Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2003 17:42:56 EDT From: Tulsadriller7@aol.com Subject: Tales from the Ranch, Chapter 47/? Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. If you are offended by descriptions of homosexual acts or man/man relations, please exit this page. TALES FROM THE RANCH Copyrightc 2003 by Tulsa Driller 7. All rights reserved. This is a story of men who have two common interests. You will see that they love the land where they live and work, but it is also the story of young men who love other men and their coming of age in a culture of prejudice and misunderstanding. It is a story, which deals with difficult and often disturbing issues but, nonetheless, issues which must be confronted in today's world. This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. Any similarity to actual persons or events is entirely coincidental. This work is copyrightedc by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author. PLEASE: In a perfect world AIDS doesn't exist. My characters have unprotected sex. I hope you use proper precautions because I'd like you to be around the read the last chapter of this story. Tales from the Ranch Chapter 47: Williamsport - A Haven for Gays Jimmy Bob Jones didn't see Miles Truby sitting in the courtroom. Not that it made any difference; he couldn't have done anything about it anyway. Miles had been standing in the hall and had taken a picture of Jimmy Bob in handcuffs, being led to the courtroom by Deputy Ryan Majors. He slipped into the courtroom after Jimmy Bob was seated, then left as soon as the Judge announced, "Next case". Needless to say, Jimmy Bob's plight had helped Miles Truby's prospects of a new job and better money more than anything else that had ever happened to him. The third story on the 5 p.m. news from the NBC affiliate in Austin was about Jimmy Bob being released from jail without bail. There would be more to come on that story because Miles would soon find out that Jimmy Bob was going to have to beg for a place to stay between then and his trial on November 14th. Sam Arn made some telephone calls and was advised to call the Starlight Motel, as it was the most reasonably priced place in town to rent a room. Al referred him to Slim Dugan, the owner. Slim had been known to help people out who were in dire straits, usually because of a fire or some such tragedy. He didn't know anything about Jimmy Bob except that he was zealous in fighting what he called sin. Yet, Slim had a hard time believing that all the charges against Jimmy Bob were true. He told Sam Arn that Jimmy Bob could stay at the Starlight through the end of his trial and at no cost. Gus Douglas told them he would make arrangements to get Jimmy Bob's personal possessions out of the parsonage the next morning. Sam stopped at the jail to get the small bag of things belonging to Jimmy Bob, which amounted to a change of underwear and socks, two paperback books and the copy of The Book of Common Prayer that Fr. George had given him. Deputy Ryan Majors promised to bring the clothes he had taken home for his wife to launder to the motel the next morning. When they arrived at the Starlight, Al showed Jimmy Bob and Sam to the room next to the one Michael and Pat shared. All the worldly goods Jimmy Bob had at that time, except for the clothes on his back, was the $100 loaned to him by Bret Jenkins, Senior. As soon as Sam left, he walked across the street to the convenience store to buy three large chocolate bars, a super-size bag of 'Corn Curls' and two pints of dip. Then he spied a liquor store across the street in the next block and with great difficulty walked over there to buy a 1.75 liter bottle of the cheapest gin they sold. Sam Arn had left Jimmy Bob at the Starlight at 4:30. He was back in his room after his errands by 5 p.m. There was a glass and plastic ice bucket on a shelf next to the TV set. Next, he set out to see if he could find an ice machine. It was across the driveway, in a small room next to the office. Al watched him come across from his room. He was surprised as he always thought that Jimmy Bob was a younger man, yet he appeared to be in his 60's. He was sitting in a plastic chair that was too small for him, but that was all the furniture in the room except for a bed with a wall-mounted shelf on either side. The TV was sitting on top of a dresser that had 6 drawers in it. The bathroom had a counter with a wash basin, a stool and tub shower. Not much better than his cell at the jail except the bed was softer. He devoured the first of the chocolate bars in three bites. It tasted good. He hadn't had any candy for at least 10 days. Next, he ripped open the sack of Corn Curls and took the lid off one of the containers of dip, sour cream and chives. Ahhh. that tasted good. Jimmy Bob filled the glass with ice cubes and poured a liberal amount of gin over them. Since he was thirsty, he should have drank a glass of water first. The glass of gin went down almost as easily as water and he refilled the glass. He had the curtains open and could see into the parking lot. He noticed that most of the men who were staying there appeared to be laborers, dressed in work clothing of various kinds from denim to actual uniforms of various kinds. Almost all appeared to be in the their early to mid-20's. He had turned on the TV set, mainly for noise, but had channel 36, the NBC affiliate out of Austin tuned in. He wasn't really paying any attention, until he heard something just before the first station break. "Stay tuned for an update on the Rev. Jimmy Bob Jones case." He felt weak. Why wouldn't they leave him alone? * * * * * As Dale was driving Joey to school on Thursday morning, he reminded him that they were to have dinner with Leland Stanton that evening. "Is this about my money?" Joey asked. "In a way. Craig and I have an idea about how to invest some money that we have. Leland wants to talk to us and we want you to explain more about your Computer Lab class, what you are supposed to learn and how the class works." "Neat. You're not going to hire a tutor for us, are you? I mean, Daniel and I've figured some of this out ourselves and we're going to work on my interest program this afternoon in class," Joey replied. "No, nothing like that. Just don't tell any of your friends what we're thinking about. No need to get rumors started, is there?" Dale asked. "I don't even know what you're thinking about, but I appreciate your being willing to help me and some of my pals. "Hey Bud, we're your Dads. You don't think we're going to let you and your friends sink, do you?" "No, of course not. I'm just a little confused about this whole thing. How on earth did Mr. Korte ever get to be a teacher, anyway?" "According to what I heard, they had an instructor lined up and at the last minute he was offered a job in another school system. It was the week before school was to start and Kent Korte was the only person available. Who knows if they were able to check him out before they hired him? You know some people are really intelligent, but can't communicate with other people. Maybe that's his problem," Dale said. By this time Dale had parked in front of the school and they were finishing up