Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2022 03:02:00 +0000 (UTC)
From: rw6789@aol.com
Subject: "A Trial Of Strength" - Part 582  by Rob Williams

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH – PART 582 by Rob Williams

CHAPTER 582 – "JAMIE & FELIPE DISCOVER JOY"

IN THIS CHAPTER:

Jamie helps his new immigrant friend Felipe shed his fears as he meets the
men of the tribe. But their personal feelings for each other are
confused. Felipe's former life and his risky trek to escape a hostile
country, were a daily struggle for survival, so his sexuality was
stifled. Until he and Jamie finally share a bed – and Felipe discovers
love and joy for the first time,
______________________________________________________________________

<><> IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER <><>

The young surfer Jamie came across a homeless boy living rough at the
beach.  Jamie later explained to his friends, "He's Hispanic, but his
English is good.  The hell of it is, he's undocumented – he trusted me
enough to tell me that.  He's an immigrant from Honduras and he crossed the
border illegally and made his way all alone up to L.A.

"He loves the beach so he's ... kinda living there, but constantly afraid
the cops will question him and turn him in to Immigration. I gave him some
cash and left him there, but he said he'd be there again tomorrow, he's
always there."

When Jamie told his lover, the tough cop Mark, he warned Jamie against
helping him. "But I can't get the poor kid out of my mind, sir.  I kinda
liked the guy, I gotta do something for him."

"Jamie. There's nothing you can do.  If he were just homeless you could
take him to a homeless shelter.  But there's nothing you can do about his
illegal status. If you get mixed up with the kid you'll find yourself in
trouble too.  Aiding and abetting an illegal alien is a crime and you'll
find your own ass in jail."

But when Mark discussed the problem with a man he loved – Bob, the
co-leader of the tribe – Bob persuaded him against throwing the law book
at Jamie.  "Jamie's a beautiful, wonderful boy with a kind heart.  Your
problem is with the law, Mark ... his is with his heart, full of
compassion. So Mark, let him follow his heart ... please, buddy."

So Mark relented and Jamie went back to the beach the next day, with food
and clothes that the other boys had contributed.  He eventually found the
boy again – his name was Felipe.  They soon struck up a close bond and
Jamie persuaded Felipe to come home with him.

"Jamie, I don't think I've ever met anyone as kind as you, but I don't want
to bring any trouble to you.  I mean, if we got pulled over by the cops, or
something ..."  Felipe lived in fear of the cops, of getting arrested and
deported.

"Dude," Jamie insisted, "you don't have to worry about stuff like that, not
when you're with me.  Please come, Felipe.  I really want to help you
... because I like you, dude.  Simple as that."

Hesitantly, Felipe came with him.  At home Jamie took Felipe straight to
Bob who welcomed him warmly and instantly made him feel at ease.  "Felipe,
I understand if you feel disoriented and a bit nervous but before we do
anything else I want to say a few things to reassure you.

"I realize that your main fear is your immigration status, but I want you
to stop worrying.  I am a lawyer and I have a friend who is a very skilled
immigration lawyer.  Of course, I don't know your details and can't make
any promises, but I feel pretty confident that he will be able to help, he
knows all the angles.

"In the meantime you are safe while you're here.  You'll be staying with us
of course, we have plenty of space and Jamie's apartment is large.  A nice
warm bed for a change.

Felipe fell into Bob's arms and sobbed uncontrollably, his face buried
against Bob's neck. Bob knew this was a catharsis, a merciful release of
all the pain, fear and uncertainty the boy had fought against in the last
weeks.  It was good that he now felt secure enough to let it all out.

"I know, I know," Bob whispered quietly in his ear.  "I can only imagine
what you've been through recently, Felipe, but it's over at last.  You're
safe, among friends.  I promise nothing bad will happen to you here ... you
can start to live again."

Felipe dried his tears, had a long hot shower, and when he appeared,
dressed in the warm shirt and cargo shorts Jamie had given him, Jamie
laughed, "Wow, quite the transformation – the boy cleans up well.  Now
we gotta find you some clean sneakers."

Felipe went to the window, stretched and took a deep breath, as if inhaling
clean air for the first time.  "You have a beautiful garden here," he
smiled. "I used to love gardening, watching things grow."

Suddenly he froze and his eyes opened wide in fear.  "NO ... NO ... the
cops are here."  He whirled on Jamie.  "You promised, you broke your
promise.  You said you were my friend ... I trusted you, Jamie ... I have
to leave."

He rushed from the room and down the stairs.  Bob glanced from the window
and said, "Oh no ... it's Mark, in uniform.  Go after your friend, Jamie."

Jamie bolted from the room, almost fell down the stairs and ran across the
garden to the gate.  Outside he looked frantically in both directions and
saw Felipe in the distance running wildly, barefoot down the hill."

Jamie yelled, "Felipe, no!  Stop.  Please, dude ... wait for me ... I love
you ..."

========= CHAPTER 582 =========

<><> CALMING THE NEW BOY'S PANIC <><>

Jamie's new friend Felipe had a constant fear of the cops.  But when he
came to the tribe's compound Jamie, and the welcoming boss Bob, had
reassured him that he was perfectly safe.

However, looking down from Bob's window Felipe saw a uniformed cop crossing
the garden and imagined that Bob and Jamie had betrayed him. He fled in
panic from the room out to the street.

Jamie chased after him.  In the street he saw Felipe in the distance
running frantically down the hill, barefoot.  Jamie also saw something else
– a small truck that he recognized as the truck of the young redheaded
chef Will, coming back from delivering the pack lunches to the crews on the
construction sites.

Felipe saw it too, coming up the hill towards it and in desperation flagged
it down.  "Help me, please.  Can you take me away from here?"

Will leaned out of the window and looked him up and down.  "What are you
doing barefoot on this hot pavement?  OK, jump in dude before you burn your
feet."  He opened the passenger door and Felipe leapt in.

