Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 18:52:03 -0500
From: Pee Jay <peejay@mi.rr.com>
Subject: "Winging It" Part XII

"Winging It" - Part XII
By: Pee Jay
peejay@mi.rr.com


The flight to Burlington was a little over three hours and they would be
losing an hour of daylight with the time change. About an hour into the
flight, John said,

"Hon, I'm going back to see if everyone is comfortable. I'm going to ask
the old man if he wants to sit up here for a while and observe I think he
would like it, is that okay with you?"

"Yeah sure, give me some pre-marital sex before you go."

John laughed, "You know the Holy Father frowns on that. Do you want me to
have to go to confession before we get hitched?" and he started nibbling at
Adam's ear as he chuckled.

"He's in Rome, he won't know the difference", he flipped the mic up and out
of the way.

He turned his head and started probing John's mouth with his tongue and
John responded accordingly. He pushed John back into his seat with the
force he was exerting against his handsome boy as they held and groped one
another panting into the other's mouth and slobbering a little bit.

They didn't hear the knock or notice the door to the cockpit open. John's
father was hunched over in the doorway watching with bug eyes; he quickly
decided to make light of the situation.

"STRAIGHTEN UP?" he bellowed then began to laugh.

John and Adam jumped in their seats nearly hitting their heads on the roof
of the cockpit with arms and legs out of control; thank God, the autopilot
was engaged. They spun in their seats, their hearts pounding like drums and
nearly as loud as thunder, faces blood red and hot.

John's father was laughing harder than he had ever seen him laugh and
obviously quite proud of himself. He kept up his fit for a couple minutes
as John and Adam watched, alternating their attention to each other and
Ron. As he quieted down, Adam looked over at John and started grinning.

'Well shit' John thought setting the awkwardness aside, and started
grinning himself; 'it was kind of funny even if it was a little
embarrassing'.

John stood up and said, "Watch it" as he tried to look peeved and nudged
his father out of the way. "Have a seat, you might learn something" he made
his way past his father to the cabin. The further he moved away from his
father, the easier it was to pretend it never happened.

His father was still laughing intermittently as he took the co-pilot
seat. Adam was beginning to see where John picked up some of his antics;
the picture was coming into focus and he smiled.

In the cabin, John asked the group, "Anyone hungry?"

Dave said, "Yes, we're starving. We didn't eat breakfast."

"Mom, Elaine could you eat something?"

"Yes" and "Yes" came their responses.

So he went to the galley and began preparing the individual trays. When
everyone had finished he cleaned up and put a tray out for his father and
one for Adam. He went to the cockpit and traded places with Adam so he and
his father could eat.

A couple hours later and John was handed off to Boston Center from
Cleveland. He adjusted the pitch of the props, the fuel mixture and the
throttle for their cruise descent into Burlington. Twenty minutes later and
John flared over the chevrons, touching down with a firm jolt; there was a
hefty crosswind in Burlington that Friday afternoon.

Inside the general aviation terminal, John ordered the tanks topped off
again while Adam went to the rental car counter. They had only reserved one
mini-van so Adam secured another one for the parents. When he finished, he
went to the courtesy phone to call FSS and close the flight plan having
made their destination safely and in one piece.

The hotel was part of a large international chain of luxury properties and
John had made sure all their rooms had views of Lake Champlain. They were
able to secure an upgraded room for Ron and Mary Turner with a lake view
for their stay. Everyone agreed to meet in the lobby for dinner at six and
went to their rooms to unpack and settle in.

John had reserved a large suite with two master bedrooms, a den like
office, and living room with a bar; the intent was to share it with Dave
and Jim. The porter opened the door to their suite with their luggage
stacked on a cart, the guys entered with oh's and ah's. John indicated to
the porter which bags went to which room and tipped him then he went to the
window to join the others as they assessed the view of the lake and the
mountains.

The deep blue hue of the lake against the lush green of the surrounding
boreal forest and mountains were breathtaking and beautiful; it was evident
why the early French settlers named them the Green Mountains (vert mont or
green mount hence the bastardized English name Vermont).

"Now there's room rules here you guys," John said and he was staring at
Dave. "No going into each other's bedrooms without knocking and receiving
permission to enter" and he pointed his finger at Dave and raised his
eyebrows.

Dave raised his eyebrows too, as well as his voice and said, "Hey don't
look at me".

Everyone laughed knowing Dave's proclivity to anything with a hint of
sexuality or scintillating titillation to it.

"Vodka martini anyone?" Jim asked.

He received a positive response from the other three and made his move to
the bar.

"If we're going to have martinis then I'm going to order a bottle of decent
vodka from room service," Adam said.

John opened the armoire and turned the sound system on, tuning the radio to
the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) for some classical music; they
were in close proximity to the border and the reception was good, it was
the only classical station to be had in the area. Pleased with his
selection, John took a seat at the bar next to Dave and clipped him on the
back of the head as he sat down.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"For good measure, behave yourself."

"Watch it or you may not have a best man tomorrow."

"Watch it or you may not have a ride home" John said grinning.

Dave shook his head, "There's no use going at it with you".

"I could have told you that," Adam said grinning.

"And if you're charged with a minor infraction then there's no sci-fi TV
for you" John added. He was trying to think ahead in case they wanted to
watch TV in the living room; he wasn't sure if there was a set in the
bedroom, he hadn't been in there yet.

There was a knock on the door and a voice announced room service so Adam
got up to answer it.

John was feeling a little contrite and thought he may have been a bit too
harsh on Dave. He put his arm around his neck and pulled him close, kissed
the side of his head and said, "Who's your buddy? Who's your pal?"

Dave elbowed him in the side lightly and grinned. He turned his head to
John and kissed him on the lips. John allowed it and kissed him back;
everything was okay, he was still on track with his best man. John patted
him on the back and lowered his arm to the bar.

Dave put his hand on John's thigh and John rolled his eyes; he should have
known better than to encourage him.

Adam signed the bill and brought the bottle of booze to the bar.

"Geez Hon, I never heard of that brand. It must be expensive just looking
at the bottle" John immediately regretted saying it as soon as the words
were out of his mouth.

It was Adam's turn to roll his eyes, "Don't start Babe" and he looked at
Jim who was grinning.

"I know, I know. I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

It was an impulsive observation on John's part and he felt lousy again. He
decided to keep his mouth shut; he wasn't doing well in the observation
department. He rose and went behind the bar with Jim and Adam. He wrapped
his arms around Adam's waist, hugged his boy, his husband to be, and said,
"Mmmmm".

Adam understood where he was coming from; it was an apology of a sort. He
told him to go sit down next to Dave and be nice, so John kissed him and
moved to take his seat. He stopped behind Dave and placed his arms around
his chest giving him a quick squeeze.

"Don't get too comfortable" Jim said to John.

"What do ya mean?"

"It doesn't take much to get him going."

John laughed as he backed away, "I have one like that too", and he looked
at his lover boy and suddenly had the urge to strip his clothes off him.

John sat down and resolved to keep his mouth shut and his hands to himself,
unless, of course, it was Adam.

Jim was looking at Adam as he took a seat at the bar next to John, he was
happy for him. They had been roommates for a couple years and Jim had
always longed to be with him, and now, he looked better than ever to
Jim. He loved Dave but the thought of having Adam in bed was still there,
still badgering him, it was stuck in his craw.

It was nearing six so they decided to drink up and go to their bedrooms and
freshen up; they had to meet Elaine and John's folks in the lobby for
dinner soon.

In their bedroom, Adam asked John, "Where do you want to go for dinner?"

"I've never been here and don't have a clue, and I didn't check out the
restaurants on the net either. I don't care, whatever you want. I have an
urge for seafood and a little something afterward."

Adam grinned, he knew what afterward was all about, he wanted it too. Adam
sat down at the desk in the bedroom and called the concierge for help in
finding a restaurant. John went to the bathroom to shower and clean himself
up. When he finished he went to the living room to wait for the others.

As he leaned against the end of the bar in the living room listening to the
music, he heard audible grunts and groans coming from Dave and Jim's room
and smiled. He picked up his half-full martini and took a drink.  Adam was
first to emerge from the bedroom and he sat next to John at the bar.

"Well Babe, tomorrow is the big day."

John put his arm around his lover boy, "Yup, I'm ready. How about you?"

"It's a go here. Where are we going to go for our honeymoon?"

"You know what Hon? I was thinking..."

Adam cut him off, "Oh boy here we go."

John rolled his eyes and swatted him on the arm, "Listen for a minute will
ya? Instead of staying here for the rest of the weekend, why don't we take
the gang with us to Mont-Tremblant in Quebec? It's beautiful in the
Laurentien Mountains this time of year. Your mother and you are fluent in
French and I'm pretty good myself."

"That's a lot of moving around for a large group. If it was you and I it
would be another story, let's wait until we can do it right."

Dave came out of his bedroom, "Do what right?"

"Discipline you," John said.

"I'll give you some discipline" and Dave started mock humping John from
behind.

"Get away from me you animal" John swatted behind him trying to get the
beast they called Dave to back off.

Jim came out of the bedroom and said, "Get off him you wild man" and pulled
Dave off John. "Christ, that dick of his is like a divining rod; it leads
him to the nearest male ass."

Everyone laughed and Adam got the group motivated toward the door and
eventually the hotel lobby. They collected the three parents and Adam led
the group to the restaurant with the directions the concierge had given
him.

It was a wonderful restaurant at the end of the pier overlooking the lake
and their table was a good one by the windows in the corner of the dining
room. The meal was a nice affair with several bottles of wine consumed and
too many toasts to John and Adam.

John sat next to Adam and watched his father throughout the meal. It didn't
appear that he had a problem with any of the goings on; in fact, he and
Dave seemed to hit it off and actually enjoy each other. It was somewhat
confusing to John but he was pleased for the carefree, affable humor they
afforded the group.

