Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2022 07:29:45 -0700
From: Dave <outinwest@gmail.com>
Subject: The Society Boys Chapter 189

The Society Boys
By Connor Matthews

A quick recap of the story so far...you're kidding right?  If you wanna
know what's happened start at chapter 1.  We're not wasting time catching
you up.  We have new people to meet and lick.  On the with the saga.

Oh did I forget to ask?  Did you donate to Nifty?  It's not tax deductible,
but it sure gives relief.  Mostly from the stories they host...


Chapter 189

So...apparently there are laws against burning down a treehouse in your
yard.  It's a good thing I had time to look that up.  Apparently, it's
called arson.  Not sure laws like that apply to rich people though, and all
I haven't checked out is whether I'm considered rich, or just Colin.  Not
sure what that threshold is.  Anyway, the consensus seems to be that it's a
bad idea.  Personally, I think it would be a great excuse for me to get
that flamethrower I want, but some people have very short-sighted vision.

I did like the suggestion I got from Troy that I could just use the smoke
machine, and simulate fire and set off the smoke detectors manually.  Troy
and I were about the only two who thought this was a good idea though, so
for now, we're going to keep J.J. busy with other activities, and not try
to reactivate his memories by inducing another trauma.  I'll keep that on
the back burner for now...so to speak.

We did have family `memory lane' night, though.  Blake set things up in the
family room and the four of us got together to watch.  We figured we
shouldn't involve everyone else, as it was more about showing J.J. some of
his past, more than it was about the `awww, aren't you two cute,' type
responses from everyone.

"J.J., These are pictures and stuff from when we were growing up.  I just
found them, or we would have shown you earlier," Blake said, stretching the
truth a little.  "Hopefully, they'll help you remember something.  Mostly
they're you and me as little kids."

I like how he set it up for him, and the show began.  We'd agreed to start
with more recent things so he'd recognize himself, and then slowly go
backward in time so he could see himself doing a Benjamin button thing,
until he saw himself as a baby, and be able to comprehend that it was him.
Blake tried to explain the pictures the best he could as to what they were
doing, and where they were.  J.J. sat quietly for most of it, but really
paid attention when it was a video.  I think those helped as he could
recognize his and Blake's voice in them.  I think it added some validity to
it all.  He giggled when there were some naked shots.  The first was when
he was about 4 or 5 and Blake was 8 or 9.  It was a few pictures of them
playing around at a lake.  Mostly butt shots, but both boys were without
shorts.

"I guess you always like being naked, Blake," J.J. teased.

"So did you, buddy," Blake grinned.  "You'll see."

There were several more in the timeline without clothes, but I still think
by far the cutest were them in the bath and shower together.  The shower
one had J.J. covered in soap from head to toe, while Blake was piling
bubbles on his head.  There was a whole series of those, and there was no
lack of nudity on show.

"Just for the record, I'm going to delete any picture that shows me with a
small penis," Blake announced.

"Nice," I teased.  "That should save us from ever having to see naked
pictures of you ever again, even into the future."

He just gave me the finger as the show continued.  I really like the video
of the guy's camping.  They were grinning from ear to ear as they lay in
the tent together looking out the door.  Then they were fishing, and at one
point J.J. announced that he'd caught something.  Suddenly he was pulled
forward, and was face down in the water.  The video went a little crazy at
that point as their dad apparently scrambled to catch his son before he was
dragged out in to the lake by whatever he'd caught.  The video had
obviously been paused, because the next scene was Blake and J.J. standing
side by side holding up a giant fish.  I can't even begin to imagine how
hard that would be to reel in.

"I took us a really long time to get that sucker.  Dad and me fought it
forever before it finally gave up.  You were really excited as it was your
catch," Blake said to J.J.  "We both found it super gross when dad gutted
the thing before we cooked it for dinner.  But we were so full, I burped
for an hour."

"Did I really catch that?"  J.J. asked quietly as we watched the video of
the cooking of the fish.  It's a good thing I didn't see them killing and
gutting it, or we'd never be eating fish again.

"You really did.  The worst part was that we all stunk like fish after
that.  Even when you and me went swimming later, we still couldn't get that
smell off.  You kept sticking your fingers under our noses.  Our tent
reeked all night."

"How old was I?"  J.J. asked.

"Six.  It was just after your birthday.  We'd been camping lots before, but
this was the first time you ever caught a fish."

"That's cool," J.J. grinned and then the room went eerily quiet as the
video changed slightly.  The camera had been put on a log or something and
all three guys were now in the shot.  Except for the moment where J.J. fell
in the water, and the video scrambled, it had only been the two boys
visible.  There was some audio of their dad talking to them from behind the
camera, but mostly it was just the boys.  Now we had all three on screen.

Blake looked at us, and mouthed a `sorry' to us.  I just shrugged, as there
was nothing we could do at this point, except let it play.  J.J. never said
anything, so we thought perhaps he had just let it pass, but we were wrong.

As soon as it was over, J.J. turned to look at Blake.  "Was that our dad?"

Blake looked at us, and I just nodded to him.  "It was," Blake replied
quietly.

"Oh," J.J. said reflectively.  "He died, right?"

"Yeah.  He died.  I'm sorry.  I miss him too buddy.  I miss them a lot," he
said as he gave J.J. a big hug.

The boys held the hug a while as Colin and I remained silent and paused the
slideshow.  Blake is always so positive and outgoing, that I sometimes
forget that he had the same loss that J.J. did.  We let them have their
moment, before Blake started the show up again.  It showed a few more
random pictures of the boys in various activities, and ended with what I
can only assume was a strategically placed final few shots of them playing
catch together.

"You and me used to spend tons of time throwing the ball back and forth,"
Blake explained.  "Once you learned how to do that, I taught you how to
play baseball.  You were actually pretty good at it."

"I was?"  J.J. said, looking surprised to find out something new about
himself.

"Sure.  You were awesome.  You wanna go out and play catch right now?"
Blake suggested.

"Sounds like a great idea.  Get us all some fresh air," Colin nodded.

What's the big deal about fresh air?  What's wrong with air processed
through our HEPA filter?  That's way better than the so called `fresh' air.
You know what's in that stuff?  Dead skin particles, micro bug poop, dust,
pollen, cow farts, viruses and plagues.  That's how fresh it is.  I let the
boys head outside, while I took the laptop, and went to get a bowl of ice
cream.  I began looking through some of the other pictures and videos of
Blake's family.  I'd seen most of them already, but it's always nice to
look back.  Now with J.J. here, the pictures took on a very different look.
They were all good-looking people, and I could see the family resemblance
in all of them.

I was still looking through them, eating my bowl of ice cream, when Trevor
came and sat next to me on the couch.  He shuffled right up against me, and
sat quietly looking at the computer screen, and then at me.

"Hey Trevor," I said after several seconds of his silence.  "What's up
little man?"

"Nothing.  How's your day going?"  He asked looking at me, blinking
adorably.

"It's going great.  How's your day going?"

"It's good," he replied and went back to sitting quietly.  This was all
pretty new.  He was fully dressed, not with his twin, and sitting with me.

He then looked at me and smiled.  "Do you have some ice cream for me?"

I tried not to laugh at the innocence he was trying to portray, as if this
were actually an afterthought. "Would you like some of mine, or a bowl of
your own?"

"A bowl of my own please."

"And what flavour?"

"Wocky Woad," he said decisively.

"Rocky Road it is.  You stay here and protect my ice cream.  I'll be right
back with some for you."

"Okay.  I'll do that," he said smiling happily as I put the laptop aside,
and went to the kitchen.  I returned barely a couple minutes later to find
him with ice cream on his face.  I chose to ignore it, but it was seriously
cute that he was sitting in the exact same position I'd left him, except
for the fact he'd obviously had been into the ice cream.  I handed him the
bowl and spoon.

"Thank you," he said as he went to work on it.

I wonder if kids get brain freeze, or if they're simply unaware of the
concept.  He finished his faster than I ate mine, then stuck his face in
the bowl and licked it clean.  If his tongue had been longer, I'd have
suggested he might want to lick his face and the tips of his hair, both of
which were now covered in melted ice cream.  He handed the bowl back to me.

"I'm all finished," he said smiling, seemingly even happier than when I
first gave him the bowl.  When you've got little kids, I suppose it's okay
to take the bowl from them.  Normally I'd just say to the boys to take it
to the dishwasher.

"Hi Daddy!"  Trevor yelled suddenly as Jason appeared, coming up the
stairs.

"Hi Trevor.  I wondered where you went.  Are you hanging out with Uncle
Justin?"

"Yes.  We're looking at the internet."

"Is that all you've been doing?"  He smiled looking at Trevor's face.  "Did
you get something to eat?"

"No, Daddy," he said then glanced at the bowl on the table before looking
back at Jason.  "I just helped eat some ice cream."

"You helped, did you?"

"Yes.  Uncle Justin gave me some, so I helped by eating it so it wouldn't
get all melted," he said logically.

"That was nice of you," Jason nodded.  "We were going to play Candyland.
Are you coming to join us?"

"Okay," he said as he slid off the couch.

"Thank your uncle for the ice cream."

"Thanks for the ice cream, Uncle Justin," he waved.

"Anytime buddy."

Jason took his hand, and led him back downstairs to head to their house.

It was a good hour before I was disturbed again.  This time by Troy who
came to sit next to me.  I wonder if he'd heard that ice cream was being
distributed.

"Hey, whatcha doin'?"

"Just some homework for school.  This is my final paper before I graduate."

"Nice.  How'd the slideshow go?"

"Time will tell, but I think it was nice for him to see things from his
past."

"Agreed.  It'll be good for both Blake and J.J. when they can share the fun
they had as kids."

"I just wanted to let you know Porter and I will be going away for a couple
days.  In case you went looking for me."

"Any place special?"  I asked.

"Just hiking an overnighter on the trail," he replied.

"Have fun, but not too much fun," I chuckled.

"Not sure what that would look like," he said as he stood up.

I finished what I was doing after he left, and went to see how the boys
were doing.  They'd finished playing catch and were now on the basketball
court.  It was Blake and J.J. against Colin, and I was quickly drafted onto
Colin's team, but not for the obvious reason you might think.

"Dad, you can be on Colin's team," Blake said when he saw me.  "He's
beating both of us, so he needs a handicap."

"Ouch.  You're gonna be sorry you gave me away so easily," I said.  He
wasn't, but we had fun anyway, and ended the night with a movie and
popcorn.  Well, the boys ended the night that way.  Colin and I had a
different version, but that had an adult rating to it.

I'd agreed to hang out with Nate at his place as it was the official day to
find out whether I was gonna be legally able to mess with people's heads
from this day forward, plus we're still working on our website design.
`Masters and Donaldson.  Shrinking together.'  We could just use the first
letter of our last names to make us look more important. `Psychologists
MD.'  See, that looks like we're doctors.  `Masters and Donaldson.  Feeling
a little squirrely?  Let us help with your nuts.'  That might get
misconstrued, especially when referring to guys.  `Family Psychologists.
Get `em all fixed at once.'  We're still working on it, as you can tell.
Well, I'm still working on it.  Nate just has pictures of us on the home
page with our company name describing what we specialize in.  No hook,
nothing remarkable, just the basics.  I think we can be more fun that that.
Would it really hurt to put a little something extra on the home page?
Maybe a small walnut hidden in the background, or a couple panels of a
padded room behind some boring text description.  Don't worry I'll come up
with it.  `Got a screw loose?  We don't have a Phillips or a Robertson, but
we do have a Masters and Donaldson.  Psychologists.'

"Well, this is it," Nate said as we sat side by side with our laptops in
front of us.  "What time do you think they post the grades?"

"No idea. They didn't consult me on the ideal time, so I guess we just
wait," I replied as I dropped my hand onto his bare thigh.  "Wanna fool
around while we wait?"

"Any excuse huh?"  Nate chuckled as he casually removed my hand.  "I guess
sitting here in just my underwear isn't exactly ideal to keep you from
being captain gropy hands.  I'm actually too nervous to do anything, even I
was into it."

"I hear you there," I admitted.  "My heart is pounding so hard and fast; I
might end up passing out before the results come in."

"I know, right.  Fail, and it's another year of University to retake
courses.  Pass, and we're on our way, and can set up the office.

"So, like no pressure then?" I said trying to throw out some humour as I
wiped my now sweaty hands on my jeans.

"Tons of pressure," he replied as he refreshed his screen.  Still no
results.  "As soon as we get the results, we'll apply the College of
Psychologists to get our registration under way."

"Cool.  I'm hoping I did enough to pass.  I mean I'm sure you did, but I'm
more worried about me actually passing.  Wouldn't it be funny though if I
did better than you?"  I teased.  Like there was no hope in hell of that,
but I can have my fun.

"Not to brag, but if you get a higher grade, I'll let you have any kind of
sex with me that you want," Nate said suddenly out of nowhere.  "I'll
deserve the humiliation."

"Sweet," I grinned as I stood up and pulled off my shirt and unfastened my
pants.

"I said IF," Nate reiterated.

"Yeah, I know.  I'm just getting ready," I said as I got out of my pants
before sitting down next to him again.  "So, you said any kind of sex,
right?  Boy are you taking a risk.  Just out of unrelated curiosity, do you
have any rope, duct tape, a rubber ball, riding crop, two jars of honey,
and a cobra somewhere?"

"Ummm, I get the rope and probably the duct tape, but what's the other
stuff for?  Honey and a cobra?  What the fuck?"

"You'll find out if I get a higher score," I teased.  I mean let's face it,
I'm not getting a higher score, which is good because I really have no idea
how to use a cobra and honey together at the same time.  Individually is
kinky enough for me.  Nate attended every class and studied 10 times more
than I did.  I did all my assignments, and took the required tests, but
Nate was focused, and dove into things that he was curious about.  I guess
that's the difference when you're going for your PhD and as opposed to only
looking for a diploma.  You know what this means, right?  I'm gonna be a
university graduate.  I'll be actually smarter than Colin.  At least on
paper.  That's a question I have.  Does it matter?  I mean Colin is a
billionaire, many times over.  You get a degree so you can go out and get a
good job.  If you already own a company that hands out good jobs, why would
you need a degree?  Sorta blows the mind.

There was a small knock on the front door, and before we could respond, it
opened and Casey rushed in.  "You guys hear anything yet?"  He asked as he
sat down beside us.

"Not yet, but we're waiting," Nate replied.  "What'd you get on your
final?"

"B plus.  Not great, but not bad.  I've still got two more years though,
which are the important ones.  Ummm...why are you guys in just your
underwear?"

"Better question is why aren't you naked?"  I grinned as I looked at him.
"Out of the three of us, I would have figured you'd be the most comfortable
sitting in front of a computer without clothes."

"Shut up," he laughed.  "But seriously?"

"We'd normally be naked, but we're trying to focus on the results coming
in.  Last thing I needed was Nate to feel inadequate with my penis hanging
out, as if mocking him."

"Or..." Nate added.  "I'm keeping some clothes on so that Justin WILL
actually focus on the computer, and not let his mind wander towards sex."

"Yeah, probably that," I agreed.  "Plus, as soon as the grades come in,
we're having wild kinky sex.  You should film it for your podcast."

"You are?"  He asked shocked.

Nate laughed.  "I told Justin that if he got a higher grade than me, I'd
have any kind of sex he wanted.  Apparently, he's chosen wild and kinky."

"What happens if you get higher grades?  Same deal?"  Casey inquired.

"Sure.  I'd chose no sex and that would be that," Nate said grinning.

"I think you're safe.  No offense, Justin."

"Rude!" I said giving a fake pout.  "Are you saying that I can't do better
than Nate?"

"Nate's a study machine.  You seem more like me.  Get it done, but still
enjoy everything else too."

"True.  Since you're so sure that Nate will beat me, what's your bet?  How
about a bet if I beat your grade?"

"That bet I wouldn't take.  Beating a B is pretty easy.  Beating Nate would
be much harder.  Okay, if you beat Nate, I'll join in your sex thing."

"Dumb.  Dumb.  Dumb," Nate said shaking his head. "Don't make that bet.  We
both know he'd make us have sex with each other.  It's the gay equivalent
of us watching two girls do it.  They love to see two straight boys hooking
up."

"He's not wrong," I said licking my lips.  "Why the fuck didn't I study
harder, or at least sleep with the professor?  What if we tie?"

"Nope.  The deal is you have to beat my score," Nate replied confidently.

"Well, it was a nice fantasy while it lasted," I shrugged.  "We could make
a side bet Casey.  If Nate gets above a B, you get a blowjob from me."

He laughed.  "No deal.  I'm pretty sure he could do better than me if he'd
slept through half his classes.  He should be the one to get the blowjob."

"Done!"  I smiled, nodding my head.

"Wait.  I'm not agreeing to that," Nate said quickly.  "How about none of
us make bets, and just congratulate each other, no matter what grades we
get?"

