Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2022 16:54:55 -0700
From: Spike Meyers <spikemeyers@gmail.com>
Subject: My New Apprentice 01

Preamble

Date: 08/21/2022

Author: Spike Meyers

E-Mail: SpikeMeyers@gmail.com

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Notice: This story is a work of fiction and may contain explicit sex
between adult male(s), sex between adult male(s) and male minor(s), sex
between minors, incest, and sexual fetish. If you are offended by such
material, do not read this work of fiction.  The character(s) in this work
of fiction is/are not based on any known person(s).

My New Apprentice
01

I was on my way to Staples to buy a new cash register.  I volunteer one day
a week for an animal rescue.  They have a small thrift store and our cash
register is on its way out.  I have learned over this past month that if I
power it down and let it sit for five minutes or so it will start working
again when I plug it back in.  It may work for a day or a week before it
stops working again.  There seems to be no rhyme or reason for it to
malfunction.

I was very close to the store and came to a red light.  I looked over to
see a guy standing on the corner waiting to cross the street.  It was a hot
day and he was wearing a putty-green t-shirt and cargo shorts.  His shoes
were those canvas-like crocks that are so popular.  I initially noticed his
legs; they were so shapely and proportioned so nicely.  A fine smattering
of silky, brown hair from just below his kneecaps to his ankles.  He
sported a backpack hanging from his shoulder and had a short, very neatly
cropped beard.  I'm not too fond of facial hair but on him, it looked
really good.  The walk sign illuminated and he stepped down off the curb
and started crossing the street.

As he passed by the front of my car, I got a good look at him.  He was
extremely handsome.  I couldn't take my eyes off him.  He was about 5' 7"
tall, slender, maybe 140 pounds if that, with a full head of light-brown
hair.  I continued to watch him as he stepped up onto the sidewalk.  I
don't know how long I sat there watching him amble down the sidewalk.
Suddenly I heard the vehicle behind me beeping their horn.  My light had
turned green and I hadn't noticed.  I made my right-hand turn and passed
him slowly just to look at him again.

The Staples center was no more than a block down and I pulled into the
shopping center. I could not get the image of this guy out of my head.  I
love, love, love little guys, and this guy was so handsome and sexy.  I was
very taken with him.  My mind was so consumed with this guy I must have
been on auto-pilot because I was suddenly aware of a Staples employee
welcoming me into the store.  I didn't remember walking across the parking
lot nor did I remember entering the store.

The store clerk was extremely helpful and ten minutes later, I walked out
with a brand-new cash register.  I placed the register in the back of my
car and found myself thinking about this guy again.  As I was leaving the
Staples parking lot, I looked for this mysterious, handsome man and of
course, he was nowhere to be seen.  I pulled back out onto the main road
and realized I was a little hungry.  I noticed a Natures Garden up ahead
and decided to stop there for lunch.  Natures Gardens is a vegetarian
restaurant and I love their salad bar; they have everything imaginable for
salad toppings in addition to the best home-made soups and breads to
tantalize your taste buds.

I found a parking spot not too far from the restaurant entrance and parked
the car.  My back windows are tinted so the cash register sitting in the
back of my car was not visible should a potential thief entertain the
thought of helping himself. I locked the car and headed across the parking
lot towards the restaurant.

As I approached the restaurant, an elderly couple stopped me in the parking
lot and asked for directions.  They were visiting from the Midwest and
wanted to know how to get to Phoenix.  I was rather surprised, I thought
everyone now-a-days has a cell phone and GPS.  I asked them to pull to the
side and I would give them directions.

He pulled forward and parked in front of the restaurant.  I started giving
the husband verbal directions to Phoenix.  The husband was driving and his
wife was sitting on the passenger side. Apparently, she was hard-of-hearing
and kept interrupting.  "What did he say, Harold?" she was constantly
asking.  After the third interruption, the husband looked over at his wife
and said, "For Christ sakes, Margaret, shut the hell up so I can hear the
man!"