Jim seemed to be faring worst of all. He was sandwiched between Elaine and
Mary, he kept turning his head every time one of them said something; Adam
thought he might get whiplash or some kind of tendonitis before the evening
was over and grinned.

Jim caught his smile and rolled his eyes.

Adam leaned over to whisper in John's ear, "Babe, I'm going to rescue Jim
and take him to the bar for a few minutes; he's bored to tears between our
Moms, look at him”.

"Okay Hon, I'm getting tired; how about you?"

"Yeah, I'm tired too; it's been a long day. We won't be gone long."

Adam excused himself, walked around the table and tapped his ex-roommate
and dear friend on the shoulder. Jim looked up at him and Adam motioned
with his head for Jim to follow him. They walked over and seated themselves
at the bar and Adam said,

"Jim, it looked like you were going to fall asleep there for a while."

"Christ, I felt like I was in a chicken coop sitting between those two
cackling hens" and he laughed. "Sorry I didn't mean anything by that."

Adam smiled, "No offense intended and none taken. So, do you think you and
Dave will ever do something like this?"

"I don't know. Every time I get to feeling like I want to; he does
something discouraging. Like this afternoon, when he was humping on
John. You know once or twice every now and then is fun and funny but its
way too often for my liking."

"Has he ever cheated on you?"

"Not that I know of nor do I have any reason to suspect it; he says he
loves me. See what I mean? I get mixed signals, I just don't know."

"Do you love him?"

Jim was quiet for a few moments. He did love Dave but he was debating on
whether or not to admit it. He felt betrayed at times the way Dave behaved;
he was a little ashamed to concede his true feelings given the
circumstances.

"Yeah, I guess I do" Jim said truthfully; it was his response time that
spoke volumes.

Adam patted Jim on the back and smiled, "He's a good person Jim".

"Yeah he is" Jim concurred with a smile cocking his head in Adam's
direction.

Adam resolved to pull Dave aside and have a talk with him; he was hoping
John could somehow be there too. Between the two of them, he was sure they
could help Dave see the error of his ways. They had to do it and they
would; it was for their good friend Jim. Adam didn't like the idea of
interfering but Jim was having a problem and it bothered him something
awful, he was loyal to his friends and he was going to do what he could to
help him.

"Enough about me" Jim said. "Tomorrow is the big day. Are you excited?"

"Yeah I am. But you know what? It doesn't change anything for me or John;
we were always going to be together. You know what's nice about it? The
fact that you and Dave are here, and the parents; it makes it special and
we really appreciate you coming. You know you guys are our best friends?"

"Yeah" Jim said and stood up. "Come on; let's get back to the table it's
getting late."

Adam placed his hand on Jim's back, he was too tall to put an arm over his
shoulder, and they walked in the direction of their table. Along the way,
Adam spied the waiter and motioned him over. He asked the waiter for the
bill and was told it had been taken care of by the older lady and he
pointed to Elaine. Adam nodded and they proceeded to the table.

"Okay let's hit it," Adam said, standing behind John with his hands on both
John's shoulders.

Everyone agreed it was getting late and the group rose helping one another
to their feet. They migrated to the door and once outside, the fresh cool
spring air was invigorating. The moon was full and low in the eastern sky
above the Green Mountains and it made a conical shimmering reflection on
the lake as they walked down the pier toward the mainland.

John and Adam were bringing up the rear, arm in arm, with Dave and Jim
walking in front of them. Adam took Dave's arm and placed it around Jim's
waist and John clipped him on the back of the head. Dave turned around and
grinned at them then rested his head on Jim's shoulder and Jim wrapped his
arm around Dave.

Ron was leading the way with his arm around his wife, Mary. On his other
side, Elaine had her arm intertwined with Ron's; it was a bit strange to
John and Adam given their very recent introduction but everyone seemed to
be getting on well and they were happy for that.

The next morning John rose early and eased himself away from Adam, allowing
him to rest as long as he could. He pulled the covers over his lover boy
and stood alongside the bed watching Adam in repose. He was going to be his
spouse, his life partner, and his other half-later that day legally bound
by the statutes of Vermont. It wasn't a new concept for him, but it would
be a matter of record today, this day in Vermont. It wasn't a novel thought
but intriguing nonetheless, one he harbored and committed himself to long
ago.

John went to the living room to call room service and ordered a breakfast
buffet for four, thanked them and hung up. He went to take a leak then lie
down next to Adam to await his wakening. He placed a leg and an arm gently
over his lover boy and closed his eyes. He positioned his head behind
Adam's and exhaled; here or at home, it didn't matter, that was exactly
where he wanted to be.

Adam began to stir and John waited him out; he wanted his lover to wake in
his arms warm and secure with the feeling that he was there, with him and
for him.

"Morn'in Babe" Adam said as he felt John holding him and rolled over.

"Morn'in Hon" John said and kissed his boy on the head. "It's been a long
time since I said it, I love you."

"Ditto here Babe" and Adam intertwined his limbs around John and kissed him
on the neck.

Room service announced their presence in the hall outside their suite and
John got up to answer the door, giving Adam a pat on the rear as he rose.

He let them in, signed the bill and went to wake the others. He knocked on
Jim and Dave's door loudly and went back to Adam, climbing on top of him in
bed.

"Come on Hon, we have the run of the buffet before they get up. It smells
delicious; I could ingest a whole cow."

John kissed him, rose and went to the living room to dig into the
buffet. Adam joined him after he took a morning leak.

In the living room, they filled their plates and coffee cups and sat on the
couch; Jim and Dave strolled in rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

"Morning guys" John greeted them as he noticed Dave's divining rod poking
outward.

"Morning" was all either one was able to mouth as they surveyed the buffet.

As Jim and Dave slowly joined the world of the cognizant, John and Adam ate
and talked.

"Where do we go for the ceremony?" Adam wanted to know.

"Right here, the hotel has a facility designed especially for that. I
reserved it from three to four this afternoon. They take care of getting
someone to officiate and everything. I don't know if it's a justice of the
peace or what but they take care of it. All we have to do is pay. It's deep
in the bowels of the building; I think they call it The Chapel of Love."

Adam eyed John trying to figure out if he was deep in a pile of horseshit
again.

A few moments and John couldn't maintain his straight face any longer and
grinned, "How appropriate huh Hon, Chapel of Love and all?" he was
laughing.

"I knew you were full of it."

John decided to bite, "Full of what?"

"Horseshit, what else?"

"Aw Hon, you hurt my feelings on our wedding day. I'm crying on the
inside. Can ya feel my pain?"

"Eat your breakfast."

"See if you get into my Chapel of Love again."

"It's more like the mosque of the misbegotten."

"Call it what you may, the fact is you need a key to gain access. I, as
keeper, have the key of course, so there."

Adam just shook his head grinning; it was too early to get into it with
John, maybe he would be up for it after his morning routine. He decided to
be quiet; John had the last word, as usual, and he let it go at that.

After breakfast, John called Elaine and his parents and arranged for
everyone to meet in the lobby at ten. He had a map with points of interest
for the area; he thought they could take a driving tour and check it
out. That would give them a few hours to bum around before they had to be
downstairs at three for the ceremony.

He was the first one down to the lobby to act as lookout for the parents
and decided to browse the hotel gift shop. He noticed a revolving rack of
key blanks on the counter and had an idea. He selected the largest key on
the rack and asked the clerk to engrave it for him. He told the clerk he
didn't want it cut just engraved. He asked for the words 'Key To The Chapel
of Love' to be inscribed on both sides then browsed through the key chains
to make a selection.

When he was happy with his selection he asked for a gift box and paid the
clerk; he was going to give it to Adam as a quasi gag gift after the
ceremony and it brought a smile to his face.

Back in the lobby, he took a seat on a padded bench, put his hands behind
his head and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and stretching his
legs out.

As he sat there lost in thought, he was thinking about the ceremony and
started feeling a little uncertain about it. Had he made too big a deal
about the whole thing? He didn't think so; after all, it was Adam's idea to
begin with. And he really did like the thought of being married to Adam; he
had never loved anyone in his life like he did his lover boy, God he had it
bad for him and he knew that would never change. He guessed, if he had to
define it, he would probably have to call it undying love, and that was
essentially it, in a nutshell; what else could it be?

He smiled at the notion and the mental picture of his boy at sixty; Adam
would always be his boy no matter what his age. 'Until death us do part' he
thought 'that's it, nothing more to add, c'est tout (that's it), fait
accompli’ (case closed / thing accomplished) and he smiled.

John felt cold fingers go down the sleeve of his polo shirt and feel his
armpit hair. He opened his eyes to see Adam there with a smile on his face.

"I should have known it was you. There's only one person I know that's hung
up on armpits," he said as he stood up, scanned the lobby and gave Adam a
quick peck.

Jim and Dave both laughed as the elevator doors parted to reveal Elaine,
Mary and Ron. They spotted the guys standing near the gift shop and crossed
the lobby in their direction.

Adam looked down at the bench and said, "What's that" as he bent down to
pick it up.

It was a rectangular gift box; the one John had placed 'The Key to the
Chapel of Love' inside. He grinned and put a hand on Adam's wrist taking
the box with his other hand, "That's for later Hon but it's yours, all
yours".

Adam looked at John with a big grin on his face; he could only imagine what
John had come up with. The more he thought about it the more he began to
feel bad; he hadn't gotten anything for John and here they were in Vermont,
ready to be married and he had nothing to give, nothing to express his
devotion, he felt like a thoughtless heal.

John told the group they were going to drive up into the Green Mountains
from Lake Champlain and take the tram to the top of one of the ski resorts,
maybe Stowe, and so they did mostly because no one had a better idea. It
was a beautiful warm spring day in Vermont; the sun shone brightly and the
birds sang as they courted and flitted about in the trees. The group turned
out at a few scenic places for pictures and generally enjoyed the ride and
excursion.