"Quickly, can you drive me away ... anywhere away from here.  There's a cop
raiding that big house up there, there will probably be more.  He's looking
for me ... Jamie and Bob must have tipped them off."

Seeing Jamie running down the hill toward them Will put two and two
together and chuckled, "Dude, the only cop likely to raid that place is
Mark, and that's only `cos he lives there.  I live there too, and if the
cops ever did raid the house our big boss Randy would have something to say
about that."

Jamie came panting up to the door.  "Felipe, I'm so sorry, I should have
told you.  The cop you saw is my friend, my special friend, and I swear
he's not come to arrest you.  You must believe me, buddy."

Confused and still scared, Felipe looked from Jamie to the redheaded boy, a
smile on his freckled face as he held out his hand.  "I'm Will, I'm the
assistant chef at that house – hence this green apron."  Seeing Felipe
hesitate Will added, "Otherwise known as Mister Rhubarb Pie."

"You?  You baked that pie that Jamie brought to the beach for me?"

"Guilty, your honor. Always a winner that pie.  You liked it?"

"It was delicious ... I've never ..."

"You let me drive you back up to the house and I'll give you another slice
and the recipe.  And no, kid, that's not bait to turn you over to the cop.
I guarantee he's not looking for you, he's looking for Jamie, `cos whenever
he gets home he wants ... OK never mind that. We'll talk later."

"Please, Felipe," Jamie said, still standing at the truck window.  "Please
believe us.  Look at Will.  Is that a face that ever lied to anyone?"

"Jamie," Will said, "cut the crap and get in.  It'll be a squeeze, it's
only a small truck, but we'll make it to the house."

Jamie opened the door and Felipe nervously squeezed up against Will to make
room.  Jamie crowded in beside him and Will drove, with very little elbow
room.  "This is probably illegal but if the cops stop us and give me a
ticket, Mark will fix it for us."

Bob was waiting anxiously at the gate for them as they got down from the
truck.  He wrapped his arms round the nervous boy.  "Felipe, I am so sorry
about that.  I should have explained about Mark before he came home.  Look,
when I said you're among friends and perfectly safe here I meant it.  I
would never lie to you, Felipe – never will."

It was Will who clinched the deal. "Hey, Felipe.  I got a load of empty
containers from the construction sites.  Help me stow them in the kitchen
and I'll give you that recipe."

Will gave Bob a knowing glance, and he grasped the solution.  "Er Jamie, I
think you should go to Mark and ... he just got home from work so ..."

"You're right, sir, thank you.  Felipe, can I leave you with Will in the
kitchen?  Just for half an hour or so.  Maybe you can even help him with
the lunches. It's coming up to crunch time."

Will had already gone to the back of the truck and was wrestling with a
pile of food boxes.  "Hey, Felipe, can you catch that one before it falls."
Felipe ran forward.  "Thanks dude.  If you could bring that pile ... follow
me to the kitchen."

As Felipe piled up the boxes Bob leaned down and whispered in Will's ear.
"You are totally brilliant, Will.  You saved the day."

Will smiled. "You know how busy the kitchen is, sir. We can always use an
extra pair of hands."

Felipe managed a weak smile at Bob and Jamie, and followed Will.  Bob said
to Jamie.  "Great move on Will's part.  Put the boy to work, make him part
of the family.  Now you, young man, go take care of your cop.  You know how
to do that, don't you?"

Jamie grinned, "I think I remember, sir. I get a lot of practice."

<><> PUTTING FELIPE TO WORK <><>

Felipe got another surprise when he followed Will into the kitchen – two
smiling identical twins.  Will said, "Felipe, these are my bosses and my
best friends in the world, Kyle and Kevin.  Only people who can tell them
apart are Bob and me.  Guys, this is Jamie's new buddy Felipe."

The twins beamed and shook hands with Felipe in turn.  "We are so happy to
meet you, Felipe," Kyle said.  "We hope everyone has been taking care of
you.  We heard about the little misunderstanding with Mark.  He can be
rather scary in his cop uniform."

"Guys," Will said.  "Is it OK if I show Felipe around the kitchen?"  He
gave them a knowing raised-eyebrow look and they guessed this had something
to do with the `little misunderstanding' that had frightened him.  They
quickly picked up their cue.

Kevin said. "As a matter of fact, Will, we've almost finished lunch prep
already and were, er, wanting to go upstairs for a while.  It would be
wonderful if Felipe could give you a hand here.  Felipe, it is inexcusable
for us to put you to work in the kitchen, as you are Jamie's newly-arrived
guest.  You must think us very strange."

"No, not at all," Felipe said.  "I loved working in kitchens in Honduras.
Cooking is one of my favorite things."

"Only thing is, dude," Will said, "I'll have to find you some sneakers.
Must wear shoes in the kitchen."

"Oh, I know.  That was the first rule we learned in the Academy – no
bare feet in the kitchen."

"The Academy?" the twins asked in unison.

"Yes The Honduran Culinary Academy in Tegucigalpa.  It's quite, how do you
say, prestigiosa?  Certified by Mexico and France."

"And er, did you graduate?" Kyle asked.

Oh yes.  My diploma is one of my proudest possessions, one of the few
things I still have in my backpack.  I lost most of the rest, or it was
stolen.

"And after you graduated?"

Well, the mission of the school is to prepare young aspiring chefs to work
anywhere, or even to open their own business.  That was my goal but I
... but I ..."

Will leapt in to cover his embarrassment.  "Dude, I have tried so many
times to make Honduran baleadas but I can never get them quite right."

"Oh I can give you a recipe that never fails.  I made it up myself.  I
specialized in Central American cuisine."

"It's a deal, then," Will grinned.  "You get my Rhubarb Pie recipe and I
get yours for baleadas."

"So, it sounds as if we can leave you boys alone, uh?" Kevin smiled.

"Yes please, sirs," Will grinned.  "We can handle it.  Go upstairs and
... do your thing."