I started laughing out loud.  He didn't say it in a mean way but was
obviously frustrated with her frequent interruptions.  I asked him for a
piece of paper and pencil and I would write down the directions for him.  I
handed him the directions and reviewed them with him to make sure that he
fully understood them.  As they pulled away, I turned around and who did I
see approaching, the handsome guy from the corner.  I stood there
motionless and watched as he sat down on a bench close to the restaurant
entrance.

He sat his backpack down on the pavement between his feet and grabbed a
water bottle.  I watched as he took a long swig of water from the bottle.
When he raised his arm and tilted his head back to drink, I saw his
beautiful, exposed arm pit under his t-shirt sleeve.  His light-brown pit
hair looked silky and soft, a slight-curl from perspiration.  I wanted so
badly to lick his pit.  His skin was so tan and smooth looking. He capped
his water bottle and returned it to his backpack.

I was just standing there mesmerized watching his every move.  He scooted
back on the bench and turned his head towards me.  "Fuck!" I cussed to
myself, "he caught me watching him."  I decided to just walk to the door of
the restaurant and try to be as casual as I could.  As I approached the
door, he nodded his head at me in greeting.  I smiled and nodded back, "Hi"
I said, "how are you doing?" I asked him.

"I'm good, man, thanks for asking," he replied with a big smile flashing
his beautiful, white teeth.

"Fuck! He has dimples too," I said to myself.  I could see them even though
he has a beard. I'm a sucker for dimples.  "You're not working today?" I
asked taking a step to the side of the door so I didn't get clobbered in
case someone was to exit.

"No, not yet," he answered. "I just got here not too long ago and I have
not decided if I want to stay yet."  "Where are you from?" I asked.

"Santa Fe," he responded.

"What brings you over here?" I asked.

"I just needed a change.  I have a friend here so I have been sleeping on
his sofa for the last couple of days.  I can tell his wife doesn't much
care for me so I have to bug out soon.  I don't want to cause him any
trouble with his girl."

"You seem like a really nice guy, why do you think she doesn't like you?" I
asked him.

"It's just a feeling, really, plus I overheard her asking him how long I
was going to be staying.  I could tell just by the way she said it that she
doesn't want me there.  She's always telling him what to do.  I don't know
how he puts up with it.  I've only been there two days and I think I would
have kicked her to the curb by now if she was my girl.  Who needs to be
picked at all the time.  It's bullshit!" he said as he reached back down to
his pack to retrieve his water bottle.

"So, what are you doing now?" I asked.

"I'm just hanging out. My buddy left for work this morning and she has the
day off.  I did not want to be there alone with her.  So, here I am," he
said flashing a beautiful smile.

"Got cha.  I was just going to get a bite to eat, why don't you join me?" I
said invitingly with a smile.

"Thanks man, I appreciate it, but I have to conserve what money I have
until I decide what I'm going to do.  I've been doing fast-food or
sandwiches at the local market since I arrived.

"No worries, it's my treat," I told him. "Besides, I really hate eating
alone.  This place is not that expensive anyway.  What do you say,
handsome?"  As soon as I heard myself say handsome, I panicked inside. It
just came out; I did not want to offend him or piss him off.

"Thanks.  I appreciate the offer and the compliment.  My name is Joel," he
said extending his hand to me in greeting.  I was immediately relieved and
gave him a firm handshake.  "I'm Randy," I said in return.

"Is Randy, randy?" he asked with a sexy smile.

"If I am, it's all your fault, Joel," I said quipping back.

"My fault?" he questioned me with a big smile. "How is it my fault?"

"Because you are so damn cute, hot, and sexy.  That's why.  I'm just being
honest." I said returning a big smile.  My hands were literally shaking as
I spoke the words.

"Holy shit! Are you fucking serious? You think I'm hot?" Joel said
laughing.

"Why is that so funny?" I asked him.

"I don't know, man, it just is.  I mean, no one has ever said that to me
before; not even a chick."  "Why is that so hard to believe, Joel.  I think
you are incredibly handsome.  The second I saw you back there standing on
the corner I thought that.  I find it hard to believe that I am the first
person to say that to you.  At least you're not pissed because of what I
said. That would totally suck, you should pardon the expression."