"Awww...you sure take the fun out of sitting around staring at a computer
screen," I pouted, for real this time.  "What about the bet we already
made?"

"I'll let that one stand," he agreed.

"It's only because you're sure you'll beat me, isn't it?"

"Guess we'll find out."

"Okay, but if you're staying Casey, you gotta lose the clothes.  You're
making me self conscious," I said staring at him.

"I doubt that.  You just wanna see me naked," he said confidently, and
accurately, if truth be known.  "How about just the shirt?  I don't want
you overly excited."  He pulled off the shirt, and my body temperature
suddenly jumped a couple degrees.  "Satisfied?"

"For now," I said as I stared at his chest.  "But if I see just one twitch
in your pants, I'm helping you take care of it."

"No worry about that.  There will definitely not be any twitching."

 "While we wait, do you have any porn on that computer?" I asked.

"Nothing you'd be interested in," Nate replied.

"Why do straight guys always say that?  Your type of porn still has a guy
in it, and there's nothing wrong with watching a hot stud getting a blowjob
from a chick who has crazy eyes, fingernails long enough to fillet a fish
in one swipe, and looks like she hasn't eaten in days."

"That seemed overly detailed," Casey laughed.  "Do you only look at the
guy, or do you also check out the girl?"

"On the girls, I mostly only look at faces and boobs.  Anything lower and
I'm starting to feel nauseous.  I love watching the guy fuck, but any close
up on the pussy and I'm out."

"You really don't like seeing vaginas?"  Casey inquired.

"Not at all.  Reminds me of the Sarlacc sand monster in Star Wars, and we
saw what that did to a guy.  That is the shit of nightmares, dude.
Absolutely terrifying.  Just looking at one, I get the same queasy feeling
as if I were asked to eat slimy food."

"Yet you're fine taking some dude's hairy cock in your mouth?"

"Not a big fan of hair, but I could suck cock for days, and be hard the
whole time.  I'll prove it if you get naked."

"I believe you," he said sitting back.  Normally that's a sign that they're
offering you access, but I don't think that's the case here.

"Well, you both know that if you ever want head, I'm a simple text away and
would be here in minutes."

"Why do I get the feeling that that's true even if I woke up at 3am?" Nate
laughed.

"I guess you could try it one night," I said smirking.  "I think we better
talk about something else or I'm going to be sitting next to both of you
with a raging bone, and that'd just be cruel knowing neither of you would
help me take care of it."

"Awww, we're sorry," Casey said as he put his arm around my shoulder, then
moved his other hand to tweak a nipple.  "We apologize if our presence is
too much for you."

"So help me god, if you lean in and lick that nipple, I'm gonna fuck you
right here on the couch, even if I have to do it right through your
underwear."

"I wouldn't test that, Casey.  I've seen Justin at his horniest.  It's
kinda got that werewolf vibe to it."

As I hopefully waited for Casey to test it, Nate's laptop sounded off to
indicate he'd received a message. He opened his emails and sat back.  "It's
here," he announced, taking a deep nervous breath.  He wiped his palms on
his legs.  This was a much bigger deal for Nate than it was for me.  For
him, this was everything.  A chance to start his career and make a living.
Without it, he was in for another year of scraping by while he took more
courses.  For me, it wouldn't make that much of a difference.  I know
that's not really validating what I've been doing, as I did really focus on
lessons.  But let's face it, if I fail, I still won't need to worry about
how to survive.  Nate would, so I was in his camp, and just as nervous for
him as he was.

My email announcement came just a minute later.

"Well...?  We're waiting!"  Casey said quoting the meme from Caddyshack.
Now, that's a fucking funny movie!

I broke out laughing as he said it.  Talk about an instant way to relive
the stress.  "You go first Nate."

He clicked on the email, opened the attached document, and just started at
it.

"What's it say?  Casey asked.  "How'd you do?"

"A+," he said sitting back with a loud sigh.  "How'd you do, Justin?"

I opened mine and read it.  "B+.  Not bad.  I could have done worse."

"That's pretty good," Nate said reassuring me.  "We both pass!  Nice.
Graduation ceremonies are in a month.  Says here they'll be at the Chan
Centre for Performing Arts.  Either of you know where that is?"

"I do," Casey replied.  "It's that building basically opposite the Museum
of Anthropology off Marine Drive."

"Yeah, I know the one," I nodded.  "I hope we get really cool coloured
gowns.  I'll have to coordinate an outfit for it."

"Thought you two would just be naked underneath," Casey laughed.

"That's so high school, bro.  We're more mature now," Nate replied.  I
nodded in agreement, quickly scrapping my current graduation outfit plan.

"Did you do something crazy at your high school grad?" Casey inquired.

"Crazy?  Not really," Nate said shaking his head.  "I thought about doing
the naked thing, but with my luck, I'd have snagged the gown on something
as I walked onto the stage, and it would have ripped wide open.  I opted
for the safer approach.  Did you guys do anything?"

"Not me," I replied.

"Nah.  All our class did was decorate the hats.  I think some of the jocks
did dares, but it's not like they flashed us or anything," Casey added.

"So, we're psychologists.  Wow.  Step one...done!"  Nate said sitting back
and letting out a big breath of air.

"Good job to us," I said as I fist bumped him.  Casey also gave us both
congratulatory bumps.  Surely this warrants a round of blowjobs, but all we
got was a round of beer.  I'll take it, but it hardly matches up to this
monumental moment.  Speaking of that, I should let Colin know.  I think
he'll be happy to know I'm now a contributing member of society.  At least
I think he'll be happy.  I'll have to ask him how he feels about it after
he stretches out on our couch.

I figured this was more a phone call thing than a texting moment.  "Hey
babe!"

"Hey!  You hear anything yet?"

"Yep.  B plus," I replied.

"Nice!  Congratulations. I'm proud of you honey."

"Thanks.  Nate did better with an A plus.  I guess he'll be getting the
super crazies when we start our practice."

Colin laughed.  "Honey, I'm not sure he's going to want you as his first
patient though."

"Ouch!" I replied.

"Congratulate him for me."

"Colin says congratulations, and that since you did better than me, you can
be his therapist.  Joking, he didn't say that or he'd be searching for a
divorce therapist too."

"Thanks, Colin," Nate yelled back.

"You hear that?"

"Yep.  We should go out to dinner tonight to celebrate.  I'll make some
reservations."

"Add Nate and Casey to the list.  I'll let them know.  See you at home.
Love you."

"Love you too," Colin replied as we ended the call.

"Add us to what list?"  Casey asked as I sat back down between them.

"We're all going out to dinner tonight.  Dress nice as we'll no doubt go
some place fancy."

"How fancy?  Shirt and tie okay, or are you thinking suit, or tux with
tails kinda thing?"  Casey asked.

I laughed as I thought of the two of them in a tuxedo with tails, a top hat
and a cane.  All we'd need is some rain, an umbrella, Tom Holland, and it's
a musical.  "Nah, nothing that fancy.  Just nice clothes, not jeans and a
t-shirt.  Style it up.  Add some bling, do your hair, paint your
fingernails, do glitter eyeliner.  Stuff like that."

Seriously?"  Nate asked looking at me.  "Is this a gay place or something?"

I laughed.  I'm just joking about the nails and glitter.  We don't wanna go
looking like businessmen, just dress trendy, without the ripped pants.
Nate, you can go like that, just lose the underwear.  Some cute waitress,
or waiter, might give you a free dessert."

"And when would I collect it?  Before or after my prison sentence for
indecent exposure?  Casey and I were going to the gym after this.  You want
to join us, or should we catch up with you later for dinner?"

"I'll hit the gym.  I have a go bag in the car," I replied.  It's not so
much a go bag, as my backpack with a change of clothes, extra shorts, lube,
towel and bottle of water.  Never know when you're going to sleepover
somewhere.

"I'm surprised.  Never actually saw you as a go to the gym type," Casey
commented.

"Probably because we have all the equipment at home, so no need to go out
to an actual gym.  Although being in a large room full of sweaty muscled
testosterone filled guys isn't the worst way to spend a day."

"I see why you work out at home.  Less distractions," Casey said as he
pulled his shirt on.

"Have you been to his house?  There're more distractions there than for a
kid at a candy store," Nate replied.

"Well, I do like sweet things," I grinned.

"Ummm...which car did you bring?"  Nate asked.  "Does it have more than two
seats?"

"Yeah, I'm using the Tesla.  Figured I should start to get use to it.  I
still have that anxiety that I'll run out of electricity, or that the
A.I. will take over, and slam me into a wall just to prove who's in charge,
but so far it's all good."

"Maybe I should just walk to the gym," Nate joked.

"I have to grab my stuff from upstairs, I'll be right back," Casey
announced before heading back to his place.

"Alright he's gone.  We have at least five minutes," I grinned.

"Good.  Just enough time for me to get my stuff together," Nate said as he
jumped into his clothes.

"Not how I planned on using the five minutes.  Don't straight boys know
when they're being hit on?"  I said trying to pout as I got dressed as
well.

"We do.  That's why I put clothes on," Nate laughed.

Once everyone was ready, I let Casey drive as he knew where the gym was.
He was a little nervous with the Tesla, as I'd picked the Model X, and it
had the new yoke steering wheel.  At first he found it uncomfortable, but
like the rest of us, he got used to it pretty quickly, and actually enjoyed
it.  He wasn't brave enough to let the car drive itself, which I completely
understand.  I only trust it on the highway myself, and even then, I'm so
stress focused I find it easier just to drive.

"This is the best gym in the city.  It's about the only thing I spend money
on that's not an essential.  I figure you gotta allow yourself one pleasure
in life," Nate explained as we pulled up.

"And THIS is the pleasure?  I figure for this kind of money you could get a
few good dates out of it, and maybe actually get laid."

"Those would be really bad dates," Casey laughed.  "How much do you think a
gym membership is?"

"I dunno.  The only gym I've been to, other than the one at home, is at
Colin's office, and that was free.  I'm guessing like two or three hundred
bucks a month?"

"No.  Nate and I do the basic membership, and it's $50 a month, plus the
the enrollment fee, the enhancement fee, the don't use it often enough fee,
the parking decal fee, the we don't like the way you comb your hair fee,
and so on."

I laughed.  "If there's that much extra tacked on, why go here?  Surely
there's cheaper places."

"True," Nate nodded.  But this one is close to home, and it has great
equipment and views."

"Views?"  Of what?  We're in the middle of the city."

"If your mind can stretch that far, picture the straight boy equivalent of
your sweaty muscular guys," Nate grinned as he and Casey fist bumped.

"Got it.  You two are into sweaty muscular girls," I grinned.

"In spandex," Casey added with a nod.

They signed me in as a guest and I paid my fee.  At $24 a visit, I could
see why you'd buy a membership for $50 for the entire month.  Just three
visits and you've reaped the benefits.  We changed into t-shirt and shorts
before heading out to the gym.  I still don't know what half this equipment
does, but I followed Casey and Nate to join in their routine.  Once I saw
how they used the equipment, I was able to copy them.  I felt like a bit of
a skinny twig compared to some of the guys in here.  I was fine with just
one or two weight brick things on the equipment, whereas some of the guys
looked like they could just pick up the entire machine, and lift it over
their heads.  I'm not a fan of the veiny muscle type, and there were more
than a few of those, but in fairness there were plenty of regular people
there too, just looking to stay fit.  I've heard that really overweight
people feel self-conscious going to the gym, but shouldn't they be the ones
being encouraged?  I mean they're looking to improve themselves, so shame
on people for body shaming others.  Shame, I say.  There, I said it.

"Jason?"  I heard behind me, and being used to it, I turned around to see
if the person was actually talking to me.  I'm almost as used to answering
to Jason as I am Justin.

"Brandon!  Dude!  It's been way too long.  Oh, and I'm Justin," I said as I
gave him a hug.

"Sorry.  I still get it wrong."

"All good.  How've you been?" I asked as Randy walked up and I gave him a
hug too.

"We're doing well.  Still together.  Still working at Colin's old company."

"Great to hear.  You guys are looking good.  Obviously working out agrees
with you."

"Thanks," Randy replied.  "You too.  Although you pretty much look the
same.  It's like you don't age."

"I don't.  It's the deal I made, but I'm gonna owe big in the afterlife.
I'm sure one day we'll all have a birthday again, but for now, we're the
Simpsons."

"Aaron's here as well.  You should come say hi," Brandon commented.  I
hadn't seen Aaron since he'd broken up with Kyle, and that was roughly
three years ago now.  I told Casey and Nate that I'd be right back.

"Who are those guys?  You boning both of them?"  Brandon teased after we
got out of earshot.

"Just friends.  Both straight boys," I replied.

"Since when was straight the thing that stopped you?"  Randy laughed.
"You're losing your touch."

"No, I'm not," I grinned.  "Nate is my business partner, and Casey is my
next conquest, although he's only just becoming aware of that."

"Business partner?  What business did you get into?" Randy inquired.

"I became a psychologist," I announced proudly for the first time.

"Good for you.  I actually think you'll be good at it.  You sure know how
to talk to people, and get them to open up.  Are you doing sex therapy, or
something else?"

"Just general psychology for now.  We might branch off into specialties
later.  Nate is planning on going into forensics after he gets his PhD.
I'm just sticking with the basics for now."

"Good for you.  Oh, he's there.  Aaron!"  Brandon yelled.  "Look who I
found...Justin," he added, in case Aaron got me mixed up as well.

He ran over with another guy beside him.  "Hi Justin!  Great to see you
again.  This is my boyfriend, Roman."

"Nice to meet you, Roman," I said politely.  "Damn!  Holy shit Aaron.
You've definitely changed.  Last time I saw you, you were 18, but still
looked like a little kid.  You were what, like 140 pounds?  Now look at
you.  As tall as your brother. and ripped as hell.  Hopefully that's all
natural.  I'd hate to think it was from something that might shrink the
important bits."

"It's natural," he smiled.  "Nothing has shrunk."

"I can vouch for that," Roman said quickly.

"I'm sure you can.  How long have you two been together?"  I inquired.

"A year and a half," he answered.

"We should have all of you over to the house to catch up, and get
reacquainted."

Brandon laughed.  "I remember those `get togethers' at your house.  Just so
you know Aaron and Roman are both monogamous."

"Oh my god!  I'm so sorry, but I think there's a cure for that now.  It's
either a daily pill or surgery.  I can't really remember for sure.  Once
you're cured, I think there's even a vaccine now."

They laughed.

"But seriously how's that working out for you?  Colin and I thought about
it when we realized we might be addicted to sex, but after going to rehab
and doing everyone there, we realized it was futile."

Randy chuckled.  "Strangely, I can see the two of you going to do that, and
ending up in a giant pile on the floor with everyone.  Basically, a
Saturday night at your place back in the day."

Back in the day?  We're calling last Saturday back in the day now?  Wow
time really does move faster in this century.

"The hardest part of their relationship was when Roman joined the `Q',"
Brandon chuckled.  "Almost killed him going through the pledging tasks.
You know what those are like."

"I'd been through it of course," Aaron commented.  "I didn't mind at all,
but Roman is really a one guy type of boyfriend.  I'm proud of him though
as he made it into the club."

I quietly wondered to myself why he'd want to if he's not interested in sex
with other guys.  I mean every Q event I've ever been to; I've had sex with
at least half a dozen.  I never pictured saying no to anyone.  Do our
bylaws even allow that?  I didn't call him out on it, and just
congratulated him instead.

"I wish I'd known.  I'd definitely been there for some of those events.
Sounds like it might have been my only opportunity to have gotten to know
you way better," I grinned, which I think actually caused him to blush.

"How's Kyle doing?"  Aaron asked.  "I saw him just before I started dating
Roman.  Is he still with that guy?  Ummm...Chase?"

"Chance.  Yeah, they're still together.  In university now taking aviation
so he can get his airline up and running."

"Nice.  Good for him.  Justin was one of the guys to introduce me to Kyle,
and get us together as boyfriends," Aaron explained to Roman.  "It all felt
so awkward when I look back, but it was really the time I learned who I
was, so I'll always be grateful for that."

"We just enjoyed watching you two grow together," I admitted.

"Justin was the first guy I ever had a three-way with," Aaron revealed, and
got a shocked look from both Brandon and Roman.  "Yeah, sorry babe, I
wasn't always monogamous, plus it was all new back then.  I'll always
remember that time in your foam room."

Randy laughed.  "How many boys have lost it in that foam room?  Damn I miss
that place."

"Let's just say it's still as popular as it ever was.  We could take a trip
down memory lane if you guys come over.  I know you two are monogamous, but
you're also welcome.  Never know, you might like to re-enact the
three-way."

Brandon laughed.  "Dude, never change.  Seriously.  This is totally how I
remember you, but please don't have a three-way with my brother while I'm
in the room.  Gross."

