, I would probably do anything in this world to make you happy."

Chris nodded, the tears running down his cheeks. But he was happy, that smile never left his face. He put the coffee down and came into Gary's arms, hugging for all he was worth. It felt so good to hold him like this. No matter the age, Chris would always need affection and this sense of security.

"I wish I had met you years ago, Gary."

"What…before you were sixteen and adorable? Maybe I would have left you on the side of the road, sweetie. I don't mess with little kids."

Chris smiled. "Will I always be your sweetie, even when I grow up?"

"I'll always think of you as my sweetie, even when you grow up...just don't grow too big, my legs can't handle it."

"Can you love a man, Gary? I'm gonna be a man someday too."

"If that man is you I will always love him. Max still sees the boy in me, we still love one another."

"But he has Shelby now, not you," Chris said.

"I'm never home, haven't you noticed?" Gary said. "Poor Max needs a companion, just like I need you."

"Yes, Max is sweet. And I know he still loves you. I can see it in his eyes when he talks about you."

"And what do you see in these eyes, Chris?"

Chris brought his face in close to Gary's and they stared at one another. "I see my reflection."

"Yes, you're in my eyes and my head, but especially in my heart, sweetie."

"Then we're in love, because I feel it too," Chris said.

Jerry and Miguel came running up from the water, and the conversation had to end.

"What time is it," Jerry asked.

Gary looked in the bag and pulled out his watch. "Almost three-thirty, ready to pack it in?"

"Yeah, enough of the sand and salt, I want a shower...Miguel does too."

"Well let's dry off and change, no sense in getting the car wet...he ought to be back any time now," Gary said.

They changed and walked back up to the drop off point, sure enough the car was waiting. The ride back to the hotel was pretty quiet, everyone was tired.

"I for one am gonna shower and nap before dinner. Us old folks need our rest," Gary said.

Chris laughed and Jerry smiled. Gary knew he'd be in bed with Miguel shortly after they returned. Good thing the walls were thick and soundproof. The driver let them out at the hotel entrance and Gary leaned back in to tip him, but he shook his head. "No, Mr. Lewis...I am Mr. Delarosa's driver, he pays me very well."

Ahh, Gary should have known. They went up to the rooms and made no plans to meet for dinner. Miguel said he would take care of feeding Jerry, Gary was sure he would.

"You wanna wash my hair again," Chris said with a grin.

"Sure."

They washed one another, finding sand in every little crevice, and then dried off. Gary stopped to brush his teeth and Chris went on into the bedroom. Gary could hear the television pop on and Chris scroll through the channels. At first the boy had seemed shocked that everything was in Spanish, but there were a few channels in English.

Chris was spread out on the bed, a beautiful sight. Gary stood and stared down with a smile.

"Like what you see?" Chris laughed.

"Oh you know I do…" And then the television intruded.

"The news out of the National Hurricane Center is pretty grim for residents of the Florida Keys this afternoon...."

Gary's head swiveled around and he grabbed the remote to boost the volume on the CNN News.

"Tropical Storm Fay is quickly approaching the Florida Keys this afternoon, evacuation plans have been in effect since Friday when tourists were asked to leave the area. Margaret Lipton reports live from Key West..." There were images of cars jamming the single highway leading out of the Keys.

A new voiceover began, the on site reporter: "Residents have been closing up their property the past few days here in Key West, but most are not leaving in the face of the storm, which left almost a dozen dead in Caribbean islands and flooded towns in Cuba."

The camera panned across several residents of the island who were closing storm shutters and carrying lawn furniture into their homes. Gary could see several businesses had closed up shop, and then they showed the crowd down at Squeaky's place.

"Many residents have experienced worse than the expected four to ten inches of rain Fay plans to dump on their city later today." The crowd raised their glasses to the camera and Gary laughed. Diehard conchs rarely ran away from bad weather, they just drank more.

"Hey, that's Barry," Chris said, scooting over to sit on the edge of the bed. Gary threw an arm around the boy's shoulder as they watched. "That's King Neptune to you, conch brother," Gary said.

"The forecast calls for high winds, and several power outages have already been reported across the island. Fay is expected to pick up speed as the storm moves north towards the west coast of Florida. There is a possibility that it may become a Category One hurricane by the time it comes ashore further up the coast. Currently the wind has been steady up to sixty miles an hour and higher gusts have been reported, causing utility poles to fall and disrupting businesses."