"No, Randy, I'm not pissed at all; I'm flattered. But what's this about me
standing on the corner?" he questioned me.

"Well, I first saw you, no more than an hour ago, standing on the corner
waiting to cross the street right down the road," I pointed.  "I was in my
car at the stop light when I noticed you.  Now, here we are; go figure," I
said with a shrug of my shoulders.

"May I ask a silly question?" Joel said.

"Ask away, handsome," I answered with a smile.

"What was I going that made you notice me standing on the corner?" Joel
asked.

"To be honest, you weren't doing anything; it was your legs.  Your legs
caught my immediate attention.  You have such nice legs," I answered him.

"My legs?" he questioned with a raise of an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you have great legs." I told him. "That's what I noticed first."

He raised up his right leg and pulled up the leg of his cargo shorts.
"These legs?" he asked questionably.

"Yeah, look how perfectly proportioned they are.  I think so anyway. They
look like runner's legs to me." I told him.

"Interesting you should say that; I ran track when I was in school." Joel
volunteered.

"See, there you go; like I said, nice legs.  So, are you going to make me
eat by myself, Joel?" I asked him.

Joel looked at me and gave me a big smile.  "I guess it would be rather
rude of me to decline your kind invitation now, wouldn't it?" he said.

"Extremely rude," I said with a smile. "It would crush me. Plus, you did
show me your legs."

Joel started to laugh, he grabbed his backpack and stood up.  "Do you need
help getting up from the bench old man?" he joked.

"Old man!" I repeated and hoped up like a jack-in-the-box.  "I'll show you
what an old man can do." I laughed throwing my arm around his shoulder
guiding him to the door.  I realized what I did after it was already done.
He did not pull back from me in the least.  Suddenly, it seemed to me that
the awkward barrier between us fell away.

I paid for our lunches and together we walked down the long salad bar line
making our salads.  We came to the end of the line and found a table
towards the back of the dining area.  We sat our salads on the table and I
pointed him to the self-serve beverage counter.  We each grabbed a glass
and headed directly towards the iced tea dispenser.  "Great minds think
alike," I commented. He looked up at me and smiled.

We returned to our table and sat down.  I handed him a small menu sitting
on the table.

"What's this?" he asked.

"The menu," I responded.  "They have other items than just salads and
breads.  On one side of the menu, you will see all of the soups they offer,
all hand-made right here on the premises.  They also have a variety of
pasta, grilled vegetables and sauces, and on the back, you will see the
dessert items.  This is a vegetarian restaurant so you won't find any meat
on the menu.  This is one of my favorite restaurants.  It's not fancy by
any stretch of the imagination, but the food is awesome.

"Are you a vegetarian, Randy?" Joel asked.

"No, not really. I do eat meat from time-to-time, but not frequently: I eat
fish mostly.  My parents were real carnivores; meat for every meal.  I grew
up that way, but after I moved out on my own, I was not so inclined.  As I
aged, I kind of turned into a pseudo-vegetarian; that lasted about 12
years.  Then, I started dating a guy who was studying to be a chef.  He was
a phenomenal cook and slowly, I started eating meat again; just not that
much."

"So, I can order anything else on this menu at no extra charge?  I don't
want you to spend a lot of money on me, Randy."

"No worries, Joel.  You can order anything that suits your fancy at no
extra charge. The waiter or waitress will be by shortly.  Take a gander at
the menu and see if there is anything you want and let him or her know when
the waiter comes over."

"Are you going to order anything?" Joel asked.

"I am, yes.  I love their corn chowder so I am going to order some of that.
All soups come in a cup not a bowl.  Actually, whatever you order will be
served in a cup, except the dessert depending on what you choose."

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," the waitress said. "May I get you anything
from the menu?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you, Louise," Randy said reading her name tag. "I'd like a cup
of your corn chowder, please."

"I think I'm going to try the pea soup," Joel said smiling at Randy.

"Coming right up, gentlemen," Louise said with a nod of her head and walked
away.

"I'm really glad that you decided to join me, Joel.  I am also glad that I
didn't piss you off with the things that I said outside."

