Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 22:58:29 +0100 From: anthony taylor Subject: determined to succeed - chapter 9 Determination to succeed! By Benme_over Edited by Drew Hunt Authors Notes:- This story contains Sex between men. If you are under 18 in the Uk (or appropriate legal age in your country) please stop reading here. If such mentioned material may offend you please stop reading too. This story is fiction and any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence. Though this story may involve unsafe sex (It is only fiction), and I believe in playing safe (look after yourself and your partner). Hope you enjoy my story, and of course please email me with your comments good or bad. It is always nice for us writers to know other's are reading our stories, and know what readers think of the stories as they develop. Benme_over@lycos.co.uk Enjoy!! Chapter 9 The day of the club's opening had arrived, both Jake and I woke up excited that morning. We had our usual breakfast and then we showered. The day was glorious and sunny as usual. We went for a walk along the sea front, and it was amazing how many guys were talking about the opening of the club. I didn't realise that there were so many gay men in Salou, but now thinking about it, there must have been enough for Gary to invest in a gay club here. Jase and I were the first of the staff to arrive at the club, but the others arrived well before opening time. Gary had organised a special effects show for the opening night. Around 7pm the film star arrived in a white stretched limousine. Then the usual official opening of cutting the ribbon took place. The crowd that had gathered outside started to enter the club. I was playing an easy listening sound track but the bars were still kept shut ready for the big launch. I could feel the tension mounting as I faded out the music. Then there was a dramatic silence. Everyone was standing still in anticipation, waiting for something to happen. Then I started playing an instrumental track that sounded really haunting, and still everyone was motionless. Towards the end of the track a voice over said "Get ready for the launch." Then the countdown from ten started. "Ten, nine, eight... Stand by!...Five, four, three, two, one." Then there was a deathly silence as the lights were turned down really low. "Blast off!" came from the voice over in an earth-shattering boom. All the lights started flashing on and off. Then the lights went out and a magnificent laser show began. This signalled the opening of the bars. I started playing the music and the whole club livened up. I could see poor Jake working his arse off behind the bar. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the launch party and it was a total success. The club was the talk of the town even from the straights, they seemed to be a little envious that the local gay community had a far superior nightclub to their own. It was all down to Gary's vision and generosity. Gary was not only in the club business to make money, but also he wanted to allow the gay community to have a really good time too, and he did. At the end of the first night, Jase came up to my dj box just as I'd finished putting all the disks that I used back in order. That's when I got a real shock, a real flash from my past. "Ben this is Steve, the other DJ." Jase said. I turned round to shake Steve's hand, and that was when I realised that it was the same Steve who I'd had sex with in my dad's pub. I stood still, momentarily frozen in place, not knowing what was going on around me. "Well aren't you going to shake an old friends hand Ben?" Steve said bringing me back to the here and now. "What the fuck are you doing here?" I asked Steve as I shook his extended hand. "Oh your the Steve that Ben knew all those years ago? I didn't realise" Jase said as the penny dropped. "That's me," Steve replied. "I'm Jason, Bens partner." Jase said in what sounded like a possessive voice. It was quite clear that Steve's appearance had not only shook my world upside down, but Jase must be feeling insecure too. Of course I had told Jase all about how Steve had helped me through the court case and also John's suicide. I'd told Jase the full story of how my dad had got an injunction preventing Steve from seeing me or even contacting me. Jase was quiet as we took the short walk home. Once we were back in the apartment I sat on the sofa and patted the cushions next to me. "Come and sit next to me Hun," I said. Jase walked over and sat on the spot I'd indicated. "What's on your mind Hun?" "It's just that Steve is about, and I don't want to lose you to him` or anyone else for that matter." He said. I moved closer to him and gave him a reassuring kiss and cuddle. "I love you so much Ben, I'd give my life for you if I had to." I could tell just by his eyes and the tone of his voice that he meant every word of it. "I would do that too Jase. I owe both you and your dad so much, I've never been so happy in my whole life as I am now that I've found you. I'll never let anything come between us." I told him with total sincerity. We kissed and cuddled for a while. Of course we were both getting horny, and I could feel Jase's hard on through his trousers. I stroked his cock through the material, then we unzipped each others trousers and caressed our way into each others boxers, at least I would have done if Jase was wearing any. The absence of boxers gave me easy access to his cock and balls. Of course one thing led to another and we ended up in bed making love and falling asleep. Next morning, I awoke still held in Jase's arms, listening to the soft beat of his heart. I just laid there listening to his breathing, I started caressing his sleeping body allowing my hands to rove all over his soft skin. Jase eventually woke up and we started kissing each other. I sat up and took hold of Jase's hand and I got up and led him into the bathroom. We both walked into the shower cubical, and started soaping each other's bodies. After we had dried each other off and dressed, we ate breakfast talking through the issue of Steve's appearance. Jase seemed much more relaxed about everything, and even hoped that Steve might become a friend to the both of us. I told him that I meant what I said the night before that I wouldn't let anything come between us even if that meant keeping Steve at arms length. "Ben why not invite Steve over for lunch, then we can all go to work together later?" Jase suggested. "I don't know if I'm ready for that yet Jase." "Why not?" "Well Steve's appearance