"I'm fine with it," Randy added for clarification.  "What about Blake?
Last time I saw him he was almost 12 and just starting to come out of his
shell a bit.  How old is he now?  About 14, 15?"

"Going on 15, but thinks he's 20, and certainly isn't in any sort of a
shell now.  He's almost as tall as I am, and the exact opposite of
monogamous."

Brandon laughed. "I can't see it.  He was so quiet.  Did he turn out gay?"

"I miss those quiet days.  He's decided that he's omnisexual, which
basically mean he'll do anyone he finds attractive.  Personally, I'm
waiting for the day he declares himself omni-arbor-sexual, to include
trees, and knot holes in fences."

"I can't even imagine him being all grown up.  I still remember the quiet
shy kid who wouldn't talk, and used those big green eyes so expressively."

"A lot has happened since then.  Just recently we found out that his little
brother was actually still alive, and had been living with a foster family.
He has trauma induced amnesia so we're still working through that."

"Wow.  That's incredible.  I thought his whole family was lost," Randy
remarked.

"So did we.  To say it was a surprise would be an understatement.  We
really should make a plan to all get together again and catch up.  I guess
I should get back to the guys though.  You know how it is.  You leave
straight boys alone too long, and they get cold and soggy.  You still have
our numbers, right?"

"Sure.  Yeah, we'll text and set something up," Brandon nodded.

"Still can't get over how much you've changed, Aaron.  I'm sure Kyle would
love to see you again," I said looking him over once more.  "Nice meeting
you, Roman."

"You too," he replied.  I headed back to Casey and Nate to continue the
workout.

"Who were they?  Old friends?"  Nate inquired.

"Exactly.  Haven't seen them in a few years.  Alex and I lived with them
when we were together.  It was the first place I lived other than at home.
Good times!"

We worked out for a good hour before deciding to get something to eat.  I
surprised myself by behaving completely straight while I was there.  Mostly
straight.  I did spend longer than most in the shower as I checked out some
of the guys, but I didn't make it obvious.  I was a bit disappointed that
Roman and Aaron didn't come in while I was there, as I'd have enjoyed that.
Would I be considered a homo-wrecker if I got them into a three-way?  Guess
we'll find out if they come over.  You know me, I like to cure monogamy.
It's an affliction that I'm convinced can be eradicated with enough effort.
We grabbed a small bite to eat and headed back to my place.  We didn't want
to eat too much as we had the whole dinner thing later.

"What's with all the cars?  You having a party?"  Casey asked as we pulled
through the gate.

"No.  We're renovating the garage so some of the cars have to be left
outside until it's done," I explained, as we found a place to park.

Casey and Nate took full advantage of the house as we hung out.  Turns out
Casey is a pretty decent bowler, and knows how to work a trampoline.

"We should go upstairs and start to get ready guys," I suggested as we got
into late afternoon.  Colin would be home soon, and then we'd be heading
out to dinner, which no doubt would be a few hours of eating followed by
drinks, then back here for a wild night of sex.  Well, you can't blame me
for fantasizing.  At least, like they say, two out of three ain't bad.  The
first stop was our big walk-in closet.

"Damn, you should rent this out.  My studio apartment is almost this size,"
Casey joked.

"You could live here for free as long as you put out every day," I teased.

"I actually enjoy my solitude," he said rejecting me.

We spent a while picking out clothes, and letting the guys mix and match
things.

"Is this how all gay guys get ready?"  Casey inquired.

"How do you mean?"  I asked as I watched him try on another shirt.

"Like you see it in movies where girls have these big montages to get ready
with clothes, hair, makeup, etc., but boys usually grab some clothes and
they're good to go.  Do gay guys act more like girls when they're getting
ready?  Not trying to sound sexist or anything, I'm just curious."

"No, I think we act like guys, but we take a little more time to get it
right.  Plus, we don't mind changing in front of each other, and giving
advice on the look as it progresses.  Most straight boys get ready by
themselves."

"That's true.  I mean I've changed in front of friends before, but it's
mostly just a quick thing from say basketball clothes to regular clothes.
That kind of thing.  Or in a locker room," Casey admitted. "Nate?"

"I think I'm the same, but I'm more comfortable being naked than my
friends, so I think I don't notice us changing as much as they might.
Don't think I'd ever hang out in their closet trying on different clothes
though.  If I borrowed anything, it'd be pick something and go change kind
of thing."

"I think this is more fun, and I get to see you guys in different looks.
You could both be really hot," I grinned.

"We're already hot, aren't we Casey?"  Nate said as he put his arm around
Casey's neck.

"Definitely.  We don't need clothes to prove that," he replied.

Nate groaned, shaking his head.

"What?"  Casey asked as they moved apart.

"You just told a horny gay guy that you look better without clothes.  What
do you think his next suggestion is gonna be?"  They both turned to look at
me.

"What?  I've already seen both of you naked.  Trust me, clothed is a better
look for both of you," I said trying to send shade.

Nate pulled off the shirt he was wearing.  "Really?"  He asked as he rubbed
his chest and slid his hand down across his abs and into the top of his
pants.  "You wouldn't want me to take off the rest, and maybe give you a
nice hug as a thank you for taking us out to dinner.  I could whisper in
your ear before I gave it a little nibble."

He teased more by popping the top button on his pants, and sliding his hand
the rest of the way in.

"If you two are gonna start something, I'm outta here," Casey said quickly.

"Don't be jealous Casey.  Remember what I said earlier?  Gay guys love to
watch two straight guys make out.  It's like their kryptonite," Nate
commented.

"It kills them?"  Casey asked, amused.

"No.  It weakens them to the point where we can make them do whatever we
want."

"Ummm...Nate.  Not sure if you know how this works, but I wouldn't want to
do anything with a gay guy, with or without kryptonite."

"Oh yeah?" Nate said as he moved close to me, and grabbed my hand to pull
it to his crotch.  "You can have this if you let me borrow a Lambo for a
week.  I'll even let you fuck me if you'd pay for the gas too," he teased
as he wiggled his hips seductively.

I licked my lips and stared at him.  "Done.  Toss in Casey, and you can
have the car for a month."

"Ummm guys..." Casey said swallowing hard as he stared at us.  "Are you
being serious or just joking around?"

"Just joking around," Nate said as he backed up so we could separate.

"Yeah, that.  Sure...just joking around.  But just so I'm clear...which
Lambo?  And will you need one or two tankers of fuel?"

They both laughed.

"I know you probably get lots of guys already, Justin, but would you ever
actually make a deal like that?" Casey asked.

"Depends on the situation, I guess.  I mean I'm not just gonna let some
stranger borrow a Lamborghini, just so I can have sex with him.  That would
be stupid to the extreme.  I'm not in the habit of paying for sex, so I
wouldn't just go up to someone and say `I'll give you a thousand dollars
for your ass'."

"I think lots of guys might do that for a thousand bucks," Casey replied.

"Are you one of those guys?"  I asked as I overemphasized licking my lips.

"Not right now, but I think if I were super desperate, and it was like a
last option between surviving and living under a bridge somewhere, I'd
probably give in."

"I think I'd feel terrible if that was the reason someone accepted money
for sex.  I'd be more the type to give someone money to make sure they were
okay, and then down the road if they wanted to do something nice for me,
they could ride me like I was the Pony Express."

"I can see that.  You've given me tons of money in tips for my show.  It's
actually helped me live a little less stressfully."

"Glad I could help," I smiled.  "Now there's a thousand dollars on the bed
if you want to crawl on there and get it.  Leave the clothes here."

The guys laughed.  Not sure what was so funny.

"I actually like it when someone agrees to try it because they're either
questioning their sexuality, or are genuinely interested in what it's like
to be with the same sex.  Sort of like trying skydiving or bungy jumping.
It's a terrifying idea, but once you try it, you'd know for sure if it was
something you'd enjoy again or not."

"Makes sense.  Have you ever thought about it, Nate?"

"I'd be lying if I said I never thought about having sex with a guy so I
knew what it was like," Nate replied, stopping short of admitting we'd done
it before.

"I didn't until recently," Casey revealed.  "After I started doing my cam
shows and heard how the guys talked, and saw a couple other shows, I sort
of wondered what it would be like.  Then when I learned my best friend was
gay, I kinda thought about it more."

"Nice," I grinned.  "Does that mean you're thinking of having sex with
Eric?"

"No, but I'm not as grossed out by the idea as I might have been a year
ago."

"That's progress," I smiled.  "By the way that's a good look on you," I
said praising the outfit he'd chosen.  It was some of Colin's clothes, but
he wore it well, and the colours brought out his brown hair and eyes.

"Should I just wear this then?"

"Yeah, I would," I nodded.  "Nate?"

"Sure, looks good to me too.  What about me?  Nate asked standing there
shirtless with skin tight black pants on, finished with a silver and black
belt.

"Yeah.  I love that look.  Just a chain and a bracelet, and you'll get laid
before we even make it from the parking lot at the restaurant," I said
looking at how hot he was.  "But as disappointing as it would be, I think
we should get you a shirt."

I picked one from the closet, and let him fasten it up as I grabbed a
couple of chains for him.  I let him put them on, then popped a couple of
the buttons to allow his shirt to open further, and show more of his
sculpted chest.

"Isn't this more a club look than a restaurant look?" Nate asked as he
turned to check it out in the mirror.

"Yes, but we'd get great service if you went like that," I said standing
behind him.

"I'm not sure that's restaurant appropriate," Casey said honestly.  "I like
the look, but less chest, buddy.  If we go out to score chicks afterward,
then open it up."

He closed the buttons again.  It's a damn good thing we can't read people's
minds, or these two straight boys would be horrified by what my mind really
wanted to do to the two of them right now.  Any gay guy reading my mind,
would simply be like `Oh Justin!  That's so you!'

"You two are total smoke shows," I said as I looked them over.  "You should
dress like this all the time, and you'd both have more girlfriends than you
knew what to do with."

"Sure, because I can afford a thousand dollars worth of clothes for each
outfit," Casey said sarcastically.

I just shook my head.  "Buddy, that shirt you're wearing is more than a
thousand dollars, but it's about how you wear the clothes, not how much
they cost.  Now do you want a Rolex to finish that look?"  I smirked.

"God no," Casey replied quickly.  "If I damaged it or lost it, I'd never be
able to replace it.  You guys actually have Rolexes?"

Nate laughed.  "Dude, almost all their cars are worth over a million each.
I'm sure they have Rolexes."

"We do, but I only wear a watch for like a formal dress thing.  My phone is
perfectly fine for knowing the time.  Colin has a nice watch collection
though."  I didn't bother to mention that some of the watches were also
worth more than a million dollars, making the Rolexes look like a Casio in
comparison.

"But watch or no watch, you both look pretty good all dressed up.  I'd
totally fuck you."

"Is that really a benchmark though?"  Nate asked as they looked at
themselves in a mirror.  "Wouldn't you fuck us no matter what we were, or
weren't, wearing?"

"It's just a saying Nate.  Once we take a few Instagram worthy pictures,
I'll show you guys my chloroform collection.  You can see which one you
thinks smells the best."

"Wouldn't smelling it knock us out?...Wait, never mind," Casey said shaking
his head.  "I just got it."

"Okay, time to hit the shower.  We should smell as good as we look," I said
as we went into the main bedroom.  "Just leave the clothes on the bed until
we're ready to get dressed."

Neither guy hesitated to take his clothes off.  At least down to his
underwear.  I just smirked.

"Please don't tell me that straight guys shower in underwear.  That would
be a seriously weird thing to imagine," I said as I dropped mine.

"No, we don't," Nate replied as he dropped his, followed by Casey.  "What
we don't do is shower with other guys."

"Where's the fun in that?" I grinned as I headed to the bathroom with them
following.  "Plus, this shower's big enough for four.  Not like those
normal tub showers with only one head.  It's more like a gym shower.  First
thing you should do is use exfoliating cream to scrub the dead skin," I
said showing them the bottle and the two fluffy loofah things to use.

"Why do we need that?"  Casey asked looking at the bottle.  "I don't have
dead skin."

"Yeah, you do.  We all do.  A good exfoliant refreshes your skin before we
add a moisturizer."

"When do you use the soap?"  Nate asked.

I rolled my eyes.  Fucking straight boys.  "The exfoliant is the soap, and
the moisturizer makes sure your skin won't dry out.  Normally you'd shave
first then do everything else."

"You shave in the shower?"  Casey asked looking surprised.  They're so easy
to shock.

"Of course.  I have the wet and dry electric shaver for the face, and the
manual razor and gel for the pits, pubes, and such.  You guys don't need to
worry about that today.  You're looking pretty trimmed already, and it's
not like you need to clean up more as you're not getting laid tonight."

"Who says?"  Casey said with a slight frown.

"Odds on the betting circuit, which are only for guy on girl action.  The
guy-on-guy betting is too volatile after the introduction of alcohol."

"Are you saying that if we got drunk, we'd agree to have sex with you?"

"Meh...maybe not `agree' in the traditional sense," I chuckled.  "But you'd
have sex.  With me, each other, Colin...anything to get laid.  But you guys
are friends, I'd never make that move...at least while you're
conscious...Now if you were just some random straight boys, you'd already
be three drinks in, and being exfoliated in places you didn't know you had
places," I joked.  We showered together and actually helped each other with
the loofah and lotion on our backs.  I also managed to get in a quick feel
of their junk as I washed each one.  Nate didn't react as I washed him, but
Casey was quick to remove my hand.  He seemed more worried that Nate might
see me doing it, than the actual doing it part.

Once we were out and dried, Casey looked in the mirror.  "That really does
make a difference, huh?  I guess I'll have to try it at home."

"Call me anytime, and I'll happily exfoliate the hell out of you," I said
as I watched him looking himself over.  Next it was on to hair product, and
how to use it properly.  They both actually paid close attention.  I'm
running my own queer eye for the straight guy thing.  Finally, they got to
pick out a cologne they liked.

"Before you pick a cologne, you need to decide how long you're going out
for," I told them.  I'd had a whole tutorial from Colin on this.  Poor guys
have one cologne, and use it until the bottle is absolutely empty before we
go get more.  Rich guys have a different cologne for the time and
temperature of day, and strength of the stock market.

"Why does that matter?"  Nate asked.

"The longer you go out, the stronger the cologne you'll need.  Like the
weaker stuff, the eau de toilette is less concentrated than actual perfume,
and eau du parfum is between those two.  So toilette is roughly 2 or 3
hours, eau de parfum is about 4 or 5 hours, and perfume or parfum is good
for up to 8 hours give or take."

"Huh...who knew?" Nate nodded appreciatively.  "I always thought that those
were just some fancy French names to charge you more."

"Me too.  Which would be use for tonight?"  Casey inquired.

"Well, we're out for dinner, so it'll likely be a couple hours, plus drinks
so you're into three hours or more.  We don't do a lot of eau de toilette,
as it really doesn't last long enough for most social events."

"So why have it?"  Casey asked looking at the cupboard of colognes.

"The way I figure it is that if I'm going out to get laid, I want to smell
good while I pick the guy up, but I don't want a heavy smell on me when
we're going at it.  You want a more freshly showered smell for that, so I
use the toilette.  If I'm going to some event like a gala that's liable to
have an after party, I'll go with the parfum as I want to smell good all
night.  Tonight, I'd use the middle one of eau de parfum.  Lasts during
dinner and drinks, but by the time you're liquored up enough to take to
bed, I won't be sneezing the whole time."

They both ignored my innuendo, and chose a scent from the eau de parfum's
that they liked.  Nate held his bottle, about to spray into the air, but I
stopped him just nano-seconds before disaster.

"What?" He asked as he stopped.  "You spray into the air and walk through
it.  I know this one."

I used to teach guys to do that until Colin showed me how to do it
properly.  "If you're a neanderthal living in a cave you do."

"You give a spritz to the inside of your wrist and then the neck.  That's
it.  And don't be a chick and rub it in.  Let it dry naturally, letting the
skin absorb the fragrance.  It'll react to the heat of your body better.
Also, don't make the mistake of thinking more is better.  It's not.  It's a
turn off for pretty much everyone.  Don't spray your junk or your chest.
And definitely don't spray your pits.  That's what deodorant is for, and
use it."

"Damn, no wonder girls take so long to get ready if these are just the
instructions for guys," Casey laughed as he sprayed himself.  Once we were
done, we stood back and looked at ourselves.  We had a very high society
appearance now.

"I'm not hating this look on us," Casey commented as he glanced at all of
us.

"I'm loving it too," I admitted, "although it's a shame we have to ruin it
with clothes.  It's a good thing we're not 16, or I'd have a raging boner
being in here right now."

"That's a visual I could have done without," Nate laughed.  "Maybe we
should actually go get dressed."

We returned to the bedroom and got into our chosen outfits.  Then it was
picture time.  Why do they always suggest pictures AFTER the clothes go on?
What was wrong with shower pictures?  We took several good pictures of the
three of us together and captioned it `graduation'.  That would be followed
later with `graduation dinner', `graduation drinks', `graduation too many
drinks', and hopefully `graduation undressing', and `graduation sex',
although I think those last two might not actually happen.