At one of the scenic overlooks, John pulled his father aside and asked for
his help. He wanted him to bribe some of the help into putting a makeshift
sign over the door to the room they would be using for the ceremony. He
told his father it was a joke and would more than likely get a good laugh
out of Adam without giving him the reason for his request.

His father, being the practical joker that he was, agreed and seemed to
like the idea from the grin on his face. John gave him three twenty dollar
bills to use as bribe money and the two parted with smiles on their faces.

As they approached the rest of the group Adam said, "What's so funny?"

"Dad told me one of his dumb jokes again," John said as he turned and
walked toward the parked vans. He didn't want Adam to see the glint in his
eye, knowing full well that his countenance would be all the incriminating
evidence needed to betray his intentions.

"Come on Hon" he said as he walked away.

They boarded their vehicles and started back to the hotel, John and Adam in
the back seat feeling, groping and fooling around while Jim drove and Dave
sat shotgun.

In the other van, Mary gave the front seat to Elaine while Ron did the
driving.

A ways down the road, Elaine said looking sideways at Ron, "How do you feel
about this Ron?"

"I'm okay with it Elaine; if that's what they want. One thing I can say
though, I don't ever want a rift like we've had in the past. John's our son
and we want him to be happy, we love him; he's our only son. He's a good
worker, conscientious and has a good head for business. He's never asked us
for anything; he always got it himself. And you know what Elaine? We're
proud of him."

That was exactly what Elaine wanted to hear, she felt the same way. "You
should be Ron, he's the brains behind their business. That doesn't mean to
say Adam doesn't contribute; he more or less runs the day to day operations
while John oversees and plans, he's very astute at handling money. They
make a good team, and I might add, a good deal of money."

"What business? I thought he was unemployed." He strained to see his wife
in the rear view mirror for some clarification or evidence of something
otherwise. As far as he knew, John was collecting unemployment
compensation.

Elaine looked at Ron and then glanced to the backseat to get Mary's
reaction. Mary was dumbfounded; she was the one that told her husband about
the call to John's ex-employer. Elaine returned her gaze to Ron, "How do
you think they got that airplane Ron?"

"Well John told me they owned it free and clear. I thought Adam bought it
or something. I don't really know and I was afraid to ask for fear of
embarrassing John."

Elaine shook her head, not condescendingly but more in disbelief at Ron's
detached ignorance, "Ron, they own a business together. It's a kind of
flying business. That's not the right term, I'm not well versed in
aviation; they bought the business on their own, they own it and operate it
together, they're partners. You didn't know that?"

"No" Ron said rather embarrassed. He felt the scourge of disregard and
neglect for the lack of interest he and his wife were clearly guilty of.

Elaine continued, "John and Adam bought a business, on their own. The two
of them own it and it's doing well. I haven't given them anything at all"
and she clammed up after that. She didn't want to come across as a wealthy
widow, which she was, it was her family money but that didn't matter. She
felt petty after having said that, it wasn't her style and she wished she
had phrased it differently.

"I didn't know" Ron admitted and he sat quietly driving as he contemplated
what Elaine had said.

After a short while, Ron said, "I had no idea. I wonder what else we don't
know." He craned his neck to catch his wife's eye in the rear view mirror.

Elaine had flashbacks of her deceased husband and wondered about the
mentality of men at times, their apparent lack of sensitivity and cognitive
skills as it pertained to family matters and relationships. She knew men
were a different breed of a sort; she had spent too many years in the
boardroom to be convinced otherwise. At that point, she accepted it as a
fact of life; it didn't appear things were going to change any time soon,
especially where Ron was concerned.

Mary, Ron and Elaine rode the rest of the way back in silence. Ron and Mary
were doing a lot of thinking. There was something about the way Elaine
talked about her son and John that made them speculate, and if they were
truthful with themselves, regret their disconnect from their son. Ron
resolved to take a different tack going forward; whatever the reason, it
was primarily his fault the chasm existed in the first place.

At the hotel, they left their vehicles with the valet and went inside. The
clock in the lobby indicated an hour and a half before the ceremony.

John said, "When everyone is ready, come up to our room and we can all
proceed together. We can ask Elaine to order the champagne and hors
d'ouerve's before we leave". He nodded then placed an arm around his boy
and escorted him to the elevators. He was in his 'let's get hitched' mode
now and loving every moment.

In their suite, Adam said, "Let's take a shower Babe".

"No way" was John's reply. "We're taking separate showers. I know what
you're after and the Holy Father wouldn't approve."

"What's with the Sister Holywater routine all of a sudden?"

"It's not a routine Sister Communion."

Adam was smiling; he knew it was next to impossible for John to say no and
decided to try to wear him down. He was going for the old 'mouth on the
neck' trick, John was powerless to refuse when he invoked that offense. He
moved across the bedroom and buried his face in the small of John's neck
from behind as he wrapped his arms around John's torso and nibbled and
kissed and nibbled and kissed...

John exposed his neck with characteristic instinct as his eyes closed and
he purred like an alley cat, or so he thought; not knowing for sure what an
alley cat sounded like but the idea intrigued him.

"It's not going to work," John said after a few moments. "You don't have
the key to the Chapel of Love."

John was sure of that; he had the key in his pocket.

Adam persisted with his assault; he could care less about some stupid key
or whatever the hell John was referring to. He was going to have his boy,
take him even, if that's what it came down to.

As badly as John wanted that hardness he felt behind him, inside of him; he
wasn't going to relent. That would render the key meaningless, and the
thought made him smile. He was, however, going to tease the shit out of
Adam and enjoy himself in doing just that.

John pushed his ass against Adam's crotch and slowly rubbed it back and
forth, smiling all the while. Adam began to dry hump his boy and caress
John's stomach and chest with his hands while he worked his neck over.

The situation was heating up and John knew he had to stop soon or pass the
point of no return. He turned in Adam's arms, pecked his boy on the lips
and said, "That was special Hon, I have to take a leak", and left for the
bathroom.

"Come back Babe," Adam said with frustration written all over his face.

John closed the door behind him and exhaled deeply; he had never done that
before. He thought it was one of the hardest things he ever did and
grinned.

Adam was left standing in the middle of the bedroom; he was stunned. He was
rock hard and his boy had walked away from him at the height of
pre-copulation; it had never happened before and he was more than confused,
he was confounded and disconcerted. He walked over to the bed, lie down and
pulled a pillow under his head. He looked at the ceiling and tried to sort
it out; there wasn't much to ponder in his mind, he had been rejected.

The more thought he gave it the more it didn't make sense, there had to be
something else. He convinced himself that it wasn't rejection, John must
have had to go to the bathroom; that had to be it and he smiled. He rolled
over on his side and placed another pillow between his thighs and pushed
his hard dick into it, wishing it were John's ass.

When John came out of the bathroom naked after his shower, he had a towel
draped over one shoulder. His crotch was readily visible with the dark bush
around his big member, he looked hot to Adam and his dick did a lilt. John
flung his underwear at Adam on the bed as he moved to the armoire to get
dressed.

Adam eyed the perfect male ass as it passed in front of him and his dick
did another quick jig. He thought John was one of the lucky ones to have a
physique as strong and muscular as it was without the hassle of working
out. Then he corrected himself and decided he was the lucky one to have
access to such a sensual and sexy body and his dick began to throb.

John took a clean pair of briefs from his bag and stood on one leg for a
little too long; he wanted to flex his ass; he knew Adam was watching and
it made him smile. He avoided looking at his boy and went to the closet to
select a pair of slacks. Having slipped into them, he felt it was safe to
address Adam then turned to face him.

"Are you going to shower Hon?"

"Yeah" Adam said and sighed with a long exhale.

He sounded a little down so John walked over to the bed and kissed his
lover boy and said, "I love you Hon".

Adam pulled him into a passionate kiss; he was wanting a lot more than
kisses but was willing to take what he could get. When they broke he said,
"Love ya always" and got up to take his shower as he palmed John's ass,
which was stimulating to him if not carnal to the penultimate.

John waited for the others in the living room while his boy showered. He
was going to make a martini but decided he should probably go to his
wedding sober, there would be plenty of time for that afterward.

There was a knock on the door and he went to answer it. He stepped aside
and let Ron and Mary, his parents, inside.

"Wow" Ron said. "Nice room you guys have here. What do you have to do to
get one like this?"

"Get your credit card out" John said with a grin.

"Come on in, can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll have water," his mother said.

"I'll wait till after the wedding before I get started" Ron said.

They took a seat in the living room and John turned the sound system on
which was already tuned to the CBC classical music station. Mary was
watching her son as he moved around. She couldn't help but notice how
attractive her son was and knew she could credit her side of the family for
it, she was proud of him.

Adam came bursting into the living room in his underwear, "Babe, where are
my pants?" He dropped his jaw when he saw John's parents on the couch. He
turned and high-tailed it back to the bedroom saying, "Excuse me."

John grinned and said, "I'll be right back. He'd lose his head if it
weren't attached."

In the bedroom, John asked, "Did you look in the closet and the armoire?"

"No."

"Then you didn't look anywhere, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do I have to dress you too?"

"No."

"Can you say anything other than yeah or no?"

"Yeah."

John heard a knock on the door and hollered, "Mom, Dad will one of you let
Elaine in?"

"Okay" John's mother yelled back.

John was feeling like he wanted to jump Adam's bones as he observed his boy
standing in the middle of the bedroom in his underwear. He put the thought
out of his head, as best he could, and retrieved Adam's garment bag from
the closet.

Adam was watching John retrieve his garment bag. He looked hot as hell to
Adam with his sport coat over a polo shirt and his slacks clinging to his
ass with just a hint of definition as they hung from his cheeks.

John brought the garment bag over to the bed and selected a collared silk
shirt and some slacks for him. He took Adam's sport coat from the bag and
placed it on the bed. Satisfied with his selection, he hung the garment bag
in the closet.

