Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2023 17:54:39 -0500
From: William Marshal <williammarshal5301@gmail.com>
Subject: Taking a Risk, part 1

Taking a Risk, part 1

The kid was thin, and obviously hungry. It looked like he'd been on the
road for several days. Given his age, backpack, and need for a shower,
Vance figured he was hitchhiking. Vance also noticed the kid was slipping
food and bottles of pop into his backpack. It didn't take 30-years as a
detective in the Kansas City Police Department, to pick up that he was
shoplifting, and doing a piss-poor job of it. The truck stop manager was
obviously watching, and had probably already called the local cops.

Vance had no idea what made him intervene, but something about the kid
said, "Help me." So Vance walked up behind the young man and said, "If you
try to leave with that stuff you've put in your bag, you will be spending
the night in jail." The would-be thief's eyes grew big, and told Vance the
kid was a complete amateur, and the thought of jail scared the piss out of
him.

"Look, why don't you let me buy that stuff for you?" Vance said and the kid
looked down at the floor and nodded. Vance picked up a six of beer and some
snacks. He figured there wasn't much to do in Goodland, Kansas, so he
planned to spend the evening in his motel room watching some baseball,
getting a little buzzed, and relaxing.

Vance put his stuff up on the counter and motioned for the kid to do the
same. The clerk started ringing up the purchases, as the manager watched
from a distance. He looked perturbed that he wouldn't get the satisfaction
of catching a shoplifter. As Vance handed the clerk his credit card, two
Goodland police cruisers pulled up. As they were leaving the store, Vance
said, "You'd better leave with me. That's my car at pump number 6."

As they were getting in the car, Vance noticed the manager talking to the
officers and pointing. So, he decided it was time to get out of the truck
stop parking lot before the need to have chat. Just down the road was a
Steak and Shake, and Vance pulled in and said, "Let me buy you some real
food."

When they got up to the counter to order, Vance asked, "Do you like
cheeseburgers?" The kid nodded. Then Vance ordered two triple cheese
steakburgers, fries, and drinks. Then they found a booth.

Vance extended his hand and said, "I'm Vance Hayes," and the kid responded,
"Shelby McPherson."

"So Shelby McPherson, how old are you? I'm asking that because I don't want
to get messed up assisting a run-away."

"I'm 18, almost 19 sir."

"I don't want to call you a liar, but do you have any ID?" Shelby pulled
out his wallet and handed Vance an Ohio driver's license.

Vance looked at the license, "Yep, Vance McPherson, August 7, 2002, brown
hair, brown eyes, 5'9", and 145...although, I suspect you are a few pounds
under 145. So, where are you headed?"

"Los Angeles. I have a cousin that moved out there two years ago. He said I
could crash with him until I get something regular."

"What kind of regular?"

"In high school, I took vocational classes in Culinary Careers. I'm hoping
to get a start in a restaurant. My dream is to someday have like a food
truck or a small cafe."

"Well, it sounds like you have a plan."

"Yeah, I just have to get there."

As they ate, the two talked and Vance found that Shelby was smart and well
read, but naive. It was clear he'd been rather sheltered growing
up. Finally, Vance decided to ask, "I hope this doesn't insult you, but you
don't seem like the sort of person I would expect to be hitchhiking across
the country."

Shelby became quiet, and finally said, "I didn't have much of a choice. My
parents are very conservative and religious, and when they found out I'm
gay...well, I couldn't stay."

"They kicked you out?"

"Not really, they just said I couldn't be gay and live under their
roof. They wanted me to go to this gay conversion therapy camp, but I said
no and left."

"I see, so how have you been getting by?"

"I thought I would find a long haul trucker going West who would give me a
ride, but that didn't workout. So, I've been catching rides when I can, and
walking when I can't. I ran out of money two days ago, and that's why I
was...you know...stealing."

Vance thought for a while then said, "Look, I retired from the Kansas City
Police Department two months ago and decided to take a road trip to see the
country. I thought I would like the alone time, but driving across Kansas
today with nothing but the radio to keep me company told me I might not
like it as much as I thought. So, if you're not in a hurry to get to L.A.,
I would welcome the company."

"You don't mind that I'm gay?"

"Not as long as you don't mind that I'm gay." Shelby looked surprised, but
quickly indicated it didn't bother him.

"Then let's go. I am planning to spend the night here. You are welcome to
stay with me, or I can meet you in the morning."

Shelby thought about it for a minute, then said, "I would like to stay with
you, if that is okay."

"Yep, let's go."

Once they were checked in to the Comfort Inn, and in their room, Vance
said, Have a seat," and they each sat down on one of the double
beds. "Okay, let's get things settled. I'm gay and you're gay, but I am not
offering you a ride or anything in exchange for sex. Is that clear?"

Shelby nodded.

"Good, I just want that up front. I am serious about wanting some company
and you seem easy to talk to. However, if you steal from me, or take
advantage of me, I will kick your ass and then turn you over to local law
enforcement. Are we clear on that?"

Shelby again nodded.

"Last thing," Vance said, "you need a shower."

The kid blushed and smiled, then said, "I do kinda stink."

"I noticed this place has laundry facilities. So, get out your dirty
clothes, and I will go put them in the washer." Vance opened his bag and
pulled out a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt and said, "These will be way
too big, but you can wear them until your clothes are clean, so let's get
everything washed."

Before Vance could even think to look away, Shelby stripped off the clothes
he was wearing and threw them on the pile to be washed, then headed for the
bathroom. "Damn," Vance thought, "the kid needs a few good meals, but he is
definitely hot."

Vance grabbed the dirty clothes and dropped them in the laundry, then
headed down the street to the Walmart. He picked up deodorant, toothpaste,
a toothbrush, and a comb. When he got back to the room, Shelby was just
walking out of the bathroom and Vance handed him the hygiene supplies, and
said, "I wasn't sure you had these, so I picked some up."