Colin got home and gave me a congratulatory hug, then commented on good we
all looked.  After he changed, the four of us were ready to head to dinner,
leaving everyone else home.  I had fun teasing Blake by announcing that
Ben, and his boyfriend Razor, would be in charge while we were out.  "Ben's
the sitter tonight, so what he says goes.  Everyone in bed by 11."

"Together?  Like all of us in one bed?"  Blake smirked back.  "Score!"

"No.  Everyone in their own bed," I clarified.

"Hear that Razor?  You gotta home to your own bed.  Sorry."

"Good luck Ben," Colin laughed, as we headed out to the driveway.  Since it
was a special occasion, we chose the Rolls Royce Phantom Serenity.

"I feel like we should be heading to the palace in this," Nate said as he
climbed into the back seat with Casey.

"We're actually leaving from the palace," Casey laughed as he pointed to
the house.

"Good point.  What's a car like this worth?"  Nate asked as he explored it.

"The fact that it has suicide doors should give you a hint," I said, as
Colin and I got settled in the front seat, with him driving.  "You think
about how much you paid and want to off yourself right there."

"I love sports cars, like your Lambos, Ferrari's, etc., but there's
something just so classy about a car like this," Casey commented.

"One of the reasons they're still a top pick for formal occasions," Colin
added as we pulled out of the garage and made our way downtown to Bacchus
Restaurant.  With the big front end, and boxy shape of this vehicle, it
always feels like we're driving a really luxurious tank.  I'm still
convinced that one of the dashboard buttons might launch offensive and
countermeasures.

"Why do I feel like I should be waving as we drive past people?"  Nate
chuckled as wove through the streets.

"It's not as bad as when Colin uses the helicopter.  Each time I see him
board it; I wonder why he doesn't salute."

"Because it's not Marine one," Colin replied.

"You're an American, aren't you Colin?"  Nate inquired.

"I have dual citizenship."

"You ever think about being President of the United States?"

"Not really.  About the only time I do is when a politician makes a stupid
decision, and I wonder how I would have done it if I were president."

"That's probably like most people.  Like all the social media `presidents',
who blast out advice and opinions with no context on the situation," Casey
commented.  "I mean I know I'd rather take all my advice from a 20-year-old
stoned gamer than a professional in the field."

Colin laughed.  "Personally, I think I can accomplish more from where I am
in society, than from political office.  It seems that there, no matter
what you do, you're both right and wrong to half the people.  At least in
my world, we can sometimes steer public opinion that push governments to
swing towards the will of the masses, rather than the will of the
lobbyists, and the rich with self-interests."

"Like Tesla?"  I asked.

"Exactly.  The United States would never have embraced electric cars
without such a massive push from Tesla.  Europe is well ahead of us because
of the price of gas, and the environment.  Now, electric vehicles are well
on their way to becoming the majority.  There will still be resistance to
change as oil companies will still lobby for gas vehicles, but even they'll
come around eventually.  Some will fight to the death; others will begin to
move to secure energy sources for the electric vehicles.  Like Nestle tried
to do with water, no doubt someone will try to buy the sun, and make you
pay to use it."

"How the fuck would they do that?" Casey laughed.  "You don't pay and they
drag a big black tarp over your house?"

"No, but it could be something like, if you don't pay for the sun, your
solar panels get turned off and you have to buy power completely from the
grid at premium price."

I nodded.  "Strangely I could see that.  I wonder what the market value of
the sun is?"

"More than I have, that's for sure," Colin nodded.  "That's more like Musk
and Bezos money combined."

"I dunno," Nate added.  "I think Musk is already doing it.  Putting all
those satellites in orbit for worldwide internet service, and maybe at the
same time, he's syphoning off the sun into energy collectors to prevent it
getting to us and we have to buy it."

"Not really how the sun works," Casey laughed.  "But it might be cool if he
could do that.  Each one of the tens of thousands of satellites has a solar
panel on it.  They beam the energy to a collector on earth to power the
planet."

"Wouldn't that be the same as just having a field of solar panels on the
ground?"  I asked.

"Maybe the sun's energy rays are more powerful in space, like before the
earth filters them through our atmosphere," Casey said logically.

"Actually, it is.  I read that they're already experimenting with it to see
if they can generate electricity for future missions to the moon or Mars,"
Nate added.

"Once we mine dilithium, we can simply power a matter/anti-matter warp
core, and we'd have all the power we'd ever need," I said trying to sound
as serious as possible.

"That'll be good after 2061 when Zephram Cochrane discovers it, but we
won't need to worry after that because the Vulcans arrive on April 5th
2063, and our whole world changes dramatically," Casey replied, sounding
just as serious.

"Fuck!  There's two of them," Nate laughed.  "Geeks in da house!!"  He said
in a deep voice.

"Hey, that matter/ant-matter thing is real.  You just wait and see," Casey
replied.  "I can't wait to see the look on your face when I beam out in
front of you, and you see the flash of light from my starship as I head to
warp."

"I know you're just joking, but do you really think some alien species is
just gonna show up, and we'll be like `Hi!  Welcome to Earth.  Tell us all
about yourselves and your technology.  First, if they're stupid enough to
land in America, like all shows seem to believe they will, they'd be blown
to pieces by `stand your ground' lunatics, followed by mass panic.  We'd
try to capture the aliens and want to dissect them," I said shaking my
head.

"Dude.  Any species that show up friendly, and gets that kind of reception,
is going to consider us the hostiles and fight back.  How much of a chance
do you think we'd have if they were that much more advanced than us in
technology," Casey fired back.  "If they've watched earth before coming
here, they're gonna know that landing is the United States is like the
WORST place they could go.  That's one country that isn't willing to change
anything without a major fight.  That's their whole schtick.  War and guns.
Plus, the stock market might crash from the panic, and America makes their
decisions on the stock market, not on common sense.  Although in fairness,
most of the western world does.  I say aliens would be more likely to land
in Finland or Norway.  You know, peaceful places with rational people."

"What about landing in Canada?"  I asked.

"Nah," Nate replied getting into it as well.  "We're too Americanized.  We
don't have the guns, but we'd let the American influence control us.  We'd
be saying sorry to the aliens as we let the U.S. forces invade to capture
them, or at the very least we'd turn them over to the FBI."

"Why is that, Colin?  Why is the FBI allowed to just arrest Canadians,
hmmm?  Why?"  I asked giving him a cute amused look.

"Do I look like FBI to you?"  He said looking at me and shaking his head.

"Not dressed like that, or without your earpiece," I joked.

"Anyway, I don't think it'd be the FBI," he replied.  "That seems more like
a CIA, or NSA operation. Possibly DOD."

Nate laughed.  "This is why shit takes so long in the U.S.  Why the fuck do
they have so many law enforcement agencies?  What the hell is that all
about?  Shit, how many are there?  FBI, CIA, DEA, NSA...

"ATF," Nate included.  "ICE and Border patrol.  Why aren't those the same
thing?  Oh, and the Coast Guard."

"NCIS," Casey added.  "Homeland Security, Marshals, Sheriff's..."

"State Troopers," Colin threw in helpfully.  "Also any local city police.
Don't forget the Secret Service."

"How is it secret if they announce themselves?" Nate laughed.

"Good one," Casey nodded.  "How about their national guard?  Is that
military or law enforcement?"

"It can be both depending on the situation," Colin clarified as our
resident American.

"What do we have?" I asked.  "Like the RCMP and CSIS?"

"We have less agencies for sure.  The RCMP does most of the federal
policing, but we have other things, such as CSIS, which is equivalent to
the CIA," Colin replied.  "Also a border patrol agency, CBSA."

"Some provinces use a provincial police force, like Ontario and Quebec,
right?"  Casey asked.

"Yep.  The RCMP are used in the other provinces.  They also provide police
for smaller towns that can't afford their own police service."

"What about sheriffs?  I know we have those," Nate suggested.

"I know this one," I replied.  "They are mainly just bailiffs in court, and
for prisoner transfer.  They're not a law enforcement thing like you see in
America."

"What about our military?"  Casey asked.  "You don't hear much about it.
Is it all one, or a dozen agencies, again, like America?"

"I dunno," I answered as I got my phone out to check.  "Personally, I think
it'd be cool to have a space force though.  Even if we just change the name
of the air force.  It'd be pretty lit.  Says here that everything is under
the Canadian Armed Forces.  We have Army, Navy and Air Force."

"What about the coast guard?"  Colin asked.  I looked that up as well.

"Nope.  That's not a military thing at all.  It's run by the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans.  Hey, look!  It has a three-letter acronym.  The DFO.
Damn, we're becoming more American by the day," I laughed.  "If they need
law enforcement help, they call the Navy or the RCMP.  I had no idea.  I
figured they'd be like the American Coast Guard, where we could rush in
with these big ass ships and demand that the fisherman in his rowboat show
us his fishing licence.  A couple of 50 cals pointed at him should make
sure he never takes one too many fish."

"Siri, please cancel Justin's Netflix subscription," Colin said quickly.

"What?  If it's in a movie. You know that shit is real."

"This conversation is exhausting," Casey said as he sat back.  "I have so
many acronyms in my head ATM that IMO it's confusing.  SMH."

"Agreed," Nate said quickly.  "Back to that other shit we were discussing
about science fiction.  Do you think any of those things will actually
happen?"  Nate asked.

"I do," Colin said, speaking up.  "We've only just begun to explore what is
possible in science, so there's really no limit to what we should be able
to accomplish in time.  It may not be in our lifetime, but in generations I
believe we'll be capable of interstellar travel, at speeds far exceeding
our current understanding."

"Exactly," Casey nodded.  "And I'm gonna be in a cryochamber with
instructions to wake me up when I can board a starship."

"I think that'd be something only rich people out of touch with reality
would consider, to ensure they survived over everyone else," Colin said
shaking his head.

"No offense Colin, but aren't you guys like super rich?"  Nate pointed out.

"I can't deny that we have money," he replied, "but I'd like to think I
wouldn't demand rules change just so I can get even more money.  I'd like
to see the rules applied fairly to everyone."

"I'd like that too," Casey nodded.  "Of course, I just bought some
bootstraps from Amazon that I thought would help, but some porch pirate
stole them from my front door before I could use them."

We laughed.  "Sounds about right," Nate agreed.  "What do you think about
the four-day work week, Colin?"

"I think it's a great idea.  If the days were 10 hours over 4 days, I think
you'd see better productivity than working 5 days of 8 hours each.  Both
the employee and employer would benefit."

"Do your companies offer that?"  Casey asked.  This was one of those `do
you put your money where your mouth is' questions.

"My previous company had flexible hours that allowed for personal time,
yes.  The current company is more entrepreneurial in stature, so people can
work as much or as little as they want while trying to develop their own
businesses.  We do review the business plans presented to make sure they
have factored in a healthy work environment.  We won't get into bed with
someone that doesn't put employees first."

"I, on the other hand, will happily get into bed with all their exhausted
employees, and do them first," I said proudly. "We don't offer the four-day
thing at the Dominos I own, but we pay the employees well above industry
standard, and we must be doing okay as the turnover is almost
non-existent," I said trying to contribute.

"What's the minimum wage now?"  Nate asked.

"$15.20," Casey replied.  "I think it now goes up each June at the same
rate as inflation.  What's the living wage now?"

"I can answer that one," Colin said quickly.  "Metro Vancouver is the
highest in B.C. at around $20.50 per hour."

"Ouch.  I guess when you look at it like that, minimum wage doesn't seem
like a good rate at all," Nate said shaking his head.

"It's not," Colin admitted.  "We have a living wage mandate in all our
companies and operations.  Minimum start is $21.00 for entry level
positions."

"That's cool.  Would it go up when the minimum wage does, or how does that
work?"  Casey inquired.

"When the minimum goes up, we match that same percentage for everyone,"
Colin revealed.  "If people working full time jobs aren't able to pay their
basic bills such as food, shelter, clothing, and some quality of life, then
we either need companies to reduce prices and take less profit, or raise
wages to provide for the people who make them rich in the first place."

"Fuckin' right!"  Casey said loudly.  "I wish all employers thought like
you.  How'd you get to be so rich if you give out your money like that?
You keep hearing how higher wages would bankrupt companies.  Like one
company said that by giving all their employees the 80 cent minimum wage
increase, meant that their burgers would end up costing like two or three
dollars more to cover it."

"Such bullshit," Colin said shaking his head again.  "It makes more sense
to pay people properly to the point where they're happy, and want to come
to work and do better.  It's a snowball effect.  Take the burger
scenario. If the employees stay, then less training time is required,
leading to improved productivity.  Employees are happier because they can
afford to live, and don't need to go look for a second job.  Their
enjoyment flows down to the product they're making as they're invested into
doing a good job, which in turn makes the customers happy.  That translates
to better reviews and word of mouth, which will ideally result in more
business.  You can hire additional employees, putting money into the
pockets of more people, who will spend it buying things, which drive the
economy even higher.  It's a win win, if businesses would just learn it."

"Is it actually that simple?"  I asked.

"No.  If you have a shitty product or business, you'll get complaints,
which will begin the flow in the opposite direction.  Employees get tired
of being abused, they quit, and you have to rehire.  Frustration sets in as
the employer starts to see less profit, and tries to find cost cutting
measures."

"Usually on the backs of employees," Casey added.

"A lot of the time, yes.  You need not only a living wage, but a product or
service that people want.  Both of those will go far to ensure your
success.  Not always, but it's a good place to start."

"I'd love to learn more about this topic one day, if you ever have time
Colin.  I think I could learn a lot," Casey said to him.

"Stop by the office anytime, and I'd be happy to discuss anything you
like," Colin offered.

"Just so you know, Colin, Casey's straight, so don't expect him to put out
for information.  Oh, and Casey, if you want lots of the good top secret
business information, make sure you shower and wear clean underwear,
preferably assless, before you go over to Colin's office."

That shut both of them up pretty fast.

"Oh, thank god.  We're here," Nate said pointing out the hotel where the
restaurant was located.  Do you think he felt left out not being offered
anything in Colin's office?  We pulled up out front, and the valet
attendant quickly opened the passenger doors to let us out, before running
around to Colin's door.  We headed inside and were seated quickly.  I'm
glad we dressed up as this really wasn't a jeans and t-shirt kind of place.
Once seated, we ordered drinks and began to look over the menu.

"Holy shit this is expensive," Nate commented as we began to explore the
options.

"Nothing too outrageous, and don't worry about it.  This is on me to
congratulate you on your achievements," Colin told them.  "Be adventurous
and try things you've never had before."

"Uhhh, I dunno Colin, at these prices, I think I'd order something I
recognized so I'd eat the whole thing, and not waste money," Casey said as
he looked it over.

He just smiled.  "Guys, that's the fun of eating at places like this.  You
try things you never knew existed.  Any idiot can grab a burger and fries,
but how many have had New Zealand lamb with charred broccolini?"

"Probably lots of New Zealanders?"  I suggested.  "Not sure what broccolini
is though."

"Oh thank god, I thought I was the only one.  But then I'm not sure what
Artic Char is either," Casey admitted.

"Arctic Char is a fish, and broccolini is a longer thinner type of
broccoli," Colin explained.

I was planning on being super adventurous, and having the Alberta beef
tenderloin.  What?  It's as expensive as the New Zealand lamb, which makes
no sense, since Alberta is the next province over, while New Zealand is
like on the upside down part of the earth, like a 100,000 kilometres away.
Okay, maybe only 10,000 kilometers, but that still requires a lot of
shipping, and probably custom fees and whatnot.  So at the price per
fanciness, Alberta beef is more expensive.

Colin had some root vegetable and kale salad thing to start, which as far
as I'm concerned was a real waste of money.  I could have just tied him up
out back and let him munch on the lawn and hedges.  He'd have had the same
taste, and saved twenty bucks.  To be fair, we ordered a range of
appetizers from a beet salad to duck foie gras.  As usual in places like
this, I had no idea what half the food was, so I just ordered the squash
soup.

The main course was easier as I recognized most of it, as did the guys.  I
stuck with the tenderloin, but Colin chose the lamb with a truffle, and
wild rice risotto enhancement.  Sounded super fancy.  Casey tried the duck,
which at $46 seemed okay, but there was also an option to add some Quebec
Foie gras for another $24, which seemed like a bit of an excessive
`add-on'.  To me that seemed like going to McDonald's and ordering a Big
Mac, then adding a Quarter Pounder on the side.  Nate went with the Artic
Char and mussels.  Part of me thinks he did that because at $42, it was the
cheapest entrée on the menu.  I hope not, but it seemed like he might
just be trying to be polite.