has shook me up a little, its brought everything back to the forefront of my mind" Jase managed to talk me into inviting Steve round for lunch. Of course everything went well. To my surprise both Jase and I got on really well with Steve. He told us that he had met a Spanish guy whilst on holiday in Barcelona. "So where is he?" I asked. "He was a wide boy, and I was foolish enough to fall for all his lies. He left me with nothing. After my holiday ended we kept in touch, and he convinced me to sell up and move in with him in Barcelona, we put the money that I made on the sale of my flat towards a beach bar. Everything worked well at first, we opened the bar" "So what went wrong then Steve?" Jase asked. "Oh its a long story, but I found out that he was selling drugs right under my nose. When I confronted him, he tried to lie his way out of it. But I didn't believe him and I went to the police." " Oh I'm so sorry Steve." Both Jase and I said at the same time. "Well after I returned to the bar, He was gone along with all the money in the business account, leaving me with all the debts that I was unaware of." Steve confessed almost in tears. Over the coming weeks and months, Steve became a close friend to Jase and I. Jase relaxed, and I managed to put my past behind me once more. The club became a really popular gay venue in the area, finally my life was on an even keel. Jase and I gave Steve plenty of support to help him get over the upset and financial strain of his last relationship. About a year later, Steve met another Spanish guy called sol, and managed to settle down with him. I was finally happy and complete, well almost, I still had the ambition of owning my own nightclub to fulfil. Gary was like a father figure to all his staff but especially to the three of us. He was a shoulder to cry on or a rock to lean on when we needed that fatherly support. The Christmas five years later was when Gary announced that he was retiring early and putting the club up for sale. This was due to the ill health of his partner, who had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. We were all dumbfounded at the news, it seemed to have come out of the blue. Gary was always quite secretive about his personal life. It had only been a few weeks since he had been treating us all to his trademarked beaming excited smile. Gary loved mingling with the customers. There had been no sign that he was planning to sell up and move on. "What are we going to do now Ben?" Jase asked as we walked back home after receiving the news. "I don't really know Hun." I replied, equally dumbfounded. "I think we should offer to run the club for Gary, that way he could still retire and we would still have our job's" We phoned Gary and arranged to meet him the next day at lunchtime. "Well guys what can I do for you?" Gary asked when we met up with him. "Gary, Jase and I would like to offer to run the club for you, that way we can all keep our jobs and you can still live a retired lifestyle." I suggested. "That sounds like a tempting offer, but I'm afraid I want out of it all together." He said. Though he seemed to be pondering something over in his head. "Look you've all been very loyal and hard working for me over the last five years, so how about we work out a business plan together, then you can go and see your bank manager, and I'm sure we can work out a suitable price tag for this place" Gary suggested. The very next day we sat with Gary and drew up a very positive and well thought out business plan. Jase and I then took it to our bank manager who hummed and arrred a lot. He then asked us to let him check out our figures. He said he would get back to us the next day. We were on tenterhooks until the phone call came. The bank manager said he had altered a few figures, and if Gary agreed to the changes, the bank would be willing to lend us the money, because they were on a supporting business drive, they were offering free legal assistance on contracts for new customers. "That's typical of bank managers, they always want to squeeze every last drop out before saying yes." Gary laughed smiling at us. "Well boys it looks like we've got a deal, I'll get the ball rolling with my solicitor." We then cracked open a bottle of champagne to celebrate our agreement. Over the following few weeks, we dealt with the legal side of the deal. A month later Jase and I signed the appropriate paperwork. There it was, I had finally reached the goals that I had been working towards, I was now complete. I had a good friend in Steve; and the love of my life in Jase. I'd achieved my final ambition, to be the proud owner of a fantastic gay club. Epilogue It's now 2003. I'm now able to sit down and look back at my life, and see how I managed to maintain my determination to succeed no matter what life threw at me. It has taken me all this time to find my place in life. Finally I've stopped blaming myself for John committing suicide, thanks to Steve my best friend and Jase the love of my life. Jase and I are as deeply in love with each other as we were in the early days of our relationship. We still find it hard to resist each other's seductions, which over the lifespan of our relationship have caused several embarrassing moments where we have been caught with our trousers down so to speak. We still live in Spain, but no longer in an apartment. We have recently moved into a villa that we have had built especially for the two of us, in the south of Spain. Steve has moved back to England with Sol, and I believe he is still a Dj in one of London's top Gay clubs, though we don't contact each other really due to our hectic schedules. Which is a shame as both Jase and I miss him very much. I am sure we will rectify this problem, and find time to catch up with Steve. We've recently opened a second club in Barcelona, and are due to open a third club down here in the south of Spain. And that's where my life story ends, well for now anyway, who knows what the future might hold for me? I don't care as long as I have the love of my life by my side, because without Jase, I'd be half the man I would be without him. The End I will be writing a sequal to Determined to succeed so keep a look out or email me to add your name to my mailing list and i will let you know when i start posting it to nifty. Special thanks to Drew Hunt, who has given me a lot of help on this story, I really appreciate it Drew. Check out Drew's own stories on Nifty including:- Ties that Bind Fireside Romance. Please email me your comments on this story at benme_over@lycos.co.uk