"Thanks," Shelby said, "I left home so quickly I forgot a lot of things I
should have packed."

Vance turned on the TV, and said, "I hope you don't mind baseball. The
Royals are playing the Yankees and I am a big Royals fan."

"No, that's fine with me."

Vance grabbed a beer from the six, and asked Shelby if he would like
one. Shelby smiled and nodded. When Vance handed him the beer, he said,
"Okay, I know you're underage, so you'd better not be sneaking out to take
my Mustang for a joyride." Shelby chucked.

The Mustang was Vance's baby. In high school, he worked his ass off on
weekends and over the summers on his uncle's farm to buy his first car, a
1976 Ford Mustang II Cobra, 302 V8, and a manual 4-speed. So, when he heard
that Ford was bringing back the Mach I, Vance sold some stocks and
pre-ordered one, 480-hp, 6-speed manual, shadow black with red accents,
black leather interior. It was a car lover's wet dream.

The A/C was struggling to cool the room, and it was a bit warm. So, Vance
stripped down to his boxers without thinking much about it. Being a
bachelor, that was his usual TV watching attire. However, Shelby certainly
noticed. Vance was a very fit 55-years old. Vance's mother was Italian and
he inherited many of her family's features, particularly a Mediterranean
complexion that gave him a permanent tan, and black hair both on his head
and his body. Vance's pecs were covered with a masculine coat of hair. In
gay terms he was somewhere between an otter and a bear. Too old to really
be an otter, but too lean to actually be a bear.

However, you described Vance, the one word always used would be `fucking
hot,' okay that's two words, but it was hard stopping with merely
hot. Shelby was glad the baggy shorts and T-shirt Vance had lent him was
hiding his growing cock. Between the third and fourth inning, Vance went
down to the laundry to put Shelby's clothes in the dryer.

The minute the door closed, Shelby was in the bathroom furiously beating
his teenage cock. Fortunately, he was so horny it only took a few
strokes. Unfortunately, he was in such a hurry to clean up, he missed
getting one of the wads of toilet paper into the toilet, and when Vance got
back from the laundry, he needed to take a piss. While pissing, Vance
noticed it and picked up the paper to flush it. A quick sniff confirmed it
was the source of the cum scent in the air, and he smiled.

Vance didn't say anything about what he found, and simply got another beer
for himself and Shelby. The Royals ended up winning just as Vance and
Shelby finished off their third beers. Three beers didn't have much effect
on Vance, but Shelby was certainly feeling the effects. In fact, Vance
didn't expect that Shelby would still be awake when he got back from the
laundry, so he said, "Our goal for tomorrow is Idaho Springs Colorado, so
I'd like to leave around 8 a.m.. That will give us time us plenty of time
to make it to Idaho Springs for lunch; I am meeting an old friend. FYI, I
sleep nude. I'm telling you that so you aren't surprised if you see a naked
man going to the bathroom in the middle of the night."

Vance was right about Shelby not being awake when he got back with his
clothes. Vance decided to fold the kid's clothes so they would be ready to
pack. When he put them in the washer, Vance hadn't noticed how threadbare
Shelby's clothes were. The kid really was a modern day Oliver Twist.

Vance was a light sleeper, and several times during the night he was woken
up by Shelby talking in his sleep. He couldn't make out what the kid was
dreaming about, but he knew it wasn't a pleasant dream.

At 6:30, the alarm on Vance's iPhone began chirping, and he rolled out of
bed and headed to the bathroom. After a satisfying morning piss, Vance
jumped into the shower. He was lost in thought when there was a knock on
the door, and Shelby said, "Sorry to bother you, but I have to piss really
bad."

"Come on in. I won't peek."

Shelby didn't give a moment's hesitation and from the sound of it, he
couldn't have held out much longer. Obviously, the previous night's beers
were having an effect. When Shelby finished, Vance asked if he wanted the
shower, stepped out of the shower and said, "It's all yours." Shelby was
able to get a brief look at Vance naked and decided that he needed a quick
morning session with Rosie Palmer to start the day.

When Shelby finished his shower he walked out of the bathroom completely
naked and still drying his hair. Vance smiled, the kid was too obvious, but
Vance couldn't hold that against him. He was still a teenager, and the only
time he wasn't thinking about sex, was when he was thinking about what to
eat. Actually, Vance was flattered that a young man would put on a show for
someone so much older.

When they were dressed, packed, and loaded up, it was time for
breakfast. The hotel had a decent enough breakfast, and it was free. The
other advantage was that Shelby could eat his fill. The kid clearly needed
to make up for some missed meals. For Vance, the key to a good breakfast
was coffee. After years of drinking precinct coffee, it didn't have to be
particularly good, it just had to be plentiful.

Once they were on the road, the kid seemed to get more comfortable and more
talkative with every mile. He seemed particularly curious about Vance's
career in law enforcement.

"So what kind of detective were you," Shelby asked.

"A good one."

"No," Shelby said with a chuckle, "what type of crimes did you
investigate."

"I worked theft and larceny cases."

"Is that why you noticed me...you know, stealing."

"No, I noticed you stealing because you're bad at it. I hope you make it as
a chef because you won't make it as a criminal. By the way, being a bad
thief is a compliment. It means you haven't had a lot of practice."

"I've been wondering...with you being a cop..."

"Ex-cop."

"Okay ex-cop, why did you keep me from being arrested? I thought arresting
people was what cops are supposed to do."

"No, cops are supposed to keep people safe. Sometimes that means keeping
them safe from themselves. You were about to fuck up your life, so I
stepped in to keep you safe."

"Thanks."

"Just doing my job," Vance said with a smile.

Actually, Vance didn't know why he intervened...that wasn't true, and he
did know. He knew exactly why he did it; it was for the same reason he took
early retirement. He just couldn't think about it. It was still too raw.