Colin added a nice bottle of wine to it and once it arrived, he toasted to
our success.  It was a fully bodied red with a smoky bold hint of
blackberries, and opulent flavour of pomegranate and car battery acid.  It
sucked in your cheeks, and drained the liquid from your tongue instantly.
Colin casually explained that the wine went best with red meat, as it
counteracted some of the whatever thing in the wine that made it so `dry'.
Why would you make a liquid dry?  Just asking for the stupid people.  Good
evening, sir.  Here's your glass of dry water.  So, basically...the glass.

We had a good meal, and took our time as we enjoyed dinner.  How is it that
you can order pizza and have the whole meal over in 15 minutes, but order a
$50 steak and you're there half the night.  Is there a dollar to time ratio
on food consumption?  I'm not complaining.  I love going out to dinner like
this.  You feel amazing all dressed up.  The conversation is somehow more
intelligent, and the people around you are all behaving like civilized
people.  We're not lined up with some Karen shrieking because she got three
less fries this time than last, while simultaneously demanding enough
ketchup packets that each fry could literally have its own.

This was a much more relaxing environment, which seemed to make the food
taste just that much better.  When it came time for dessert, we were all
pretty full, but it's dessert.  It usually slithered into any open slots
your stomach had, so we all ordered something.  Both Casey and Nate had the
pumpkin cheesecake, while I had the adventurous apple crisp.  Colin went
with the plain and simple salted warm caramel bread pudding.

I had a chance to check out the bill, and as I'm used to this by now, I
never blinked at the overall total.  I was surprised to see that the wine
was $600 for the bottle, and the really frustrating part was that it wasn't
even a new bottle of wine.  It was from 2012.  I can't even imagine how
much a bottle of the current year would be.  I'm just kidding.  I know how
wine works...sort of.  I know that if we'd ordered a Bordeaux from France,
it would have been a $4200 bottle of wine.  I would have ordered it just so
I could say `bring me a bottle of the Chateau Lafite Rothchild'.  If you
ever want to sound pretentious, that's the line right there.  Maybe add `my
good man', at the end, just to be sure.

By the time we were finished dessert, we ordered another drink and retired
to the lounge.  I wanted to open the top button on my pants and belch, but
this didn't seem like that kind of place, so I just let out a silent fart
instead.  Has pretty much the same effect, but you risk consequences if it
doesn't go as planned.  With no dogs in the restaurant, your options on who
to blame it on become extremely limited.

We spent the next hour just enjoying the evening, which made it really
nice.  I don't think Casey and Nate have ever been some place like this
before, but hopefully when their careers get underway, they'll do this a
lot.

As the night concluded, we drove the guys home.  It was easier to drop them
off at their building, than to take them back to our place so they could
change back into their own clothes.  I assured them I'd return their
clothes tomorrow.  By the time we got home I was feeling tired and very
relaxed.  The boys hadn't made it to bed, as we found them all asleep in
the media room.  Blake was curled up with J.J. under a blanket, while Ben
and Razor were on the couch beside them, under another blanket.  We left
them alone, and headed up to bed ourselves after locking up the house,
which honestly is just us saying `ADAM, lock the house', but you know...it
still feels like we actually did it ourselves.

Colin and I took a shower together.  It was more kissing than actual
showering, but I don't mind at all.  By the time we got into bed, we were
in full lovemaking mode.  While a nice meal is incredible, lying between
Colin's legs with my face buried deep into his ass, is even better.  If you
ever want to try something this good, come over, and I'll make room for
you.  Without a word of a lie, I could fall asleep on Colin's cute butt; in
fact, I think I have a few times.  Tonight, we flipped back and forth
repeatedly until we finally fell asleep.  If you ever want the best feeling
in the world, fall asleep curled up against the person you love the most.
The second best feeling in the world is 10 inches pounding you hard for 30
minutes, but right now, I'm curled around Colin.

I was woken up in the middle of the night, sensing some noise.  I opened my
eyes to find J.J. standing next to the bed.

"Hey, honey.  You okay?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"I had a scary dream.  Can I sleep in here?"

Colin had obviously been woken up as well, as he moved back to make room.

"Of course.  Hop in here," I told him.  He climbed over me and slid under
the covers between us.  "Is that better?"

"Yeah.  I went to sleep with Blake, but he's not in his room."

"I thought you were all asleep in the media room," I said quietly.

"We were, but when I woke up, I was by myself and it was super dark.  Are
you mad at me for coming in here and waking you up?"

"Never.  You can sleep with us whenever you want, and never be scared to
wake us up if you need us," I assured him.

"Ok. Thanks," he said as he shuffled around to get comfortable.  I put my
arm over his back, then leaned in to kiss the side of his forehead before
saying good night.  Colin looked up and smiled as he gave me an air kiss.
We all fell back to sleep.

In the morning, I couldn't help but smile when I saw J.J. cuddled up
against Colin, who had his arm around him.  It was too cute not to get a
picture of.  It wasn't much later before we were all stirring, and ready to
get on with the day.  J.J. was the first to leap out of bed and race to the
bathroom.  I noticed that the underwear had disappeared somewhere between
getting into bed and leaving it.  Once he returned, Colin and I took turns
heading in next.  The three of us lay in bed for a while longer casually
talking to J.J.

"Did you sleep okay?  No more scary dreams?"

"No.  I'm okay now," he replied.  "Thanks for letting me sleep with you.
My mom and dad wouldn't let me sleep with them at our other house.  They
always just told me that there was nothing to be scared of, and to go back
to bed."

"Did that work?"  Colin asked before I did.  What a stupid thing to say to
a kid who's obviously scared.

"No.  I mostly just left my lights on, and tried to stay awake when I went
back to my room.  At my Uncle Steve's, he totally lets me sleep with him or
Layne.  He's nice and warm too."

"Were we warm?"  I asked, making sure we had the proper requirements to be
sleep buddies.

"Yeah.  Colin is kinda warmer though," he grinned.

"So just out of curiosity.  When you climbed into bed you had underwear on,
where'd it go?"  I asked with a bit of a grin.

"I think it's in the bed somewhere," he replied.  "I saw you guys weren't
wearing any, so I figured I probably shouldn't either."

"What someone else is wearing, or not wearing, shouldn't affect what you
wear to bed, J.J.," Colin advised.  "Just be comfortable, and sleep in
whatever you want."

He looked at both of us.  "Really?"  He asked sounding genuinely surprised.
"At my other house, my mom and dad say we have to wear pyjamas to bed."

"Even Layne?"  I asked, trying to imagine a 16-year-old boy roaming around
in those 1960's style cotton pyjamas.

"Yeah.  But at Uncles Steve's we only slept naked.  He said big boys don't
wear clothes to bed."

"And what does Blake say when you sleep with him?"  I asked, again out of
curiosity.

"He said what you guys said.  That I can wear anything I want."

"That's how it is around here," Colin repeated.  "Sometimes you feel like
being in a nice t-shirt and warm fuzzy pants.  Other times you just go
natural."

"Blake said that when you get to be a teenager and get hairs down there,
it's best to sleep naked or with boxers because your balls are supposed to
get lots of air."

"There's some truth to that," I nodded, "but how about we worry about that
once you get closer to being a teenager?  Right now, just sleep in whatever
makes you most comfortable.  Should we get up now?"

"Okay.  What are we gonna do today?"

"We're going to spend the day on the boat.  You can go waterskiing, try out
some inner tubing, jet skiing, ride the dinghy.  Things like that."

"Cool.  Can we jump off the boat and go swimming too?"  He asked.

"If you want, sure," Colin nodded.

"Do we swim naked like we do here?"

"You should probably wear a swim suit this time," I advised.  "Sometimes
big fish see penises, and think they're worms.  They might try to eat
them."

"Justin!"  Colin said trying not sound like he was chastising me, while not
laughing.

"What?  It's not been scientifically proven that that DOESN'T happen," I
shrugged.  "No, I'm just joking about that J.J.  Actually, Toby and his
parents will be joining us, and it's nicer if you all wear clothes.  His
mom might not appreciate a big group of boys running around naked."

"Oh.  Yeah that makes sense," he replied.  "Are James, Trevor and Travis
going too?"

"Yes.  Everyone is joining in."

"Can I invite one of my friends too?"

"Sure, pick one and invite him," Colin replied.

"J.J., how about you join Colin in the shower, and he'll wash your hair for
you.  I'll be in once I go wake Blake up.  ADAM, where is Blake?"  That'll
save me searching every room for him.

"Blake is in Ben's room," came the reply.  I shouldn't be surprised.

I didn't bother to dress as I headed out towards Ben's room.  I quietly
opened the door, like a burglar.  A naked burglar, sure...but I just meant
I was being stealthy.  The three boys were still sleeping as I moved up
towards the bed.  Razor was the closest to me, and must have been ready to
wake up, as his eyes opened as I got up to them.

"Hi," I whispered quietly.  "Just checking to see where Blake was.  Last I
saw you guys, you were in the media room."

"Yeah, we came up here so we wouldn't wake J.J. up," he replied almost as
silently.

"I figured it was something like that," I nodded as I moved closer.  Razor
just grinned and move a hand out from under the covers to reach up and take
hold of my package.  He inched his head forward, and lifted up my junk as
if in preparation to blow me.

I moved back and bent over toward him.  "We'll save that for later, when I
can reciprocate properly.  I just wanted to wake you guys up, and let you
know we're all getting ready to head out on the boat.  You're both still
welcome to join us."

"We would, but we already made plans with a couple other friends to take
the bikes up to the mountains for the day," Razor said whispering.

"Sounds like fun too.  Wake Blake up for me, and send him down to breakfast
will you?  We want to get underway soon."

"Will do," he nodded.  I left him to wake the guys up, and wandered back to
my room, where Colin and J.J. were in the shower.

"I like these super big shower rooms," J.J. was saying as I entered.  "You
can have all your friends in them at once."

"It also means you can have someone help you wash the places you can't
reach like the middle of your back," I added as I looked at myself in the
mirror, and tried to tidy my bed hair.

"Yeah. I can wash my own hair and stuff, but it feels nice when someone
else does it.  Blake said he used to wash me all the time when we were
kids.  Is that true?"

"I'm guessing it would be," Colin replied.  "Big brothers often help their
younger siblings.  My brother is nine years older, and he took lots of
baths and showers with me when I was little.  I used to like it a lot as he
taught me how to do things for myself eventually."

"Did you miss it when he stopped?" I asked curiously.

"I did actually.  It slowed down about the time I was 11 or 12, which I'm
guessing was about the time I hit puberty.  I'm thinking he figured I was
too old by then.  I still got to sleep in his bed sometimes though, which
was nice as we would talk about all sorts of things before we fell asleep.
He's a pretty cool big brother, much like Blake in many respects."

Nice way to circle back to that.

"Blake said I ever needed help with anything I could just ask and he'd be
there for me," J.J. said just as he let the water hit him in the face.

"The same goes for everyone here, J.J.," I assured him.  "If you are ever
in trouble, or need help, or are scared, like last night, every one here
will help you.  The same as I know you'd do the same if they needed help."

"Yeah," he grinned.  "I'd do that for sure."

"Do you remember what your scary dream was about?"  I asked as I walked
closer to the shower.  I figured I'd let them both finish before I joined
in, even thought there was plenty of room.

"No, not really.  I was in a big dark scary room, and I couldn't find a
ladder to escape.  Then I woke up and the room was still dark, and I super
panicked.  But I remembered that you only had to ask ADAM to turn on
lights, so I did, but then nobody was there, so I got more scared in case
they'd been taken, so I ran up to Blake's room.

"And he wasn't there.  Did that scare you more?"

"A little, but you guys were in your room, so that was okay.  Ummm...if I
wanted to sleep with you again sometime, you said that's okay, right?"

"You can sleep with us as much as you want," Colin assured him.  Great,
between Blake and J.J. leaping into bed all the time, about the only place
Colin and I will be having sex will be in the panic room.  Of course any
room I whip out my humungous appendage and threaten anal, becomes a panic
room.

Once the guys finished, and Colin wrapped J.J. up in a big towel, I jumped
in the shower.  I think J.J. is too old to need someone to shower him, but
you never really outgrow someone pampering you, and wrapping you in a big
fluffy towel.  I know for a fact you're okay with it up until at least 23.
If I ever turn 24, I'll let you know if it keeps going.

We headed down to the kitchen to find Troy and Kyle working on making
breakfast already.

"Good morning," Troy said looking like he'd had three Red Bulls, and had
been up for hours.

"You two look wide awake for this time of the day," I commented as we
approached.

"Just looking forward to a day on the water," Troy announced.

"Where's Chance?"  I asked as he was usually up at the same time Kyle was.

"He's not feeling very well this morning.  He's going to skip a day on the
boat as he figures his stomach won't handle it very well," Kyle replied.
"I offered to stay home with him, but he figures it'd be better if he just
slept.

"That's too bad.  Hope he feels better," Colin said, with all of us echoing
the sentiment.  "Does he need anything that we should get for him?"

"No, he says he just feels queasy and sweaty.  Probably just a reaction to
someone he ate," Kyle said casually.

I just rolled my eyes.  Blake, Razor and Ben thumped down the front stairs
looking as if they hadn't completely woken up yet, and certainly hadn't
stopped for a shower.

"We could smell breakfast," Ben said with a small grin.  "Figured we'd at
least come and join in."

"Might as well," J.P. replied.  "Tons of food.  I hear you guys are going
mountain biking."

"Yeah with a few friends from school.  Should be lit."

The frenzy was on to grab everything we needed for our day out.  From
bathing suits, towels and sunscreen, to plenty of food and drinks.  To the
disappointment of some of the boys, that didn't include electronic devices,
like iPads and gaming systems.  Just organizing who was going in which
vehicle was challenging enough, but we sorted it out reasonably quickly.
Colin and I had Blake and J.J. with us, leaving space to pick up Quinn,
Darcy and Cory on the way to the water.

Toby and his parents, Will and Shawna, were meeting us there which made the
logistics a little easier.  Kyle and Troy had been the first to arrive, and
got the boat ready for launch.  I think they have to do a pre-trip
inspection to ensure we don't get stuck at sea.  By the time Colin and got
there with the kids, everyone else was already milling around on the dock
with all the stuff we'd brought.

"How come you're not on board?" Colin asked as we joined them.

"We figured you should officially christen the boat before we board her.
The safety checks have all been done, Captain," Kyle grinned as he handed
over the bottle of Champagne.  I wonder if there's a law against smashing
glass into the harbour.  Guess we'll find out soon enough.

Colin took the bottle.  "Thanks Kyle.  Do you have that other box we
brought for the boys?"

He smiled and turned around to grab a wooden box nearby, and opened it.  I
smiled when I saw it was also full of bottles.  I guess he thought ahead.

"Well everyone, this is the official maiden voyage of our new boat, `Just
Us League'.  Today we christen her, and look forward to many exciting
voyages."  He turned and smashed the bottle over her hull.  What a waste of
good champagne.  Thankfully it was the cheap stuff.  I'm pretty sure it was
under a hundred bucks.  Was it technically the maiden voyage if we had been
out on it already?  Or was that like a test drive?  I'm pretty sure it
didn't matter, as this was just to entertain the boys anyway.

"I think that each of you should welcome the new boat yourselves," Colin
said as he reached in and handed a bottle to each of the twins who stepped
up to hit the bow of the boat.

"Is this a good idea," I heard Alex ask Colin quietly.

"Don't worry.  It's not real glass.  They're breakaway props from the
studio.  Last thing I wanted is shards of glass getting in anyone's eyes,"
Colin assured him.

"Smart," Jason nodded with a grin, and quickly turned to explain that to
Will and Shawna in case they had the same concerns over their boy breaking
glass.  The twins smashed their bottles easily, and were then followed by
J.J., James and Toby, with Blake, Cory, and Darcy completing the ceremony.
There were still four bottles left over, so some of us joined in to finish
them off.  I have to admit these breakaway props were a lot easier to break
than real glass.  I suppose that's the point.

Then it was time to board, and the boys all had their captain's hats.
Blake was thoughtful enough to give his hat to Toby, who beamed from ear to
ear as he wore it.  Kyle was designated as captain for the trip, so the
boys all took turns saluting him and asking permission to come aboard.
When the adults tried to just board, we were given a stern dressing down by
the younger passengers, who said we weren't doing it right and had to go
back to ask for permission.  Thank god this isn't a 6,000 person cruise
liner or we'd be here all day.

Troy and J.P. untied the boat while Kyle took the bridge for departure.  I
wonder why you don't need one of those safety messages like you do on a
plane.  I would think learning about lifejackets, and what to do if you
sink, especially in shark infested waters, would be important.  Not that we
have sharks, just whales, but it still should be included in a safety video
at least.

"We should go change into our swimsuits," Blake suggested, heeding my
warning that this would not be a trip where they could go naked.

Shawna pulled Toby's out of her bag and handed it to him.  Jason offered to
help the twins change, but they were adamant that they could do it by
themselves, before immediately asking James and J.J. if they could help.  I
guess having your brother help you isn't the same help as a parent.  They
all raced below deck to change.  At least things were looking up.  Normally
they'd just change right there on deck.