"Put those on and I'll have the pleasure of taking them off you later", and
he turned around to see if Adam agreed with his selection.

"I didn't know you knew how to make a teepee. Jesus Christ Hon, does that
thing ever take a rest?" and John laughed as he slapped Adam's tool
down. It popped out of his boxers and it snapped back hitting his stomach
with a thump.

"You can do anything you want with it Babe" and he wiggled it back and
forth to entice John as he grinned.

"I think I'll cut it into short pieces and make Snausages out of it."

The sight of it made John grow hard fast. He stepped behind Adam and
pressed his hardness into Adam's rear,

"I'm going to fuck you tonight Hon, it'll be our wedding night tryst", he
said as he ran his hands over Adam's bare stomach and chest drawing him in
tighter; he savored the feel of his chest and stomach, which was soft,
smooth and firm. John slipped his hand into Adam's underwear to cop a feel
of his boy's soft pubes and strong erection and stroked it a couple times.

John's comment worried Adam. He had never been screwed before and the
thought of John's much larger dick inside of him was a little un-nerving,
intimidating even. And it being their wedding day, how could he say no? He
was in a quandary as his hard dick deflated at the notion.

John kissed his boy on the side of the head and whispered in his ear, "I'm
just kidding Hon. you can pump it up again" and he released Adam, slapping
him on the rear end.

"Geez, you had me scared Babe. That thing of yours is big, I don't know if
I could handle it."

John smiled, "I'm going to have you tonight. This, our wedding night, you
will remember mark my word; I'm going to milk you drier than the Sahara or
Mojave, drier than the most God forsaken arroyo. It will take you months to
recoup. Tonight of all nights, IT'S TO THE MOON ALICE!" and he shot his
index finger skyward.

He laughed at the paraphrase he made of Jackie Gleason having seem him on
late night television.

Adam couldn't help himself, he grinned at his goofball lover whom he loved
dearly, "Get your arse out of here hot stuff before I throw you on the
floor and take you in front of God and all creation”.

"You can't take me; I'm already yours", and John pecked his mouth. "Hurry
up and get dressed Hon, everyone's ready 'cept you."

In the living room John walked over to Elaine who was sitting on a bar
stool and whispered in her ear, "I don't know how you managed it, but you
made your son especially for me; I owe you big time".

Elaine smiled and patted John on the cheek.

He bent over again and whispered in her ear again, "I mean it Elaine; no
one could have made someone more perfect, you got it right the first time".

Elaine waved her hand and said, "I had you in mind when I made him" and
patted John on the cheek. She had always felt good about her son being with
John and with the tidbit that John had just offered; she felt great about
it.

That made John smile. He knew Elaine got the message; she knew he loved her
son and that was the point of it all.

Adam finally made his entrance, everyone stood up and clapped; he was
beautiful, radiant and exuding sex appeal to and for John, and John felt
that itch that only Adam could scratch. Jim walked over to Adam and put his
arm around him saying, "You look great. I'm happy for you. I know you and
John will be happy for a long time to come."

Adam smiled and patted him on the back, "Thanks Jim" and he got misty eyed,
he knew it to be true and accurate. He was looking forward to having John
in a commitment, on a tether if he could, or a contract if that's what it
took, anything that would preclude his boy's escape or leaving.

John picked up the phone and pressed the button for room service. When an
answer came on the other end, he ordered two chilled bottles of
Pouilly-Fuisse knowing that Elaine liked and preferred that and his mother
didn't care as long as it was white wine. He ordered a bottle of Irish
whiskey for his father and another bottle of premium vodka for the four of
them. He passed the phone to Elaine and asked her to order some champagne
saying he didn't have a clue and she was honored to assist. He also asked
her to order some hors d'ouerves and she did.

With that piece of business out of the way, John said, "Is everyone ready
to go to the Chapel of Love?" and he noticed his father grinning who gave
John a thumb up from behind everyone.

Dave saw the exchange and clipped John on the back of the head.

John said, "Hey watch it dude if ya know what's good for ya and apparently
ya don't" he was smiling. "Okay let's get this over with so's we can have a
party!" Then he sang, "We're gonna have a party all night long. All night,
all night, all night long" but he didn't sound half as good as Lionel
Richie did.

Adam put his arm around John's neck and pulled his head in saying, "Come on
goofuss, we have a date with destiny."

"Geez, you make it sound so sinister."

They rode the elevator down to the lobby and Adam asked at the front desk
for directions to the room. He told the group it was down the hallway then
turn left at the end; and proceed to the end of that hallway, so they
started in the designated direction.

The room was on the left when they arrived at the dead end. John took
Adam's arm and pulled him to a stop. He pointed to a sign over the door. It
was a long strip of freezer paper taped to the wall with the words "The
Chapel of Love" handwritten on it in block letters with a black magic
marker.

"See, I told ya it was The Chapel of Love but you wouldn't believe
me. Don't ya feel just a little contrite that ya doubted me?"

Adam was smiling as was Dave and Jim.

Adam shook his head in disbelief, "This is another new low for you. How low
can you go to prove a point?"

"I'll go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the depths of the ocean, the
very gates of hell..."

He didn't have a chance to finish; Adam pointed him at 'The Chapel of Love'
and pushed him inside.

Within a few minutes, everyone was introduced and in place and the
officiant began to officiate. The ceremony was straightforward and rather
traditional in nature. There was pre-recorded music playing in the
background and it made Elaine smile at the simplicity of it all. She
thought tacky for a minute and smiled again then put the thought aside; it
was what the guys had wanted and so she endeavored to respect and
appreciate it on their behalf.

They had elected to go the 'I do' route versus writing and reading their
own vows and it suited them just fine. They wanted it to be simple and
meaningful without a lot of pomp and circumstance and so it was. It seemed
to emulate the nature of their relationship. It was the thought that
counted most for them.

When it came time to place the rings on each other's fingers, John had to
elbow Dave to draw him out of his trance; he was staring at Jim with a
mesmerized look on his face. The bands were simple circles made of white
gold without ornamentation and they placed them on each other's ring
finger. The officiant made the final declaration and the union was
complete, sanctioned in The Green Mountain State and a matter of record.

John and Adam wrapped their arms around each other in a warm embrace and
held on tight, both of them wearing grins that could bridge the
Mississippi. When they parted, they gave each other a peck on the mouth and
accepted hugs, kisses and grat's from the group, all the while maintaining
contact with each other.

During the grat's, John managed to whisper to his new husband how
distinctly stunning and attractive he looked, and how much he looked
forward to removing his clothes later on. He especially cited his perfect
smile and natural disarming charm. The problem was, he couldn't stop
looking at him, he was drinking him in like a thirsty sponge and it didn't
go un-noticed by the others.

Jim had his digital camera going during the ceremony and began taking
pictures like crazy. They asked the master of ceremonies to take a group
picture and he snapped several for them. There was an employee in the
lurches and he snapped one of the group with the officiant and the
entourage.

When everything was seemingly over, John reached in his pocket and gave the
official a twenty-dollar bill thanking him. Adam saw it and couldn't
believe John had insulted the man with a twenty-dollar bill; he fished a
hundred dollar bill out of his wallet and handed it over to the man as he
shook his head giving John a disgusted look.

John felt a little sheepish but, he reasoned, at least he wasn't the one
blowing the funds and that seemed to make him feel better. In fact, John
thought, 'we already paid for the service and twenty should have been more
than enough'. He decided not to dwell on it, the day was more important
than the money.

Adam put his arm around John and said, "Let's go upstairs and celebrate".

"Here" Ron said.

The group echoed his refrain and they made their way toward the
elevators. Outside The Chapel of Love, John asked Jim to take their picture
as they stood in the doorway under the makeshift sign. John had his arm
around Adam's shoulders and a big ole happy smile on his face as he raised
his hand with his fingers forming a 'V' behind Adam's head. Adam was
wearing one too as he held two fingers up behind John's head in the shape
of a 'V' and It made Jim and the others laugh, then he captured the moment.

After the picture, Jim gave John a boost and they pulled the freezer wrap
sign down from over the door. John finished rolling the sign up and noticed
Adam and Dave talking to two guys dressed in suits. Jim and John walked
over to find out what was going on while the parents waited for them to go
upstairs.

They introduced themselves as Rick and Chris and everyone shook hands. They
were next in line to be married. John unrolled the sign he just took down
to show them and they laughed.

Adam asked, "Where are you guys from?"

Rick, the taller of the two, said, "Indianapolis originally but we live in
Chicago now. We're both in grad school."

Chris, the cute one said, "Rick is graduating next year in internal
medicine and I'm going to be graduating from the MBA program".

"Which school are you guys going to?" Jim wanted to know.

"We're both at University of Illinois Chicago," Chris replied.

"Are you guys alone?" Dave asked.

"Yeah, we just finished our finals and decided to start the summer off
right" Rick said with a chuckle.

"How long you guys been together?" John asked.

"We knew each other in high school but didn't get together until our first
year at University," Rick said. "So it's been like six years."

"Jim, do you have any room left on the memory card in your camera?" John
asked.

"Yeah, plus I have another blank one in my pocket."

"Let's take some pictures for the guys then we can email them when we get
back. They can print them at home on their PC."

"That would be nice. We would appreciate that." Chris responded.

John asked the parents if they wanted to come inside and observe or go
upstairs and wait for them. He told them that the two guys were alone and
the four of them were going to take a few pictures and cheer them on. He
said it wouldn't be long based on what they had done. Everyone decided to
go back inside.

Jim snapped away on his camera while everyone watched the simple
ceremony. The event was a carbon copy of the one the guys had just been
through. When the ceremony was complete, John and Adam unrolled the sign
and held it above and behind Rick and Chris while Jim recorded the scenario
digitally. Everyone had a good laugh. A few more poses, group pictures and
it was over, not to say meaningless, just over.

"Would you guys like to join us in our room? We're all going upstairs for a
small celebration," Adam said.