Vance decided to change the subject, and asked, "So did you play any sports
in school?"

"I wrestled."

"Were you any good?"

"I qualified for the state tournament my junior and senior year, but my
best finish was fourth. I also won our conference in my weight, but we
certainly weren't one of the power conferences in wrestling."

"What weight did you wrestle?"

"I wrestled 138. I had to drop a weight class because the guy who wrestled
145 was a state champion and there was no way I would ever beat him. I was
always hungry during wrestling because I was cutting weight. Did you play
sports?"

"Some football, but mostly baseball. I was a shortstop. I even played one
year of college ball."

"Why did you quit?" Shelby asked.

"I screwed up my knee sliding into second."

"That sucked."

"Not as good as my physical therapist. He introduced me to man on man
sex. It kind of took the sting out of my baseball days being over."

"Did you and he hook up a lot?"


"Not really, he and an assistant football coach were caught in the training
room one day after Spring football practice. They end up just leaving
without any kind of official announcement. That was how things happened
back in the day. We heard they moved to Dallas and started a gym together."

"Did you date guys in college?"

"There wasn't "dating guys" in college in the 80's, at least not in
Pittsburg, Kansas. There were secret meetings on the third floor of the
library after closing, or an out of the way restroom in the science
hall. Mostly just quick hand or blow jobs. It wasn't until my senior year
that I lost my cherry."

There was a long pause, then Shelby said, "Wait, you can't leave me
hanging."

"If I tell you about my first time, are you going to tell me about your
first time?"

"Sure, I will....when it finally happens," Shelby said self consciously.

Vance chuckled and said, "Oh, you will have plenty of opportunities. Just
make sure it's what you want and with the person you want."

"Was yours what you wanted and with the person you wanted."

"Ouch!"

"At the time I thought it was, but in hindsight, probably not. You have to
remember, this was in the stone ages, before the internet. There were no
websites to tell you, or show you, what to do. If you were lucky you knew
someone, who knew someone, who had a copy of `The Joy of Gay Sex.' So I was
completely ignorant of what to do, and the other guy didn't know much
more. Jerry was a graduate student and had an apartment off campus. We'd
met a couple of times for a quickie blow job. He might not have known much
about anal, but he was definitely earning a masters in orals."

"One Friday, I was sitting in the Student Union trying to study. He came
over and said his roommates were going home for the weekend and he would be
all alone with a fridge full of beer. He then handed me a slip of paper
with an address. I spent the rest of the day debating whether to go or
throw the address in the trash, but in the end curiosity and my cock won
the argument."

"When I knocked on the door, Jerry answered shirtless and holding a
beer. At the moment any thought of leaving was gone. I was going to get
fucked come hell or high water. Of course we both had plenty of liquid
courage in us by the time we actually got around to it. I am actually
surprised we were sober enough to actually perform."

"Did it hurt," Shelby asked.

"Hell yes it hurt!" Vance said, "Not because it's supposed to, but because
we were totally clueless. First of all, we didn't know shit about basic
things like lube and foreplay. Thankfully, I had the common sense to take a
crap and a shower before going to see Jerry, or the whole thing might have
turned me straight."

Shelby was laughing hard.

"The other thing that made it tolerable was that Jerry was not big. I have
never been so thankful for a small man in my entire life. So, after he
fucked me, I fucked him. I had learned a few things, one of which is there
is no such thing as too much lube; the second is a cock is not a battering
ram and an asshole is not the castle gates. I also learned that I really,
really want more. That weekend, we were like kids with a new toy and almost
wore it out. Come Monday morning I could barely walk, but I also couldn't
stop smiling. We learned a lot that weekend by trial and error, but we
eventually figured it out."

"Did you see him again?"

"Every weekend until graduation. Then he went to California and I enrolled
in the police academy."

"What was he like," Shelby asked, "you know when you weren't having sex?"
Did you hang out together?"

"We didn't really hang out during the week. We kind of ran in different
circles. Most of my friends were still jocks, and he was studying
literature so his group was more into poetry reading. However, we did have
some common interests, things like music and food. Physically, Jerry wasn't
a jock. That's not to say he wasn't athletic, it was just in a different
way. He played ultimate frisbee and did yoga. I guess today we would call
him a granola. He was tall, lanky, and kind of hairy. He always had a beard
and semi-long hair. Oh, and he wasn't cut. He was the first guy I knew that
wasn't cut, and I was totally fascinated with his foreskin."

"I think Jerry's family were naturists because anytime he could be naked,
he was. If it was just the two of us at his apartment, he would spend the
entire weekend buck naked."

"Wasn't that weird," Shelby asked.

"Yeah at first, but then I started going naked and it didn't seem so
strange. I guess if everyone is naked, it's not that big of a deal. Also, I
told you that Jerry wasn't particularly well hung, but that didn't seem to
bother him. So many guys would be comparing themselves to the other guys,
and if they didn't measure up would get all shy and insecure. Not Jerry, he
was fine with letting it hang out there for everyone to see. Often there
would be five or six of us sitting around Jerry's place naked, shooting the
breeze, and smoking weed."

"Fuck, you were a hippie," Shelby said, and Vance laughed.

"No, we were a bit late to that party, we were just pretentious
intellectual posers."

"So, were you all gay?"

"No, most were straight, but needing a couple of stoned gay make-out
sessions and a hand job to round out their postmodernist resume. We were
just dumb kids pretending to be men of the world, but hey, at that age and
stoned, even a clumsy hand job results in a mind blowing orgasm."

All the while Vance had been reliving his college days, Shelby was growing
increasingly aroused, his athletic shorts were tenting and a dime-sized wet
spot was visible. Just outside of Denver Vance decided to stop for fuel,
Shelby made a beeline for the restroom. Vance smiled remembering what it
was like to be a horny teenager and even the weather forecast could make
you desperate to cum.