"So Colin, Justin, what do you do for a living?"  Will asked as we headed
over to the bar for drinks.  Yes, the boat has a bar.  We're not
Neanderthals.

"I'm a psychologist, and Colin is..." I turned to look at Colin as I really
didn't know what to call him now.  He used to be a real estate developer,
but since selling that part of the business, I wasn't sure what you'd call
him, except a billionaire.

"I'm a venture capitalist," Colin said to complete my answer.  "I run a
company dedicated to helping entrepreneurs get the start up funding for
projects they need."

"Then you take a cut of the profits?"  He asked.  That almost sounded
judgmental.

"We do buy a stake in the new company," he replied.  "Of course, we take
the loss if they fail too.  We do it slightly differently than most though.
We allow all the companies that we've invested in to have a vote on any new
pitches for other startups.  The more companies we have as part of us, the
more eyes, opinions, and expertise we have to help new opportunities."

"I was always curious about that.  Are these companies always tied to you,
or can they pay back the investment and go it alone?"

"They can buy out our interest when they feel they're ready, or we can
offer to sell our stake if we feel that's appropriate."

"What if you see their company failing, do you interject, or pull funding?"

"With so many diverse start-ups, there is usually a wide range of ideas and
expertise, so everyone can pitch in and offer help and advice to see if we
can get them back on track.  Contracts we sign don't allow us to bail out
at the first sign of trouble.  If they go under, so does our investment,
but we limit our debt exposure to the initial offering.  Occasionally, if
we see untapped potential, we may give an additional investment."

"Sounds complicated," Shawna added.

"I can be, but so far we've been very successful by having everyone
participate in the company," Colin replied.

"Does your process ever have these companies approving something that you
personally think isn't worth it, and do you have a veto?"

Colin grinned.  "Great question.  Yes, there have been a few pitches that I
wouldn't have given the time of day, but they get approved.  Do I have
veto?  Technically yes, since I own the company, but I don't use it.  We
have an operating budget that they all work within.  If the new venture
requires funds above our limits, then it can be brought to me for special
consideration."

"I'm guessing it's profitable though," Will said as he glanced around the
boat.

"It has its ups and downs, that's for sure.  Nothing like real estate
developing which is where I got started.  I learned that business from my
big brother who was quite successful with it.  I sold that operation though
as I wanted to do something that could help others.  I still do some
builds, just not the big towers and complexes that I used to."

"How about you Justin?"  Shawna asked.  "How do you like being a
psychologist?"

I laughed.  "Aren't I the one that should be asking the questions?  I've
actually just graduated, so my business partner and I are still in the
process of setting up an office, but I'm looking forward to it."

We were interrupted by the boys all racing back to the upper deck, now just
in their shorts.

"What did you decide to do first?"  I asked as they all appeared wide-eyed
and eager.

"We think the younger guys should go out on the tube first, while the rest
of us take the sea-doo and dinghy out to ride beside them, like outriders,
in case they fall off," Blake replied.  Obviously as the oldest of the
`kids' he was their spokesperson.

"Sounds like fun.  Will, would you give me a hand getting everything out of
the hold?  Boys, does anyone need to hit the head before we drop you into
the water?"  I asked, trying to use nautical terms.  I'm pretty `stern'
about that.  Ha!  See what I did there?  I should take a bow, I'm so funny.
Don't worry, I'm knot going to keeping doing this, and if anyone does
suggest it, I'll deck them.

Blake shot a quick smirk at me and grabbed his crotch.  I was getting ready
to give him the warning on keeping today PG.  "That means bathroom, boys,"
he explained.  "Unless you gotta go number two, we can just pee in the
ocean."

"He's always the gentleman," Colin said to Will & Shawna.  "See what you
have to look forward to when Toby gets older."

"He's got some of that in him already," Shawna laughed.

"Don't worry, I have the cure for that," I smirked.  "Boys, best to use the
bathroom on the boat.  If you pee in the ocean, fish and bugs are attracted
to the warm water, and might swim right up your shorts and bite you."

They all looked at each other as if this were the most terrifying thing
they'd ever heard, then all raced back downstairs, except for Blake.

"Really, Dad?  I know in the Amazon you don't pee in water as they have
parasites that can swim up inside your penis, but I never heard of no fish
swimming up your shorts before to bite it," he said just staring at me.

"I only offer the warnings, Blake.  What you do with it is up to you," I
said patting him on the back.  He paused for a second to see if he could
read my face.

"I should go down and make sure everyone is okay," Blake replied, and
headed off.

"He's at that age where he believes he knows everything, but just doesn't
want to chance something if he's wrong."

"Nicely played," Shawna nodded.  The boys returned momentarily, still just
as excited.

Troy had Kyle bring the boat to a stop before we headed towards the stern,
and down to the cargo hold.  It took a few minutes to get everything out,
and we had to add air to the tube to fully inflate it.  With the dinghy and
Sea-Doo, it didn't fit in without being partially deflated, but the
on-board air pump made short work of getting it ready.

We made sure all the kids were fastened properly into lifejackets, and put
the twins and Toby on the tube first.  We promised that we'd let them mix
it up with the older kids, and go faster, once they got used to it.  All
three boys had huge grins on their faces, with Shawna and Will taking
hundreds of pictures of them.

"Now remember boys, give a thumbs up to go faster," Colin explained as he
showed them, "and a thumbs down to go slower.  When you want to stop just
put your hands over your head and make an `X' like this."  He showed them
the move, and they of course had to copy it to make sure they understood.
We helped them get seated on the tube while Blake and Cory jumped on the
Sea-doo together, with Darcy, James, J.J. and Quinn on the dinghy.  Darcy
didn't mind being with the younger kids as he'd been made captain of the
dinghy.  His very first commission, and a crew as well.

The rules were spelled out to the boys about staying well away from the
tube in case of a big bounce or if someone fell out.  We wanted to be sure
they wouldn't be run over.

"Can we jump the wake though, Dad?"  Blake asked.

"Yes, just stay back from the tube when you do it.  We'll be spotting for
all of you, and if anyone falls in the water, we'll stop until you're back
where you belong.  Same rules for you boys, if you need us to stop, give
the crossed arms signal.  Everyone clear?"  Colin asked.

They indicated with giant grins of excitement that they were more than
ready.  We told Kyle to move ahead and let the tow rope out.  As soon as it
was fully taut, the tube began to move, and all three boys instantly
grabbed onto the hand holds.  I smiled when I saw Trevor give us the first
thumbs up, so Troy relayed that to Kyle who increased speed.  The other
boys were already moving alongside talking to the boys to make sure they
were okay as we began to pick up speed.  Then they moved further away.  At
one point Blake and Cory came screaming past on the Sea-Doo, shot around in
front of us, and came up the other side.  Then they jumped the small wake
the tube was making.  Cory was clamped to Blake like a vice grip.  Darcy's
boat was having its own fun as he took the boys over the wake as well.

"Toby looks like he's enjoying himself," I said to Will and Shawna.

"He's been excited about this all week, and he couldn't sleep last night,"
Will revealed.  "He has really taken to Blake and Darcy, and tells all his
friends about his new big brothers."

"As long as you're okay with it, Toby is welcome anytime," Colin assured
him.

"Don't tell him that, or he'll be at your place everyday," Shawna laughed.

"If you don't mind me asking," Will said looking at us.  "I realize that
you are a gay couple, and that's no issue at all for us, but Shawna and I
were wondering about Blake and Darcy.  I know Blake has talked about his
girlfriend before, but it seems those two boys are closer than most
friends."

"Blake met Darcy through karate, and they just quickly became friends after
that.  Darcy was really introverted before meeting Blake, and doesn't have
a lot of friends, although he's certainly gotten better at making them in
the past year.  With Blake being extroverted, he doesn't filter much as he
drags Darcy along with him.  I think that makes their relationship a little
unique."

"Darcy said he was 16, which surprised us a little as he's so much smaller
than Blake.  If anything, we thought their ages might be the other way
around.  Isn't it unusual for that sort of age gap at their age?"

"Not really," I replied.  "I think back before social media it might have
been, but now kids of all ages mix together.  Blake's very used to having
older people around, so he doesn't think twice of hanging out with someone
who's 16 or 18, or even 20.  He's the same with younger as well.  Except
for where the age difference restricts them from doing the same activities,
he pretty much gets along with everyone.  Darcy's taken that part of
Blake's personality lately too, and it's nice to see."

"Toby hasn't had much exposure to boys outside his own age group, so it's
interesting to see him interacting with Blake and Darcy.  He looks up to
them, and you can see him absorbing every word they say.  It's cute,
especially when he tells us things he's learned from them.  It's an
interesting dynamic," Will said, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing
or not.

"I've tried to remind Blake and Darcy about keeping their conversation
appropriate for someone Toby's age.  Sometimes they forget, and talk like
teenagers.  I apologize in advance if they said something they shouldn't,"
I said quickly.

"It's all good," Will assured us.  "I'm sure some of the things that he
hears aren't really for his ears, but we already know that his friends with
older brothers' relay information.  We've seen how excited he is when he
learns something new that he can't wait to tell his friends."

I can only imagine what sorts of things Blake and Darcy talk about in front
of Toby.  I may have to sit down with them and remind them again of what's
appropriate for the ears of a seven-year-old...as soon as I ask Jason and
Alex what's appropriate for the ears of a seven-year-old.  "You have our
permission to correct Blake or Darcy if you overhear something that they
shouldn't be discussing."

Will laughed.  "I was going to interrupt them when I heard Blake and Darcy
talking about girls, but when Toby just scrunched up his face and said
`girls are stupid', and the two teens agreeing, I knew we still have a few
years before we need to address that subject."

"Oh?  Do you think girls are stupid, honey?" Shawna said giving him the
playful stink eye.

"Not to me, dear.  Just to a seven-year-old.  Unless you'd like him
bringing home his girl classmates so they can study alone in his room," he
teased.

"I'm good with the status quo for now.  But just so you're not surprised,
when he turns 13, I'm taking his bedroom door off the hinges."

"You might want to start thinking about that more at the late 11's or 12,"
Colin said to her as he took a sip of his drink.

"No.  I'll not be ready for girls at 11, or boys, if that's the direction
he chooses.  Either way, the first time he's interested in someone beyond
just a friend, the door comes off."

I laughed.  "Good luck with that.  I envy you still having a few years to
prepare.  Blake is well into teenage crazy and J.J. is only 10, but nipping
at his heels.  He's already quizzing Blake about things he doesn't need to
know, so we're on the cusp of puberty."

"That's where I partially envy you.  Your youngest can go pester the oldest
for information, and leave you out of it," Will grinned.

"You'd think so, but that's not always ideal.  Blake will give him answers
that are either designed to make him go away, or that are so loaded with
information that J.J. is more confused than when he first asked.  As adults
we can filter the response appropriately.  No such filter with Blake,"
Colin said to them.

"I think that's why having J.J. and Toby around is good for him.  We at
least have some hope of a filter," I added.

We watched the boys, and it wasn't long before we got a three person thumbs
up from the tube, and the signal was relayed to Kyle who increased speed.
Troy was the official spotter, although the rest of us were also watching.
Jason and Alex had joined in with the conversation on the kids and gave
some of their parenting stories with the twins.  Everyone seems fascinated
by twins, and how we interact.  The only ones who don't care are the actual
twins.

It's funny I grew up as a twin, and ended up as a triplet, so I think I
have a unique perspective on the whole situation.  I don't remember J.P. in
the womb, but every now and then, I get a flash of somehow knowing he'd
always existed.  At times I really felt horrible that he hadn't had the
opportunity to grow up with the `twin' thing like Jason and me.  While he
was as much a part of us as anyone, you could see the difference in how we
acted with each other.  Jason and I were totally in sync, and extremely
comfortable with many of the things we did, since we'd grown up doing
everything together.  J.P. did a lot of things we didn't, and vice versa,
but it didn't change that we were brothers.

"It's a bit unique that you have twins, being that you're a triplet, isn't
it?"  Shawna inquired.

"I'm not sure.  I think many families with twins or triplets are prone to
having more in their line.  Justin's birth mother was a twin.  Then Jason
had his own twins," Colin explained.

"As long as Blake doesn't have a twin somewhere, civilization as we know it
should survive," I added.

We had picked up speed again and it wasn't long before we got the stop
signal from the boys on the tube.  Almost as instantly as we saw it, we
were slowing down to come to a stop.  The outriders immediately approached
the tube to see if they needed help.  Blake rode up to the stern and pulled
alongside.

"They're just wanting to come in and warm up.  I guess the spray is a
little cold," he revealed.  We had him move out of the way, and used the
winch to pull the boys to the boat, where we helped them climb out, and
wrapped them in large towels.  Toby was shaking like a leaf, but grinning
so big you could see almost every tooth in his mouth.

"Was that fun?"  Shawna asked as she rubbed the towel to warm him up

"The best fun ever!" He exclaimed.

We watched as the dinghy arrived next to the launch platform at the stern,
and the pre-teens got off.  They weren't so much interested in wrapping in
a towel as they were about climbing aboard the tube for their turn.  Travis
and Trevor opted to stay on the main boat, while Toby wanted to join Darcy
in the dinghy.  Cory and Blake swapped places so that Cory was in charge of
the Sea-Doo, and they were off again.  This time we went a little faster as
the older boys were a bit more used to the tubing than the little kids.

By the time we got Blake, Cory and Darcy on the tube, our son announced
that we'd be going balls out.  There were jumps over the wake that had all
of us holding our breath to see if the boys would land properly as they
flew into the air.  We only lost Cory once, but the outrider on the
Sea-Doo, which was J.P., scooped him up, and returned him to the tube.

We made sure to pause the adventures and have something to eat.  The boat
was returned to a slow crawl with the watercraft tied behind us to follow
along.

"You guys wanna go jump off the bow into the ocean?"  Blake asked.

The resounding `yeah' from all of them seemed to indicate what our next
activity would be.  I know Blake is used to diving from great heights, but
I could see on the faces of the twins, and even Toby that this was way too
high up for them, even to just jump.  We compromised, and moved the diving
and jumping to the stern, where the younger ones could just jump off the
swim platform, while the older ones could climb over the railings and jump
from a height they were comfortable with.  Of course, Blake had to show off
and do a proper dive for everyone.  Toby asked if Blake would show him how
to do that, but stuck with only doing small dives from the rear swim
platform, which was basically at water level.

"I'll go ask Kyle if he wants to try diving," Blake said as he got out of
the ocean looking a little cold but trying to ignore it.  He'd only been
gone a minute before we heard him yelling down from the flybridge.  "Hey
guys, come over to the starboard side and watch this!!"

"Starboard is which way again?"  Cory asked.

"Opposite of the port side, duh!!" James said as he headed to the port
side, only to be grabbed by the shoulders by Alex, and spun 180 degrees
toward the actual starboard side.

"Everyone watching?"  Blake yelled down.

"We're watching," J.P. yelled back.

Then we saw Blake sail off the flybridge, do a twist and a somersault, and
land in the water perfectly.  We waited until he resurfaced and applauded.
With a big grin on his face, he swam to the stern, and re-boarded the boat.
Kyle came down to join us, leaving Troy to captain the ship.  I hope he
knows what to do if pirates try to take us.

Jason, Alex and I got out some fishing gear, and had Will join us on the
rear deck where we could throw the lines out.  Please don't let us catch
anything.  I like the idea of fishing, not the idea of catching fish.  It's
like you sound outdoorsy if you say, `me and the boys took the boat out
fishing.'  Doesn't sound so manly if you scream like a pre-pubescent girl
when you actually have to deal with the thing wiggling on the deck beside
you.

Fortunately, we weren't successful, but downing a few beers and watching
the kids have fun running around the boat, including taking turns being the
captain, was fun.

At one point Blake, Cory and Darcy were taking turns holding each kid by
the arms and legs, and flinging them sideways into the water.  Everyone
still had their lifejackets on, so they popped back up fast, (like zits
before prom), but when it started to become a little too much, we had to
stop them.  You know how boys are when they get carried away with
something.  The shrieking as they fly through the air, with arms and legs
flailing everywhere, only to have them surface coughing from inhaling sea
water.  You'd think that'd be enough, but as soon as they swam back to the
boat, and stopped coughing, they wanted to go again.  The throws got higher
and further and started to look dangerous, which is when we called a halt
to it.

We decided to head back and told the boys to go get changed into something
dry.  When they returned, we couldn't help but laugh as each of them had
only put on their underwear.

"You could have pulled shorts on at least," I suggested.

"It's all good.  Underwear is just like a swim suit," J.J. explained.

He's not wrong.  We cooked up some burgers in the galley which kept the
boys occupied for a while.  Colin showed Will around the boat, and let him
take over at the helm to allow Kyle & Troy to get something to eat.