Rick and Chris looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, "Sure why
not?" Chris said. "We don't have anything special planned."

"Good" John said. "Let's get on with it then."

The group made their way upstairs to John and Adam's suite. Room service
left the booze along with the wine and champagne in ice buckets on the
bar. There were two carts with white tablecloths off to the side with hors
d'ouerves in chafing dishes and finger food off to the side. There was
plenty to make a meal for everyone.

"I'm going to find something a little more lively on the radio," Adam said.

John opened a bottle of wine and poured Elaine and Mary a glass while Jim
made four vodka martinis.

"What can I get you guys?" John asked Chris and Rick.

"I'll have one of those vodka martinis," Chris said.

"I'll have a beer and a shot of Irish whiskey," Rick said.

"No problem. That should warm you up Rick. But first we're going to have a
toast with champagne. Are you guys okay with that?"

Apparently they were, they were smiling and they agreed.

Adam overheard Chris say to Rick, "This is great. I'm glad we met these
guys. This beats the hell out of having beers in our room."

"Yeah, I'm glad too. At least we had someone there with us" and Rick bent
his head to give Chris a quick kiss on the mouth.

Mary and Elaine passed on the champagne saying the wine was enough for
them, so John poured and served the others champagne. Everyone clinked
glasses and drank up.

Dave wanted to know who the brides were so he could kiss them and Jim
clipped him on the back of the head.

"Jim, I think he does that because he likes getting clipped" Adam said and
everyone that knew Dave had a good laugh.

"Naw, I'm just trying to be friendly."

John rolled his eyes and escorted Adam to the bar where they situated
themselves on bar stools.

Jim dimmed the lights in the room and Dave raised the volume on the sound
system. There was a slow tune playing and Adam went over to his mother,
extended his hand and began to sway to the music with her. Elaine was in
heaven; she loved her son and was ecstatic to be there on his wedding
day. It didn't matter that he married a guy so much, it was her son's
wedding day and that meant a lot, it meant the world to her. She loved him
and was happy for him; Adam was her baby, her only child and she wanted all
that was best for him; if that meant John, then so be it.

Dave and Jim did the same as did Chris and Rick and John sat watching and
feeling left out, Ron and Mary were moving to the music as well. He watched
his boy and thought about the two of them. He was more than happy to sit it
out, he knew whom he was 'going home with' and he reveled in the
thought. He was going home every day for the rest of his life with Adam and
that was exactly what he wanted, that hadn't changed in his mind.

John's mother approached him with beckoning arms and he stood up to dance
with her to the music. John took a classic approach with one arm around her
waist and held her right hand in his left; she was almost as tall as he
was.

"I'm so happy for you John. I wish your sister could have been here. I know
the two of you are close."

"Mom, I can't tell you how much it means to me that you and Dad are here. I
still can't believe Dad. I thought he would have a moose over something
like this."

Mary giggled, "Honey, he has always wanted the best for you. He was hard on
you for your own good."

"Mom, that's a cliché not a good reason. Still, I'm glad the two of you are
here. Do you like him?"

"Adam? I think he's one of the nicest looking young men I have ever seen."

"Mom, I know he's attractive. Do you like him?"

Mary had to think about that for a moment. She had to admit she didn't know
Adam per se. She wanted to respond positively and not come across as
gratuitous.

"I can't say I know him well honey. What I do know of him I like. I think
his mother is an admirable person and she said she thinks the world of you
and loves you. I do know that your father and I want what is best for you,
we want you to be happy and successful, we always have; that's what every
parent wants for their kids. If that means Adam then we're behind you all
the way."

"Mom, I love him. I don't know if you can understand that, but I want you
to know it."

They moved together for a few more minutes, John wanting his mother to
acknowledge his love for Adam and Mary not sure of what to say. After a few
minutes, John released his mother, kissed her on the cheek and suggested
she dance with his father and she did as John released her.

Instead of sitting down, John walked over to Adam and Elaine and placed an
arm around each of them. He kissed his boy as the threesome moved in
concert with each other. As much as he cared for Elaine, he wanted his boy
to himself, it was their day, their time in the sun, their day of days. He
was needing reassurance from his boy after his exchange with his mother.

"Excusez-moi madame" John said. "Can I have a waltz with my husband?" and
he smiled at her knowing she would acquiesce willingly.

"He's all yours," Elaine said and she kissed the two of them quickly then
departed for the couch and her glass of wine.

"I knew that" John whispered in Adam's ear after Elaine left. He embraced
Adam for all he was worth and said, "I own you now. You can't leave me, you
can't retreat, you're all mine. Now and forever, you belong to me."

"I always did Babe and always will. C'est moi por vous, vous por moi dans
la vie (It's me for you, you for me for life). Like the man said, till
death we do part."

"Me too Hon. There's nowhere in this world I would rather be than with you
and here I'll stay until hell freezes over, until the cows come home, until
the fat lady sings, until all the rivers run dry..."

"Okay, okay. Shut up Mr. Gaboris" Adam was smiling. "Let's sit down. I've
had enough dancing for a while. Let's get buzzed."

"I'm already high Hon, I'm high on you" and John pecked him on the back of
the neck as he followed Adam to the bar.

Adam smiled as he pulled John along by the hand toward the bar; John more
than happy to follow his boy anywhere he wanted to go.

The parents were watching their two sons interact and, from the looks of
it, they were happy and in love. Elaine looked at Mary and Ron after a
minute then the three exchanged a smile and Ron nodded with his approval.

Ron turned his attention to Dave. They had talked at great length the night
before over dinner and fell into a comfortable conversation; he decided he
liked Dave with his cleaver wit and spin on things, he seemed like one of
the guys. It occurred to Ron that Dave was rather sharp; he had a good grip
on himself and where he fit in, he liked Dave's slant on life. In fact,
none of them seemed 'gay' in the context he had always thought. He focused
on the two new guys, Chris and Rick, and realized he was in the minority in
the room. They all seemed like decent enough people to him and, of course,
he loved his son and was proud as hell of him after Elaine's dissertation
that afternoon.

John followed Adam’s lead taking a seat at the bar again, watching the
others. When the song was over everyone went back to drinking and
talking. Adam got up saying he was going to make a plate for himself and
asked John if he wanted one too.

He did so Adam went to get them both a plate of food.

Dave sat at the bar next to John while Jim went behind to make more
martinis. Chris rounded the bar and asked Jim if he could help saying he
wanted to learn how to make them and Jim walked him through the process.

John noticed that Rick was on the quiet, reserved side while Chris was a
bit more outgoing and animated, sort of like Adam he thought, and he
wondered once again who was doing what to whom. It made him smile and he
decided he liked Chris. Rick too, but he was a little on the stodgy side,
after all he was going to be a doctor.

John put his arm around Dave and said, "Thanks for coming and thanks for
being my best man".

"Hey thanks for asking me and Jim. I'm happy to do it and having a good
time, even if Jim doesn't like small planes. We were talking this morning
and he's glad we came too. I think we might do the same thing in the near
future."

John accepted a fresh martini from Chris, thanked him and turned to Dave,
"Dave, I have something I want to say and I hope you don't get offended
'cause it's not meant to be mean," John was speaking softly.

Dave lowered his voice and said, "Shoot John, I know you're not a mean
person. You can be honest with me".

"Dave, I like you a whole lot and I mean it. You and Jim are our best
friends. But you have to be careful with the intimate and suggestive things
you do; it's embarrassing for me and I'm sure Jim at times."

"John, I don't want to go to bed with you or anyone else. Jim's my main
man, my only man. Why do you say that?"

"Well you do things from time to time that are a little too risqué if you
know what I mean. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable, as flattering as the
gesture may be. I'm sure Jim feels that way as well. How do you think Jim
felt when he saw you humping me this morning? What do think he was
thinking? See what I mean?"

"John, I didn't mean anything by it I hope you know. It was supposed to be
fun, a joke nothing more."

"All I'm saying Dave is things aren't always what they seem. If it was
insignificant to you, it may not appear that way to Jim and it made me feel
uncomfortable too."

"I won't do it again then. Hell, I don't want a problem with you or
Jim. What makes you think I want to be with you anyway?" Dave said
defensively and with a little indignation.

"Once in a while is cool and funny. That's all I'm saying."

John realized that the message was received. Dave's reaction was a clear
indication that he understood; John had apparently made his point. He also
wanted to minimize the impact of his statement as well as affirm their
ongoing friendship.

"Are we good then?" John asked.

"We're cool dude. Nothing to worry about", Dave said with emphasis.

John's comments were a little too close to home for Dave to dismiss
entirely.

John was glad the discussion went well even though Dave was acting
defensively; at least he understood and that was good. He hoped it wouldn't
be a problem going forward. He gave Dave a one-arm hug and smiled at him.

Adam was sitting next to Ron, John's father, and his mother was on his
other side. They appeared to be getting on well and in serious
conversation. There was the occasional thoughtful look and a passing smile;
the conversation appeared to be more or less, what one would expect between
parents and their adult offspring.

Chris and Rick were alone together behind the bar in conversation and
appearing isolated and forgotten. John nudged Dave and motioned with his
thumb to the two of them.

Dave turned to face them and said, "Come over here you guys".

Chris and Rick abandoned their conversation and came around the bar to join
Dave. John got up and made room for the two of them between him and
Dave. It appeared they were somewhat uneasy and retreating to each other's
company for solace.

Dave placed his arm around Rick and nodded to John to do the same to Chris
and he did.

"So, you guys are married now. What's that like?"

"It's like good," Chris said leaning forward to look at Dave. "Are you and
Jim married?"

"No not yet. Maybe down the road we'll do it. We just started discussing it
when we got here with John and Adam. We never gave it much thought before
that."

"It's a big step and a really great thing, at least for us it was, if
you're willing to do it," Chris said. "You have to be sure. It's legal and
all in Vermont, but if you're not committed to uphold what it represents
back home, then don't go it."