Vance was grabbing a couple of donuts and coffee when Shelby finished his
business. "Do you want something to hold you over? I am planning on eating
lunch in Idaho Springs, so it will be a while."

Shelby looked at what Vance was getting and asked, "Is it true there's a
federal law guaranteeing cops free coffee and donuts for life?"

"Watch it buddy, or you will find yourself in cuffs."

"Yummm, kinky cop play."

Vance got close to Shelby's ear and whispered, "Be careful with what you
suggest. You might not be able to handle it." The look on Shelby's face and
twitch in his shorts, said he might need to hit the restroom one more time
before they hit the road.

Shelby grabbed a couple of donuts and a Monster energy drink, and Vance
thought to himself, "That's not going to help."

Once back on the road, Vance decided it was time for a different topic than
sex, and he asked Shelby about his culinary interests. Shelby's eyes lit
up. It soon became clear that he had a passion for food. Vance learned that
in high school Shelby was on a team that won several culinary
competitions. It was obvious that those awards meant far more to him than
any of his wrestling accomplishments. The kid also had experience working
in several restaurants while in high school.

"So what kind of food are you interested in creating?" Vance asked.

"I really like the farm to table idea. I think there is something
challenging about having the season's dictate your ingredients. I also like
the idea of sustainable, organic food. Ideally, I think it would be great
to have like a chef's garden for herbs and greens."

"Interesting, you would like my aunt," Vance said. She and her husband own
a farm and apple orchard. For years she supplemented the farm's income by
running a small, roadside country store and diner. She only served
breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday because she didn't want to miss
either of her daughter's sports or music activities. I actually worked on
that farm all the way through college. I even scheduled my vacations on the
force to coincide with apple harvest. Sure I liked money, but I think the
real reason was for my aunt's fried chicken and apple pie."

"It sounds like you had a great job. I wish I had had an aunt and uncle
that owned a farm," Shelby said.

"Yeah, it was pretty great. My cousins want to keep the farm in the family,
but they both married city guys. One lives in New York and the other in
Washington, DC. When they heard I was retiring from the force, they called
trying to get me to move down and manage the farm until one of their kids
is old enough and might want to take it over."

"Are you going to do it?"

"Maybe," Vance said, "I'm thinking about it. However, running a farm isn't
really retirement. It ties you down. It's hard to travel. That's one of the
reasons I'm taking this trip. I need to think about whether I want to make
that kind of commitment. It's at least 10 years before one of my cousin's
kids can run the farm by themselves."

"Seriously," Shelby scoffed, "you will only be 65, you could still do a lot
of traveling. Hell, with as good of shape as you are in, you will be
touring Europe and hiking the Alps when you are 100."

Vance laughed, and said, "Thanks for the vote of confidence. However,
traveling isn't the only reason I need to give this some thought."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, my cousins treat the farm like a Summer camp for their kids. Don't
get me wrong, their kids are great, and good workers, but I don't know if
I'm ready to be the Summer uncle to a bunch of teenagers, and worse yet,
20-something college kids."

"That would be interesting."

"It wouldn't be bad while their grandparents are still healthy, active, and
living on the farm. I could live in the hired man's house, and the kids
would live in the main house with them. However, if things were to
change...I don't know."

"Well now the big question, will you be able to find anyone to fuck in the
country?"

Vance laughed, "The farm is in Southeast Kansas, not on Mars. They do have
Grinder, also Kansas City is only an hour away."

They continued to chat about a variety of topics and in no time reached
Idaho Springs. Vance drove to the Idaho Springs Cidery and Pub. Shelby
smiled and said, "I don't know, but I think you are more than just thinking
about becoming an apple farmer."

"Okay, maybe I have given it some serious thought. However, the reason I
want to stop here is because an old friend runs this place. Inside the bar,
they were met by cider master Todd Griffin. Todd and his brother Marc had
opened the place seven years before.

"So Vance, are you ready for a personal tour?"

"Absolutely. Before we start, let me introduce you to Shelby
McPherson. He's a stray I picked up."

Todd gave a funny look to Vance, but then held out his hand, "Glad to meet
you Shelby."

Todd spent an hour taking them through the cidery, explaining the process,
and talking about the business. When they were finished, Todd said, "If you
decide to go this route, Marc and I would be happy to help you get
started. Also, we'd be interested in buying your apple juice, and did you
say there were also cherries?"

"Yes, my uncle experimented with several other types of fruit, but only the
cherries really produced enough product to be profitable. Also, on a good
year there is a pretty good crop of wild plums that grow in the windbreaks
and waste land. However, they've never been harvested for anything more
than making jelly and a bit of homemade wine. You have to be pretty
determined to get past the bush's thorns."

"This is what I would recommend if you are serious about this," Todd
said. "You press your fruit on the farm. I'm sure you sell plenty of fresh
cider in the Fall. Then you ship your juice to us and we can work on
putting together some different ciders. We can keep your juice separate
from the rest of our product so your hard cider would be your
signature. This way, you don't have to invest in any fermentation or
bottling equipment. We'll do it all."

"So what would that cost us?" Vance asked skeptically.

"Well, a lot of that depends on the volume of cider and the varieties of
cider we produce for you. However, if you let us sell your cider here and
work with our distributor to get it on the market, I think we can make it
so you have no upfront costs, especially if you sell us your surplus
juice. I can work the numbers based on the information you sent me, and get
you a more exact cost estimate. Of course this all depends on your apples
making good cider."

"I'm sure they will make good cider. My uncle has been making his own
personal reserve for years. I grew up on the stuff. So, send me the
estimates, and I will talk it over with my uncle, aunt, and cousins. Even
if I opt out of managing the farm, they still might be interested in moving
ahead."

"Great, now it's time for you to sample some of our cider and see how it
goes along with some really good food. Our new chef is amazing." Todd
looked at Shelby and said, "I assume you are of legal age."