"I'm not a homophobe, Randy.  I can't stand, bigotry, racism or
self-righteous people.  They can all go piss up a rope as far as I'm
concerned.  To be honest, it was nice to hear.  It made me feel good and
maybe a little embarrassed." Joel said softly.

"Why embarrassed?" I asked him.

"You caught me off-guard.  I was certainly not expecting you to say those
things.  You have to admit, it is unusual to say something like that to a
complete stranger.  It's not something that happens every day; at least not
to me anyway," Joel explained.

"Yeah, you do have a point.  I did not do it consciously; at least
initially.  It just slipped out.  However, now that the cat is
out-of-the-bag, I have no qualms telling you that I think you're beautiful
and so fucking sexy!"

"You're a hoot, Randy.  How's the expression go? Oh yeah, I bet you say
that to all the boys," he said giggling.

"You would lose that bet, handsome.  In fact, I haven't said that to anyone
in several years.  I guess you have that affect on me for some reason.  I
don't want to make you uncomfortable, Joel, but I am very attracted to you.
However, I will try to not slobber all over myself and the table for the
remainder of our lunch.  I promise."

Joel started laughing out loud.  "Oh my God, the stuff you come out with;
you crack me up, Randy."

"I was going for horny not humor but I'll take what I can get," I laughed
with him.

For the next forty-five minutes we talked about all kinds of various
things; music, sports, family, friends, current events, likes, dislikes.  I
found him to be quite knowledgeable about many things and thoroughly
enjoyed my time with him; and I must say, I think he did too. I was sad to
see it coming to an end.

"Well gorgeous," I said to him.  "I had better get my ass back to work. Can
I give you a lift anywhere? I offered."

He looked down at the table and checked his watch.  "Four and a half
hours," I heard him whisper to himself.  "Thanks, but I have no place to
be.  My buddy, Roger, doesn't get home from work until five thirty.  I'll
find something to keep me occupied.  Thank you so much for lunch Randy; it
was a lot of fun.  I had a really nice time."  He picked up his backpack
and slung it over his shoulder.

"Are you sure, Joel? It's not a problem."

"Yeah, I'm good.  I'll be fine," he answered.  "OK, I'm just going to say
this.  It's August and fucking hot as hell outside.  It is easy to get sick
and collapse in this kind of heat when you are not used to it.  I don't
think it's a good idea for you to be outside for hours until Roger gets
home."

"I don't have much of a choice Randy.  I know Roger's wife does not want me
there so I can't go back until Roger gets home.  It would be far too
uncomfortable for both of us.  He is the only person I know here."

"Not true," I said.

Joel looked at me quizzically for a second and then smiled knowing what I
was thinking.  "No Randy.  I can't let you do that.  Thank you, I
appreciate it but no, that's way beyond the scope of reasonableness," he
said waving his hands through the air.

They stepped outside and the heat smacked them dead in the face.  Randy
noticed Joel's reaction to the extreme difference in temperature stepping
outside from the air-conditioned restaurant.  "Like I said, handsome, it's
fucking hot! Are you sure you won't reconsider my offer? I promise I will
be on my best behavior so don't worry about that."

"It's not that, Randy; I'm not at all bothered about that.  I have taken
care of myself since I was seventeen years old; I just don't want to burden
you.  I do have some money; I can get a hotel tomorrow until I figure out
what I'm going to do."

"Why don't we go sit in my car and get out of this heat.  I'll turn the A/C
on and we can discuss it then.  Will you at least agree to that? I asked
him.  I did not wait for an answer, I placed my hand on his shoulder and
guided him to my car.  We jumped into the car and I started the engine
immediately.  Joel placed his backpack on the floor between his feet and I
turned on the A/C to maximum.

"Fuck, it's hot! I have lived here for ten years now and I always ask
myself every summer why I still live here.  As usual, once the summer is
over, it's gorgeous and it makes me forget about moving until summer
arrives again."  The A/C was finally starting to blow cold air and soon the
overwhelming heat started to subside.