"We plan to," they said together, and Kyle kissed his brother Kevin on the
cheek. Much to the puzzlement of Felipe."

They left and Will grinned.  "When the twins know I can take over the
lunches they like to go up to their apartment for a nooner."  Will's
explanation confused Felipe even more.  "Here, I've got a spare pair of
sneakers over here.  And anyone working in our kitchen has to wear this
dark green apron and white chef's hat."

"Felipe put it all on and held out his arms with a smile.  "Perfect," Will
said in admiration. "Now you're a real chef.  OK, see this number on the
board?  There are only twelve for lunch today."

"Only twelve?"

"Oh, twelve's nothing.  Dinner can go up to thirty guys.  The trick is to
keep up our gourmet standards when we're cooking for so many.  So for this
lunch, you, my man, will be my assistant chef, and here's what I'd like you
to do."

They set to work, and it was as if they had worked together for years.
Felipe did not need much explanation, he seemed to know instinctively what
came next.

They had been at it for a while when Bob came in.  He watched them work and
was surprised and pleased.  "Sorry, guys, I don't want to interrupt your
work.  Just wanted to make sure you're OK, Felipe.  I hope you don't mind
being put to work after you just got here."

"Sir, one thing I missed most lately has been working and being useful.
And the kitchen is my favorite place to be. I told you for a while I was
the cook for an English family in Honduras.  That's one reason my English
is so good and I speak it with a British accent.  After they left I made a
little money by going to other people's kitchens and cooking dinner for
them.  I called it my catering job, but it was a bit primitive by your
standards.

Will said, "I do that too as a sideline.  It's different working in strange
kitchens but I got quite good at it.  I have a lot more requests than I can
fill.  Working alone, schlepping lots of stuff around, is really hard."

"Er, is there any more olive oil, Will?" Felipe asked.  "This one's empty."

"The supplies are over here, dude.  We always keep the kitchen well
stocked."

"I can see I must leave you two to it," Bob said.  "I'll ask Tyler and Finn
to set the table outside as always."  As he left he glanced back over his
shoulder at the two boys working happily together.  He smiled with
satisfaction – his mind already working on plans.

<><> SO MANY NEW NAMES <><>

Outside Bob saw that Finn and Tyler were already setting up the lunch table
on the lawn.  He thanked them and went back to his house to call his friend
the immigration lawyer.

Soon Will and Felipe came out carrying trays of plates, breadsticks and
wine.  Finn and Tyler looked up in surprise and Will said, "Guys, this is
Felipe, Jamie's new friend.  And no, he has not been pressganged into
service.  He's like me, his favorite place to be is in the kitchen."

Finn and Tyler smiled and Finn said, "Welcome to the house, Felipe.  It's
about time Jamie found someone for himself – like Pablo found Tyler
here, and Darius has Ryan."

Felipe looked puzzled and Finn added, "Oh right, those names mean nothing
to you yet.  I remember when I first came here I was way confused.  But
you'll get used to us all.  Hey, Tyler, we gotta go get more chairs.  See
you later, dude."

As Will and Felipe laid out the plates and wine bottles Will said, "Finn
was right, Felipe, it takes everyone a while to get used to this place."

"So many names," Felipe said.

"Oh you ain't seen nothin' yet," Will laughed.  "But you'll have Jamie to
take care of you.  And talk of the devil here is, stumbling out of his
apartment." Jamie appeared barefoot and bare-chested in just his red
boardshorts, his blond hair tousled.  He looked, to Felipe, as if he had
just got out of bed."

"Hey dude," Jamie smiled, "sorry to have abandoned you.  I see Will has
already pressed you into kitchen service."

"I didn't need to be pressed, I love it," Felipe smiled.  "It's great to be
in a kitchen again."

Just then Felipe's eyes grew wide with fear and confusion.  From out of the
same door came the cop, the same cop who had scared him so much before,
only now he was stripped to the waist in black uniform pants and high
motorcycle boots. "Jamie, have you seen my blue polo shirt?"

Instinctively Felipe clutched Will's arm but Will held onto him to stop him
running away again, and Jamie hurried to explain.  "Felipe, I want you to
meet my very best friend Mark."

Felipe still held back but Mark gave him a dazzling smile, then startled
him by throwing his arms round him in a warm bare-chested hug. Felipe felt
the cops muscular flesh against him, smelling of sweat and ... some other
musky smell.

"Hi, Felipe, Jamie has been telling me all about you, and I'm real sorry
that when you first saw me I scared you away."

He pulled back and held out his arms.  "See?  No handcuffs, no gun."  He
laughed, "No shirt either – hardly the look of a cop who's gonna arrest
you.  Dude, you're Jamie's buddy, so I'm here to protect you, not arrest
you.  Especially as you seem to be cooking lunch with Will here."

Felipe managed a weak smile.  "Thank you, sir."

"But I can't eat lunch dressed like this, Bob would not approve, so I'm
gonna go change."

"Your blue shirt is in the top drawer, sir," Jamie said.  Mark went back
indoors and Jamie put his arm round Felipe.  But Will said, "Jamie, we
still have lunch to get on the table, so can I have my assistant back,
please?"

"Aye-aye, sir," Jamie grinned.  "Felipe, this man is a tough boss.  Better
do what he says.  I'll see you at lunch."

Will grabbed Felipe's arm and when they were back in the kitchen Will
smiled.  "See, dude, things seem to be falling into place already, I knew
they would.  Now, here comes the crunch where we serve lunch to twelve
hungry, noisy men and boys.  The men working on the construction sites
don't come home for lunch – I take lunch to them.  So the guys here are
mostly those who work in the house or in the adjoining office.  OK, you
ready?"

"Ready and willing, Will.  Just tell me what to do."  This time he managed
a big, confident smile.