Adam came over and sat next to John, he had enough parental contact for a
while. He put his arm on John's back and massaged his shoulders for a
minute.

"That feels good Hon."

"When are you guys going home?" Chris asked.

John looked at Adam meaning he should respond.

"We haven't decided for sure. As long as we're back for work on Tuesday
morning, we can leave anytime," Adam said.

"Hon, what if we were to go home tomorrow? Then we could have a lazy day
before we have to work on Tuesday."

"Fine by me, if you can get the others to agree to it."

"You better call the airlines before you make plans," Chris said.

"I just talked to the owner of the airline and he said it was okay with
him," John said with a grin on his face.

The look on Chris' face was precious. He was cute as could be anyway and
the bewildered look on his face made him look all the more cute.

Adam was sporting a big grin too.

Chris had a blank look on his face. As far as he was aware, John hadn't
used the phone at all. He figured he was kidding around, how could John
possibly know the owner of the airline; airlines were publicly held
companies. And the fact that he was smiling, well that had to mean
braggadocio or bullshit; either way, it added up to the same thing. He
decided to bring John back to reality.

"When did you talk to the owner of the airline? I haven't seen you use the
phone."

"Don't need a phone to talk to the owner", John was loving it and Adam was
too. Adam was wondering how John was going to handle it.

Now Chris was really baffled. He had to admit that he didn't know these
guys all that well; if fact, they had just met. Maybe they were some kind
of VIP's or something; it wasn't out of the question, the room was an
impressive suite for sure. Or maybe one of the parents was someone of
import, he was puzzled, he didn't know.

"Okay, lay it on me" Chris said.

John looked at Adam for the answer.

"We own an FBO," Adam said.

"What's an FBO? Fake Business Organization?"  The four of them laughed at
Chris' skeptical reckoning of the acronym.

"Fixed Base Operator, it's an aviation business. We have our own
planes. When John said he talked to the owner, he was referring to me
although we're equal partners. We flew everyone here ourselves."

"Oh" Chris said raising one eyebrow; he was noticeably taken in.

The three parents rose from the sofa and approached the guys. They were
going to make their exit. It seemed like the six guys were wrapped up in
conversation; they said it was getting late and they were going to turn in
for the night. Elaine took the wedding card from her Blazer pocket and
discreetly slipped it on top of the bar. Hugs and kisses were exchanged and
the parents left for their rooms saying goodnight.

Jim went behind the bar to make another round of drinks.

"So what kind of plane do you guys have?" Chris asked.

"We have seven," Adam said. "Two trainers, two 172's, a 182, an Aztec and a
King Air."

"Gee, you guys must be rich!" Chris said.

"No," John replied. "We're poor. We live in a one bedroom apartment." He
didn't really believe it but was not one to flaunt it or announce their
success.

"Don't believe him," Dave said. "They're loaded. You should see the plane
we flew over here in. It's huge, it's a King Air. It cost two mil."

John excused himself to go to the bathroom and ran his fingers through
Adam's hair as he rose. He didn't want to play the part of a braggart or
anything close to it. Nor did he want to answer questions about how much
money they may or may not have.

"Wow, is that true Adam?" Chris wanted to know.

"Yeah, it's a very nice turbo-prop. In fact, it's the best in its class and
a pleasure to fly. We love it and John got us a super buy on it."

"You mean they cost more than two mil?"

"Oh yeah, ours is ten years old, new they cost over four mil the way ours
is equipped."

Both Rick and Chris were surprised that these two guys, barely four years
older than they, enjoyed such success.

"Did your parents help you out?" Rick asked. His father was a doctor and
paying his way through med school so he thought the guys may have an angel
in the wings.

"No" John said having returned from the bathroom.

"Although Adam's mother could probably buy the whole airport if she wanted
to. Well I should correct myself. We did take about ten thousand from her
when we first moved into our apartment. You know Hon, we should probably
pay her back now; I forgot all about that."

"I think we should forget it John," Adam said. "It's been so long and she
doesn't need the money. I think it might even hurt her feelings if we tried
to pay her back now. She likes the idea that she helped us get started even
though we didn't need it."

"If you didn't need it then why did you ask her for it?" Rick asked. He
needed every nickel he received from home and couldn't understand why they
wouldn't take the money when it was offered.

Adam took the next several minutes and filled them in on John's propensity
to penny-pinch. He wrapped it up with the twenty-dollar bill tip at the
wedding and everyone laughed at him. Jim slid his arm around John, as he
turned red with embarrassment.

Then Dave got in the act and related the story about the hole in John's
shoe; how Adam made him throw out all his holey socks and underwear and buy
a new wardrobe. He told them how Adam refers to John's squeakiness when he
walks and the close watch he keeps on the money. He told them that Adam
probably needs to get permission to go in the safe in the apartment. He
said he wouldn't be surprised if John had a hundred grand stashed away in
there.

John smiled at that, there was a hell of a lot more than a hundred grand in
there these days. They had bought another safe and put it on the floor in
the same closet. It was able to withstand a ridiculous amount of heat in
the event of a fire.

"What's so funny?" Chris asked John. He had noticed how fast the red was
replaced by a grin.

"Nothing Chris, I was just laughing at myself."

Adam was smiling too. He was thinking the same thing John was; there was a
hell of a lot more loot in the two safes than what Dave imagined.

"Something's up" Dave said. "They're both smiling. What is it you guys?"

John rose and went behind the bar to escape. He hoped Adam would somehow
handle it and he started to make a martini. He was well on his way with his
buzz but it was his wedding night and he felt like having another one. He
offered to make one for whoever wanted a refill when he noticed the card
from Elaine on the bar and picked it up announcing, "Here's a card Hon."

"Well?" Dave said waiting on an answer. "Don't try to change the subject
John." He was sure it was going to be good, as John had removed himself
from the situation.

Adam said, "We're not exactly sure how much is there; it's been a few
months since we last counted."

"And how much was there at last count?" Dave pressed on.

"A little over two hundred," Adam said softly.

"That's bullshit," Dave said. "I know that safe holds a hell of a lot more
than that. John would never let it get that low."

"Two hundred thousand," Adam said softly. "We bought another safe that sits
on the floor in the same closet."

He was proud of his statement. It was a result of both their efforts and
John's iron grip on the purse strings. After the last few years, he had
come to appreciate John's skill in money matters. Skill? He thought
silently; naw it was an obsession but one that didn't seem so bad,
especially when he voiced the results.

"Shit, you guys are rich," Chris said.

"Oh my God, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD" John said as he lowered the card from
Elaine. "I don't fucking believe this. I just don't fucking believe it. Hon
it's too good to be true."

He handed the card to Adam and his mouth hung open like the biggest Venus
Flytrap in the world, one for the Guinness Book of Records. He was shaking
his head in amazement and wonder. He had to walk around the bar and look at
the pseudo-deed again; he had to make sure it wasn't a joke, it seemed too
good to be true.

"What is it?" everyone wanted to know at one point or another.

Adam placed the card in Jim's hand and jumped up on John; wrapping his legs
around John's waist and his arms around his neck. John gripped Adam's
waist, leaned back to balance them and hung on to his boy. Adam was
whooping and kissing and hugging and bucking in John's arms and the two
were slobbering over each other as they missed their mouths. John spun Adam
around as he hung on to him and Adam flung his head back still whooping and
hollering.

Jim read the card and the deed and passed it around for everyone to
see. After the whole group read it, John released his boy and put him down;
he was getting heavy.

"What is it?" Rick wanted to know. He really didn't understand what was
happening and didn’t understand the deed.

"It's a deed to a building", Chris informed him.

"Adam's mother bought them a building for a wedding present."

"What kind of building?"

Chris looked at the two lucky guys and said, "I don't know."

"It's a building at the airport", Adam said. "It used to belong to our
competitor but he went out of business. Now we own it", Adam said as he
squeezed John with one arm around him and grinning something fierce.

"Well there you have it. Now we can't say we haven't had help and it
doesn't bother me one bit. That's one pricey building and I, for one, am
glad we don't have to pay for it", John said. "Now we don't have to worry
about buying a jet, we can afford it." He gave Adam a pat on the back and
left his hand there.

"We'll have to thank Mom in the morning when we see her."

"For sure, I don't think we will ever be able to thank her enough."

The little hand on the clock was coming up on one in the morning so Chris
and Rick thanked the four for a nice evening and they agreed to meet for
breakfast, they gave their room number to the group before they left. Adam
made them a 'to go' plate from the leftover food on the carts and handed it
to Rick. Everyone gave quick hugs to each other. John noticed Chris kiss
Adam when they hugged; he filed it away for future reference and resolved
to keep an eye on, what was hopefully, a harmless situation.

Jim and Dave headed for their side of the suite straight away while Adam
turned off lights and John cleaned up some. When he was done, he walked
over to the windows to look at Lake Champlain shimmering in the
moonlight. Adam joined him at the window placing his arm around his
spouse. John held his hand up to admire the ring and all that it stood
for. He thought it was his most prized possession.

"It was a nice day," Adam said.

"It was the best day of my life Hon", and he placed his hand on the small
of Adam's back and leaned into him resting his head on Adam's shoulder.

"Me too, let's hit the sack Babe. I'm pooped."

"Suits me."

As they walked to their side of the suite, John took Adam's hand to verify
that his ring was still there and kissed it. He knew it was kind of dumb
but the sight of it warmed his entire being. After undressing, Adam began
to pull the comforter down and noticed the gift box on the pillow on his
side of the bed.

"What's this?"

"It's for you Hon, open it."

Adam opened it and folded the tissue paper away exposing the 'Key to the
Chapel of Love'. It was too dark in the room to make it out so he turned
the lamp on beside the bed. He took it out of the box and read the
engraving. He looked at John who was grinning back at him.