"Look, Joel, the truth is, eventually in life, everyone sooner or later
needs a little help occasionally.  It's nothing to be ashamed of.  It seems
to me that you, my handsome, new friend, have reached that crossroad;
swallow your pride and let me help you. You are not a burden to me.  I live
alone so I would welcome your company.  You can stay as long as you like.
Take your time until you figure out your next step; no pressure.

"I don't know, Randy; I mean, we don't know each other.  Besides, I could
be an axe murderer; are you willing to take that chance and bring a
stranger into your house?" Joel asked.

"Oh please, you are far to handsome to be an axe murderer," I joked back
with him.

"You seem to have a one-track mind there, Randy," he laughed.  "I need to
pick up my things from Roger's place first if that's OK," he asked.  "I
don't have a lot; just one satchel. Are you absolutely sure about this?" he
asked.

"I'm sure, Joel. I'm sure," I reassured him.

"Joel?" he questioned, "I thought my name was handsome?" he joked as he put
his seatbelt on and buckled up.  Joel navigated the way to his friend
Roger's house.  It was no more than ten minutes away. I pulled up to
visitor parking and Joel said, "I won't be long, I'm just going to run in
and grab my satchel.  I'll be right back."

Joel unbuckled the seatbelt and hoped out of the car.  I watched his little
butt waver side-to-side as he navigated the sidewalk and disappeared.  As I
waited for Joel to return, I looked around the apartment complex.  It was
quite nice and very well maintained.  I could just imagine what the rent
was like here; expensive no doubt.  I did not wait long before I noticed
Joel coming back to the car.  He had a medium sized satchel or duffle-bag
in his hand.  I jumped out of the car and opened the back hatch.

He gave me a big smile as he tossed his bag in the back of the car.  "Is
that it?" I asked him.

"That's it" he said, "I always travel light."

"Let's go home," I said to him with a smile.

As I pulled out of the apartment complex, I asked, "What did you say to
Roger's wife?"

"I just told her that I found a more permanent but temporary place to stay.
I asked her to let Rog know that I would call him tonight.  I'm sure she is
relieved I'm out of there.  I really have no clue why she dislikes me so
much.  Until two days ago, I did not know her.  We've never had an argument
or anything.  She and Rog met out here.  To be honest, I'm relieved to be
out of there. It's not a pleasant feeling to know that someone doesn't like
you and you are in their home," Joel answered.

"She just wants to jump your bones, sexy.  That's all.  She wants you out
because she doesn't trust herself around you," I joked to lighten his mood.

"Oh yeah, she wants me alright, I'm a pip-squeek compared to Roger; that
guy is built like brick shit-house as the expression goes.  I bet you'd
want to do him too," Joel said laughing.

"Perhaps," I said laughing.  "But I prefer smaller guys such as yourself.
That's what floats my boat.  I'm just being honest, handsome."

Joel simply smiled and looked out the windshield.  "Um, I need to tell you
something before we get home.  I just thought about it this second."

"What's that?" Joel asked.

"My house is a shambles.  I bought it about a year ago and I gutted the
entire inside with the exception of the master suite and bath.  The walls
are just exposed studs in some rooms, other rooms are completely open
space.  There floor is just a concrete slab; I removed all of the carpeting
and tile throughout the house.  The kitchen stove still works, but the only
habitable room is the master suite.  I built a small platform with a double
mattress sitting on it just so it's not on the concrete slab.  I have been
taking my time renovating the house."

"So, you're telling me that we have to bunk together on nothing more than a
double mattress?  Is that it?" Joel asked.

"Aah, yeah; that's about it." I answered sheepishly.  "But I meant what I
said; I will be on my best behavior; I promise.  No funny stuff.  I don't
want you to be anxious about that.  You are my guest for as long as you
want."

"No worries, Randy.  For some reason, I totally trust you.  I don't know
why, but I do." Joel answered. "Besides, you are really good for my ego,"
he giggled.

I pulled into the center of the garage and closed the garage door.  "Here
we are, my humble abode," I told Joel.  "Don't let the interior shock you;
one day, it will be stunning inside, just like you."

"You are too much, dude," Joel said with a smile shaking his head.