<><> JAMIE EXPLAINS THE TRIBE TO FELIPE <><>

Fortunately Felipe was so busy ferrying food to the table that he scarcely
had time to notice the crowd gathering, least of all talk to them.  He kept
his head down and followed Will's instructions.  At last the group was all
seated, and Bob, at the head of the table, stood up and tapped a knife on
his glass for attention.

"Gentlemen," he said, "In Randy's absence it falls to me to give the
customary thanks to our chefs.  And today I have the special pleasure of
introducing a newcomer, Felipe, who has been helping Will as his temporary
assistant – temporary for now anyway.  I will not introduce everyone
here to Felipe as we all know how overwhelming so many new names and faces
can be.  I will just ask our chefs, including the twins, to line up for the
ritual vote of thanks."

Slightly dazed and bemused Felipe took his place between Will and the twins
in the row of chefs, wearing identical dark green aprons and white chef's
hats.  "Follow our lead, dude," Will hissed from the side of his mouth as
Bob said.  "So with now further ado, guys, let's give it up for the chefs."

"The chefs !!"  The cheers were deafening as Felipe copied the others in
raising his hat high, then sweeping it down in a florid theatrical bow.
When he straightened up he was blushing with a mix of pleasure and
confusion.  The chefs took their places at table and Felipe sat with some
relief between Jamie and Mark, who now looked quite different out of his
uniform, in casual shorts and blue polo shirt.

Apart from a few curious glances, the other men and boys left him alone,
knowing from their own experience how overpowering the first day could be.
To help Felipe get through his first meal Jamie engaged him in quiet
conversation.  "Felipe, I should have explained more things to you up
front, without throwing you in at the deep end like this.  I'm glad that
Will was here to keep you occupied in the kitchen."

"He was wonderful, Jamie, and we worked very well together.  We both share
a love of being in a kitchen, and this one is very splendid."

"It has to be, dude, to feed all the hungry mouths in this tribe
... because that's what it really is, Felipe, a loud, loving, complicated
tribe of men ... only men."  He paused, watching Felipe's reaction to that,
but he seemed to take it all in stride."

"Yes, Will told me that this group is just the tip of the iceberg.  At
dinner the chefs can serve at least thirty meals."

"And they do it magnificently.  They take turns during the day, but as our
family has grown they probably need extra help.  Bob is concerned at their
workload."  Again he watched for a reaction and thought he saw a faint
sparkle in Felipe's dark brown eyes.

But then he frowned, as he said in his fluent British-accented English, "It
is all a lot to take in, Jamie, but there is one thing that troubles me.
You see, almost as soon as we met on the beach I knew I wanted to be your
friend, and that desire has only grown stronger the more we're together.
But you have all these other friends, so I see now that I cannot be your
only friend."

"Not my only friend, Felipe, but my special friend.  You will see that most
of the men and the senior boys have, er, special friends."

"Yes, that guy named Finn was really nice but he said something I didn't
understand.  It was something like ... it was time you found someone for
yourself – like Pablo found Tyler for himself, and Darius has Ryan.  I
didn't understand that `for himself' thing."

Jamie chuckled.  "Yeah, like I said, Felipe, it's a complicated structure
of men and boys.  And that's kinda what Finn meant.  When I told you that
most of the men and senior boys have special friends, well, they refer to
them as their boys."

"Kind of like younger brothers?"

"A bit like that, yes.  But they call them their boys."

Felipe frowned again.  "Jamie, I've never thought of myself as anyone's
boy."

"No, and I don't want you to, Felipe.  The guys here have been telling me I
should get my own boy, but that's not what I want.  What I would like is
someone younger than me who looks on me as an older brother."

Felipe's frown turned to a beaming smile.  "I would like that, Jamie, to
feel like your younger brother.  You are – what did you tell me –
seven years older than me?  And I am a total stranger in this country with
so much to learn – if I am allowed to stay.  And, well, I would like to
learn things from you."  Felipe blushed again, thinking he might have gone
too far.

But Jamie reassured him.  "Then that's what we'll be, Felipe – brothers.
There's a saying we have – brothers under the skin.  How does that
sound?"

"Kind of weird and kind of wonderful, Jamie.  I like it a lot.  And, er,
there's something else.  Where does all that fit in with Mark and you?  You
are obviously extremely close and the last thing I would ever want is to
mess up things between you."

"Oh that'll never happen, Mark and I are so close, as you said.  Anyway,
he's been saying for some time he would like me to have a special friend I
can take care of."

"I've noticed you call Mark `sir'.  Does that mean I have to call you sir
... sir?" he grinned.

Jamie laughed.  "I hope you don't ever call me that, dude.  As soon as I
met the fierce cop who wanted to arrest me I called him sir, and never got
out of the habit, even when we became friends ... even when we became
closer friends."

"Yes, I see that.  It sort of fits with you and Mark."

"Actually, speaking selfishly, I'm glad you're here now because tonight
Mark is working the night shift and I hate being alone in the apartment. So
at least you'll be there ... down the hall ... probably."

They let that one sit, as it raised all kinds of questions, and Mark
interrupted.  He had been in close conversation with Bob but now he turned
to Jamie and Felipe.  "Hey, you two," he grinned, "don't monopolize each
other, people will start to talk. Besides, you'll have all night to talk.
I'm glad Jamie will have you to keep him company tonight, Felipe.  When I
work nights I hate leaving him all alone in the apartment.  So you take
care of him, OK?"

"Sir, I think it'll be Jamie taking care of me."

"Yeah, you're probably right, at that, kiddo," Mark said with a satisfied
smile.

<><> FELIPE MEETS THE CONSTRUCTION GUYS <><>

After lunch the men and boys went back to work, and Felipe helped Will and
the twins clear the table and take everything back to the kitchen.  Felipe
loaded the two large dishwashers as the others cleaned up the kitchen to
make it ready for dinner.  But there was always a lull of a few hours
before dinner prep started and now the three chefs sat round the kitchen
table rewarding themselves with a bottle of wine.