Adam pulled the covers down and slid under them and said, "Come here Babe,
I have the key to your hot chapel", he smiled and turned the light off.

John slid under the covers and scooted across the bed into his arms,
encircling Adam with his limbs. He kissed him on the lips and said, "I love
you lover boy, now and always".

"I love you too Babe."

He kissed Adam again and said, "I know Hon, now fuck me silly".

Adam did just that. He screwed John up, down, sideways, over, under and any
other way that came to mind. John assumed the position that finally took
them over the edge. He held on to the headboard as he squatted and bounced
on Adam's shaft, his feet spread wide for penetration while Adam arched and
receded in concert with him. The sight of John's muscles in constant
tension along with his erect dick flopping and his dimpled, muscular ass
put Adam's senses in overload, as only lust fueled by love can do and he
filled his boy with his essence.

The newfound position drove Adam deeper into John than he had ever been and
the sensation of his rock hard boy probing his guts, their love for each
other, his soft pubes against his cheeks and the sight of him thrusting and
driving as he did his work, his raw maleness; it was all sensory
exhilaration extraordinaire. John pumped his load onto Adam's chest and
stomach, having never touched himself.

After they ejaculated, John eased himself down on Adam's still erect dick
and wiggled his cheeks to the side, nesting Adam deep inside of him; loving
the feel of his stud boy buried to the hilt, wishing it would never end. He
caressed Adam's smooth, defined chest and held his face all the while
staring into his eyes, into his soul with nothing but love and devotion. He
leaned forward pressing his ass against the shaft inside of him, kissed his
boy and pushed his tongue into Adam's mouth.

After a few minutes of kissing and groping, John began to move up and down
slowly on Adam's erection, still sensitive from their first copulation and
Adam rose to the occasion. He began to assault John aggressively and John
sat on him with all his weight, forcing him to slow down.

Adam wanted more of the hot male ass that pleasured him so much and his
body went rigid forcing his pole inside John and holding it there, as deep
as he could lodge it. A short while later, they resumed their gyrations and
coaxed one another to a spasmodic climax before collapsing in a pile of
heated, passionate panting, neither one needing or able to go on. They
wrapped up in each other's arms under the covers like a big burrito and
went to sleep.

The next morning, Adam woke with a headache and eased away from John
allowing him to sleep. He hit the bathroom and made his way to the common
area of the suite. Jim and Dave were there watching the news on TV.

"Morn'in" Adam said.

"Good morning" they both responded.

"Have you guys ordered breakfast yet?"

"No we were waiting for you guys." Jim said.

Adam went to the phone and ordered breakfast for four then hung up. He went
to wake John up so he would be ready to eat when the food arrived.

John was lying on his back half-asleep in a hangover-induced fog. Adam
climbed into bed and scooted up close to him. He felt the hair in John's
armpit and John opened his eyes. He gave Adam a quick peck and said, "Good
morning my cute hunk of studly manliness".

Adam smiled, "Good morning Korn-dog, with a K."

"Oh, so now that we're married it's okay to say what you really think?"

Adam chuckled, "Something like that. Come on, breakfast is on the way get
your arse out of bed."

"I will if you stop feeling up my pit weirdo. I'm definitely gonna draw the
line when you start sniffing it."

John slid his hand into Adam's underwear and felt his lover boy up.

"That's how you feel someone up properly," he said then got out of bed and
made for the bathroom. "We were supposed to have breakfast with Rick and
Chris."

"Oh yeah, I'll call them."

Adam placed the call and told them to throw on jeans and a T-shirt. He said
they weren't showered and cleaned up either and it would be fine to come as
they are. Adam put on a pair of shorts and tossed a pair into the bathroom
for John. They joined Jim and Dave in the living room and waited for the
food and their invited guests.

Adam was standing at the windows looking out at a sparkling Lake Champlain
as the morning sun danced and reflected off the waves. With a slight
hangover, it was hypnotic to witness. John approached him from behind,
wrapped his arms around him and rested his chin on Adam's shoulder.

"What ya thinking Hon?"

"Wondering what we should do today."

"We could fly over to the coast of Maine or take a cruise on Lake
Champlain. There's always Timbuktu, anywhere as long as I'm with you."

"Good God. Knock it off fuzz nuts."

Adam was smiling at his personal nut case whom he loved dearly.

"Where would we land near the coast in Maine? We can't get that mother in
and out of just any airport you know."

"Well, Bush Sr. used to go to Kennebunkport with Airforce One and you can't
get that mother in and out of just anywhere."

"Jesus Christ, are you ever at a loss for words?"

"I'm a font of information; a boundless idea man, your personal walking and
talking encyclopedia!"

"Wacko-pedia is more like it."

"Wacko for you Hon" and he gave Adam a peck on the side of the head and
patted his rump. "So there".

There was a knock at the door and Jim went to answer it. He greeted Chris
and Rick and let them in.

Adam turned around, wrapped an arm around John's neck and hauled him over
to greet Chris and Rick.

"Morning" Chris said. "What ya got there Adam?" He was checking out a
shirtless John and Adam, liking very much what he saw.

"My ball and chain, it's my lot in life."

John wiggled free and clipped Adam on the back of the head then said, "Top
of the morning to you guys".

"Thanks, and the rest of the day to yourself" Chris replied quickly.

John smiled at Chris' remark. It was a little on the trite side but so was
his comment, the boy demonstrated real possibility. He made a mental note
to give Chris another lead-in to test his wit.

Jim answered the knock at the door and let room service in. Adam signed the
bill and they began to dish up breakfast. They were all hungry from
drinking and the light dinner they had the night before.

As they ate, the discussion centered on what to do for the day. They
discussed John's two ideas and a few others. They were split down the
middle; half wanted to take the day cruise on Lake Champlain and half
wanted to go to Maine. In an effort to be democratic about the decision,
they decided to let the parents break the impasse.

Adam knew his mother would probably want to go to Maine like he, John and
Chris. John's parents were the wild cards and Adam asked, "How do you think
your parents will vote?"

"No idea Hon, I wouldn't say one way or the other, I don't have a clue."

"I think Mom will go for Maine. She likes to fly in the King Air and she's
always wanted to go to Maine and the Gaspé Peninsula, Dad would never go
because they didn't have any good golf courses there."

"Let's call them and see which one they prefer. We have to thank your Mom
for the generous wedding gift too."

Adam called his mother and she picked up right away. John was on the
extension in the bedroom and they expressed their sincere gratitude for the
more than generous and thoughtful gift. She said she was happy to be able
to do it saying the money would be Adam's eventually anyway and why not put
it to good use now. Elaine opted for Maine, as Adam predicted, then said
she would be up to their room in an hour and they hung up.

Next, John dialed his folks and told them what was happening. John asked
for his father's vote first knowing he would not go against his wife if she
said that she favored the boat ride.

When the dust settled and the votes were in, Maine had the majority. When
John came back in the living room he high-fived Adam and they both shot
their fist in the air, it was what they both wanted; it was their wedding
and they were footing the bill anyway, they should have their way and they
did.

Everyone dispersed to go about their personal business and agreed to be
back in an hour or less. While John showered, Adam filed an IFR flight plan
for Kennebunkport with FSS. When he finished, he gathered the plates and
glasses placing them on the bus-cart and pushed it into the hallway outside
their door.

John finished in the bathroom and hollered to Adam, "I'm done, it's all
yours”.

An hour later and the gang was on their way to the airport; John and Adam
riding with the parents, Rick, Chris, Jim and Dave in the other
mini-van. Adam used one of the computers in the general aviation terminal
to check the NOTAMS and enroute weather advisories; everything checked out
and a quick call to FSS activated their flight plan.

Adam was first on board and took the pilot-in-command seat, as usual, and
began running through the pilot checklist. John retracted the steps and
sealed the door then gave everyone seating assignments. He was trying to
maximize the weight and balance of the aircraft; it was the first time they
flew the King Air with a maximum payload. He asked if anyone would be
wanting coffee and Ron, Chris and Rick said yes so he prepared and started
the coffee maker before making his way to the cockpit.

On his way forward, he stopped next to Rick and Chris, "You guys going to
be okay?"

"Oh, yeah" Chris said with enthusiasm. "Bring it on."

"Rick? You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"That doesn't sound very convincing. You sure you're okay with this?"

"I've never been in a small plane before. I'll be okay."

John looked at Chris, "Keep an eye on him. I have something for you."

John went to the galley and took an airsickness bag from the drawer. He
opened another cabinet door and found a foil pack of Dramamine; that, along
with a bottle of water he presented to Rick. Rick popped the Dramamine
right away and John was glad he took the pills. He gave the airsickness bag
to Chris and told him to keep an eye on Rick.

"Everyone good? Anyone need anything?"

"It's tight in here," Ron said. His legs were bunched up in front of him.

"Call the office and complain. The crew doesn't want to hear it" John
chuckled.

"Jim, you feel like using Adam's laptop and try to find something to do
when we get there?"

"Sure".

John retrieved Adam's laptop from the cargo area and set it up in front of
Jim. He plugged it in to the proper port and asked Jim to wait until
lift-off to boot it up then made his way to the cockpit and took his seat
next to Adam.

"Everyone's all set".

"Good. This is the first time we've had a full load."

"Yeah, I wonder how much it'll increase our ground roll. I guess we'll know
soon enough."

Adam fired up the engines, one after the other, and the airplane snapped to
attention as the prop-wash moved over the plane's airfoils. Adam had a
penchant for revving the engines a little too much when he started them.

John adjusted the environmental controls. They were not going any higher
than ten-thousand feet so they weren't required to pressurize the
cabin. The flight was under an hour meaning the flight would be basically
up and down, a blood run so to speak. Since the trip was a short IFR hop in
controlled airspace, the workload for the pilot would be heavy, if sitting
on your arse could be construed as heavy work.

Once aloft and in level flight, John said, "Let's give them a little
thrill; nothing dire, just a little fun".