When we were all back on the main deck, Blake asked if we should swing past
the island to show everyone.

"I think the boat is enough for today," Colin replied.

"What island is that?"  Shawna inquired.

Before anyone else could respond, Blake was ready.  "It's an island we own.
It's got a house on it and a cool lake with a rope swing, and lots of
places to explore.  We call it Bare Island.  Not bear as in Grrrrrr," he
said holding up his arms to simulate an actual bear, getting chuckles from
the younger boys, "but bare as in we don't wear clothes there.  Only in the
summer though.  Winter it's too cold."

"Oh, I see," Shawna nodded with a grin.  "Yes, that sounds more like a
boy's day out."

"Dad, did we sell the other boat yet?"  Blake asked.

"No, but hopefully soon," Colin replied.

"Think I could buy it?  How much you want for it?"

Colin and I both laughed at once.  "We were looking for three million.  Do
you have that much?"

"Not on me," he smirked.  "How much do I have in the bank?"

"Not that much.  Especially not that you can access until you're 18.  Why
would you need a boat?"

"In case I need to take the guys out on the water for a day," he reasoned.

"And what's wrong with this boat?"  I asked, as if that were the concern in
this scenario.

"Nothing, I'd just like a boat of my own.  I have a car already, so a boat
would be a nice addition."

"When you're ready for a boat, we can look at something smaller.  Like a
rowboat with an outboard motor," Colin said, trying to play it serious.

"A rowboat?  Nice try.  How about a something half way between the '56 and
the rowboat.  A nice cabin cruiser.  I think we could get a decent one for
a hundred grand.  I know I have that much."

"How about you save your money, and when you need to go out on the water,
just ask one of the guys in the house to captain this boat for you," Colin
suggested.

"I'll check with my people to see if that'll work," he said as he got up
and headed off to join `his people'.

"He has people?"  J.P. asked smiling.

"It's Blake, he probably has all the people," Troy replied.

"He does seem very outgoing," Will chimed in.  "He seems much more mature
than most 14-year-olds."

"Don't tell him that.  It's tough enough keeping him from acting like a
20-year-old.  I think that comes from living in a house full of older guys,
and having more freedoms than most of his friends," I said.

"It's interesting to watch them, and I think there is a lot of truth in
what you just said.  I compare him to Darcy and it's like they're in the
wrong bodies.  Darcy seems more like a 14-year-old.  I guess not having
that older influence really does make a difference.  I think that's why
we're okay with Toby having the guys mentor him.  He'll get the teenager
view of the world.  We know he sees that through his friend's brothers, but
it's nice when he can tell them about his own adventures.  No doubt today
will be the topic of conversation for the next week.  Not just with us, but
with all his friends."

"I'm sure it will.  We're still getting J.J. used to living with us, so
everything new he does here, he announces to his friends.  I also believe
that those with older siblings learn to stick up for themselves more.  They
learn that if they don't, the older one will take their share of
everything."

"Isn't that the truth," Will laughed.  "I have an older brother and sister,
and growing up, you had to fight back or miss out.  We've thought about
having a second child, but we're still debating it.  How do you handle so
many kids?"

I laughed.  "The trick is to have lots of adults around to help.  When they
get older, they're a lot more independent."

"Don't you have to monitor them even more as they progress into more adult
things?"  Shawna asked.

"Probably, but as you offer them more freedom, you trust that what you
taught them as little kids will be in the back of their heads as
teenagers," I replied.  "You go from telling them to stop playing with the
electric windows in the car, to reminding them to keep seat belts fastened,
to hiding the car keys so they can't take off on a joyride.  With boys,
it's more likely you stop them from doing something dangerous, to prevent
them from doing something dangerous while naked."

Everyone laughed at that and agreed that sounded like the real difference.

We talked about a lot of things as the day progressed, and the boys never
slowed down once.  Even their attempt at sun tanning, ended up with a game
of hide and seek that saw Darcy and Blake hanging off the side of the boat
to avoid capture.

Colin and Will had gotten into a philosophical conversation about
capitalism, and I just sat back to watch, while having a much lighter
conversation with Shawna about Toby.

"Colin, don't you think that the system we have in society is unfairly
geared towards the rich?"  Will asked bluntly.  He does know we're
considered rich, right?

"It most definitely is.  It's exponentially easier to make money when you
have money.  Once you make your first million, it's easier and faster to
make the next.  I've had this discussion with many people before, but I'm
not sure how it would ever get changed.  Those with just enough money to
live, use it for essentials, and aren't worried about how the stock market
is doing.  They only care if they can afford their bills at the end of the
month.  Food, mortgage, and gas for the car."

"How would you fix it, if you had the power to do it?" He asked.  That
sounded like a loaded question to me.

"First, I'd minimize the amount of deductions an individual could make to
limit their tax burden.  I think everyone regardless of status should be
contributing to the overall funding of the country.  A minimum tax
percentage should be enforced.  If you can write off enough ensure you
don't pay taxes, our system is flawed.  Write off whatever you want, but at
the end of the day, you should pay a minimum of `x' percent on your net
income."

"I'd agree, but what do you say to those who reply that they already
contribute to the country by providing jobs for everyone," Will asked.

"I say thank you, but those workers who are getting a paycheque, are also
the same one's buying the products or services you provide.  If they don't
have a paycheque, and you aren't paying taxes, where does the money come
from to provide infrastructure like water, sewer, transportation and roads
to your business?  We all, as individuals and companies, must pay our share
to the overall good of everyone.  Health care, education, and
infrastructure are vital to our success.  Limiting anyone's ability to buy
a politician should also be part of it.  I shouldn't be able to throw a few
million dollars at several politicians to buy their vote on a subject.  I
also believe that if you're in a position to influence a stock price, you
shouldn't be allowed to trade in it."

"What about the adage that if we raise minimum wages business will have to
raise prices to compensate or go out of business themselves, affecting
those they actually employ."

Colin laughed.  "I'd say that's complete bullshit.  The big companies are
making record profits, so they can take a little less profit and make sure
everyone is successful.  Unfortunately that'll never happen, because as
soon as they don't increase returns for shareholders, those big money
people will move on to some other stock that performs better, thereby
requiring the mega company to reduce costs to increase the profit again.
It's a vicious cycle.  It's the same as reducing the quantity or size of
the product to keep the price the same.  They claim to have not raised
prices in a number of years, the whole while they've been giving you less."

"You seem pretty tuned in to the problem.  How do we fix it?"  Will asked.

"Not sure we can.  The people with the power to do so, are also the people
benefitting the most from the system we have.  I think it's why we're
seeing the split between the right and left spreading further apart, and
becoming more volatile.  Generally richer people are more to the right as
they protect the status quo, while the left leaning person will be more
about making it fairer for everyone, often being referred to as
communists."

"Personally, I think it will all implode on us at some point," Will said.
"There will be too many people unable to afford basic necessities, which
will mean they aren't spending money on luxury items being offered.  Those
companies, in order to maintain profits will end up letting employees go
for lack of business and to cut costs, as you mentioned, and the cycle
continues until it's all burned to the ground."

"A dystopian view, but not entirely incorrect.  At some point a fundamental
change needs to happen, or things will collapse beyond our ability to
change.  A living wage for everyone, minimum tax rates, and perhaps a
change to the system of stocks that we now have.  Perhaps we limit how much
you can invest.  I'm not sure how we'd change it, but things DO need to
change.  Two of the simple things I see that are purely profit driven are
banks and oil companies.  When the price of oil goes up, the price at the
pump jumps immediately, but when oil goes down, the response is that they
need to wait for the lower price oil to hit the pumps in a couple of weeks.
You can't have it both ways, and I can assure you that if a barrel of oil
returned to the previous lower price, the price at the pump would NOT
return to the same lower price.  It'll always be a cent or two higher per
litre than it was.  Something that somehow should be regulated.  Also, the
bullshit of having just a few countries control the volume of oil produced,
and thereby artificially manipulating that price to suit their own greed.
It's wrong.

Banks also need to change.  I'd love for someone to explain to me how
someone with very little money is required to pay a monthly fee for their
account, while keeping a minimum balance waives those fees.  First, the
bank doesn't need those fees, it's just a cash grab, and a way to keep
their assets higher so they can invest in high yield stocks.  It's one of
the things that annoys me so much that I've directly suggested to my bank
that if they offer free banking to everyone and market it, they could see a
significant jump in depositors.  Sure, they may only be depositing small
amounts of money, but it would come in regularly, and ensure that their
cash flow remains liquid."

"So why don't they do it?" Will asked.

"Because those on the board looking at the profit and loss statement see
the line `fees collected on below minimum balance' and refuse to do
anything to make that go away.  It's short-sighted thinking.  The same goes
for offering absolutely no interest on deposits until you get more money in
there, and the more you put in, the higher the interest.  How does that
make sense?  Give everyone your best interest and show them you want their
business. You'll get a lot more of it in the end.  I could cite dozens of
examples of how a bank caters only to the rich, but I think you get the
idea."

"I do, and it sounds like you're saying that it'll never be able to be
anything different.  Do you want it to change, since I'm sure you're
benefitting from the system as it is?"

"I do want it to change, but sadly, it would take a combined effort of all
those profiting from the system to willingly want to help others, and not
just in one country.  In all countries.  If Canada became a leader, and
changed our system to make it harder to accumulate extreme wealth, those
with the money, would simply invest in another country that allows them to
reap the profit they want.  An example is like registering a boat in a
foreign country to avoid higher taxes and fees, except multiply that by all
businesses and investments.  Not a chance we'll change it."

"Couldn't billionaires that reap the profits voluntarily give the money to
those that need it?"

"They could, and many have.  The likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet for
example.  They've done a lot with their charities and donations.  Made some
huge differences, but it's still only like throwing a pebble in a pond.
There're a few ripples, but then we're back to the way it was.  Everyone
wants to make money, and as long as that's the underlying reason to exist,
then society will never actually change."

"We could burn it all to the ground and start over," I suggested, as I
added my thoughts to this subject that was seriously killing all my hope
for the future.

"We'd also need to wipe people's brains to ensure they didn't know anything
about the current system, or we'd create the exact same system again over
time," Will added.

So, it's been decided.  Wipe everyone's minds, and burn the entire planet
to the ground.  We're on track with one of those with climate change.  Now
we just need brain wiping machines.  I don't think our family should be
included in that though, because we're rich and shouldn't be subject to
that.  Someone will need to be able to rebuild society.

"I'd like to believe that someday we'll realize what we're doing and
change.  I have to believe it, otherwise what are we leaving for future
generations?" Colin said definitively.  He's so perfect.  Someone is gonna
wanna sleep with him for sure.  It'll probably be me.  Definitely me.

J.J. bounced up to us with James.  "Colin, if Blake gets a boat, can me and
James have one too?"

"Yes.  If Blake gets a boat, you can have one as well."

"YES!" They exclaimed excitedly.

"The operative word being IF.  Between you and me boys, he's not getting
one, so don't make plans about what you'd do with yours.  Plan ahead for
when you get your driver's licences.  You'll probably want your own car
before a boat."

Both boys nodded.  "Can we choose any car we like?"  James asked.

"When the time comes, you can have a say in it, yes," Colin agreed.  "Just
like the older guys."

"That's what I'm talking about," J.J. said quickly, before the two of them
took off again.

"Is it me, or did that conversation seem like J.J. has accepted that he
might be with us long term?"  I asked.

"We can only hope," Colin replied.

We slowly made our way back to the marina and tied the boat off.  Toby,
with a small prod from his parents, thanked everyone for the `really fun
day' he'd had.  Blake let him keep the captain's hat, which I think made
him even happier.  Will and Shawna thanked us as well, and we all agreed to
was nice to get to know each other.

We'd had a very normal family day outing, and it really was fun.  Not a
single person got naked the entire time, which must be some sort of record
for us.  More importantly, no one had anything swim up their shorts, so
that was also a win.

 Few days later, excitement ramped up again.  At least no one can accuse us
of being boring.

"Justin!  Guess what?"  J.J. yelled as he ran across the living room with
Blake hot on his heels.

"Well, you don't appear to be on fire, so it's not that," Colin laughed.

"Nate is going to take me and Blake to Canucks game!'  He said leaping
around as if this was somehow the greatest thing on earth.

"That sounds like fun," I said, excited for him.  "Have you ever been to a
game before?"

Blake nodded yes from just behind him.

"No, so it's should be really fun," he replied with wide eyes.

"You looking forward to it as well, Blake?"

"Sure.  Canucks are playing L.A. so it should be a good game.  It'll even
be fun to see them limping home after we kick their asses so badly.  We're
gonna have to stop by the Canucks store once we get to the stadium as we'll
need some merch!  You okay if I use the credit card?"

"Buy what you want, and have fun boys," Colin smiled.

The game was at seven, but Nate had told them he'd take them to McDonald's
first.  I'm not sure if that was just for more bonding time, or to avoid
paying the insane prices for food at the stadium.  Both boys were literally
pacing around the foyer waiting for Nate to arrive.  They both yelled at
ADAM to open the front gate the second he buzzed.  They raced out of the
house with a simple `bye' as the door slammed behind them.  Looks like Nate
had picked a good event for their outing.

Colin and I took advantage of the lack of kids, and decided to do a date
night.  I mean it's not like we wouldn't go on a date night regardless, but
it saved us asking one of the others to keep an eye on J.J.  Ideally, we
should hire an entire team just to watch Blake, but sometimes you just have
to throw in the towel, move on to the second kid, and hope that goes
better.

Our date consisted of a really nice dinner with drinks and then a movie.
Cliché, but still nice for it to be just the two of us.  We made sure to
get out of the downtown area before the stadium let out, otherwise we'd be
stuck in traffic, and depending on how the game went, they'd either be
happy noise fans, or pissed off noisy fans.  I still remember when we lost
game seven of the Stanley cup final.  They almost destroyed the city.  I
still don't understand people who act like that.  It's a hockey game, not a
tax increase.

"Wow, don't you guys look like part of the Canucks," Colin smiled when the
three guys returned from the game.  They all had new jerseys on, with the
two boys also decked out with jackets and hats.  I half expected giant foam
fingers, and a beer drinking attachment for the hats.  They all looked
pretty stylish actually.

"Oh check out what we got you guys," J.J. said as he held up a large bag
and handed it to Colin.  He opened it and pulled out two black hoodies with
the Canucks logo on the front, but done in pride colours.

"Those are awesome," I said as I checked them out.  "Now we can all have
hockey outfits."

"Dad, seriously, sometimes you're too gay to function.  It's Canuck's
merch, not a hockey outfit," Blake corrected.

"Got it," I nodded as Colin and I tried them on.

"We also got water bottles for school, and check out J.J.'s phone," Blake
said as he had his brother take it out of his pocket.  "It's a new phone
case."

"Nice.  I like the glitter type pattern.  Looks pretty cool."

"Oh, and check these out," Blake grinned as he opened the big bag he was
carrying.  "Matching lounge pants.  Me and J.J., thought they looked pretty
cool."

"Nice," I smiled and nodded as they showed them to us. They were a
navy/gray plaid pattern, which looked pretty stylish in my opinion.  I
could see this even being suitable to wear to school.  I think I had a warm
rush flow over me as I realized what Blake had done.  He mentioned that
J.J. liked to dress the same at bedtime when they were kids, so this was a
nice subtle touch that may help with memories.  I'm guessing every little
thing will help.

"We also got socks," Blake said pulling even more things out of the bag.

"And slides to wear on our feet around the pool," J.J. said continuing the
excitement.  At this rate their adrenaline would last well into tomorrow.

"When I was little, we used to call slides, flip flops," I said giving a
history lesson.

Blake laughed.  "Dads when you guys were little, gay meant happy.  Now flip
flop and gay can be used in bed together."

"You do know we're not that old, right?  I think gay moved from meaning
happy around the 50'd or 60's," Colin advised him.

"Looks like you guys had fun.  Apart from all the merch, how was the game?"
I asked, secretly hoping I wouldn't get hockey techno babble.

"We won!"  J.J. said loudly.  "Beat their asses 3 to 1."

"It was tense for a while," Blake added.  "L.A. scored first, and we didn't
score until the beginning of the third period.  Then we had another one
like four minutes later.  Then with just under two minutes to go, we tucked
one in around the corner of then net, reminiscent of a 1980's Gretzky
move."

I saw Nate give a small grin at that comment, so I'm assuming Blake was
just parroting something he'd been told.

"There were some seriously good fights too.  There was even blood,"
J.J. said jumping around slightly as if he were revving up to fight next.

"It was actually a really good game," Nate said, finally getting a word in.
"I'll pay you back for the jersey.  The boys thought we should all have
one.  Blake insisted on paying for it, but I'll be sure to text you the
money as soon as I get home."

"Don't worry about it, Nate.  Consider it compensation for dealing with
these two all night," Colin assured him.