Shelby started to say something, but Vance put a hand on his shoulder, and
said, "Good assumption."

Todd put them in a booth near the back, and ordered two flights of 9, so
they could sample all of the ciders on tap. Vance knew he wouldn't have a
problem with drinking his flight since he weighed more and was used to
drinking, but he planned to keep an eye on Shelby to see how he handled
his. After looking at the menu, Vance decided on a burger with
Applewood-smoked bacon, apple chutney, caramelized cider onions, bleu
cheese crumbles, peppercorn aïoli.  Shelby orders street tacos with
green chili. The food and the cider were amazing, and Vance took note of
both.

"So what do you think of the food and cider," Vance asked Shelby.

"It really goes well, and it is in character with its location. However, if
you decide to serve food, I think being so close to Kansas City people will
expect BBQ."

"I think you're right. Aunt May didn't reopen the cafe after Covid, so
changing the menu wouldn't be that much of a change."

After lunch, Vance said goodbye to Todd and Marc, and assured then he would
be back in touch when he decided what he was going to do. It was still two
hours until they could check in to the Indian Springs Resort, so Vance
decided to explore the historic part of Idaho Springs, and also give Shelby
a chance to walk off the cider.

Idaho Springs historic downtown was located along Miner Street. It was a
really nice collection of Victorian buildings that house a number of
restaurants and bars. There were also a couple of thrift stores, and Vance
noticed Shelby looking at the clothes. Finally he said to the kid, "If you
find something you like, I'll get it for you." Shelby started to protest,
and Vance handed him two twenties and said, "I expect that you will spend
these, and if you need more to come find me. Now, I am walking down the
street to that coffee shop we passed."

A half hour later, Shelby showed up with a couple of bags and a big
smile. It turned out he was a frugal shopper and had a good eye for
fashion. Vance was impressed and said he needed to send the kid out to shop
for him sometime.

Before heading to the Resort, Vance made one more stop at a cannabis shop
for some gummies. When he got back in the car, Shelby asked, "Are you sure
you're a cop?"

"Ex-cop and it's legal in Colorado. So stop being such a Karen or you won't
get any candy."

When they checked in to the resort, Vance asked if he could change his room
reservation. When he initially made it, he booked a single king. However,
there were no double queens available. When they got to the room, Vance
said, "I'm sorry about the sleeping arrangements. If it will make you more
comfortable, I will wear shorts to sleep."

"Why would I want that?" Shelby said with a wicked smile.

Vance made a call for pizza delivery at 8 p.m. since the resort didn't have
a restaurant. Then Vance said, "I'm going to the thermal caves. They are
clothing optional, if that bothers you there is also a swimming pool that
requires everyone to wear a swimsuit."

"Will there be women in the caves?"

"No, they are gender segregated."

"I think I want to go with you."

Vance got out his gummies and ate a couple. He also asked Shelby if he
wanted one. Shelby smiled and nodded. "Do you have any experience with
marijuana?" Vance asked, and Shelby shook his head. "Then we will start you
out slowly. It takes a while for edibles to have an effect, so you won't
feel anything for a while. It should be a relaxing and blissful
experience. However, if you feel bad or something is wrong, let me know and
I will get you back to the room."

Once in the thermal caves, Vance stripped off his clothes and lowered
himself into the hot water. Shelby took only a minute to decide he would
also go au naturel, and stripped. However, just before getting into the
thermal pool he stood on the deck for a while, seemingly to allow Vance to
look ant his naked body. Vance smiled, and took the offer.

Shelby's cock was slightly plump and lay comfortably on the top two well
formed testicles. Shelby was beginning to feel the effects of the edibles,
and his inhibitions were lower. Instead of coyly attempting to hide his
genitals, Shelby put them on display. However appetizing his cock and ball
were, it was Shelby's body that was making Vance drool. Shelby wasn't
muscular, but the outline of what would be his muscles was clearly on
display. The muscles in his chest, abs, arms, legs, and especially ass were
like Spring buds ready to burst and release the man trapped inside the boy.

When Shelby finally entered the hot bath, Vance was both frustrated and
relieved. To make the situation even more charged, Shelby sat close enough
to Vance to tease, but not close enough to give permission. "Yes, thought,"
Vance the kid is a natural cock tease."

As they soaked, several men came and went. And, on more than one occasion,
Vance could almost smell the envy of men who would willingly take a kick to
the groin if only to get a moment of Shelby's attention. Vance was
beginning to feel the effects of his own edible and decided it was time to
head back to the room. As they climbed the steps out of the thermal pool,
Shelby stumbled and fell back against Vance and for a moment their bodies
were in nearly full contact. Shelby's response was a little giggle, and to
say, "Oops."

Once back in the room, Vance badly needed to take a piss and called dibs on
the bathroom. When he finished, he decided to extend his high with a couple
more edibles. He noticed that there were fewer left than he expected and
looked at Shelby, and said, "The only thing you can possibly be worse at
than stealing, is playing poker. How many did you eat?"

"Two," Shelby said with a giggle. Vance just shook his head.

Ten minutes later, the pizza arrived, and Vance handed the driver a
tenner. He knew that was too big of a tip, but didn't want to bother
looking for smaller bills. Before Vance even got the door closed, Shelby
was tearing into the pizza.

"Whoa, does someone have the munchies already?" Vance said with a laugh,
then grabbed a piece for himself, because someone did have the
munchies. The Pizza was soon gone along with several Dr. Peppers. For some
reason, pizza and Dr. Pepper was Vance's go to when partying. At one point
Shelby went to the bathroom, and when he came back, he was again naked.

"What's up with this?" Vance asked.

"Apparently, my order of operations was off."

"Is there a mess?"

"Just some pissy clothes," Shelby said while giggling.

"Great, just what I need is a giggly teenager with potty issues. Well,
you'd better not wet the bed."