"Okay, what do you have in mind Babe?"

"Nothing like jerking the airplane or pulling a lot of G's, we don't want
Rick or Jim to toss their cookies in our baby."

"What if I were to feather the props when we start our descent?"

"Oh shit, that would be perfect!" John let out a good loud laugh and
slapped his knee. "That's a great idea Hon, son of a gun. That's it, let's
do it."

"Okay" Adam said, he was laughing at his suggestion too.

They both fancied the idea so the plan was conceived and implemented. It
was simple enough, when they began their cruise descent, they would enrich
the fuel mixture and throttle back. At that point, Adam would feather the
props. That meant he would kill the engines and turn the propeller's
leading edge (the same as the front edge of a fan's blade) perpendicular to
the line of flight.

That would effectively freeze the props in place and they would cease to
turn. To anyone that looked, it would appear that the engines were off and
that would be true and accurate. To the casual observer, that should be
more than cause for concern, it should inspire panic; and they both got
excited over the ruse.

To restart the engines would be simple enough. In effect, it would be the
same as starting a car with a manual transmission; all you have to do is
pop the clutch with the car in gear when there was enough momentum. In the
case of the King Air, it didn't need a push; its inertia was enough to
'push start' the engines. It was a grand idea and one they hoped to talk
about for a long time to come; one that was sure to elicit a reaction from
everyone on board.

About twenty-five minutes into the flight, they set their plan in
motion. They wanted to have the affair over before the workload became too
intense to screw around.

"Are you ready?" Adam asked.

"Yup, let's do it."

Adam killed the engines, then he feathered the props and they ceased to
rotate. As soon as the engines were silenced, everyone on board became
aware of the lack of engine noise and vibration, they began to look out the
windows at the stationary propellers in disbelief.

Adam opened the intercom to the cabin and addressed the passengers, "Good
afternoon everyone this is your captain speaking. As you may have noticed,
we have lost power to the port and starboard engines please remain calm. We
have declared a Mayday to air traffic control and received their best
wishes for a safe and uneventful landing. We're going to ditch it on the
interstate highway you see below us. John will be back there momentarily to
manually lower the landing gear. Again I repeat, please remain calm."

John and Adam were laughing their asses off at the imagined scene in the
passenger cabin. They wished they could witness the look on everyone's
face, especially Jim's.

Mary and Elaine immediately made the sign of the cross and looked at their
lap with folded hands. Jim and Rick went white as a sheet and looked close
to passing out, Rick's eyes began to roll up and out of sight as his head
bobbed on his neck like a listless jack-in-the-box. Chris leaned over the
table separating him and Rick and hugged Rick as tight as he could; he was
on the verge of a panic attack but decided he wanted his life to end in
Rick's arms.

Ron was sitting upright and stiff as a board as he looked from one engine
to the other for some sign of life or hope. He had one arm across Elaine's
chest who was sitting on the other side of the aisle and one arm against
the window trying to brace himself.

Dave was sitting with his back to the cockpit. He calmed down and prepared
for the worst, should the landing not go well. In the surreal predicament,
the only sound he heard was the woosh of air moving over the fuselage and
wings of the aircraft. He heard some noise coming from the cockpit too; it
was laughter accompanied with "Oh my God" and "Oh shit" and something else
he couldn't quite make out.

John and Adam were very nearly in tears and close to wetting their pants
with glee and self-pride; they were the Lords of the pranksters and loving
every minute of it. Every time they looked at each other, they would
commence another round of gut wrenching, belly aching laughs. As their guts
ached, they began to wind down from the lack of air and stomach
cramps. They began to regain some measure of composure when the cockpit
door swung open and Dave was standing there with a grin on his face.

He said, "It didn't work dickheads."

John and Adam started laughing again. After a moment John said, "How come
you're white as a ghost then?"

Adam 'kick started' the engines and they roared to life with a reassuring
hum, the props spinning in visual defiance of their now, not so fateful,
fate.

Adam opened the intercom again, "Good afternoon everyone, this is your
captain speaking. We..."

He had to stop and laugh; he was having trouble talking. There were shouts
coming from the cabin like "asshole" which was Jim's voice, and "which
idiot did that?" which was from Chris since Rick was too peeked to
respond. Then Elaine yelled "I'm taking my building back" which made John
and Adam laugh hysterically again, it was too much.

Ron wanted to pound the little shit Adam but decided to wait until they
were safe on the ground; he was relatively sure that John wouldn't pull a
stunt like that. And Mary, well, she was too exasperated to react and not
all together sure they were in the clear; she thanked God for his Divine
Providence.

Dave clipped Adam and John on the back of the head and took his seat,
smiling as he turned to go.

Another twenty minutes and they were parking in front of an FBO at the
airport. John got up to open the cabin door and extend the stairs to the
tarmac. He climbed down and waited for the women so he could assist them in
their descent. One by one, the group exited the airplane.

Adam was last in line and paused at the top of the stairs. He was surveying
the crowd. All eyes were on him. Dave was the only one smiling and it was
an ominous one.

"What?" Adam said with a half grin on his face.

John started grinning and let a chuckle out; he knew his boy was going to
suffer for their little escapade. He found it funny as hell that Adam was
going to pay the price and he was off the hook, scot-free; he wasn't sure
why but not about to question it.

"Get your ass down here son," Ron said. He was actually grinning.

"Yeah asshole, we're waiting" Jim said.

"Come on you yo-yo, we don't have all day," Chris added.

Elaine was watching the scenario unfold and waiting to get her licks in on
her son too.

Now Adam was getting worried. He pushed the button to retract the stairs
and started smiling and waving at the group. When the stairs were almost
fully retracted, he reversed the action and they extended to the ground
again. He took a deep breath, let it out and walked down the stairs one by
one.

As soon as his foot touched the tarmac, Ron grabbed him and wrapped his
arms around Adam's chest and held him firm. Jim punched him in the arm
repeatedly and Adam bent forward as far as he was able. Adam was hollering
to be let go but Ron wasn't having any of it. Ron placed his hand on the
back of Adam's neck and forced him to the ground while Chris kicked him in
the arse and Dave clipped him on the back of the head. Elaine was pounding
his back with her fist, lightly albeit.

Adam was laughing loud between 'ouch' and 'damn that hurt' and other
expletives. At one point, he yelled out that it was John's idea but no one
believed him and John laughed.

John had seen enough of the modest if not mock punishment his boy was
fielding and decided to intervene on his behalf. He walked over and
positioned himself between Adam's redressers and his boy. He bent down to
shield him from the blows and helped him to his feet. With Adam on his feet
and everyone more or less happy with their recompense, they turned to walk
inside while Adam brushed himself off and John combed his hair with his
fingers.

John had his arm around Adam as they brought up the rear.

"Geez Babe, what a bunch of spoilsports." Adam was grinning as he said it.

"You're telling me! Can't take a joke I guess."

"And it was your idea to do something in the first place, how come they
didn't go after you?"

"Cause they know I could never do something like that", John grinned as he
said that, it was the farthest thing from the truth and they both knew it.

"Horseshit", was all Adam said and they both had a chuckle over it.

After a short taxi ride, they split up into three groups the parents as
one, Jim and Dave on their own and Chris and Rick hanging with John and
Adam.

They wandered through town browsing the shops and galleries, window
shopping and stopping to buy on occasion. At one gallery, Adam spotted an
eye catching original oil by a local artist and showed it to John.

He studied it for a few minutes and said he liked it too. He looked at the
back of the painting and noticed the work was titled "Lowlands". It was a
captivating landscape of a field surrounded by mountains with a farm in the
distance and a stream meandering its way through the picture. The colors
were deep and rich against a beautifully depicted sky giving an overall
sensation of serenity.

"You want to buy it?" John asked Adam.

"Yeah, I do."

"Where do you want to hang it?"

"In the living room, it would look great where the poster is now and the
poster can go in the bedroom."

"Fine with me Hon. I really like this picture and I think you're
right. It'll look good in the living room, a lot better than the poster."

Adam found the shopkeeper and bought the picture.

Chris and Rick were impressed with the casual way the guys had made the
decision to buy such an expensive piece of art. While the clerk wrapped the
picture in cardboard, she gave Adam some history about the piece.

It turned out the artist had a nationally renowned reputation and it didn't
surprise John. He knew his boy had expensive tastes, thanks to Elaine.

The rest of the day was leisurely and the flight back to Burlington was
smooth. Adam had to promise Rick there would be no shenanigans before he
would board the plane and Jim promised to kick his ass if there
were. Elaine reminded them that the deal for Butler Aviation's building was
still pending and the guys swore up and down the flight would be uneventful
and pleasant.


They made it back to Burlington safe and without incident and the group was
grateful for that. They left their vehicles with the valet and agreed to
call each other in the morning. John and Adam wanted to be at the airport
by noon at the latest for the trip home and it was agreed.

Chris and Rick thanked everyone for the fun and good time and they
exchanged information and parted company. John and Adam had offered them a
free ride home but they said they would go commercial. That was fine,
welcomed actually, it was a tight squeeze when fully loaded and the plane
would be much easier on fuel without them.

-----------------------------------

They arrived back at the apartment late that afternoon and were happy to be
home, it had been a long expensive and tiring weekend, and it was
comforting to be in familiar surroundings.

"Babe, it was a great weekend but it's so nice to be home." Adam let out a
sigh.

"I hear ya Hon, I'm glad to be home too, it feels good."

John slumped down on the couch and eased himself down on his side. He
pulled a pillow under his head and swung his feet up onto the cushions as
he lie on his stomach with his head hanging over the edge of the cushion.
He was thinking about the weekend, all that had happened and how much it
meant to him.

Adam climbed on top of him and kissed his hunk on the back of the neck. He
held his ring finger up in front of the two of them. John held the hand
with his ring on it next to Adam's and smiled, "Till death us do part Hon."

"Yeah, till death us do part."


To Be Continued