their conversation. "Don't forget that while you don't need a suit, I think a nice pair of slacks and sport coat would be appropriate for our dinner at the country club tonight and we're to meet him at 6:30, so allow yourself time to be ready." "I've never been to a country club before. Those are pretty ritzy, aren't they?" Joey asked. "Well, the one here is a nice place and it's run in conjunction with the local yacht club and the golf course. You have to be a member to go there, or to take guests," Dale told him. "And, by the way, this will be a new experience for both of us. I've never been there before, either." Dale smiled at him. "Thanks, Dad. You and Craig are the greatest! See you later," he said as he got out of the Blazer. * * * * * John, Michael and Pat were waiting in the office when Dale arrived at the Bar-W. That was unusual, as Dale was always there first. "Morning guys. Are you ready for another day of riding your tractors around and around?" he teased. "Absolutely. You'd be surprised at all the problems I can solve that way," John laughed. "Yeah, he's come up with a plan for world peace, a cure for cancer, and. figured out his chances for getting laid tonight," Michael teased. Pat laughed and John turned red. Dale thought that was funny, too, and joined them in laughter. John turned serious, although still a little embarrassed. "We talked to Al at the Starlight last night and he said we could move anytime after November 1st. He's pretty sure he has both rooms rented starting the middle of the month and Slim, the owner, wants a chance to repaint the rooms and put in new carpet." "Yeah, we move out and somebody else gets the benefit of a room that looks new," Pat said. "You're getting the benefit of a new room here," Michael reminded him. "Yeah, I guess we are, aren't we?" he said. "Can we go look at the new place this morning?" John asked. "Sure. Why don't you sign your time sheets, go have a look, then drive to the field. Are you going to have much stuff to move?" Dale asked. "Clothes and my TV set," John said. "The same for me," Michael said. "Are we going to have cable TV hookup? I'd be glad to pay for it." "I know they put in the wiring for it, but I'll have to check," Dale said. "I honestly don't know." "I'll be glad to pay my share," Pat said. "I'll find out," Dale said. "If you guys need the use of one of the pickups, you are welcome to use the one you drive to the field to haul your things." "Thanks," Michael responded, the others agreeing. Dale had them sign the timesheets, then they fixed their cooler and thermos bottles and put them in the pickup. John drove them back to the new crew quarters. They hadn't been back there for several days and were surprised to find shrubs planted in the yard and it was obvious that grass seed had been planted. Ray was there and didn't waste any time volunteering to show the guys around their new residence. Ray was particularly taken with John, thinking he was a real stud. There was nothing wrong with Michael, although he didn't seem as self-assured as John. Pat would be his third choice of the men, providing that any of them might be gay and were interested in him. He gave them a quick tour. Rafael and Migel were finishing up the floor tile on the second floor. He explained that the wood baseboard had to be cut and nailed in place on the first and second floors As Michael and Pat started to go to the basement, Ray stopped John. "Didn't you tell Dale that you had some construction experience?" "A little bit. Not a lot. I helped my Dad and brother build two rooms onto his house about two years ago. I know how to frame a wall and I've helped do some wiring and insulation and sheetrock finishing. I'm not very fast," John told him. "Would you be interested in coming to work for my company?" Ray asked. John was hesitant. "I don't know. I like it here pretty well. The work isn't hard and the Williamson's and Dale are great to work for. They treat me really well and we're going to have a nice place to live." "Well, the reason I'm asking is that with a little training on your part, working with my crew to begin with, I could probably make you a pretty good offer. My company has gotten a contract for a big project to build a warehouse and distribution center that is almost 170,000 square feet that will be between here and Austin. Construction is going to start right after Thanksgiving and I not only have to hire at least two more crews; I need two or three more foremen, too. You might be the person for that job," Ray told him, watching his eyes for any sign of interest. There was. "I'm honored that you think I could do something like that. I've always been interested in construction, but in the small town where I came from the local companies weren't hiring inexperienced people, so I never had a chance to even apply," John replied. About that time Michael and Pat came back up the stairs from the basement, clearly impressed with what they had seen of the house and the amount of space they would have when they moved. "We'd better get to work or Dale's going to come looking for us," Pat said. "You guys go on to the pickup. I'll be right out," John told them. As they went out the door, Ray said, "Here's my card. Call me at home tonight after 6:30 p.m. I'll take you out for a bite to eat because I'd like to talk to you, see what you know about construction, what training you need and if we could work out a deal for you. My company pays well and my two partners and I want to expand the company. This could be a great opportunity," Ray said offering his hand to John. "Thanks, Ray. I'll think about this today and I'd like to talk to you. Your company certainly does quality work, even on a place like this that basically is just for the hired-help to live in." "Marty wouldn't allow anything to be built here that wasn't quality construction. This place wasn't built to last for 10 years and then fall down. It will still be here and being used 50 years from now," Ray proudly said. He clapped John on the back as he walked him to the front door. "I'll look forward to hearing from you this evening," he said as John walked to the pickup. * * * * * "What was all that about?" Michael questioned as John sat in the drivers seat. "He was telling me that his company had received a large contract for a large warehouse and distribution center. He's really excited about it and wanted to share the news," John said. "I wouldn't mind working for him," Michael stated. "Aren't you happy here?" Pat asked Michael. "Oh, yeah. Except our work here is pretty much the same all the time. Construction work is a different thing on each project," Michael said. They talked about that all the way to the field where they were working. * * * * * Joey and his friends met for lunch in the cafeteria. It was almost like the gang he belonged to in Houston, where their membership in the Boy Scouts held them together. These fellows were much more diverse in their interests and knowledge as they came from different backgrounds. It was interesting that Joey, Hal and Forrest hadn't known Daniel, Bret and Bryce before, yet all seemed to have become fast friends in a couple of days time. One of the topics of discussion was that Bret had been accepted as a member of the men and boys choir at St. James. Although Bryce's family attended Victory Temple on an infrequent basis, he didn't understand why Bret wanted to attend church elsewhere as his father was the church treasurer. Both Daniel and Hal had seen the previous evenings news broadcast about Jimmy Bob being released from jail. They didn't understand the fine points of the law and seemed to think that because he had been released, they weren't able to prove the charges that had been made against him. Bret Junior was able to set them straight about what had happened, calling it a fluke in the justice system. Then he told them that Jimmy Bob didn't have a place to stay because the church owned the house where he'd lived, his wife had left him for another man and that he had to borrow $100 from his father in order to have a place to stay and something to eat. For once, Bryce didn't have anything to say. * * * * * Dale ate lunch with both Marty and Chris with Mrs. Wood joining them against her protests that they probably wanted to talk business. Marty had told Chris that Dale and Craig were looking into opening a new computer store with service and software training, something not available elsewhere in Williamsport as The Electronic Home offered only a couple of informal training classes. They discussed the computer business and Marty was very supportive and encouraging to Dale. "Leland Stanton has contacts all over the country. I'll bet that he will have several names for you to consider for both general manager and sales manager by this time next week," Marty said. "But we haven't even met yet to talk about this. I don't know if I'll have enough money to even think about something like this," Dale told them. "Let Leland put together a plan and prospectus. He can lay out a business plan, showing several business trends and what the projected profits could be from each," Marty told him. "What about losses? I don't want to put up everything I have and lose it. I know that's a risk of doing business, but if we start small we can grow a little at a time," Dale asked as if he was having second thoughts. "Dale, it's the small operations which can't offer anything that are opening and closing. Leland will tell you the same thing I'm telling you. You have to open with a good inventory in a place that's clean and bright. You have to have computer equipment to sell and you have to service it. You have to have software packages to run on those computers and you have to offer classes for people to attend to learn how to use them. Those customers are going to be the average people off the street, many of who work in the business's you are going to sell computers and software to. They are going to learn to use the computer at work, then think how great it would be to have one at home so they can track their bank account and budget, write letters to friends and relatives and have a calendar to schedule appointments. "We've been hearing a lot about the Internet recently and I think that's something that is going to grow by leaps and bounds as people find out they can access almost any information they want to know about." Marty was enthused, almost to the point of starting his own company. Dale was perplexed. Marty had indicated that a small store wouldn't work. He was thinking that they could probably buy inventory by borrowing money, using his money as a guarantee of repayment along with the sales they could generate. He knew they would have to hire some good people, but again Marty made it sound like Leland Stanton would do a nation-wide search to find the right manager and sales manager. He wasn't sure about this. It's sounded like big business to him and he didn't have the expertise and knowledge for that. I seemed like his good idea was snowballing even before he could talk to a financial advisor. * * * * * Joey and Daniel managed to get the usage of one of the computers during 6th hour in Mr. Korte's class. He had read the names of three people that hadn't accessed his bulletin board the previous day. Daniel had covered for Joey. One of the girls had a problem with the WordStar tutorial. She was sitting at the computer next to Daniel and Joey. Mr. Korte came to her workstation, looked at the problem and told her that she was probably trying to do something that wasn't possible with that program. He left to go back to his desk. Daniel rolled his chair around the low wall separating their workstations. "What are you trying to do?" Daniel asked her. "I changed the margins to make them wider and now the text looks funny. It has all these spaces between words that it didn't have before." Daniel scrolled back up to the top of the document. "Here's the problem. You have the margin justification set to full, so both the left and right-hand margins are even. Did you want that to happen?" "No. How did that happen?" she asked. "I don't know, but you may have accidentally hit a key you didn't mean to push and the program made the changes." Daniel showed her how to take the formatting code out of the document and the screen looked normal again. "That happens when you make the right margins even. The program insets extra spaces between the words to do what is called right-justification, which is to make the right margin even, like the left one. When you take that code out, the document returns to what I think you probably want to see." "Thanks. I'd never have figured that out and Mr. Korte isn't any help at all." "Glad to help you - and you're right, he isn't any help." When Daniel rolled his chair back to the workstation he and Joey were using, Joey said, "I think you are the one who should be teaching this class." "No way, Jose," Daniel laughed. But I think we can add help with WordStar to what we're not going to receive in this class." "You got that right," Joey agreed. The two boys worked together for the remainder of the class. They made pretty good progress on the changes to the program to compute interest, but the program kept halting after they typed in the time period. Finally, just before the bell, Joey discovered that the line of code to calculate the date wasn't right. Unfortunately, the bell rang and that was the end of their time to work. Daniel copied the program to a floppy disk and put it in his notebook. "I'll work on this tonight since you are involved with your Dads," Daniel said. "Hey, guy, you don't have to do this. I'd really like to figure it out myself," Joey said. "That's fine. Do you care if I work on it and if I find the answer to the problem, I won't tell you?" Daniel asked. "Yeah. I guess that'd be cool. I'd just kinda like to do as much of this on my own as I can. it helps me understand what's going on. "Not a problem," Daniel said. "I'm interested in this, too." "I know. I don't have any problem with you working it. But, if you find the answer, just don't tell me what it is unless I ask you for it," Joey told him. "That's cool. You might even come up with a different way of working this than I do, so we're still helping each other." "Hey, man, I've got to get to Phys Ed. Wonder what punishment we're going to get today, other than running laps?" Joey laughed. * * * * * When Joey arrived at home from school, he started on his homework. He didn't have a lot and it all came together pretty quickly. He was reading a chapter of "The Optimist's Daughter" that was written by Eudora Welty when Craig came in. Mitsy was glad to see him, just as she had been glad to see Joey. He sat on the floor so he could play with her; rub her ears, chest and stomach. "How was school today?" Craig asked. "Really good," Joey said. "Daniel and I figured out some of the things my program needs to compute interest so we can complete it. The program kept hanging up, but I think I found the reason why. Then the bell rang and I didn't get to finish it." "Do you want us to buy you a computer right away so you can work at home?" Craig asked. "Well, I'd like to have one, but they are expensive and I'd like to know more about what they can do so we can buy the right one," Joey replied. "You are being smart about that," Craig said. "I need to ask Sherry about using her computer. Maybe she won't care if you work at the office when she isn't there." "I don't want to do that. What if I'd screw up something she was doing in another program?" You have a point there. Well, we'll see how our meeting with Leland Stanton goes this evening. Maybe you can borrow one from our own store," Craig laughed. "Do you think that will happen?" Joey asked. "I mean, it's great that you guys are willing to help me, but it seems like an excessive way to do it." "Don't worry about it. Right now we are just investigating things. It might or might not happen, but this is just between the three of us, right?" Craig asked. "Yeah, I won't say anything because I don't understand all the mystery to begin with. I think it's great that you are trying to help. If Mr. Korte was a good teacher, we wouldn't be worrying about this, right?" Joey asked. "You are right there, but this will all work out and I wouldn't worry about it for now," Craig told him. Dale arrived home at that time. It was time to shower and dress for their dinner and meeting with Leland Stanton. * * * * * Dale, Craig and Joey met Leland Stanton at the Lake Shore Country Club for drinks and dinner. Craig had been there before with his parents as his partner, Don, had a "junior membership" there and Craig had guest privileges. Don had made arrangements for Craig's father to play golf there a couple of times. Joey, of course, was excited about going to the country club. He had never been to one before and was anxious to see what it was all about as it had always sounded really special when some of his friends in Houston talked about going to one with their parents. He wasn't disappointed. Leland was waiting for them in the lounge area and greeted them. He hadn't met Craig before and liked what he saw. He thought Dale had good taste in men and the three of them certainly made a handsome family. "Leland, I'd like you to meet my partner, Craig Bastian. Craig, this is Leland Stanton," Dale said as all of them shook hands with each other. Craig immediately liked Leland and was picking up some vibrations on his gaydar. They settled down for drinks and the cocktail waitress put a couple of dishes of nuts on the table in front of where they were sitting. "I've met your business partner, Don Albrecht," Leland told Craig while waiting for their drinks to arrive. "I've been working with Warren Collins on his new shopping center and have been in several meetings with he and Don." "We're not too far from being able to finalize some of the design work. The two 'anchor stores' have signed contracts with Warren and we're working with them now on their needs. It's a long process, but we should have the project ready for construction bids in another three weeks," Craig told him. Their drinks arrived about that time and Leland directed the conversation to the proposed computer business. "I've done some research into your interests and Williamsport should be a fertile market for a good computer store. There are only three places that are into computer sales here. Those are Best Buy, The Electronic Home and Sears. "Best Buy is only interested in sales and you might get a clerk that's knowledgeable, or you might not. Regardless, if you have a service problem with the computer, it has to be shipped to an authorized customer service center. The other problem is that they cannot customize a computer for you. You buy what they have to offer and then it's up to you to get someone else to install and configure additional hardware, such as a modem. And, that could void any warranty you would get. "Sears is the same situation. I went in there this afternoon and the clerk couldn't tell me anything about the merchandise other than what was on the card attached to it. Again, no service department or training. "The Electronic Home is more of a real computer store, and I talked to a fellow named Dennis today, also. Computers are something they've just added in the last six months. The company started as a distributor for appliances, microwaves, refrigerators, stoves, televisions, home audio systems and things like fax machines, telephones and they are a cell phone dealer. They added computers, but carry very little software and have limited training available to help purchasers of their merchandise." "We've talked to Dennis," Dale said. "Yes, he's very frustrated as he'd like to expand that portion of the business, but the owners are afraid of the market. They don't think it really exists and they are more comfortable selling appliances," Leland said. "Does the market exist?" Craig asked. "Definitely," Leland said. "And it's going to really take off and grow in the next few years. There is all kinds of new technology that's right around the corner. Computers with greater computing capacity, data storage and speed, a new operating system called Windows that allows you to have more than one program open at a time. There are new printers that are super fast and can print in color compared to what's available today. The business market is wide open and ready to buy computers. They don't know what they want or need, so that's where you need good, knowledgeable help for sales, service and installation. "In turn, those who learn to use computers in their working place are going to want them at home, too." Dale had a question. "You talked about new technology. What's going to happen to the computers people have already bought? What do people do with them?" "Ah. that's the beauty of the business. Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. People always want the newest model with all the bells and whistles. They don't necessarily need them, but some of them want to be able to say they have the latest and greatest of anything, whether it be a car, set of golf clubs or computer. The market is self-generating." "You make it sound like people are going to be standing in line clamoring to buy a computer," Craig laughed. Joey was sitting there, taking in all of the conversation. It sounded good to him. "Computers are becoming more reliable and are going to keep getting better, too. The failure rate of chips is declining as they are building them better. Everything is getting smaller so now we have laptop computers that are more powerful than some of the desktop models sold a couple of years ago," Leland enthused. "And all this because we want to help our son ace his computer lab class," Craig laughed. Joey was sitting there with a big grin on his face. "You realize that none of the three of us know anything about computers, don't you?" Dale asked Leland. "So, can the owner of the GM dealership personally overhaul your transmission?" Leland asked them. They laughed together. "Look, I have more research to do on this, but the market is there. The people you need to run the business are out there; we just have to find them. "But I think we are talking about a lot of money here to be able to do this right and we don't have that much cash to put into a venture like this. I was thinking about a small store that has computers for sale, can service them and train people to use them," Dale said. Craig nodded his head in agreement. "How about if I told you that I've found start-up money for you? The people providing the funds are willing to take the risk, then allow you to buy their interest out as the business becomes established. They are willing to back you, but you have to agree to find an aggressive manager who can also make a lot of money in commissions and bonuses. You have to find a good sales manager and establish a service department. It's possible to get the approval to become a service center for some of the large companies, too," Leland said. "This just about sounds too good to be true," Craig said. By this time the cocktail waitress was back with a refill of peanuts and they ordered another round of drinks. "I don't know. I don't like to risk losing someone else's money," Dale said, hesitating. "Dale, there are a lot of people out there who are willing to advance money for ventures like this. Some make a lot of money by buying out a company after it gets started, then reselling it to someone else. These people have made a lot of money over the years doing this. If you fail, and there is no reason to believe that will happen, they write it off their income taxes as an investment that failed. Believe me, a half million dollars or so isn't going to hurt them. They'll strike it rich on the next deal," Leland told them. Dale and Craig were astounded. Joey didn't understand all that was being said, but he knew it involved a lot of money. "Exactly what kind of money are you talking about here?" Dale asked. "I mean, all of a sudden we've switched from talking about us using our own money to start a small business to using someone else's to start a large business." "That's right." Leland pulled some papers out of his folder. "Here's what I've put together. You need a store in an area that has a lot of foot traffic, with plenty of parking. I'd stay away from the mall, but there are several locations in strip centers that would meet your needs. The store needs to be bright and have an 'open design', Craig would know about that, and plenty of display space for the products. You need room for an adequate service department and inventory. You'll need a classroom with equipment for those taking classes to use and you'll need offices for the manager, the sales manager and a general office area." Dale and Craig looked at each other. This was bigger than anything they envisioned. "There are a number of reliable suppliers of hardware and software. I would suggest that you carry as many name brands as you can signup. You're talking about IBM as they are realizing that they are missing a large chunk of business by withholding merchandise to good stores. The other companies are Hewitt- Packard, Compaq and Texas Instruments. "I would also suggest that the service department 'custom build' computers for businesses and individuals. There is a lot of money in that area and you can put your own name on the product and guarantee it with a longer warranty than you can get from the others without buying an extended contract. Generally if there is a problem it's a matter of replacing a board and that's not expensive. You can't be liable for a hard disk crash, but those are becoming more and more reliable all the time. Turn around time on repairs is your big selling point as they don't have to pack up the computer and ship it somewhere, then wait for it to be repaired and shipped back." He handed each of them a copy of the paper he was looking at. "First of all is remodeling, shelving and decor. Then you have rent and utilities, which are lights, heat and air conditioning and telephone. Furniture is a big item, although you would be carrying desks and chairs, so would be able to get them for wholesale cost. Merchandise is a big item, but you will have a line of credit so that's not a big outlay of cash to begin with and sales will take care of cash flow there. "The next expense is salaries for a manager, sales manager and service manager. All three of these people should be on a commission over-ride and a bonus plan. Sales Associates need to be well trained and paid an hourly wage plus commission with sales goals that result in an additional bonus for them. You have to have good people and give them the incentive to sell merchandise. That's where the majority of your sales will come from - generated inside the store. "Selling equipment for a school computer lab will generate volume, but not a great deal of profit. But, it gets your name in front of the students and generates secondary sales for computers for their homes." Dale was reading the figures, as was Craig and Joey. "You're projecting $500 thousand as start up costs?" Dale gulped. "Plus a line of credit for another $100 thousand. You might not ever need it, but it helps your credit rating and makes it easier to buy merchandise," Leland told them. "What about instructors?" Craig asked. "They are hired on a contract basis, but they generally have to be trained. It is fairly easy to find college students and teachers who need to augment their pay. Again, pay them a bonus if they can help generate a sale." Dale was reading on down the page. "You are projecting that we can repay the loan in five years?" "Actually, less," Leland said. "But I wouldn't do that as it could put too much strain on your cash flow. The investors would take a look at the financial statements every month. The people I have lined up are easy to work with and not demanding," Leland said. "May I ask if it's anyone we know?" Dale questioned. "No. Most investors like this operate through a venture capital agreement with a bank department such as mine. They rely on me to put together deals that are beneficial to people like you fellows and themselves. I manage their investments, but they get to see how their money is working for them. It's not a lot different than them buying stock in large corporation, however, they are investing their money locally and that helps Williamsport." By this time they had finished their drinks and the Maitre 'd came to take them to their table. The specialty of the kitchen on Thursday nights was prime rib. They were early enough that there was plenty of "the rare side of the roast" still available. Craig marveled that Joey wanted his portion "rare" also. Most young people couldn't abide the idea, but he remembered that he had an appreciation for beef cooked properly at an early age, too. It just tasted better. Leland was taken with the three men and wished that he could find out more about them, but with Joey along, didn't feel he could be too inquisitive. He knew that Dale and Craig were a couple and that Joey was "their son", but not knowing what Joey might know, he didn't want to ask direct, pointed questions. He hoped that his presentation and discussion hadn't scared Dale and Craig off from wanting to open a computer store, but dammit, they needed to know what it was all about, or he'd be shirking his duties as an investment counselor at the bank. He knew he could make this work and make a lot of money for them, but he didn't want them to feel forced into this business decision. Leland admired Marty and his father. They were very astute businessmen and very wealthy, even if they never invested another dime of their money into a "venture start up company". Marty had advised him to give Dale and Craig whatever was needed (up to $600 thousand) to make this work. How could he convince them this was a "win-win" situation for them? One that could make them very wealthy. * * * * * After thanking Leland for the dinner and his business advice, the three adults and Joey parted company for the evening. "Dad's?" Joey asked as they started down the street. "I didn't understand all of what he said, but it sounded like someone wants you to open a computer store and is willing to give you the money to do it." "That's the way I read it, too," Dale said. "I'm just not comfortable with risking someone else's money. It's bad enough to risk mine, but after hearing what Leland said this evening, we don't have enough of our own money to even consider something like this." Craig broke into the conversation. "I'd feel a lot better if I knew who was willing to back us, but I know there are a lot of wealthy people in Williamsport who can take a risk. The only thing I don't understand is why they don't want part ownership of the company." "I agree. It seems to me that we would be dealing with silent partners who are known only to Leland and that it's Leland we have to trust to guide us," Dale told them. "That's the way I read it," Craig said. "Why don't you talk to Marty and see what his thoughts are on this?" "We talked a little about it today at lunch. He's enthusiastic about this, to the point I thought he was ready to open a computer store himself," Dale said. "We have a lot of thinking and talking to do. Do you care if I talk to Dad about this?" Craig asked. "No, I was thinking about that earlier this evening. He certainly is in a position to know more about this than us. It wouldn't be too late to call him when we get home, would it?" Dale asked. "No. It will only be about 9 o'clock. They always watch the 10 p.m. news, then go to bed, Craig said. * * * * * Frank and Doris were thrilled to hear from Craig, Dale and Joey. They all were on speakerphones and had a good visit. When Dale posed the question to Frank about the computer store and their "blind" investors, Frank assured them that it was the way business was conducted in 1990. "If you have a person from the bank on your side, watching out for you, you have nothing to worry about," Frank told them. They talked a little, and then Frank posed the question. "Would you guys feel any better if I put up the money to help you in this?" "No!" Dale was emphatic. "Why not? It sounds like a good deal to me?" Frank told them. "Because you are a relative," Dale said. Craig agreed. "Then you just answered your own question," Frank replied. "How so?" Craig asked. "Under the terms the investors have come up with, you don't know who they are. That means you don't have to look anyone in the face and say either, 'I'm successful' or 'I failed you'. This is the way business is done right now. It's a drastic departure from when I first entered the business world, but maybe it's better. If the investors have enough money to take a chance on you, they have more money than they will ever be able to spend. By the same token, they don't seem to be as greedy as most who are in a position to help men like you." Joey, of course, didn't understand any of this, but it was an interesting discussion, regardless. "Look, if you can get a copy of an agreement from these people, fax it to my office and I'll run it by one of the partners. But, it looks to me like you guys can only win on this one," Frank said. "Thanks, Dad," Craig said. Dale and Joey echoed their appreciation. * * * * * John called Ray at home about 6:40 p.m. Nolan was attending an evening class that met from 6:30 to 9:00 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and John usually picked him up at the end of the class instead of at his dorm. "You haven't eaten yet?" Ray asked, hoping John remembered he'd invited him to go out. "No," John said. "Good. I told you I'd take you out. I just got home and need to take a shower. Why don't you come to my house in about twenty minutes," Ray told him. "That's fine. Where do you live? "2907 Morningside Court. Do you know where that is?" "Not for sure, isn't it out in the northeast part of town?" John asked him. "Yes. Take Central to 28th Street; turn right and go about 6 blocks to Morningside. Make a left turn and it's the third house on the left side of the street," Ray directed him. "I can find that with no problem. See you about 7 o'clock," John responded, looking at his watch. Ray had worked hard all day and had been on the go continually since picking up Rafael and Migel before 8 a.m. to take them to the Bar-W. He'd had meetings with two architects on a project that was coming up and had also been to the construction sites that his partners, Keith and Andy, were supervising. He hoped that John had enough experience and was interested in working for them. He stripped out of his sweaty clothes, hurriedly showering and was dressed except for putting on a shirt when the doorbell rang. He opened the door to let John in, shaking hands with him. "Make yourself comfortable on the divan. Would you like a beer?" he asked. "Sure, sounds good," John replied, eying Ray. John could tell that Ray's great body came from hard work, just like his own. Ray was moderately hairy with a goodly amount of brown hair covering his pecs and upper chest, narrowing to a thin strip running down the middle, where it spread into a thicker amount surrounding his navel and going on below his belt. Ray disappeared into the kitchen area and was right back with two bottles of Coors. He had already removed the caps and handed one of the bottles to John. "Hope Coors is okay," he told John. "Great. It's usually what I buy." John was looking around Ray's living room. His house was small, but appeared to be fairly new construction in an older neighborhood. The furnishings indicated that only a man lived there, although it appeared the furniture was expensive and well cared for. "Nice place," John told him. "Thanks. The house that was originally on this lot was badly burnt in a fire about 4 years ago. The insurance company didn't come up with a satisfactory settlement, so about a year later I bought the property, tore the house down and built this one." "I assume your company built it?" John said. "Actually, no. They did part of the work, like digging the basement and pouring the walls and floor. I did most of the work myself, but had help when I needed it. We had too much other work for me to have them build this place for me." "I like the open floor plan," John said. "I designed the house myself. There is a full basement, then this floor has a bathroom, living room, dining area and kitchen. Upstairs is a loft arrangement with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. There is a deck off the kitchen and dining area and also one on the second level. It's really not a family home as such, but it works okay for me," Ray told John. "Looks to me like you did a good job in planning it." "Let me put a shirt on, then I'll be ready to go," Ray said. John watched Ray go up the stairs. He thought he filled his Levis well. Obviously, Ray wasn't married. Hmmm. * * * * * Later when Dale and Craig were in bed, they were holding each other in their arms, nuzzling the other, feeling the other become aroused, but in truth neither were thinking about sex at the moment. "What did you think of Leland's presentation?" Dale asked. "He makes it all sound so simple. That's the scary part. I'd feel better if I knew more about how a business is run and could actually step in and run it if I had to, but I'm totally ignorant on this matter. "I know. Me too. It's kind of like we are the people in the middle. Someone is loaning us the money and we're giving it to somebody else and telling them to make it multiply so we can pay back the loan." "Dad's right. the part about not knowing who the investors are. Somehow, it doesn't seem to be quite as much risk when you don't know who's supplying the money," Craig said. "Yeah, we can't look them in the eye, but they sure know who we are. I'll always feel that someone is watching over my shoulder, waiting for me to slip up, then stepping in and taking it away from us," Dale told his lover. "I was just counting up the number of people who could possibly be working for us," Craig said. "It's a little daunting, knowing you are responsible for paying them and keeping them happy." "How many people?" Dale asked. "Let's see. The General Manager, the Sales Manager, the Service Manager, someone to work in the office to cashier, answer the phone, type contracts, etc. Then I assume we're going to have to have at least 5 people to work in-store sales, some people in the service department. at least one to begin with. That's ten people already and that just gets the doors of the store open." "If we are successful, then we start adding more staff and the numbers go up from there," Dale told him. "Yeah, we'd be helping the economy of Williamsport real fast," Craig said. "Do you know what?" Dale asked. "No, what?" "It would be less risk to hire a personal computer tutor for Joey," Dale giggled, attacking Craig's lips with his tongue. That was the end of the discussion. Business quickly gave way to pleasure as they worked on bringing the other to a roaring climax. They made love to the other, taking their time, exploring the others erogenous zones, having a great time doing it. Finally Craig worked himself around to where he was laying on his back with Dale in full-body contact on top of him. Using their mouths, fingers and grinding their crotches together, Dale erupted first, triggering Craig's climax. They hadn't put towels on the bed, so had a mess to clean up, plus themselves. They could put towels on the bed and sleep on top of them. A quick shower took care of the cum that was all over their chests and groins. * * * * * Shortly after Tom arrived home from school, there was a telephone call from Jeremy Houser at the Juvenile Hall in Austin. "Is this Eddie?" the voice said. "No, this is Tom." "Sorry, Tom, this is Jeremy Houser in Austin. I've not talked to you and Eddie on the phone enough to recognize your voices." "That's not a problem. I understand. Eddie won't be home from school for close to another 45 minutes. Is that too late for him to call you?" "Actually, no. In my business I'm on call 24-hours a day. You and Eddie expressed an interest in helping young boys and I have a case where I need a home pretty quickly for a 15-year old boy. He came out to his parents yesterday and his father beat him and then threw him out of their house. He went to a neighbor, who took him to the emergency room because he was bleeding. He has two cracked ribs and a lot of bruising on his face and torso. The hospital kept him overnight to make sure there were no other problems, but he's been released and is in Juvenile Hall right now." "Geeze," Tom said. What did they do to the father? Isn't that a case of abuse?" "He's out on bail. The family has a lot of money and the guy is a respected business man here in Austin, so they probably won't do anything to him, unfortunately." "That makes me sick," Tom told Jeremy. "I know. It does me, also, but our hands are tied for the most part," he said. "What can we do?" Tom asked, still surprised Jeremy was calling them. "Look, I know that you guys haven't met with my boss or been through the workshops, but truthfully, they haven't been scheduled yet. Based on your friendship and recommendation from Chuck and having spent an evening with you last week, I would like to place the boy with you - that is - if you still want to help." "Of course we do," Tom said. "What do we have to do?" "We've worked through the boy's mother and the neighbor who took him to the emergency room. The mother has packed two large suitcases of his clothes along with a couple of boxes of personal things and that stuff is at the neighbors now. "I need to tell you that the boy is from an otherwise good home and has been attending a private 'Christian School' here in Austin. He realizes that if you take him he won't be able to attend school there while he's with you, but is actually looking forward to going to a 'real school', as he puts it. "Do we need to come pick him up?" Tom asked. "No, I need to get a little paperwork accomplished for my boss and the Juvenile Judge to sign, but I could bring him to you his evening, probably about 7 o'clock if that would work for you fellows." "I don't even need to talk to Eddie about this. We've agreed this is something we want to do. I guess we never thought it would happen immediately," Tom told him. "I understand perfectly and I appreciate your being able to do this on such short notice." "How long is he likely to be with us?" Tom asked. "That will depend on his father and if he should change his mind. The judge will probably order counseling, at the very least, but that is no guarantee that it will help him. The boy's mother seems to be willing to help, but she's involved with 'volunteer work' as she calls it and the three children seem to be dependent on a live-in housekeeper to see to it that they get to the various activities they are involved in and that they are fed and clothed," Jeremy said. "That's sad," Tom sighed. "Yes, children are the minor inconvenience of being married," Jeremy said. Tom told him, "It's too bad that the ones of us that really want them have such a tough time making it happen." "That's what I hoped you might say, Tom. You and Eddie seem to be the ideal gay parents and I have a feeling that this will work out for both of you and for Matthew, too. "Anyway, I'll be there with Matthew about 7 o'clock or shortly afterward. I'll have the paperwork you will need to get him enrolled in school, vouchers for expenses you might incur until we can get a card for you. And, most importantly, I'll bring the book that you guys would receive at our workshop." He laughed, "Guess you can call it a 'hands-on learning experience', but I know you fellows will do okay with this." "Thanks for the vote of confidence," Tom said. "We'll do everything we can to help Matthew. I need to ask one question, though." "What's that?" Jeremy questioned. "How is Matthew's attitude? Is he hostile toward everyone?" "Not that I can tell. Actually he seems to be pretty relieved that this has happened. I think, from what he's told me, that this has been building for quite awhile and now that it's finally out in the open he feels it can be dealt with instead of him feeling he was going to be caught, which is what happened. What he wasn't prepared for was his father's reaction and his mother's indifference. "Listen, I've got a ton of paperwork to push through the system in the next hour and a couple of things need the signature of the Juvenile Judge. I'll see you guys as close to 7 o'clock as we can make it. I really appreciate the two of you being willing to take this on and I know you will do fine." "Thanks, Jeremy. We're looking forward to seeing you again and to meet Matthew." * * * * * The connection was broken. Tom stood in the kitchen, wondering if they were prepared for this. He'd forgotten to ask Jeremy if they would have eaten, but regardless, he and Tom had to eat. As he was getting things for their evening meal out of the refrigerator, Eddie arrived home. He greeted him with a kiss and a grin on his face that stretched almost from ear to ear. "Hi, Daddy!" he greeted Eddie. "What?" Eddie questioned, wrinkling his brow. "Jeremy Houser called just a little bit ago. He has a 15- year old boy named Matthew who came out to his parents last night. His father beat him, cracking a couple of ribs and bruising him on his face and body. Then he kicked him out. The boy went to a neighbor, who took him to the emergency room. Charges were filed against the father, but the family is rich and he is out on bail. The boy was in the hospital overnight and now is in Juvenile Hall in Austin. Jeremy needs a place to put him and they will be here around 7 o'clock." "But. we haven't been to their workshop yet. What if we can't do this?" Eddie asked, as much in horror as in surprise. "Jeremy told us that he'd gotten his supervisor to approve us based on his having spent an evening with us, plus Charles' recommendation. Eddie looked at his watch. "We have less than 2 hours to be ready, don't we?" "That's about right. I forgot to ask, but I assume the boy will have had dinner, but we have to feed ourselves, anyway," Tom said. "Yeah, right there. I'm hungry. I didn't really have time for lunch again. Our meeting ran over and by the time I got to the cafeteria all I could get was a sandwich and a salad. What are we having?" he asked. "Meatloaf, baked potatoes, a salad and green beans. Why don't you get comfortable and make sure the second bedroom and bath is ready. Matthew might as well take that room and have his own bathroom." "I don't need to clean up, except to wash my face and hands, but I'll put on some other clothes." He and Tom exchanged a kiss. "Wonder if we'll still be able to kiss each other whenever we want?" Eddie asked. "I don't know," Tom said. Jeremy said he seems to have a good attitude. He's been attending a private 'Christian school' and is looking forward to going to a 'real school' as he told him." "I just happened to think that we've got 2-dozen people coming here Saturday night for a Halloween party," Eddie said, sounding worried. "That's the perfect thing to have happen. All our friends can meet him and he can see that we have a good mix of gay and straight friends that accept us for who we are," Tom told him. "Yeah, guess you are right except there is only one other person his age that will be here and that's Joey. Do you think we should invite someone else his age?" Eddie asked. "That might be a good idea. How about Bret? He already knows some of the people who will be here and he and Joey seem have become good friends pretty quickly. Except we don't know if either of them are gay," Tom said. "Doesn't make any difference. They will be accepting of him and are guys who can introduce him to other kids their age, plus give him some support," Eddie said. He was excited. "Why don't you call and talk to his father and find out if they would approve of Bret coming to the party?" Tom suggested. "Okay," Eddie said, giving Tom another kiss as he picked up the phone. * * * * * "Beth, this is Eddie Thompson. Just fine, how are you? Good. I'm glad to hear that. The reason I'm calling is that the officer from the Juvenile Court in Austin is bringing a young fellow to stay with us for a while. His father beat him pretty badly and kicked him out of their house. He's 15 and will be going to school here in Williamsport. That's right. Anyway, Tom and I are having a big Halloween party and wanted to invite some other kids that are about his age and wondered if you would allow Bret Junior to attend. It's a costume party and will be at our house at 6:30 on Saturday evening. We're serving a buffet dinner at 7:30. Yes. There will be about 2-dozen people here, including the principal of the high school and his wife. (He added that statement to let her know there would be women attending, also). Well, if Bret Senior has any questions, have him call me, but we'd love for Bret Junior to attend as this boy needs friends and we thought he and Joey Sullivan could help introduce him to others in their high school. Okay, thanks Beth. We'll look forward to Bret Junior being at the party. Yes, you're very welcome. Goodbye to you, too." Eddie looked at Tom. "I think it's all set. She thought it would be okay with Bret Senior but I told her to have him call if he had any questions." "Great, I hope they allow him to attend. He'll be a good person for Matthew to know. I just hope the three of them like each other," Tom said. "I do, too, but we can only help Matthew make the contacts. The rest is up to him and Joey and Bret," Eddie told him. "Hon, you're going to make an excellent Dad for this guy." "So are you, Tom. So are you," Eddie said, giving him a toe- tingling kiss that almost made him drop the bowl of meatloaf he was mixing up. * * * * * (To be continued) * * * * * AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for all the feedback on previous chapters. I would appreciate your comments, criticism, suggestions, and anything else that you would care to say. All Email will be answered. If you wish to receive e-mail notification of subsequent postings, please let me know by sending your request to the following e-mail address: TulsaDriller7@aol.com Thanks for Paul Daventon for his help in proofing and suggestions. Also to "Joey" for his comments and help, too. Have a great July 4th Holiday.