Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 09:05:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: T. Chase McPhee <survivalgame@yahoo.com>
Subject: Natures Trail 07

The story below is a work of fiction, set in the
format of reality. Any resemblances to real people,
alive or in the hereafter, is entirely coincidental in
nature. It is not meant to accurately reflect upon
persons, in towns, cities, countries, nor governmental
areas, which the story is staged. If a sexual scene
involving male-to-male relationships offends you, then
you should not read this story. Additionally, if you
are under 18 years of age, in most state and
countries, you are not allowed to read this story, by
law. Check with your local laws regarding such. %
Sexual safety matters. Remember guys, this is fiction.
In real life, use protection.

%

"Nature's Trail" 07
wriTten by T. Chase McPhee

%

Suddenly, Denis and Mark had been propelled into the
world of responsibility, with the signing over of
Matty's circa 1990 mustang. Berk had found a few
problems, extending from the three years of neglect.
Already the boys were making deductions from the
paycheck of their jobs they had yet to secure. Of
course, Barry stepped in.

"I'll just make a running tally of the `damages'."

"Sure, dad. Thanks," Denis patted him on the back.

Mark, who has shot up in his senior year, to five
feet, eleven inches tall, Denis, six feet, almost
towered over their father, Mark leaning on Barry's
shoulder, eyeing up what his father thought of as
`damages'. A couple of times both boys looked
bug-eyed, gazing at the price of a can of oil, or
other necessary ingredient needed to make the car run
like new.

"I suppose we should throw in a can of car wax."

The teens thought car wax to be `cool', a new way to
spend their Sunday afternoons!

%

"Whew! You guys have tired me out!"

"C'mon, dad-Steve," Diego shouted, "one more race?"

Sitting in his lounge, the victim of scrutiny, by five
pairs of eyes, he couldn't possibly have said no.

"Alright. One more and then you guys are in charge of
getting me a glass of lemonade!"

The bribe worked and soon Steve was yelling, "Ready?
Set... go!" Steve made the biggest splash into the
pool, diving almost straight out, the others jumping
in feet first, then straightening out their lithe bods
for the long haul to the other side of the pool. Of
course, after the thirst-quenching lemonade, Steve was
being pestered again.

"Why don't you go pick on your brothers?" He put in
their ears.

"Yeaaah! Let's get Tom and Eric to race us!" Aidan
yelled out.

For now, Steve was at peace, catching his breath.

%

At the lunch table, Gary scolded Mike, saying, "And I
thought it would the owners I'd catch feeding the pups
from the table!"

"One little piece of turkey meat can't hurt," Mike
told him, smiling.

Neil was working, but Zach was there to say, "The
kennel told us not to feed the dogs people-food,
Mike."

"Oh," Mike seemed to listen to Zach more than Gary,
withdrawing the helping from the second pup.

"That's why they soaked us for a bag of bits and
vitamins," Zach told them.

"Oh, you ain't seen nothin' yet!" Mike says, "Wait til
they have to get shots, then you'll see money change
hands mighty quick!"

"Right," Gary adds, "not to mention heartworm pills,
fleabaths and other unfriendly things."

Zach assures them, "But we're holding up on our part
to walk them."

"So far," Gary replies.

"So, you're not mad that we brought home two, instead
of one?"

"Me?" Gary says. "I'm fine, it's Mike you have to talk
to about the sock they had a tug'o'war with."

"His own fault," Zach claimed, "especially when his
hand was in the middle of the sock, encouraging them!"

All Mike could do was smile, Gary agreeing with Zach.

%

For much of the afternoon, Christian plays
`channel-switching', with the Tv remote, keeping his
feet up. Justin, finishing up on a music composition
assignment, sits back, alerting Christian, "I'm
stuck!"

"Anthing I can help you with, babe?"

"No," Justin relays back to him, putting his hands
behind his head and giving a long vocal sound of
stretching. "I've been at it for three hours and still
can't seem to come to a conclusion." Looking over to
Christian, he spies his feet, still propped up on the
sofa. Going over, he picks up the bare feet and slides
his lap underneath, right away treating him to a
massage.

"Oooooooh that feels soooooo good!"

"I guess being an organist, I have strong hands!"

"What'd you say about your organ?" Christian joked,
grinning.

"Aren't we in a horny mood?"

Matter of factly, Christian says, "The best thing
that's been on the Tv all day, is your reflection!"

"I see and just think, that's been from half my
stomach, up."

"Nope."

"No?"

"Look in the Tv and tell me what you see?"

"Ghostbusters."

"Noooo, look at the reflection,  not the movie!"

"I see you."

"No, look over near the table where you were sitting."

"You didn't tell me to look over there," Justin tells
him.

"Well, look."

"I see a card table and chair."

"What part of the chair can you see?"