The woman turned back to the crowd who cheered for the camera. "But some businesses seem to do better than others at times like these…Margaret Lipton, CNN News, here in Key West."

Gary laughed again. "Uh oh, Barry will be pissed; she didn't mention the name of his bar."

"Will Max and Shelby be okay?"

"Yes, sweetie...they've ridden out real bad hurricanes before, this storm is a lot of rain and wind...that's pretty minor."

"Oh, I hope so...your poor house. And the birds, what will he do about the birds?"

"He takes them inside, don't worry, Chris. Max is an old hand at this storm business; he knows when to run away and when it's safe to stay. Maybe we can call later and see how they're doing, would you like that?"

"Yeah, I don't wanna worry about them. Good thing we aren't there, the boat might get damaged."

"Sure thing, this is our lucky day," Gary said.

Chris' concern was genuine, and oh so sweet. The boy had taken a shine to Max, they all did. Gary turned down the sound on the television as the news moved on to something else. Then he crawled up on the bed and lay back.

Chris joined him and lay close, his arm across Gary's chest and a leg thrown over his thigh. "I like lying here with you, Gary...you're comfortable."

"You mean like an old pair of jeans?"

"You're not old…old is like fifty or something," Chris said. He thought a moment. "You still have sixteen years before that happens...and I'll be thirty-two, wow."

"You'll be a handsome man at thirty, Chris."

Gary could almost hear the wheels turning in the boy's head. Maybe this afternoon was meant to be a time to get philosophical. Thinking about the future was always a good thing.

"Gary...if I'm gay now, will I still be like that when I'm thirty?"

Okay, and maybe he was too quick to judge how easy this was going to be, that was a doozie of a question.

"Hmm...people do change as they get older, they think about things differently. To me gay means you feel more comfortable in the company of males, socially and sexually. I've met some very nice women in my life, but I would still rather be around guys."

"I get that, but Jerry said I didn't have any experience with girls so it would be hard for me to know if I was gay. But he never had a girlfriend...did you?"

"A girlfriend...no, but I had girls as friends. There weren't any boys I could date at my school so I had friends. Max said it was important for me to make lots of friends, I just had to trust them first."

"They knew you were gay?"

"Not all of them, but most of them...they were curious. I could never tell anyone about Max, but most of them just wanted to know what being gay meant."

"Oh, like the sex part," Chris said, and then he giggled. "I could never talk about that."

"Probably not, but if you have straight friends they might ask you, especially if they're girls." Then it was Gary's turn to laugh. "I never could figure out why they wanted to know stuff like that."

"Girls just wanna know how big it is, I even had one ask me," Chris said. "Yeah, it was at that pool party last week just before I met you. Damn, that seems so long ago."

"I bet you didn't even think about being gay last week, and here you are talking about it," Gary said.

"Well my new friends are all gay and so is my Daddy. I must be gay because I sure like sex with you."

"But you like chocolate cake, that doesn't mean you want to be one. I'm not making fun of you, Chris. You obviously have decided you need to make a decision one way or another, but I'm not pressing you. Nothing has to be decided now, you know that."

Chris sighed. "I just want to know what I am, Gary."

"You're a wonderful boy who makes me very happy. But you've experienced things with me you never knew existed. Sex has a very powerful effect on your feelings. I know you enjoy what we've been doing. I don't see you hesitating to jump right in and return your fair share of the passion we have. I'm grateful for that; it makes this all so special."

"Yeah, the feelings get pretty amazing; I didn't know I could feel like that. I just never knew I had these feelings inside, and now I think I understand myself better."

"I started thinking that way too when I was younger. And then Max came along and showed me what it meant."

"Exactly, I felt really sexy that first time you made me cum. All I could think about was how good it felt and now I know why. I didn't know about loving you, Gary, I just knew that I loved what we did...and I wanted to keep doing it."

Gary smiled. "Calling yourself gay because you like sex with a guy is where I started, sweetie. Just remember, most people won't understand that feeling. But I will."

Chris smiled and kissed Gary's cheek. "Yeah, I know you do."

Their evening was spent close to the hotel. They checked out the boat, doing a little cleanup work in preparation for the trip. Chris stripped the beds and gathered up the loose towels, handing them over to the dock boys for the laundry. Gary unreeled the hose on the dock, washing down the decks and woodwork. Chris followed along carefully polishing the bright work to prevent spotting.

Gary called home and got Max on the phone. It seems they had a bit of water damage in the back yard but nothing serious. He put Chris on the phone and they talked about the birds and the trip. It was good to see Chris so animated, so interested in Max and the family they had quickly become. Having him around the house would be a blessing and might just brighten their dull little lives.

Before they knew it the sun was setting, dinner had been forgotten until then but Gary solved the issue by taking Chris out on the town. There wasn't much around the hotel, a small shopping district, a movie theatre and several restaurants. But they had fun, ending back in the hotel room to watch a movie on cable. Chris suggested a porn film until Gary mentioned they would all be straight...what did he expect?

So they lay on the bed and watched a Rambo film, the third or forth one...did it matter? With guns blazing, Rambo vanquished the bad guys and Chris laughed at how real they made it look when he knew it was all so fake.

"We might be having lunch with Miguel's father tomorrow," Gary said.

"Oh...me too?"

"Yeah, the whole family. Miguel thinks that will present a good image."

"Yeah," Chris said. "I wonder how Miguel kept himself secret all this time. I bet he doesn't date any guys here."

"I'm sure you're right, it must be difficult for him."

"So, when we gonna find out about my mom...I almost asked Max if he knew anything," Chris said.

"It takes time, we'll know something soon. Then we can get you enrolled in school and you can start to make some new friends. Do you like school?"

"I don't mind, learning new stuff is fun. I had some pretty dumb teachers the past few years. I tried to do all my homework but sometimes that didn't work out. Mom never helped me though...she just couldn't."

"I've never asked about your home life, Chris...I didn't want to upset you."

"Well you can ask anything you want. I don't want to go back there ever again."

"You never really knew much about your father, did you?" Gary asked.

"I was a baby when he left. Mom says he was just some guy she was living with, nobody special. I gave up thinkin about him a long time ago, he never cared about me so why should I bother."

"No other family, no relatives you know about?"

Chris sighed. "I met my mom's family…you know about my uncle. My aunt came to visit a few times, but they live in Texas. All mom ever did was work crappy jobs and drink. She would bring home a few guys but they never stayed around for long. I always did pretty much what I wanted, like partying and coming home at two in the morning."

Gary smiled. "My lucky day. I was thinking that maybe we could be nice to your mom and help her. If she's willing to get off the booze I could help her get a house near her sister if she wants. All that depends on how she feels about giving me control over you."

Chris looked intrigued. "You want to help her...but why?"

"I know her life sucks and she made yours pretty miserable too. But she's still your mom and if we offer her the chance to change her life for the better...well, maybe someday you might want to see her again when you're grown."

Chris frowned. "Maybe, she did work to feed me and give us a place to live, and she never hurt me. I just think she was so sad all the time because her life sucked."

"People get depressed, Chris. It becomes a medical condition that makes them lose control of their life. I think you'll feel better about her...and me for that matter, if we help her."

"You really are a nice person, but I already knew that," Chris said. "I guess you're right, I would feel bad if something happened to her."

"Then we'll make it happen. I believe anyone can change given the chance to make the right choices in their life."

Chris smiled. "So you thought if you gave me a choice I would turn out gay just so you could be my daddy?" He giggled and that turned into outright laughter. "Damn, I think you had me figured out all along."

Gary shook his head. "No way, I just got lucky. Doesn't mean every cute blonde boy I pick up walking along the road is gonna turn out that way."

Chris jumped on him, pinning Gary's arms to the mattress. "You better not be picking up any strange boys ever again, mister. You got me, you don't need another boy."

"Yeah, I have you...but what if I wear you out? I might need a replacement."

"No way, I am gonna wear you out first," Chris laughed. He leaned down for a kiss and within seconds Gary felt a hard cock poking into his stomach. Damn, the boy was insatiable.

On to Chapter Six

Back to Chapter Four

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"Brass Balls" Copyright © 2011 by Chris James. All rights reserved.
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