Kyle asked, "So Felipe, how about these Honduran baleadas recipes you
mentioned to Will?  You gonna let us in on the secret?  Maybe we could try
them out at dinner tonight."

Felipe smiled, happy to be talking about something where he was an expert.
"Basic baleadas are simple, but in my recipe I throw in all kinds of things
– peppers, extra avocados because they are so good for you ..."

"Hm, sounds delicious."  That was Bob who came in with Jamie.  They had
stayed behind after lunch to talk.  "Er, any chance of two more glasses of
wine?"

"Hm, not sure," Kevin frowned.  "Think we can manage that, guys?"  Felipe
joined in the laughter as Jamie sat next to him and Bob sat opposite.

"Guys, I'm sorry to interrupt your rest break, I know you get way too few
of those.  I'm working on that, by the way.  But I've been telling Jamie
about a phone conversation I had with Alistair, that old lawyer friend of
mine who's an immigration expert.  I invited him to have lunch with me here
tomorrow in my dining room upstairs, but I thought I could tell you now a
few things he mentioned that could be lights at the end of your long dark
tunnel, Felipe.

"I told him about your cooking skills and experience and the diploma you
earned from the Culinary Academy.  He sounded quite positive – mentioned
H-1B visas for people with special skills, and employer-sponsored green
cards, stuff like that.  He was very careful to stress that he could make
no promises, and I reinforce that now.  All I'm saying is to keep your
hopes up, kid."

"Thank you, sir.  I really appreciate you doing all this for me."

"Er, Kyle, did I overhear you say you that, at tonight's dinner, you might
try out these Honduran... baleadas?  Am I pronouncing them right?  I
confess, Felipe, I had never heard of them before, so this'll be a treat.

"And depending on their success, I think it might also be a good idea to
serve them for tomorrow's lunch I'm giving Alistair.  And, no disrespect to
you twins, but I would like it to be cooked and served by Will and Felipe.
Naturally Alistair wants to meet you, Felipe, but I think if he sees you in
action he might get a clearer impression of you than a sit-down interview.
If that's OK with the twins."

"No problem, sir," Kevin reassured him.  "We can easily manage the group
lunch, and we'll take the box lunches to the construction sites."

Bob smiled.  "You know, I've always admired the way you guys all pull
together to help someone.  I love you for that.  OK, so baleadas for dinner
it is."

Before dinner prep began Jamie took Felipe on a tour of the compound and
introduced several more guys on the way.  In the office Felipe was
momentarily surprised to see that the young manager, Brandon, was in a
wheelchair, but he soon forgot about that as Brandon greeted him
effusively, and was obviously totally confident in his role as boss of the
office.

Dinner was in many ways a replay of lunch, only with more people present.
The only group Felipe had yet to meet were the guys working on the
constructions sites.  When at last they appeared for dinner Felipe's
shyness returned – they were a formidable group.

The mechanic Pablo shook his hand and grinned, "Hey, another mestizo in the
clan.  Honduras ain't it?  Us guys have to stick together, dude – you
run into problems, you come see me, kid."

"Or me," said a tall muscular black guy, flashing a gleaming smile.
"Darius is the name.  Welcome, dude ... and that accent is way cute
... what ... a mix of Spanish and British?  Huh, it's about time Jamie
found a guy of his own instead of poaching ours."

As Jamie protested Felipe gulped and stared at the last arrivals.  First
came a wild, shaggy looking construction worker who Will ran up to and
hugged.  "Felipe," he said proudly, "I want you to meet my dad, Seth."
They shook hands, then a big black guy with a shaven head came up to him.
Darius, equally proudly, introduced him as "my man Zack" and Felipe
recalled Jamie saying that most of the men had boys – though Darius
didn't look much like a boy.

Last came a man who both scared and fascinated Felipe – a tall, tough,
muscular gypsy-looking man with stubbled looks, shaggy black hair and
piercing pale blue eyes.  Obviously, from his swagger, he was the boss of
the outfit. With him was a handsome young gypsy boy who must be related,
Felipe thought.  Bob did the honors here.  "Felipe, this is my man Randy.
He and I co-founded the construction company and, I guess, started this
whole tribe thing."

Randy wrapped Felipe in a tight hug.  "Good to meet you at last, kid."  He
stood back and looked him up and down.  "Jamie's boy, eh?  Yeah, you look
as if you'll fit right in dude.  And that posh accent makes you sound like
my man Bob.  Sure beats my Texas drawl for class.  Hey, now we got Southern
Colonial and British Colonial, how about that?"

Randy squeezed Felipe's biceps. "Do you, er, go to the gym much?"

Felipe cleared his throat nervously.  "I tried to in Honduras, sir, but
there were some bad guys there.  And on my long trek north I had other
things to worry about."

"Yeah, Bob told me.  Tough haul, eh?  Well, you're safe here with us.  Any
guy barges in here coming for you has to go through me, and that ain't a
pretty sight.  By the way, we got our own gym here and I coach a lot of the
boys.  I'll set you up with a program and we'll work out together.  You'll
like that."

There were many concerned glances in the group as they knew what Randy's
gym sessions included, especially for newcomers.  But Randy ignored them.
"Hey, this here is my kid brother Ben, ace mechanic with Pablo."  Ben shyly
shook hands with Felipe who was struck by the same intense blue eyes as his
brothers.

The twins arrived to rescue Felipe.  Kyle said, "Er, gentlemen, we need to
drag Felipe away to help serve dinner.  We're serving his specialty this
evening as a special treat for you all, and we need him to add the
finishing touches."

As Kyle led him back by the arm he whispered, "Congratulations, dude, you
survived that.  Always an ordeal to meet everyone like that, but you'll get
used to us.  Now for the baleadas.  Hope they'll be as successful as you've
been, buddy."

<><> HOME AT LAST <><>

They were – a great success in fact.  "What are these called again?"
Zack asked.

"Baleadas, sir, a typical food from my country," Felipe said.

"From what I hear this'll soon be your country, kid."

Even Randy was impressed.  Knowing his taste Will whispered, "I can bring
you a steak if you prefer, sir."

"Nah, that would be an insult to the new kid.  Besides, these things are
real good.  You know how to cook them, Red?"

`I'm learning, sir."

"You kids seem to work well together.  You hoping he'll stick around?"

"Very much sir."

"OK, you want it, Red, I'll make sure you get it.  Or Bob will.  He's good
at all that legal shit."

Randy stood up with his usual loud, "Listen up, guys.  For those of us who
weren't here for lunch I wanna welcome young Felipe, looking cute as a
button in that apron and chef's hat.  So let's hear if for the chefs, guys
– and these new baladeras ... things."

The three chefs and their assistant acknowledged the cheers in the
traditional way, and the dinner was on.  Jamie sat on one side of Felipe,
Bob on the other to make him feel comfortable in this raucous crowd of men.
All the guys had been so friendly toward him that he started to feel like
less of a stranger.

Still, it was something of a relief when the meal was over and he was back
in the kitchen helping the others clear away.  Jamie poked his head in and
grinned, "OK, dude, you ready for your first real warm bed in a long time?
There's one with your name on it."

The twins and Will hugged him and Kevin said, "We won't expect you to help
us with breakfasts, dude.  That's a crack-of-dawn thing and we take it in
turns ... our turn tomorrow.  Besides, you've gotta work with Will on Bob's
private lunch thing tomorrow ... you better be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
for that.  So don't keep him up late, Jamie, after the day he's had today."

As they left, the twins and Will stood at the window and watched them cross
the lawn, Jamie's arm draped over Felipe's shoulder.  Kyle said, "They look
great together, don't they?"

"A perfect match," Will said.

As they strolled across the garden Jamie was saying, "How you feel, dude?"

"I'm not sure, Jamie.  Your friends are wonderful, very kind to me,
especially the twins and Will, but I am relieved to be alone, quietly with
you.  So much has happened.  It's hard to believe that only this morning I
was standing alone on the beach wondering if you would come.

"You came, brought me back here and I met Bob, then I panicked and ran away
after seeing Mark in his uniform.  I was saved really by the kitchen, and
Will putting me to work right away. That made me feel at home, especially
when all those guys welcomed me.  That Randy guy is kind but a bit scary."

"I know what you mean.  He's the big boss, no doubt about it.  But I tell
you this, Felipe, if you ever have a problem with anyone, he is the best
guy to have on your side.  He'll fight like a lion to protect the boys –
and he always wins his fights."

They went into Jamie's and Mark's spacious ground-floor apartment.  "Well
here we are, buddy, home sweet home.  Mark's already left for his night
shift so we have it to ourselves.  Let me give you the tour."

Jamie showed him the main rooms then the master bedroom and the large guest
room down the hall.  "And this ... ta-da ... is yours Felipe.  Like all the
tribe's bedrooms it has a king-size bed, so you'll be warm and comfy here."

Suddenly Felipe threw his arms round Jamie and tears flowed silently down
his cheeks.  Jamie held him close.  "Jamie, you have been so good to me
since we met, it's hard for me to take it all in.  Now I'm finally here I
feel ... sort of scared in a way ... I don't know why ... not scared
exactly ... kind of tingly."

He pulled away and gazed at Jamie through his tears.  "Jamie, you won't
leave me will you?  I have no right to ask, but I ... I kind of need you,
Jamie ... I'm not sure what I'm saying ..."

"Then don't say anything.  Our friendship is not the
here-today-gone-tomorrow kind.  We're in it for the long haul, dude.  Er,
when you said don't leave you ... did you mean tomorrow or ... or tonight?"

"I ... I'm not sure.  This will be the first time I've slept in a real bed
for many weeks.  I `m afraid I'll wake up in the night and panic, not sure
where I am.  It's all been so ..."

"Felipe," Jamie smiled.  "Are you saying you want company in that great big
bed?"

"Yes please, Jamie.  If you don't mind."

"I'd love to, Felipe.  But first, we'll do what Mark and I usually do
before bed.  A drop of brandy.  There's something I want to talk to you
about ... clear something up."

<><> JAMIE & FELIPE TALK SEX <><>

They sat on the small couch and Jamie poured the brandies.  "This feels
really nice, Jamie."

"Yeah, and I don't want to fuck anything up, but I have to explain some
things I should have told you before.  It's about all the guys you've met
here, Mark and me included."

"I was hoping you would get to that, Jamie.  I'm confused about a lot of
things."

"OK, so here it is Felipe.  If what I say makes you feel uncomfortable or
embarrassed just tell me and I'll stop.  I told you earlier that this is a
complicated group of guys here.  I said that most of the men and senior
boys have special friends that they often refer to as their boys.

"But dude, it's not really like father and son or even like brothers."  He
hesitated, then took the plunge.  "It would be more accurate to say that
all those couples, including Mark and me, are lovers."  Jamie paused and
the silence felt heavy.  But he was surprised that Felipe didn't blink, or
even blush.

"Did you hear that, Felipe?  It means that everyone in this house and this
tribe makes love to men.  They have all kinds of sex with each other, they
love each other, and the men take care of their boys and protect them.  Er,
I might as well go for broke, here.  You probably noticed how affectionate
the twins are.  That's because they're not only brothers, they're lovers.
They make love to each other all the time."

Another long silence, and Jamie felt rising panic that he might have
destroyed everything.  He was hugely relived when Felipe's good-looking
features broke into a smile.

"Jamie, I wasn't born yesterday, I kind of figured out it was something
like that.  I could see that special light in the boys' eyes when they
proudly introduced me to their men – a light that you and Mark share, by
the way.  And now that you have been kind enough to explain all that to me,
allow me to tell you something about myself.

"In the last years, and especially in the last weeks, I have experienced
little but negativity – hostility, fear, lies, brutality, a world of
every man for himself.  So you cannot imagine my joy when you brought me to
a world that was none of those things, a world of love, caring, kindness
and joy where men take care of each other.

"It was such a change, I still find it hard to adjust, to believe that
there are no more threats and fears.  That is why, when I first saw Mark in
his uniform, I flashed back on all the bad times and, by instinct, ran
away.  I have done a lot of running away, Jamie.

"Now you will want to know about my own sexuality.  But really there is not
much to tell.  In my world, especially in my weeks-long trek here, there
was no room for love and sex.  I was dealing with life and death, or the
constant threat of it, and I did anything it took to survive.  And sex
reared its head, but not in a good way.

"For instance, there was the truck driver who gave me a lift, and when we
were in the middle of a desert area he stopped the truck and said that if I
didn't thank him by sucking his penis he would make me get out.  So I did.
He was a big burly man – more horny than unkind, and I found I didn't
mind too much.

"Then there was the cop in Guatemala who found me and was going to arrest
me.  But he said he would let me go in exchange for shoving his penis in my
ass.  I agreed, but when he was searching for something in the saddlebag of
his bike, I ran away.  I have never run so fast in my life, knowing that if
he found me it would be very, very bad.  I hid for a day and a night before
daring to resume my journey."

Jamie hugged him.  "Felipe, the story you tell is heartbreaking.  But it
makes me ask something really personal, and if you don't want to answer
I'll understand."

"You mean, what are my own sexual inclinations?" Felipe smiled. "I would
like to tell you, Jamie but I can't.  Not because I'm embarrassed but
because I don't know myself.  I have existed for so long in a world without
love that I have lost sight of who I am.  Oh, some years ago I had a
girlfriend and we made love, of sorts.  But life crashed in and we went our
own separate ways.

"For part my trek I hooked up with another young man in the same situation
as me and we travelled together for a while.  At night we lay together and
hugged, but that was for warmth and companionship.  I cannot remember if I
had an erection or not – it was not important.  A few days later we
wished each other luck and took separate roads.

"But when I say I'm confused about myself, here's something that will
surprise you.  That cop I told you about.  He terrified me, but during the
night, hiding away, the fear diminished and I thought of him.  He was
actually very handsome in his uniform – tall, muscular, with square-cut
features, not unlike your Mark, except he had dark hair of course.

"And Jamie, I wondered what his penis would have felt like inside me and
... and I ... I masturbated and ejaculated."  He smiled.  "Did you know
that masturbation is one way to lessen tension and fear?  And while we're
on the subject of cops, I might as well tell you that before lunch, when
Mark came out of your apartment with no shirt on and hugged me ... I felt
... I dunno, can't explain ... but I felt it."

Jamie gazed long and hard at his new friend.  "So I have to ask you,
Felipe.  I realize we have only known each other for a day, but ... like,
what are your feelings about me?"

Felipe smiled.  "Once again, Jamie, I have to tell you I'm not sure.  Oh,
immense gratitude for all your kindness, of course, and, as I said before,
I'm sure we are friends.  I already told you I like looking up to you as an
older brother, but ... but there's something else too, something I cannot
define."  He laughed.  "That's the tingly part I told you about.  But I
would prefer we not try to explain it now.  Could we wait and see if it
explains itself?"

"Of course we can. Felipe, I would like that.  As we say here, no pressure,
dude.  Hey, listen, it's been a very, very long day for you, from the
Malibu beach to that bed there – and lots of baleadas in between.  So,
another saying you should get used to – `let's hit the sack, dude'."

<><> FELIPE FALLS IN LOVE <><>

Jamie went to the chest of drawers and pulled out two pairs of boxer
shorts.  "I took the liberty of stocking this chest with clothes for you.
Mark buys so many things for me, I have way too many.  And anyway, I
usually hang out in just my red boardshorts and sneakers, and maybe a
T-shirt.  So here, take these boxers to sleep in.

He tossed the shorts to Felipe who modestly turned his back, took off his
cargo shorts and check shirt and pulled on the boxers.  He turned to the
bed, pulled back the covers and smiled, then lay down between the clean,
cool sheets.  "Mmm, this is the height of luxury for me."

Jamie casually got in the other side and chuckled, "And I promise, dude, no
funny business.  I won't even touch you.  G'night buddy.  I'm really glad
you're here."

Jamie turned out the bedside light and the room was illuminated only by the
light of the full moon streaming in through the slatted window blinds.  The
sudden silence was broken only by the muffled ticking of a distant clock,
as they lay back to back, a distance between them.

Minutes went by as they lay with their eyes closed, but Felipe couldn't
sleep.  Maybe it was the newness of the bed, the pent-up tension of recent
days or the closeness of his new friend.  But at last he said, "Are you
asleep, Jamie?"

"No, not yet."  Jamie turned over, so did Felipe and they smiled at each
other.

"Jamie, I'm not sure what you meant by funny business but ... but I would
like to touch you if you don't mind."

"Sure, go ahead, dude, I'd like that."

Felipe reached over and ran his fingers through Jamie's tousled blond hair.
Then he lightly touched his forehead and ran his index finger down the
bridge of his nose, over his top lip to his partly open mouth.  Jamie
pursed his lips slightly against the finger, then giggled and sucked the
finger into his mouth.  Felipe giggled too, then withdrew his finger and
touched it to his own lips.

He blushed slightly, then touched the hollow at Jamie's throat and ran his
fingers down his neck, pushing the sheets back with his forearm.  He stared
at the handsome blond surfer, his naked body lit by moonlight.  "You are
such a beautiful man, Jamie," he murmured.  When he reached his chest he
lightly grazed Jamie's nipples, then continued down over his abs until the
back of his hand brushed against his penis – that was fully erect in his
shorts.

Startled, he pulled back abruptly, but Jamie said," Don't stop, buddy, it
felt so nice."

Emboldened by Jamie's words Felipe leaned forward and licked his nipples
lightly, then rested his cheek on Jamie's chest.  Jamie stroked his dark
hair. "That's it, dude, right where you should be.  It feels so good."