"The back and.... oooh, I get what you're driving at."

Christian seductively wiggles his eyebrows.

Reporting back, Justins says, "Well there wasn't any
action going on under the table, if that's what you
mean."

Then, rubbing one foot over Justin's crotch, Christian
says, "Yeah, but I detect something struggling to come
alive!"

Throwing Christian's feet off his lap, Justin says, "I
need some fresh air. Let's go out for a walk."

Christian looked a little pouty, but he knew his lover
had to get his assignment completed before tomorrow
morning.

"I didn't even think to ask how your feet are?"

"Much better since your hands touched them!" Christian
says, smiling.

"Well, we really need to get you some hiking boots
before our next trek."

"I think I'd better wait to see if Michael can give me
full time employment."

"Strange thing," Justin sums up, "probably you will
start working crazy hours and then we won't even be
able to go on hikes."

Christian didn't want to promise anything he couldn't
deliver, so alluded to, "Then that will make our hikes
all the more special."

"I guess," Justin said, still wearing a downer.

"We both need the paycheck, with you in school and me
thinking about taking a few cooking classes at
Degaugue's," Christian says.

"I know," Justin replied. "I'm thinking of going back
to Uncle Seb's store."

"Hey, I got an idea."

"What?"

"Well, with Michael remodeling the dining area, maybe
he'll want some live music. You could play soft tunes
on the piano!"

For seconds, Justin pondered over his lover's idea.

"Well?"

"I'm thinking. I would have to borrow the electric
piano from the church til I could afford my own."

"Well, you think they will let you?"

"Oh sure. Only one that uses it, is me," Justin tells
his lover.

"Then I should mention it to Michael?"

"Sure, but make sure you tell him I play only soft
music. I'm not into heavy rock."

"Me neither. A little disco, okay."

It's a subject the two really never got into, of their
likes and dislikes, so the remainder of their walk
comprised of the field of music.

%

As it happened, Chad and Matty stuck around for the
afternoon, at Bernices, visiting. Halfway through the
day, Max put in calls, to solicit contributions for a
barbecue, to Alberto and Freddie. What it boiled down
to is Freddie, who's expertise was handling menus for
large crowds, divided the preparations down the middle
with Max, leaving Alberto to handling the dessert.
Gathering up some ingredients, he hauled them over to
the Clark-Barr residence, in a laundry basket,
informing Callan and Alonzo of the details.

"So, I hear you make great pancakes?" Max asks.

"Do I now?" Freddie asked, as he peeled potatoes.

"That's what I hear from your two little fans!"

"I surprised myself."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I wasn't sure I was going to get along with
them, but things are going along rosy."

"So I see."

"Oh?" Freddie inquires.

"Diego and Seth's remarks to me."

"About?"

"Asking if I need help... being neighborly."

"Oh right. In some ways I've been kind of hard on
them," Freddie replied.

Max says, "They're not spoiled kids. They've just been
so long without direction."

"As I see. They didn't even know enough to put their
napkin in their laps. But they'll learn!"

"They didn't give you any guff when you told them, did
they?"

"No. They just did it without even saying anything."

"They do yourself a favor, Freddie."

"What's that?"

"Push your luck."

"How's that go?"

"Barry had a little talk with me after church. Seems
the dads want me to pass off some of my obligations
onto the kids."

"Like?"

"Making their own beds, doing their own laundry..."

"Things that makes one self-sufficient?" Freddie asks.

"You got it."

"Hmm... could free up some time for other things."
Freddie was talking in general, adding, "like meeting
a guy... falling in love.. that type of thing."

"I didn't even know you were looking... for a man?"

It broke the ice, kicking Freddie out of the closet.

"I know about you and Berk."

"We don't try to keep it a secret."

"Same with the way I would like to feel, but where
does a guy go to meet guys?"

You can meet a guy anywhere, but you have to put your
self out there, like the nature walk, or church, or
gym, or a club?"

"Club? Wow, I never even thought about going to a gay
club."

Max informs Freddie, "Well, the only gay club in
reasonable distance was destroyed by the mudflow, but
they're rebuilding on the old Donovon's site."

"Donovon's?"

"Currently home to Barr's & Bridges, but they're
closing their doors this week and reopening at a
larger facility."

"I think I'll start with what you mentioned. How does
this `nature walk' pan out?"

"It started out small, but evolved into a bit of a
competition with some cooks. Cooks from the
neighborhood either make purchases, or like the more
competitive ones, draw up their own goodie to feast
on."

Freddie liked the sound of that, saying, "Sounds like
it's right up my alley. I love cooking for large
crowds."

"Sounds like you would be more adept working at a
restaurant."

"Oh, I hope to start working at someone else's
enterprise, then open my own place someday."

"Michael Byrd is in the process of remodeling his
dining room. You might start there. Then again,
there's other restaurants opening up in town, nearby."

"Hmm... maybe I'll look up this Michael."

"He's a really nice guy. He's been in these parts
since he was a kid. `Knows all the locals. By the way,
he's got a partner."

"Oh, well that wasn't the reason..."

"I know. I figured I should warn you anyway."

"Thanks."

"But don't give up hope," Max says, "there's plenty of
men out there. You just have to wait for one to jump
out of the closet!"

Freddie found this be to funny, Max joining in.

"C'mon. Let's get these potatoes on the boil."

"Right. I can't imagine what it would be like to have
a revolt on our hands!" Freddie quips.

%

"I hear, with waiting tables, you can pick up some
good tips," Denis says, throwing a football up in the
air, catching it, as he lays on his bed.

Mark replies, "That's why I've made up my mine."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Forget the Army & Navy and try applying at all the
restaurants," Mark says.

"But we told our dads we would be applying there,
besides what if none of the restaurants take us?"

"Then we have something to fall back on, or we can hit
Chad up for a job at his store."

Mark thought it reasonable, but still he thought about
telling their dads one thing, then doing something
different. So he voiced his opinion, "I think we
should fill out job applications any place they're
asking. Don't forget we're up against other students,
high school and college!"

Denis hugs the football, turns over on his bed and
says, "I didn't think of it from that angle before.
Geesh, I hope we don't get stuck working at the burger
joint!"

"Bite your tongue, Denis!"

%

After checking out the car, Barry went to check out
the pool. Of course he strolled to the water's edge
and did one of his famous cannonballs, throwing water
off in all directions, causing `tidal waves' for the
kids to ride.

"Whoooa that was a big one, dad!" Philip said.

Still standing at pool's edge, Steve says, "I wish I
could make a splash like that!"

Of course he talked of Barry's rounded appearance.
But, getting even, Barry set off a barrage of
splashing, leaving Steve all wet.

"Yeaaaaah! Let's get dad-Steve!" The kids cried out,
splashing away.

Steve could've run away, instead stood up to their
attack mode. After their play, Barry exited the pool
and the kids went back to playing `Marco Polo' with
Tom and Eric.

"Now, what were you saying about my big belly, Steve?"

"I didn't mean anything."

"I know. I just figured I'd give you a hard time,"
Barry said, straddling a lounge chair, then plopping
his bottom down into it. No sooner had he sat down,
then in walks Alonzo and Callan.

Steve turns to Barry, says softly, "Well, well,
well... it's the one that got away!"

"Keep your voice down," Barry told him. "He's a
married man now!" He added a smile.

The two talked about Alonzo, how not so long ago, when
the man was single, the dads tried luring him into
their web. Such a temptation it was at thinking about
three-man sex!

"Sit yourselves down," Barry said to them.

But such came the haggling from the pool, the kids
wanting them to jump right in, they made a detour for
water's edge.

%

"It seems so quiet, without all the hammering,"
Michael says to his lover, lying next to him.

"One more week is it?"

"Yeah. Tony's driving his crew to the limit trying to
meet the deadline. I'd like to get a jump on the other
new restaurants and open before they do."

"Any response to the ads?" Kevin asks.

"For waiter's?"

"Yeah."

"A couple of college jocks who look worthy."

"Of?"

"Carrying heavy trays. Both athletic, if you know what
I mean?"

"Cute?"

"That too!" Michael replies, grinning.

"Hmm, while the cat's away, the mouse will play?"

"Kevin, I'm a thirty-one year old man. I'm `not' into
little boys!"

"I know. I was just joking."

Michael grins, giving Kevin `the business'!

%

First time Steve and Barry are laying eyes on Freddie,
is when he comes to fetch them for dinner. Alonzo,
lying out next to the two, gets up and makes the
introductions. Later, Steve would mention how Freddie
had such a fixation for Barry's bear-bod!

%

Copyright 2007 T. Chase McPhee
This story may not be sold, nor made part of any
collection, without prior consent from the author.

READ my other stories at 'Nifty'
5b & 6c
nifty/gay/beginnings/5b-6c/
FOR SALE BY OWNER
nifty/gay/highschool/for-sale-by-owner/
FOR THE LOVE OF MICHAEL
nifty/gay/highschool/for-the-love-of-michael/
SENIOR CUT DAY
nifty/gay/highschool/senior-cut-day/
STRIPEs
nifty/gay/adult-youth/stripes/
iCONS
nifty/gay/beginnings/icons
ROAD TRIP
nifty/gay/authoritarian/road-trip/
OLD-FASHIONED GOOD WILL
nifty/gay/beginnings/old-fashioned-good-will/
TIDELIGHT ZONE
nifty/gay/adult-friends/tidelight-zone/
BUFFALO BOYS
nifty/gay/authoritarian/buffalo-boys/