After cleaning up the pizza box and other trash, Vance, stripped off his
clothes, pulled back the bedding, and lay down to watch some TV. However,
he found himself more tired and relaxed than expected and soon fell
asleep. Because the resort didn't have A/C, Vance didn't bother covering
up. He figured the kid had seen him naked already and if Shelby wanted to
look, he didn't really care.

Around two in the morning, Vance woke up and found that Shelby was also
naked and cuddled up against his body. At first Vance thought about rolling
him over, but the room had cooled off and it felt good having the boy
sharing body warmth. So, Vance pulled the sheet up and went back to sleep.

When Vance woke up the next morning, he carefully extricated himself so as
not to wake the still sleeping boy. The first night Shelby had slept
restlessly; but last night, he was totally calm and restful. Vance wasn't
sure if it was the marijuana or something else that made the difference.

Vance took his shower, and also the opportunity to get some
release. Although not nearly as needy to jack off as Shelby, going three
days without cumming was not usual for him. As he stroked, Vance couldn't
resist thinking about Shelby. The image of him fully naked and on display
in the thermal cave, and the feel of his warm naked body lying against his
own, had Vance worked up. It wasn't long before long white ropes were
arcing from Vance's cock. He couldn't remember the last time he released so
much cum and with such force.

After a few minutes of blissful recovery, Vance finished his shower and
toweled off. As he was drying he checked himself in the mirror. He liked
what he saw. He'd always taken care of himself, hit the gym, and taken care
of his skin. The only thing that hinted he was in his mid-fifties was the
appearance of scattered gray hairs. He'd thought of dyeing them, but
decided to keep them as a daily reminder not to waste his health and life.

Vance hadn't noticed that Shelby was standing in the doorway, until he
said, "Yeah, you look pretty good." Vance was a bit embarrassed, but more
so he appreciated the shot to the ego. Shelby added, "I hope I have a
smoking body someday."

"You will," Vance said. "All it will take is a little gym work."

"Well, I doubt I will have much time for that anytime soon. Plus, I really
don't know much about body building. We did some weights in wrestling, but
it wasn't really about body building."

"I am a Planet Fitness member and can bring a guest when I workout. When we
get to Vegas, I could show you some routines so when you do get time to
workout, you will at least have a starting point."

As Vance finished up his morning hygiene ritual, they continued to
talk. Vance was surprised how normal it seemed to be naked around
Shelby. Jerry was really the only other person he'd ever felt that way
with. The last thing Vance needed to do was shave, and he noticed that
Shelby was watching him intently. The kid had very few facial hairs, and
maybe he was curious about the process, but Vance thought it might be a bit
more. He, himself, had always found watching another man shave sexy, and he
wondered if the same wasn't true for Shelby.

When Vance finished shaving, he packed up his kit and started to leave, but
as he squeezed by Shelby, Vance gave the kid's butt a hard little
smack. Shelby jumped, but then looked back and smiled while he rubbed the
point of contact.

During breakfast, Vance said, "My plan for today is to go to Georgetown and
ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad. I am a bit of a history nerd. Are you
interested in going with me?"

Shelby hesitated, and Vance asked, "What's the matter?"

"You're spending a lot of money on me. I don't want to take advantage of
you."

Vance smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. Thirty years as a cop makes
me a hard guy to con, well at least until senility kicks in.  Also, I'm not
hurting for money."

Shelby smiled and said, "I love trains."

So after breakfast it was off to Georgetown. The Georgetown Loop Railroad
is a restoration of the original railroad designed to bring silver out of
the Rockies. It's a narrow gauge system and during the peak tourist season
the trains are pulled by steam engines. The most spectacular segment of the
trip is the crossing of the Devil's Gate High Bridge, and Vance made sure
to get pictures of the scenery and of Shelby's reaction to it. Shelby had
an incredibly expressive face and he was both thrilled and awed by the
trip. The innocent purity of Shelby's joy was another chain Vance felt
linking him to this adorable foundling.

After the train excursion, Vance and Shelby explored Georgetown. Eventually
they ended up in the place called Cooper's on the Creek for lunch. They
were seated on the back patio at a table that overlooked Clear Creek.

"So what are you ordering?" Vance asked.

"I think I'll go with the Albuquerque."

"So you like things spicy?" Vance said, noting that the Albuquerque came
with hatch chilies.

"Hey, I can take the heat," Shelby said mischievously. "So what are you
having?"

"I think I'll go with the Candied Hog Burger. Candied bacon, gorgonzola,
and black garlic aioli sound interesting."

After ordering, Vance said, "I'm planning to go back to the resort and head
to the pool for a swim. Are you interested?"

"Absolutely. Will we be having any special candy today," Shelby said with a
grin.

"Nope, tomorrow is a long day of driving and we are starting out early. So,
the most you get is a couple of beers if you are a good boy."

"Are you talking good good, or good bad?"

"You are a little tease," Vance said with a wink, and Shelby grinned.

The swimming pool at the Indian Hot Springs resort was one of its most
unique features. It was covered with a glass dome that also functioned as a
greenhouse. The warm moist air sustained banana trees, ferns, and a variety
of tropical flowers. It could easily have been a lap pool; however it is
unlikely anyone would want to swim laps in 90 to 100 degree water. However,
a lazy paddle was a great way to work out sore shoulder muscles.

After an hour of soaking in the pool, Shelby decided he needed a bit more
activity and tried to dunk Vance. Instead, Vance put him under the
water. However, when he came up, Shelby wasn't ready to admit defeat. As
they wrestled around and each tried to gain an advantage, Vance noticed
that Shelby was deceptively strong. Although, Shelby didn't stand much of a
chance against a bigger, stronger man with police training in physical
restraint, Vance admired the kid's spirit and eventually gave Shelby a win.

"Not cool," Shelby said.

"What?"

"Letting me dunk you. I don't need charity."

Vance grabbed Shelby and dunked him three times. Giving him barely enough
time to grab a breath between each.

When Vance finally released him, Vance thought the kid would be mad as a
hornet. Instead he came up laughing and bull rushed Vance, catching him off
guard and finally getting him under the water. When Vance came up, he
raised his hands and said, "I surrender. You really don't have any give up,
do you?"

Shelby was grinning proudly as his chest heaved from the exertion. Vance
hauled out of the pool, grabbed a bottle of water, and crashed on one of
the lounge chairs. Eventually a guy about Shelby's age came over and
started chatting with him. Vance watched the two interact. From what Vance
could see, the two were discussing school and sports. Seeing the two young
men laughing and goofing around remind Vance of the difference in his and
Shelby's ages. Down deep, Vance was jealous that this fellow Gen Z'er
shared a common worldview with Shelby.

"Damn Vance," he thought to himself, "what's got you stirred up. You're
giving the kid a lift to L.A., then the last you will see of him is in your
rearview mirror."

Just before Vance fell down that rabbit hole, Shelby plopped down in the
lounge next to him, and asked, "What's got you so deep in thought,
Daddy-O."

Vance wasn't about to share what he was really thinking about, and instead
said, "It's 4:30 and the Royals game starts at seven local time. We ought
to go rinse off, then think of a place to eat. Also, you drank all of my
beer, so I need to stop and get some."

Back in the room, Vance said, "I'm going to rinse off; why don't you look
at the visitors' guide on the desk and see if there is some place you would
like to eat."

Vance was taking a while in the shower, and suddenly he was joined by
Shelby. "What's this?"  Vance asked.

"You were taking too...fuck that water is cold," Shelby screamed.

Vance laughed, and said, "Well maybe a cold shower will help you keep that
cock under control. I'll get out and you can turn up the temp."

When Shelby walked out the shower toweling off, Vance asked him whether
he'd found any place he was interested in eating.

"I was looking at this place called Smokin Yard's BBQ, but it's kinda
pricy."

"BBQ sounds good to me, and you order what you want. Don't worry about
whether it's pricy."

Smokin Yard wasn't a fancy place. However, if the smell that greeted them
when they got out of the Mustang was any indication, the BBQ would be worth
every penny. Vance ordered brisket, hot links, fried okra, and
coleslaw. Shelby went with St. Louis ribs, sweet potato fries, and mac &
cheese.

"So, tell me about that guy in the pool," Vance said. "It's good you found
a friend your own age."

"He's on vacation with his grandparents. They are staying at a different
motel, but his grandparents wanted to try out the mineral springs."

"I see, it looked like the two of you were having a good time."

"Yeah, he was fun. He just graduated from high school and will be attending
University of Arizona in the Fall. He wants to major in psychology."

"What did you tell him?"

"I said I was going to L.A. to get into the culinary industry. He thought I
was going to culinary school, and I didn't tell him that my first class
would likely be Dishwasher 101."

Vance chuckled, "I think he had the hots for you."

"Shelby bushed, and said. "Really?"

"Yeah, if they were staying at the resort, I bet you two would be meeting
up in the thermal caves tonight, then who knows what."

"I don't know about that," Shelby said.

"Why not? He seemed like a nice enough fellow, and he certainly was good
looking."

"I'll give him that, he was hot, but...."

"But what?"

"He was just a bit too young for my taste," Shelby said and gave Vance a
wink causing him to choke on his iced tea.

The BBQ was excellent and Shelby made sure to clean every last bit of meat
from his rib bones. The kid was a bottomless pit, so for dessert they went
to the Sit and Chill Ice Cream shop, for sundaes. Vance knew he would need
to hit the gym in Vegas to work off some of the extra calories he was
consuming.

Once back at the resort, Shelby wanted to go to the thermal caves one more
time. Vance said he could go alone, but that wasn't what Shelby wanted. So
finally Vance agreed to go for an hour. He knew he would miss the first
couple of innings of the game, but he'd still catch most of it. Shelby was
the first to strip off his clothes and get into the water. They had the
cave to themselves and Shelby asked, "So, have you been with a lot of
guys."

"Define a lot."

"More than 10."

"By that measure, yeah I've had a lot."

"So, how many have you had sex with?"

"Whoa, we're getting a little personal aren't we?"

"I guess. It's just that all of the guys in school always bragged about how
many girls they'd fucked."

"First of all, straight, teenage boys are notorious liars when it comes to
sex. The only thing they don't over report is how many times they jack off
in a day. Tell me, when you were shooting the shit with your teammates in
the locker room, how many girls did you tell then you'd fucked."

"Three," Shelby said sheepishly.

"And how many did you actually fuck?"

"Zero."

"So, anything you learned, or think you learned, in the locker room is 70
percent, bullshit, 20 percent exaggeration, 10 percent hopeful wishing, and
10 percent truth."

Shelby laughed, "That's 110 percent."

"Okay, none of it is true."

"Second, before I answer that question, I need you to define what you mean
by sex."

"Huh?"

"Okay, is kissing sex?"

"No."

"Is giving another guy a hand job sex?"

"Not really."

"How about a blow job."

"I don't know. I guess I haven't really thought about that. I always
thought when the guys said `they got some' it meant fucking, not a blow
job."

"Well, it makes a difference, particularly in the gay world, how you define
cock sucking."

Shelby looked away and Vance asked, "Did I say something wrong."

"No, it's just that I've never had a conversation like this with anyone who
has been so direct. I know when my father gave us the `bird and bees' crap
he never mentioned oral sex, let alone call it cock sucking."

"So let me give it to you straight, well not really straight," Shelby
chuckled. "If you count oral as sex, I've had over fifty, but if you count
only anal, I've had eight. I am probably on the high side of average. I
have always had a regular group of fuck buddies, but I have also done my
share of cruising, and even hired a few escorts."