"Come on in, I'll show you around; such as it is."

The garage door led into the laundry room, although I gutted the room, the
washer and dryer are still functional.  I also tore out the wall between
the laundry room and the kitchen, more specifically, the breakfast nook
which was adjacent from the laundry room.  I also gutted the kitchen.  I
left one cabinet hanging on the wall for storage and a small piece of
counter space under the cabinet.  Other than that, the kitchen is empty
except for the cooker and the refrigerator.

"Oh my gosh, Randy, you weren't kidding when you said you gutted the
place," Joel commented as he looked around the open space.  "I take it this
is, or was, the living room?" Joel asked pointing through the stud wall
behind the stove and fridge.

"You are correct, handsome.  This will be the living room.  I am going to
take out the slider here and replace it with French Doors.  The back patio
will be converted to what is referred to around these parts as an Arizona
Room.  Completely enclosed of course, but screened.  I will also install
remote-activated shades to keep the sun out in the summertime."

"Does that thing work?" Joel asked pointing to the hot tub on the back
patio.

"It most certainly does for the most part.  The heater is broken so there
is no hot water, but everything else works.  Come on, I'll show you the
rest of the house.  The house is only 1,700 square feet so it's not too
big.  This first room will be my office.  It's the smallest bedroom in the
house.  Right here was the bathroom; obviously I gutted it too.  I am going
to reconfigure it and put in a large two-man shower.  I need to move the
toilet to do that of course.

Down the hall will be the guest room.  I'm going to reconfigure that too so
it has a small walk-in closet as opposed to the standard guest bedroom
closet.  The thing I like most about this house is that the master suite is
all by itself.  Soundproofing can be important sometimes so I like the
separation of space.  Come on, it's just down the hall.  "Wow, it's really
big," Joel commented.

That comment cracked me up.  I couldn't resist saying, "How do you know? I
haven't showed it to you yet."

"You are such a perv," Joel laughed.  "I was referring to the size of the
room, not your junk."

"Oh," I said defeatedly, "I was hoping you were talking about something
else," I retorted with a laugh.

"Here, I'll show you the walk-in.  There is plenty of space to put your
things in here.  I don't have too much with regard to clothing.  I have
never been a clothes hoarder." I slid the sliding mirrored door open and
flicked on the light.  "Take a look," I said to Joel.

"Just to be clear, I am referring to the closet when I say, it's so big,"
he giggled.  "It's practically empty."

"You will also notice that I left the carpet in the closet for now.  That
will eventually be replaced too.  It just takes time and money."

"Speaking of which," Joel commented.  "May I ask what you do for a living?"

"Um, I have done a few things in my life.  I am currently unemployed at the
moment.  I don't know yet what my next venture will be as of yet." I
answered him.

Joel looked at me with a question all over his face.  "I know what your
thinking, handsome.  If I'm unemployed, how am I able to do this?
Correct?"

"Well, yeah; that's what I was thinking," Joel said softly.  "I'm sorry,
Randy.  I don't mean to pry; that's your business."

"No, it's quite alright.  I would be curious too.  I had my own business
for several years.  In fact, I was about your age now when I started it.  I
used to make custom acrylic cabinets.  My clients would tell me what their
needs were and I would design them and build them to order.  I made a very
handsome living doing that for about ten years.  I was very, very
successful.  Eventually I grew tired of it and sold the business.  I have
always been somewhat frugal.  I've never been one to drive a fancy car or
live in a big fancy house.  Don't misunderstand, I like nice things, but I
spent my money wisely.

I took a little time off and did some traveling for a while.  When I got
back, I got my contractor's license.  I did that for about 5 years or so.
I was super, super busy and I got tired of the incessant grind, so, I'm
taking a break until I decide what my next venture will be.  However, I
keep my license current, just in case I decide to return to work as a
contractor."

"Damn, dude.  How old are you?" Joel asked.

"I'm old enough to know what I like, handsome; I'm 42," I answered him.

"Really? You could be my daddy; you sure don't look like your 42," Joel
giggled.  "Don't tease me, handsome; I'd love to be your daddy."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *