Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 12:56:52 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: The Castaway Hotel-book 8, chapter 1 Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality. Don't read this story if: **You're not 18 or over, **If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live, **Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex. The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken against violators. I wish to extend my thank you to Emoe57 for his editorial assistance with this chapter, and Art, the real Vinnie and John for their additional input on each chapter. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com. * * * * * * * * Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse. * * * * * * * * The Castaway Hotel-Book 8-by BW (Young-Friends). Copyright 2004 by billwstories Chapter 1 - Worries and diversions. February 2004 Early Saturday morning the phone rang, and seeing I was the only one up, I answered it. "Hi, Dad. It's me Kev. I'm sure you heard about last night and I'm really sorry, but I need to talk to Vinnie. Is he up?" To say the least, I was confused. "Up? He's supposed to be with you." "He didn't come home?" Kevin sounded panicked. "NO! What happened?" "Uh, he came to my room and let himself in...and he kind of caught me and another guy sucking each other off. He dropped his flowers and present for me and drove off. I just figured he was heading home." "Oh, Kevin," I sighed. "How could you? But let's not panic. Maybe he slept in the 4Runner and will come home or come back to confront you today. If he shows up here, I'll call you, but I want you to call me if he comes back there or if you don't hear from him by noon. Either way. Do you understand?" "Yes, Dad, and I'm really sorry. I was just lonely and horny and, well, I let the little head do the thinking for me. Please tell Vinnie how badly I feel and that I really do love him. Tell him nothing like that will EVER happen again, if he'll forgive me. I promise." He was sobbing as he told me this. "Kevin, we'll work on that later, but for now I need to know where Vinnie is. I can't concentrate on anything else! But I'm sure he was just hurt and confused by finding you like that, and I pray he just stayed up there somewhere. Let's just wait until he contacts one of us, before we try to mend fences." "Okay, Dad, but I am really sorry and you wouldn't believe how bad I feel about all of this." "I know, but first things first." I hung up, but I was truly worried, because Vinnie hadn't at least called me. He carried his cell phone with him at all times, so I saw no reason why he hadn't phoned to either tell me what had happened or what he was doing. I even tried to call him, but I only got his message service, so I left him a message to call home immediately. Needless to say, I was beginning to panic, even though I had told Kevin not to. This wasn't like Vinnie at all, and I was worried that the shock of catching Kevin with someone else, and the anger he probably felt as a result of that discovery, might have clouded his judgment and caused him to do something he wouldn't have done, under normal circumstances. When Jake awoke, I expressed my concern to him and filled him in on the details, as I knew them. We decided that if Vinnie didn't show up by noon, either at home or back at Kevin's dorm, we'd go out looking for him. We realized it would be futile to call the police at this point, because he'd have to be missing forty-eight hours for them to even consider doing anything, so we were on our own for the time being. However, for the next few hours, all I could do was to sit beside our phone, occasionally dialing Vinnie's cell number over and over, praying that he was all right. Speaking of praying, that's exactly what Jake and I did, while maintaining our vigil. The minutes seemed to drag on for hours, and word spread through the ranks at the house faster than a computer virus on a broadband Internet connection. As the various members of the family came downstairs and questioned the worried expressions chiseled on our faces, we tried downplaying our fears, but our attempts weren't exactly successful. I guess the boys knew us both too well and saw through our transparent attempt to deceive them. Without telling them exactly what had happened, we explained that Kevin and Vinnie had a misunderstanding and Vinnie took off. I went on to explain that none of us had heard from him since and we were just worried that something might have happened to him. The boys were equally as concerned and they all promised to do whatever they could to help. We thanked them and told them we'd let them know what they could do, and then Jake and I talked about what we might do if no one heard from Vinnie by noon. Almost precisely at noon the phone rang and I prayed it would be the call that lifted this veil of apprehension from all of us. "Hello." "Dad, it's me Kev. I haven't heard from Vinnie yet. Have you?" My heart sank. "No, Kevin. We've heard nothing here either." I could hear him moan slightly. "Dad, this is all my fault and I'm scared something has happened to him. I'll never forgive myself if it has," he sobbed into the phone, and I knew the guilt of his actions was beginning to overwhelm him. "Look, Jake and I are going to drive up there to look for Vinnie and we'll stop by to see you too. I'll have my cell phone with me, so call me if you hear anything." "I will, Dad, and you call me if you find him." He was still choking back his tears but I could tell it wasn't as bad as it was a few seconds before. At least he felt some hope that we were going to search for his lover now. "Kev, I will, and we'll see you in a few hours. We won't be rushing, because we'll be looking for signs of Vinnie along the way, but we will be there before dinnertime. I'll have the boys call me if they hear from Vinnie while we're gone and you do the same." "Okay, Dad. See you in a little while then." I hung up and Jake and I got a few things together and then discussed the upcoming Valentine's Day party with the boys, before we headed out for the Grand Am. We tried to encourage the boys to go ahead with their plans, but they were adamant about waiting for Jake and me to return, so we could join them, even though we told them we probably wouldn't be home until very late. They said they'd wait until Sunday to hold the party then, so we'd be there too, and they said they would contact Aunt Susan and let her know too. Even though we tried to convince them not to wait, we weren't about to change their minds, so we just thanked them and left. Jake and I planned to follow the route we knew Vinnie would have taken, both to go see Kevin and to return home. Even though it would be more difficult once we got to the interstate, we thought we still might be able to see enough to maybe locate him, if he was somewhere along that route. One of us would drive and look, while the other would just sit and scan the entire area for signs of our missing son, but it was all we could think of doing. The drive seemed to take forever, and at one point I thought I saw Vinnie's 4Runner going in the opposite direction, so I dialed his cell phone again to see if it was him. When I got no answer, I assumed it was just a similar looking vehicle and we drove on. Kevin must have been watching for us, because by the time we pulled in the lot near his dorm, he came racing out to greet us. "I'm such an idiot," he announced, as his greeting. "I was a fucking fool to do that in the first place, and then having him see it and hurt him that way...Dad, what am I going to do?" "Once we locate Vinnie, you'll apologize to him and tell him the things you've told us, and I think he'll see how much you really care about him." "I don't think he'll want to listen," he countered, "and I can't blame him. I'm not sure I'd listen to him, if I had caught him cheating on me like that." He was beginning to cry again, so I suggested we go to his dorm room, where he wouldn't draw attention to his situation. I wasn't sure he'd want to have to explain to others who knew him about what was troubling him. It was a very personal matter and sometimes you don't like to discuss those types of issues with others. Once we were in his dorm room, I just held Kevin and allowed him to let all his pain come out. Jake and I later discovered that Kevin's roommate just happened to go home that weekend, and that's why Kevin invited that other boy to his room for a little fun. The fact that his roommate was gone also allowed us a chance to spend some time alone with Kevin, trying to reassure him that everything would be fine. Although he wasn't buying into my arguments, because he felt that Vinnie would never forgive him for what he'd done, I think he was letting go of a little of his pain. About an hour had passed when I suggested we go out to eat before we left, because Kevin had told us he hadn't eaten anything since he tried to catch Vinnie the previous evening. I didn't want him getting physically ill by not eating, so I made him go out with us for dinner, and I made him choose where we'd go, figuring he'd be more likely to eat if he liked the place we went to. He decided he was in the mood for pizza, so we went to a small place not far from the campus. It was a local haunt where the college students loved to hang out and Kevin said the pizza was excellent. We ordered a large pie and let Kevin choose what he wanted on it. I also ordered a side salad and drinks for each of us. Although Kevin was still down, he did eat well. I guess his stomach finally informed him he had neglected it for far too long, so he ended up devouring four slices of pizza and his salad. It was good to see him putting something into his system. Once we finished, I paid the bill, left a tip, and then we took Kevin back to his dorm. Once we returned, I called the house, to see if there was any word on Vinnie and was told they had heard nothing. That made me even more concerned, so I told Kevin it was time for us to go, as we would need to take our time heading back, so we could check along the entire highway, even the exit ramps and rest areas, looking for some sign of Vinnie. Immediately, Kevin begged to go with us, but I told him I didn't think that would be wise, because we weren't planning to make another trip back there, and I didn't want him to miss any classes. "Dad, I'm not going to be able to concentrate or do anything until I've worked things out with Vinnie anyways. So, can't I go back with you? I really need to do this." His face pleaded with me to give in to his request, but I just couldn't do that. "Kevin, I know this is important to you, but you are thinking with your heart, and not your head. You can't afford to take time off from classes now and if we hear anything or locate Vinnie, we'll let you know. In fact, I promise that I'll drive him out here next weekend, so you two can patch things up. Will that help?" Though he looked slightly relieved, I could see he still didn't agree totally with my suggestion. He finally relented by saying, "Okay, as long as you'll make sure he calls me as soon as you find him, because I really need to tell him how sorry I am. Then you have to promise me you'll bring him here next Friday and stay until Sunday afternoon. I have a lot of making up to do with him." "I promise, Kevin, and we'll keep in touch." Jake and I both hugged and kissed him, letting him know that even though he made a mistake, we loved him nonetheless. He walked us out to the car and didn't go back inside until we disappeared from sight, but I knew how depressed he still felt and he wouldn't feel any better until he and Vinnie had worked things out. Jake and I drove under the speed limit all the way back. We searched both sides of the highway, looking for signs of the 4Runner, thinking Vinnie might have been involved in an accident, which hadn't been discovered. However, we saw nothing. We also got off at each exit, driving a little way in each direction, looking for any trace of our missing son or his vehicle. Finding nothing, we got back onto the interstate and continued searching. At each rest area, we would not only stop and look around, but we'd also try to find anyone who might be on duty there, asking them if they'd seen a boy on crutches during the past 24-hours. Try as we might, the best we did was one guard who said he'd seen several men and boys on crutches over the past couple of days, but he could not give us enough specific information to allow us to identify Vinnie as being one of them. Somewhat disappointed, we continued on like that, until we finally arrived back home. Some of the boys came running out to greet us, to see if we'd found Vinnie, and they were as disappointed as we were, when they discovered we had not been successful. They quickly informed us that they had not heard from him either, and now I was really worried, so I decided to seek assistance from law enforcement, but not tonight. It was nearly midnight and I knew we'd all be better off with a good night's sleep, so I sent everyone to bed. We'd go to church tomorrow and pray for Vinnie's safe return, and then I'd call Steve Shay, to see if he knew someone in a position to help us with our predicament. When I went inside, Ted and his Aunt Jane were there, and I'd totally forgotten they were coming. Sammy had called to invite him to be his date for the Valentine's Day party, which thrilled Ted to no end, so his Aunt Jane had taken the weekend off and volunteered to bring him and spend the night, after working things out with his parents. They merely told his parents they were coming to visit us, not that Ted had a date for a party. That was probably wise, though I hate to lie or deceive parents. We got them both set up in a room, as we had plenty of space with all the college boys being away, and they would spend the night and leave after things finished tomorrow, so we'd have to have it earlier than originally planned. We would eat at 4:00, then go on with the other activities, finishing up around 7:00, so they could get home by midnight. Although there were a bunch of protests about not going to church the next morning, my wishes prevailed. The boys wanted to stay by the phone; just in case Vinnie called or returned, but I told them I'd take my cell phone with me, set to vibrator, of course. Once we got to our usual place of worship, I think the boys were thankful I made them come, because we all started praying and found some solace in doing that. Ted and Jane seemed to enjoy going with us, especially in being a part of such a large group that was greeted so warmly by the rest of the congregation. When the service was over, the boys all informed me, in their own way, that they wanted to go home and not to brunch, as we would usually do. This time I gave in to their requests, and Jake said he and some of the boys would whip something up instead, to tide them over until their special dinner. I checked the messages when I got home, but still nothing, so I got on the phone and called Steve. He picked it up on the third ring. "Steve, it's Josh. Vinnie has turned up missing and it's been over 24-hours since any of us have last seen him. Do you know anyone in law enforcement who might be able to help?" "Yes, Josh, I do. But what happened?" "I let Vinnie go see Kevin, but Kevin happened to be entertaining someone else, and Vinnie walked in and caught them in the act. He took off and none of us have heard from him since." "Damn, Josh. I hope he's okay. Look, I know the commander of the local State Police barracks, so let me call him, explain to him my adopted son is missing and then I'll have him contact you for the details. Will that be okay?" "Yes, Steve. More than okay. I'm sorry I let this happen." "Josh, Vinnie's eighteen and a strong-minded young man. He's not easy to rein in, once he's made up his mind, and I know you would never have allowed him to do anything that might be potentially dangerous to him. I'm sure he was hurt over what he saw, and maybe he just can't face any of us yet. Maybe he's just staying at a motel somewhere, trying to cool off and regain his composure." "I hope you're right about that, Steve, but we just drove his whole route, up and back, and not a trace of him. I'm really scared about this. I've already lost two sons and there's no way I could handle going through that again." "Don't worry, Josh. I'd be willing to bet he's fine. Just give it some time and your prodigal son will return. I'll make that call now, so be expecting a call from him shortly. He'll probably want a picture and a description of what Vinnie was wearing, so see if you can get that together in the meantime." "Right, Steve. Will do, and thanks for the help." I hung up and started asking the boys if any of them could remember what Vinnie was wearing when he left. "I'm pretty sure he was wearing his brown corduroy jeans," Graham informed me. "Yeah, he was," Sammy confirmed, "with a black sweater. I remember seeing him earlier in school." "Okay, any idea what shoes he was wearing?" I asked. "Same ones he almost always wears," Cole informed me. "His brown, slip-on Nevados." "Okay, what about his jacket?" "He was wearing his black Old Navy jacket," Trey added. "Okay, I think I have enough for when Uncle Steve's friend calls me. Thanks, boys. This will help a lot." Now all I had to do was to wait for the phone to ring, and that didn't happen right away. It was nearly an hour later, before I got that call. "Hello, may speak to Josh Currie, please?" the voice on the other end of the receiver asked. "Speaking," I replied, though not my usual response. "This is Captain Charles De Luca. I'm in charge of the local State Police barracks and Judge Shay suggested I call you for information. Something about his adopted son disappearing." "Yes, and thank you for getting in touch with me. Steve's my best friend and Vinnie has been living here with me for quite a while." "I won't ask why," he stated dryly, "but I'm going to need some information. What is the boy's full name and description?" "His proper name is Alvin Mitchell Rydell, but he likes to be called Vinnie," I told him. "Wait, I thought this was Judge Shay's adopted son?" I knew why he was confused. "Legally, he is, though Vinnie decided to keep his parents' surname. They were in one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on September eleventh, and he thought he should honor them by keeping their name. Steve understood and agreed." "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, and now I understand. Please forgive me, if I sounded cold and unfeeling earlier." "It's not a problem, so let's get back to Vinnie. He's eighteen, five foot-six inches tall, has brown hair and brown eyes, and he's uses metal crutches. He was born with cerebral palsy and can't get around well without them." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that too," he offered, sincerely. "Do you have a picture of him?" "Yes, I do, and I'll drop it off wherever you wish," I told him. "That won't be necessary. I'll have a car drop by and pick it up. Can you tell me when and where he was last seen?" "Yes. He went to Temple University to visit one of my sons and they had a misunderstanding and Vinnie left. No one has seen or heard from him since. My son is beside himself with worry, afraid that something's happened to Vinnie and it's his fault, because of their disagreement." "We'll probably need to talk to him," he informed me. "I know, but can that wait a bit. My son is really taking this hard. Yesterday, we drove the route Vinnie would have taken to and from Temple, to look for him, and my son wanted to leave school and come with us, so he could help look too. I had all I could do to make him stay there, so I don't want him feeling he should come home again." "We'll do our best to keep that from happening, but we will need to get his take on the boy's demeanor when he left and if he might have noticed anything else, like what direction he was going when he left." "I understand." "What kind of vehicle was he driving?" "He was in a 1998 Silver Toyota 4Runner, Limited 4 X 4, with Pennsylvania D.A.R.E. license plates, number DA 978." "And when was the last time anyone saw him?" "Around 8:00 p.m., Friday evening." "Great! I have all the information I need. I'll fill out a report and get this information out to the field as quickly as I can. Let me give you my home and work numbers, so you can call me if you hear anything from him in the meantime." I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the information he gave me and then I thanked him for his help. After I hung up, I informed everyone about what he told me he was going to do and then we sat down to eat the light meal Jake had prepared for us. Once we had finished our brunch, we had to change our focus and get ready for the delayed Valentine's Day party, which had been originally planned for the previous night. I felt bad that the boys had delayed this, as it was more for them than for Jake and me, but I understood they wanted us to be part of it too. We took the time to make sure everything was set up as we had planned and we knew Susan would be arriving shortly, to begin preparing the meal. I sent the boys up to rest, get cleaned up, and get out what they were planning to wear, and then Jake and I sat down to discuss what other options we might have concerning Vinnie. Susan arrived and began to work her magic in the kitchen, though she brought much with her, having begun her preparations at home. All she planned to do here was to use our ovens to cook everything, and then she'd serve it, along with the drinks. Even though none of us was really in the mood tonight, we knew the efforts she went to, so we didn't want to disappoint her either. Before Jake and I went to get ready, a patrol car showed up to pick up Vinnie's picture. After they left, Jake and I went to take our showers and change, while the food was still being prepared. When we came back out, all the boys were starting to come downstairs, as the smell the food had attracted them and they were hoping they might be given samples. That didn't happen, but I had to admit it all smelled wonderful. I was impressed when I saw the boys. Some of them were dressed in suits or sport coats, while the others were dressed in nice sweaters and slacks. They all looked very handsome. At that point, Cole and Mark left to pick up their dates, and it wasn't long before they were returning with them. After exchanging greetings with the two girls, I apologized to them for having cancelled this event from last night and moved it to today, but they both said they understood and it was no problem. I did notice that each girl was sporting a nice corsage. Mark's date had her corsage fastened to her lovely dress, while Cole had given his date a wrist corsage. I was just about to suggest that maybe we should go in and be seated when Frankie came downstairs, and was I in for another surprise. Even though I knew he wanted to make this a formal affair, I hadn't expected him to rent a tux just to wait on tables, but he did, and boy, did he look awesome. I think both girls noticed that right away, as well. Frankie led us to our places in pairs, and seated us. He had everything set up in advance. There were three card tables, arranged where our large dining room table would normally have been. Each was covered with a nice tablecloth and had a candle placed in the center. The silverware was laid out in its appropriate place and the napkin was folded so it stood up where the plate would eventually be set. Jake and I were seated with Mark and his date. The next table had Sammy, Ted, Graham and Little Ricky, so that Sammy and Graham were on either side of Ted. The last table was for Trey, Dion, Cole and his date. Once we were seated, Frankie lit the candles and Susan took our drink orders. There was wine, beer and mixed drinks for those of age and soft drinks for those who were not. While she went to fetch our desired beverage, Frankie asked us all what dressing we would like on our salad. Before long we were starting on the first course, but still talking between bites. When all the salads had been consumed, Frankie collected our salad bowls, before he returned with the main course, dished out appetizingly on our best china. The Duck L'Orange was moist and had a marvelous flavor. Although I wasn't sure how everyone would take to the asparagus souffle, they all seemed to enjoy it, and the creamed potatoes were wonderfully done as well. I had told Susan that everyone would be allowed one glass of wine with their meal, which they all took advantage of, and I passed my compliments to the chef when she refilled my glass. Once those dishes were cleared, we were asked what topping we would like on our cheesecakes and then they were delivered to the table. The girls cooed seeing the little heart-shaped treats with the red foil Hershey's kisses lined around it, and it was the lightest cheesecake I think I've ever eaten. All in all, it was at least a four-star meal. Once the dishes were cleared and we were finishing our drinks, I began to hear music filtering down from the rec room, and some of the boys began to take their dates back to dance. Jake and I got up to join them, walking into a dimly lit room, with romantic music setting the mood. Although I wouldn't remember every tune they played that evening, some old and some new, there were three that particularly caught my attention. The first was "Valentine", by Martina McBride. At first, I had been surprised to hear a country song, but I guess Cole had taken a liking to this genre of music during our vacation and had been listening to it when he was alone. He was the one who had requested this particular number, and the lyrics went like this. If there were no words, no way to speak I would still hear you If there were no tears, no way to feel inside I'd still feel for you And even if the sun refused to shine Even if romance ran out of rhyme You would still have my heart Until the end of time You're all I need, my love My Valentine All of my life I've been waiting for all you give to me You've opened my eyes And showed me how to love unselfishly I've dreamed of this a thousand times Before, but in my dreams, I couldn't love you more I will give you my heart until the end of time You're all I need, my love My Valentine And even if the sun refused to shine Even if romance ran out of rhyme You would still have my heart Until the end of time Cause all I need is you My Valentine You're all I need, my love My Valentine I found those words to be hauntingly beautiful and so appropriate for the occasion, and I saw some serious cuddling and kissing going on while it was playing. In fact, I think that song was played three or four times during the remainder of the night, as the couples took a special fancy to it too. The second song was an N Sync tune, called "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You." I'm not sure why it caught my attention, because I'm not a big fan of most of those boy groups, except to gawk at them. They seem to be more about show than about the music, but I still seemed to enjoy this particular number. This is how its lyrics went. Can this be true, tell me can this be real How can I put into words what I feel? My life was complete. I thought it was whole. Why do I feel like I'm losing control? I never thought that love could feel like this Then you changed my world with just one kiss How can it be that right here with me There's an angel. It's a miracle. Your love is like a river Peaceful and deep Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep When I look into your eyes I know that it's true God must have spent a little more time on you Oh, a little more time, yes he did, baby In all of creation, all things great and small You are the one that surpasses them all More precious than any diamond or pearl They broke the mold when you came in this world And I'm trying hard to figure out Just how I ever did without The warmth of your smile. The heart of a child. That's deep inside and leaves me purified Your love is like a river Peaceful and deep Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep When I look into your eyes I know that it's true God must have spent a little more time on you Oh, you. yes he did, baby I never thought that love could feel like this Then you changed my world with just one kiss How can it be that right here with me There is an angel. It's a miracle. Your love is like a river Peaceful and deep Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep When I look into your eyes I know that it's true God must have spent a little more time on you On you. God must have spent a little more time on you A little more time on you, oh. The last of the three songs that caught my attention was another country song, again selected by Cole, but once more, it suited the evening to a tee. It was "Breathe", by Faith Hill. These are the lyrics. I can feel the magic floating in the air Being with you gets me that way I watch the sunlight dance across your face and I've Never been this swept away All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms The whole world just fades away The only thing I hear Is the beating of your heart 'Cause I can feel you breathe It's washing over me Suddenly I'm melting into you There's nothing left to prove Baby all we need is just to be Caught up in the touch The slow and steady rush Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be I can feel you breathe Just breathe In a way I know my heart is waking up As all the walls come tumbling down I'm closer than I've ever felt before And I know And you know There's no need for words right now 'Cause I can feel you breathe It's washing over me Suddenly I'm melting into you There's nothing left to prove Baby all we need is just to be Caught up in the touch The slow and steady rush Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be I can feel you breathe Just breathe Caught up in the touch The slow and steady rush Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be I can feel you breathe Just breathe I can feel the magic floating in the air Being with you gets me that way Everyone had been dancing very closely together the whole evening, including Jake and me, and no one stared at anyone else or made any comments, as they were too caught up in paying attention to their own partner. I did let my eyes wander around the room, checking out all my children, and that's how I noticed Frankie dancing with Susan. It was nice to see them enjoying themselves and I think Mark got an extraordinary delight out of seeing that, and I know he thanked Frankie after every one else went home. I got a particular thrill out of watching Ted dancing with Sammy, as this was his first dance and he was a little hesitant at first, but he warmed up as the evening wore on. I was glad his Aunt Jane stayed out of the rec room until after he had gotten started, as she, Susan and Frankie had the same meal we had, but they waited until after we had finished, and ate while we were dancing. By the time she came back to watch her nephew, he had lost all of his inhibitions, and Frankie, Jake, and I all danced with her, as well as with Susan, at various times during the night. It was very nice, but Jake and I did spend most of our time together. In the middle of our dancing, the phone rang, and I raced to answer it, thinking it was Vinnie or news about him. However, it was Kevin calling in to see if we had heard anything. I could tell he'd been crying, probably for most of the day, though he wouldn't confirm that. I knew I'd have a major problem on my hands, if something did happen to Vinnie, and not just with getting Vinnie well. Kevin would be inconsolable and never forgive himself, if something like that were to happen, so I could only pray for both of my boys. After going back to the party, I had to call an end to the festivities around 7:00, as Ted and Jane had to leave and the rest of us all had school tomorrow. I hated to end such a wonderful time so early, but I had to put my role as parent first, and my wanting to continue spending time with my lover behind that. I did get more than a few mild protests, but Jane helped to end the uprising by saying they really did have to go and they would appreciate help carrying their things out to the car. Of course, Sammy and Graham bolted to help them, with Little Ricky in hot pursuit, so my being a miserable ogre was momentarily forgotten. Now, other than Jake, the only thing that occupied my thoughts was Vinnie. 'Where the hell are you and why haven't you called?' I wondered. * * * * * * * * If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at 'BW's Rainbow Youth Connection,' at http://bwsryc.gayauthors.org/ You can also locate my stories by clicking on the Nifty author link and scrolling down to "BW". This will give you the links for everything I have posted there. I also love to hear from my readers and get their reaction to my stories. If you don't mind, please share whatever information you feel comfortable with, because it helps knowing my readers better when I decide what to write or how to gear it. Please email me at bwstories8@aol.com and let me know what you thought, so I can do even better in the future. Thanks, Bill.