"Isn't that illegal!?"

"Yes, but some laws are stupid. That's why I never worked vice. You have to
go after too many people for stupid reasons."

"So weren't you afraid of catching something?"

"Hell yes. Every damn time. That's why I own stock in Church and Dwight
company, the makers of Trojan condoms. FYI, in addition to making 70
percent of the condoms sold in the U.S. they also make Arm and Hammer
baking soda and a number of toothpaste brands. It's also why I am on PrEP."

"Why haven't you found a partner?"

"Lots of reasons. First, when I joined the department gay sex was illegal
in Missouri. Although the law was rarely enforced, there was no way I could
have a real relationship. Even when the Supreme Court struck down laws
banning same-sex sexual activity, I was pretty cautious about coming out of
the closet. So, by the time I was ready to go public with my sexuality, I
pretty much was comfortable with being alone."

Shelby sat quietly, until Vance said, "I know, I'm kind of a sad case."

"I wouldn't call it sad. I guess I would call it giving up. It's not like
you can't find someone, you just aren't looking. Even if you don't think
you need someone, I am certain there is someone who needs you."

"Ouch kid, you can be brutal with your analysis. Where did you learn that?"

"I had a friend in high school, one of the few people who knew the real me,
and she had a way of cutting right to the problem. Unfortunately, she
didn't know how to sugarcoat anything. I guess I picked that up from
her. She is actually the only person from home I regret leaving."

Eventually, Vance decided it was time to go back to the room and watch the
baseball game, and Shelby didn't want to stay by himself, or worse with
strangers. After a quick rinse, Vance slipped on some gym shorts, grabbed a
beer, and turned on the game. Shelby soon joined him.

Every time Shelby got up to get a beer, or a snack, or to use the bathroom,
when he returned he would get a little closer to Vance until finally he was
up against Vance and using his chest for a pillow. Vance wasn't sure why he
didn't say anything or stop the kid, but he didn't, and the two watched the
Royals defeat the Yankees 5-3.

Shelby totally caught Vance off guard with what he did next. He began
slowly sliding his hand down Vance's torso and asked, "Can I touch
your... you know your cock. I've never touched a man's cock before and I
want to know what that's like."

"Is that really what you want to do?"

Vance could feel Shelby nodding his head. Vance didn't say anything, he
just raised his hips and pushed his shorts down. Soon Shelby's hand passed
Vance's navel and his fingers were running through Vance's pubes. It was as
if Shelby innately knew how to drive a man crazy. When Shelby grabbed hold
of Vance, both Vance and Shelby involuntarily moaned.

It was soon obvious that Shelby had more in mind than just
touching. However, once Shelby started, any thought about appropriateness
of what was happening vanished. All Vance needed to know was that the kid
was legal and what he was doing felt amazing. The ending was
inevitable. Vance's cock was stiff as a board, and its gland was red and
throbbing. Suddenly, Vance's body spasmed and a pearly string of cum
exploded from his cock and landed on Shelby's face. The following ones
coated Vance's chest and abs. Never did Vance think a hand job could be so
good.

When Vance finally recovered from a mind-blowing orgasm, he said, "Now it's
your turn," and rolled Shelby onto his back. Shelby started squirming when
Vance pinned his arms and began licking his nipples. "Are you ready boy?"
Vance asked and Shelby nodded.

Vance slipped off Shelby's shorts and freed his aching cock. Shelby cock
wasn't big. Vance guessed somewhere between five and 5.5 inches and average
thickness. Vance had seen plenty bigger, but the boy's size wasn't
disappointing. The truth was Vance wasn't fond of huge "porn star"
cocks. They made his jaw tired and often came attached to egotistical
assholes. On the other hand, guys with average or smaller cocks were so
appreciative.

While keeping Shelby's hands firmly under control, Vance bent down and
licked a drop of precum from the cock slit. The feeling of a tongue on his
most private space prompted Shelby to yell out, "Oooh Fuuuuck." Vance
quickly clamped a hand over Shelby's mouth and leaned down to his ear, and
said, "You can't be so loud. If you yell like that again, I'm going to
stuff a dirty pair of underwear in your mouth. Can you control yourself?"

Shelby's eyes were wide and he vigorously nodded. Vance removed his hand
from Shelby's mouth and looked down at him like a hungry wolf ready to
devour a lamb. Then he reached down and took hold of Shelby's balls causing
him to jump. As Vance massaged the soft sack, Shelby eventually relaxed.

"Remember no yelling," Vance said and then took all of the boy's cock in
his mouth. Shelby grabbed a pillow and covered his face to stifle any
sound. Vance has always been proud of his oral skills and he wanted this to
be a night Shelby would never forget. It didn't take long before Shelby was
on the edge. Vance stopped, leaving Shelby hanging. When Shelby started to
reach for his cock, Vance slapped it away, saying, "I decide when you cum."

For the next hour Vance took devilish pleasure from bringing the kid close
and then denying him the final release. If pleasure can be agony, then
Shelby got a taste of it that night as Vance licked, sucked, and nibbled on
his sensitive teenage cock. Finally, Vance had mercy on the lad and sucked
his cock to climax. Vance's mouth was pumped full of semen, and still
Shelby had more to give.

When the last twitch ejected the last drop, Shelby lay staring at the
ceiling and completely spent. He struggled to form sentences to express his
gratitude, to praise Vance's skill, but all he could do was mumble
disconnected words.

Vance placed two fingers on Shelby's lips and said, "Shhh, you can tell me
tomorrow. Now roll over onto your side." Vance turned out the light, and
then pulled Shelby into his body to cuddle. It was not long before the two
fell asleep, Vance holding Shelby close for warmth and comfort. As they
slept their breathing, and perhaps their heart, synced one with the other.

******************

I hope you enjoy Taking a Risk, part 1. If so check out my other
stories. You can find links to the rest of my stories in the Author
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