"It feels wonderful, Jamie ... but," he murmured, ... "I felt your erect
penis.  I would like ... to thank you for all you've done ... like I
thanked that truck driver ... No, no, I didn't mean that ... I'm sorry, I
didn't mean to compare you with ..."

"Ssshh, Felipe.  It's all much simpler than that.  Dude, I would never ask
you for sex out of gratitude – those days are over for you.  But I have
a question.  Do you have an erection too?"

Now Felipe blushed deeply.  "Yes ... yes Jamie I do.  I don't know why
... maybe it's ..."

"I told you, kiddo," Jamie laughed, "you're making this much too
complicated.  OK, two guys, really good buddies, are in bed together, one
blond one dark.  They both have hard-ons, and the blond really wants his
buddy to suck his cock.  He's wondering if his buddy wants that too."

"Yes, yes he does ... I mean, I do.  But I'm not very good at it.  The last
time, in that truck ..."

"Hey, hey, will you relax, buddy?" Jamie chuckled.  "Right, we have another
saying.  It may sound a bit crude but I does the trick.  It's ... `shut up
and suck, man'.  Can you stop thinking and just do it ... for me ... for
your buddy?"  Jamie pushed the sheets all the way down, then his shorts and
his cock sprang out, stiff and proud as a flagpole.

Felipe gasped as he gazed at the penis rising up from a tangle of blond
pubic hair.  Now he wanted it.  More than anything else, he wanted to lick
his handsome friend's cock.  With no further hesitation he eased himself
down the bed, leaned over and touched the tip of the cock with his tongue.
There was a fine, sticky liquid oozing from it and for a moment he thought
Jamie was ejaculating.  But when he pulled back, a gauzy thread of liquid
clung to his tongue.

Jamie said gently, "Now you're supposed to put your mouth all the way over
it, dude – as far as you can."

Felipe folded his mouth over the head, and sputtered.  But he took a deep
breath and for the first time felt his friend's penis sliding into his
mouth.  He loved the musky, masculine taste and pursed his lips round the
long shaft.  But when it touched the gag reflexes at the back of his
throat, he choked.

Jamie pulled a little way back and said, "The secret it to relax and
breathe through your nose, kid."  He did so, got the hang of it and pretty
soon settled into a rhythm of pulling slowly back, then pushing down as far
as he could without gagging.  As he got used to it he found he could take
in more and more – and started to love it.

Jamie stared down at the fine Mestizo features, almond eyes, long eyelashes
and short dark hair.  He was a beautiful young man who, for the first time,
was making love to another man's cock.  Jamie loved it, loved the warm
mouth on his cock, loved him, the boy, his buddy.  He loved his eagerness,
his unleashed passion, and realized that he himself was falling in love
... with his new friend ... with Felipe.

He reached down and touched Felipe's cock, which was hard.  Suddenly Jamie
wanted more.  "Wait a minute, dude," he murmured.  Felipe pulled back off
his cock and Jamie twisted round on the bed into a classic sixty-nine
position – his cock still pressing against Felipe's face, while his own
face was inches from Felipe's hard rod.  He licked it, then lowered his
mouth over it.

"Aaahh ... aaahh," Felipe gasped, staring down at the blond hair and
chiseled features, his full lips wrapped round his cock.  He almost came in
Jamie's mouth, but knew instinctively to hold it back while he opened his
own mouth and clamped it again over the surfer's rod.

Hungrily they fed on each other's cock and, for the first time, Felipe felt
the exquisite sensation of giving his friend the same joy that flooded his
own body.  He had never been so close, so intimate with anyone in his life,
and it overwhelmed him.  His body was on fire.  The passion he felt and the
force racing up his cock were so intense that he screamed into the gag of
Jamie's cock and blasted streams of hot juice in his throat.

He felt Jamie shudder and heard him groan.  Then, at last, Felipe savored
the bitter-sweet tase of another man's semen spurting inside him that he
gulped down voraciously.

His body trembled for a long time until he felt Jamie ease away from him,
their cocks sliding out of each other's mouth.  Felipe turned, they came
face to face ... and kissed for the first time, tentatively at first but
building in intensity, their mouths lubricated with the juices of their own
passion. When the kiss ended at last Felipe buried his face in Jamie's neck
and sobbed quietly, with a mix of joy, confusion, and even fear that he
might never feel this intensity again.

Jamie cradled his head and smiled, "I know, I know, kiddo, it's all a bit
of a mystery, but don't try to wrap your mind around it.  Wrap your arms
round me instead.  One more phrase I'll teach you is just `go with the
flow'.  OK, so it feels like a raging river right now, but it'll slow down,
trust me."  He smiled, "And now the next part is generally known as
afterglow."

And so it was in the afterglow of Felipe's first glimpse of passion that
they at long last fell asleep in each other's arms, after a bewildering day
that would change the young man's life forever.

<><> TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE <><>

In the warmth and comfort of Felipe's first real bed in weeks, the new
friends slept soundly throughout the night.  Felipe's fears of waking up
from nightmares of his past were unfounded. Instead, he dreamed elaborate
dreams of his future.

So deeply did they both sleep that it took an intrusion to wake them
... and a deep voice.

"So, this is where you both are.  I thought I'd find you here."

Hazily they opened their eyes to see a uniformed cop smiling down at them.
In a panicky impulse from his past Felipe tried to jerk away but Jamie held
him reassuringly.  "Hello, sir. Welcome home.  Do you want ...?"

"Don't I always, kiddo, when I come home from work?" Mark chuckled.

Felipe started to get out of bed.  "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone
... I'll go make coffee."

"No," Mark laughed, "stay there kiddo.  You belong here now, part of the
family.  And anyway, not often I get two for the price of one.  A hot horny
cop in uniform, two sexy young jocks naked in bed.  You do the math."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 583


Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter turned you on, and I
welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in
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