"It was actually a lot of fun.  I'd do that again anytime.  Obviously, we
couldn't afford to do that often as it was expensive, but it's a nice
treat."

"I think it'd be less expensive next time, since it appears they already
bought out the Canucks store."

"Nah, there was still tons we didn't buy, Dad," Blake said quickly.
"There's a ton of the vintage merch we should get at some point.  Might
just order it online if we do though.  Carrying all this shit everywhere
was a pain."

"I should head home.  Let you guys unwind.  Thanks for letting me take the
boys to the game.  It would have sucked going alone," Nate said looking at
me.  "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Great.  Thanks for taking them off our hands for a few hours.  Date night
isn't the same when the boys are staring at you while eating popcorn," I
replied.

"I'll bet," Nate said.  He left and the boys showed us everything they'd
gotten from the game, including the pictures that they'd taken.  Blake even
had one of the big fight, and it did look like everyone was getting their
asses kicked.  I wonder if those fights are real, or staged like the
professional wrestling ones.  Seemed pretty real, but then I still believe
there's a multiverse.

"J.J.'s gonna sleep in my room tonight so we can talk about other things we
wanna go to," Blake announced before turning to his little brother.  "Dude,
we can wear our matching lounge pants to bed.  You wanna?"

"Yeah, cool."

"Okay boys it's late, so why not go up, have your showers and get into
bed."

"If you say you're gonna come up to tuck us in, I'm locking my door, and
activating the death lasers," Blake said quickly.  J.J. just chuckled.

"Nope wasn't going to say that," I assured him.  "Just make sure you don't
stay up all night talking.  It's still a school night."

They took off and I turned to look at Colin who was already grinning.  "No.
He probably doesn't have death lasers."

"Would be sort of cool if he did."

In the morning both boys bounced down for breakfast, looking like the
adrenaline still hadn't worn off.  Both of them were dressed similarly in
their new Canucks gear.  Blake was a little more subtle than J.J., who was
wearing the branded jersey, jacket, hat, lounge pants and socks.  Blake
simply had the jacket, hat, and socks.  His pants and shirt were colour
coordinated, but not Canucks.

"Ummm...J.J. didn't you sleep in those pants last night?"  Colin asked.

"Yeah.  Me and Blake both wore ours," he replied looking down at himself.

"I'm not saying you don't look cool, but how about you swap the pants out
for something clean.  You'll still look just as cool.  Blue or gray pants
will still match."

"Dude, wear your black skinny jeans.  That'll make the other stuff stand
out better," Blake said to him instead.

"k", he replied and raced off.

"How'd the night go?  What time did you two finally fall asleep?"  I asked.

"Actually, we both crashed pretty early.  I guess we were tired, and once
the excitement wore off, we were out.  Thanks for letting Nate take us.  Do
you think the shrink session worked?"  He asked with a smirk.

"What shrink session?" I replied, trying to sound innocent, with Colin
giving me a half smile.

"Like I seriously didn't know what you were up to.  Obviously J.J. had no
idea, but Nate talked to J.J. a lot and asked him tons of questions.  I'm
sure J.J. liked the attention, but I'm 14, not 4.  Plus, I've been to
therapy with Nate before, remember?  I know what it sounds like.
J.J. doesn't know the triggers to look for to manipulate the conversation
properly yet.  Don't worry, I won't tell him as I want him to get his
memories back too."

"You're a pretty smart kid, Blake.  I'm guessing that's why you bought the
matching lounge pants," Colin commented.

Blake touched his nose.  "You got it.  Figured it might remind him of what
we used to do.  It also saves me from having him grab my dick when we
sleep.  Win, win, right there."

We didn't get a chance to talk about it further as J.J. bounced down the
side stairs, and raced over to join us for breakfast.  He looked a little
less like a Canucks billboard now, although I still have a feeling that
conversations about the game will be the topic for today.  I know what it
was like when I was in school.  After a game, everyone was talking about it
like it was the only thing going on in the world that mattered.  I mostly
hadn't a clue what they were talking about, so let Alex and Jason speak for
me as I just nodded a lot, and gave the appropriate disapproving comments
when required.  I think I'd still like to go to a game and see a hat
trick. The only one I've ever seen was where a rabbit came out of it, and I
was like 6 or something.  Not sure what the trick looks like in hockey, but
I'm betting it's not rabbits.

A couple days later, with a clear sky, warm temperatures and a wind warning
in effect, Colin and I strolled downstairs for breakfast and saw Troy,
J.P., Kyle and Chance in the great room having a discussion.  Why mention
the weather you ask?  Why not, I reply.  It's always nice to know.  We
wandered over to join the group and Troy turned to look at us.  "Talk some
sense into them, will ya?"  He said quickly.  "They want to move out.  I
say they should stay.  What do you guys think?"

"I think it's up to them," Colin replied as we sat down.  "We'd never want
you to leave, but it's up to you."

"I'd vote for not leaving myself," I said, throwing in my five cents worth.
"Why do you want to leave?  I know you talked about it before, but I
thought tying you to the bed, and gluing your door shut had settled this."

Chance laughed.  "We just think the timing is right to become a bit more
independent."

"Having stayed in the penthouse before, we find it way more convenient for
the bars and clubs and stuff.  Plus, it really is time for us to move out
on our own.  It's not like we wouldn't be back here all the time."

"Yeah, but it's a bitch to get to University from there.  Why not do what
you planned earlier and finish school before you move?"

"We talked about it, and it's just time," Kyle replied.  "I think Blake
will take it the hardest."

"That's so not true!"  J.P. laughed.  "Justin can take it the hardest...and
deepest!"

"Guys if there's another reason that you're not telling us about, you know
you can talk about anything right?"  Colin said seriously.

"It's all good.  We've been talking about this for a while, and we think
this is the best timing.  Blake is focused on J.J., so hopefully he won't
react as intensely at the idea.  Plus, we've never really lived alone
before.  You guys took me in when things were bad at my parent's place, so
this will always be my real home," Kyle said becoming emotional.  Chance
put his arm around him, pulling him in for a hug.

"See.  He's too unstable to move out.  He should stay here, and we'll all
provide constant 24/7 emotional support.  I'll take the first watch.  Where
do you keep your lube?" Troy said as he continued to plead with them to
stay.  "Guys, move into the bachelor suite and I'll take your room.  I'm
fine with that, and it's like you'll be living alone, without living
alone."

"Thanks Troy," Kyle said giving him a small grin.  "We talked about that
idea, but I think it's time to cut the umbilical cord."

"What umbilical cord?"  Blake asked as he walked across the room to join
us, with J.J. right on his heels.  Both now dressed for school.

"Nothing," I replied.

"How come you look like you've been crying, Kyle?"  Blake asked as he
looked at all of us.  "Did you look at yourself in the mirror again, and
get upset about your small penis?  Or are you stoned?"

J.J. giggled as he sat on the arm of the chair next to Blake.

"I'm not stoned," Kyle replied.

"So it's the penis.  Sorry," he teased.  "Can't help you there.  See if
they have penis extenders on Amazon or something."

"Blake, maybe ixnay on the enispay talk in front of your little brother."

"Sure.  Wouldn't want them to compare, and have Kyle even sadder," Blake
insulted again.

"I know where you live, Blake," Kyle warned.

Blake just turned, put his hands on his hips and gave him a cheesy grin.
"Well, come up and see me sometime, big boy!"

"There ya go, Kyle.  Vindicated.  He called you big boy," Chance laughed.

"Actually, there is one other option, guys," Colin said, quickly getting
all our attention.  "I was saving it as a bit of a surprise for when we
unveil the new garage, but now might be a better time.  I don't know if
you've all noticed the addition to the end of the garage or not."

"Yeah, looks super fancy," Troy replied.

"That's because it is.  I'm adding a guest house.  It's got two bedrooms,
and all the high-tech features of the main house.  I had planned on talking
to Justin about an idea I had for it, but since you're wanting to move, we
could offer it to you instead."

"That's a guest house?"  I blurted.  "Damn.  I was with Troy.  I just
thought it was a super fancy addition.  Maybe to make the overall house
look bigger from the street.  So, if I ever get sent to the doghouse,
that's where you'd send me?"

Colin laughed.  "No.  I'd send you to the new lounge above the garage.
We'd not use the house as a punishment.  Kyle, Chance, if you'd prefer to
stay close, the house is yours.  It should be done in a month or so."

"Thanks," Kyle replied looking at Chance, "but we really have our minds set
on moving downtown.  Not because we want to get away from here, but it'd
just be nice to sort of feel like we'd actually moved out.  No offense or
anything."

"None taken.  Everyone has to have that moment where they fly free.  I envy
you that sensation," Colin replied.

I was still getting over the fact that we were building a guest house.
Since when don't our guests stay in the main house?

We stopped talking about Kyle and Chance moving, and discussed the day
ahead.  Mainly to find out what the boys had planned.  We eventually headed
out to our various destinations with Troy taking Blake and J.J. to school.
Blake still insisted on being there when J.J. was dropped off.  His
rationale was that he wanted everyone to know that J.J. was his brother,
and he was there to protect him.  He's like the Godfather...Godbrother?

That night Colin and I had a much longer discussion with Kyle and Chance
about their plan.  They explained again why they wanted to move, and all I
could think about was how it was when J.P. and Ryan moved there together.
It didn't take long before they were breaking up and moving out.  I would
be devastated if Kyle and Chance broke up because they couldn't handle
living by themselves.  I know they live together here, but we also had a
lot of other people to interact with.  How would it be when it was just the
two of them, sealed into a small penthouse that wasn't even 2,500 square
feet?  They'd be almost on top of each other all the time...not like
that...the bad type of being on top of each other.  I mean like always in
each other's way.

"What sort of rent would you want for it, Colin?"  Kyle asked as we
continued talking.

"Nothing.  Just look after the place, and it's yours for as long as you
want it.  The place will appreciate in value and it's paid off, so it's not
like there are outstanding bills to worry about.  If you want to renovate,
just run the plans through me first, and then you can arrange to get it
done as you like," he replied.

"We should pay you something for the place," Chance reasoned.  "If we moved
anywhere, we need to pay rent or a mortgage.  Eventually we want to buy our
own home, but after we both graduate."

"And that's your best option, so save as much as you can so that you have
the funds.  As much as we don't want you to leave, it's obviously something
you've been thinking about for a while, so as family, we support you.
Living in the penthouse will be like an extension of living here.  If you
find you don't like it, you can always move back."

"Thanks Colin," Kyle said as he came over and gave him a hug and then gave
me one as well.  Chance did the same thing before they sat back down.

"Of course, if you didn't want us to leave, you could just price the
penthouse out of reach, and we'd have to stay," Kyle smirked.

"Is that your way of saying you'd stay if we made it impossible for you to
leave?"  I asked with a big smile.

"No.  We still want to live on our own, so we'd keep looking for a place,
but it would sure delay it."

"Guys, the penthouse is yours.  We'll miss you here everyday, but this is
really about you, and how you want to live your lives.  It's not about us.
This will always be your home, so come and go as you please," Colin assured
him.

"Thanks Colin.  That means a lot," Chance said somberly.  "I know we'll
miss all the activity here, but it might be nice to have the variety that
moving out would give us."

"What I'm hearing is that you'll be happy to get away from Justin's sex
crazed antics," Colin joked.

"Hey.  What about Blake's antics.  He's more antical than me," I said
defending myself logically.

"First, antical is not a word," Kyle laughed.  "Second, we love that part.
It's just time to see what the next phase of life offers."

Their minds were made up.  I hate it when people leave, but they were
right.  They'd never been alone before, and the penthouse was just sitting
there empty.  I remember some of the great times Colin and I had there.
I'm sure Jason has even more memories, considering he knew Colin years
before I met him.  But, let's face it, Colin chose the best of us to marry.

Blake wasn't happy that the guys had decided to move, but he was
surprisingly supportive, and said he'd visit regularly so they wouldn't
forget him.

"Trust me Blake, we'll never forget you.  Plus, we'll still be over all the
time.  It's not like we're moving to the moon."

"I'd wanna live on the moon," J.J. said speaking up.  "You could float
everywhere!"

"True.  Just don't leave the house without your helmet and oxygen," Kyle
grinned.

"When's the big moving day?" I asked.

"We figure Saturday.  Gives us the whole weekend to set things up.  Not
that there's a lot to do since the place is fully furnished.  It's mainly
just our clothes and personal stuff."

"J.J. and me can help," Blake offered, with J.J. nodding.  "Are we gonna
have a housewarming party afterward, like maybe Saturday night?"

"Maybe not the first weekend, but we could do a party next weekend, once
we're set up and organized.  That'd be cool," Chance offered.

"Organized?"  Colin laughed.  "I've seen your room here.  Organized might
take a while."

"What?  We're tidy.  Not like we have dirty clothes everywhere," he said
looking at Blake, who just looked at J.J. as deflection.

"I keep my clothes in plain sight so I know when it's time to do laundry,"
Blake countered.

"You mean you leave them lying around for the cleaners to pick up."

"Hey, it works, doesn't it?  They see my sexy underwear, and they know how
cool I am.  Then they think of me wearing them, and get all horny.  I show
up and boom, we've become friends."

"So, in your world people become friends with you by seeing your
underwear?"  Kyle clarified.

"Of course.  Those are what we like to call friends with benefits."

"What kinda benefits, Blake," J.J. asked listening to the conversation.

"Sex buddy, sex,' Blake replied before we could warn him to keep it PG.

"Oh.  I knew that," he nodded.

Saturday arrived quicker than we liked, and the big day was here.  It felt
like a wake as we all gathered for breakfast and did some reminiscing about
the guys' time in the house.  We all remembered the day we moved here.  It
was a Tuesday, or Friday...might have been a Saturday.  Whatever day it
was, I clearly remember how much work it was.  We had to watch the movers
load everything from the old house, and then unload it at the new house,
then stress about where they should put each item as they unpacked it.
That shit is way more stressful than you'd think.  What if they'd put stuff
in the wrong room?  We would have been juggling items for months.  I get
fever chills just thinking about it.

Kyle and Chance only had a few totes and suitcases with their stuff in it,
so we agreed to just move it ourselves.  I felt so butch hauling boxes.  We
tried sliding one of the plastic totes down the stairs at the beginning,
but it caught the lip of one, then flipped end over end the rest of the way
spilling everything.  That was a lot of work watching Ben clean it up.  We
loaded up the truck, and a couple SUV's, and piled everyone in to make the
journey downtown.  Jason, Alex and their kids joined us as well.  Kyle and
Chance might be moving out, but they sure weren't getting rid of any of us
in the process.  There wasn't enough room in the elevator for all of us and
the boxes, so we took turns over several trips.  The younger kids were
fascinated by the view from the 28th floor, and pressed their faces against
the window.  God, I remember those days, but usually I was being pressed
naked against the window while enjoying Colin, or someone, deep inside me.
Ahhh, the good old days.

"Is there anything you need that isn't here that we could get for you?"
Colin asked as we brought the last of their things up.

"No.  We've stayed here a few times now, and it's pretty well stocked with
everything.  I'm sure we'll find things we might need over time, but for
now, we're all good."

"Well, if you need help with anything, just let us know.  Don't feel
obligated to keep the furniture.  Sell it and change it to your style if
you want.  I mean the place is yours to do with as you like.  I know the
landlord if you need anything done around here," Colin grinned.

"Aren't we the landlord?" I asked, just to be sure I was on the same page.
I was sure he said he hadn't sold this building as part of his big buyout
deal.

"We are," he grinned.  "I have the electricians coming in next week to
install the electrical charging stations for all the parking spots.
Meanwhile I think you can just plug into the 110 outlet."

"I had a look at that, and I'd have to run an extension cord to it.  The
manual says we should plug in directly to an outlet," Chance revealed.

"Just use a 15amp cord and keep it only as long as absolutely necessary to
get to the outlet and you'll be fine," Colin told him.  "Don't buy a
hundred-foot cord if all you need is six feet.  You lose too much power
that way, but you'll be okay until the proper outlets are installed.

"Did you decide how to bill everyone for the power?"  I asked.

"Yeah.  The electricians are going to set up a panel in the electrical room
and have each one on its own circuit.  We figure $25 a month should cover
the costs to charge a car.  If they don't have an electric vehicle, no need
to turn on their power.  Those that want it, can just add the charge to
their monthly strata fee, and we'll flip the breaker."

"Sounds easy enough," I nodded.  "Okay you two, fork over your 25 bucks!"
I grinned at Kyle and Chance as I held my hand out.

"Speaking of that," Chance said, "how much are the strata fees?"

"It's covered," Colin replied.

"That doesn't seem fair," Kyle chirped in.  "Since we're living here now,
we should maybe start paying those."

"It's not necessary.  Finish University first and get your business up and
running properly.  We can worry about it then.  It's not much anyway, like
$450 a month or something like that."

"That's pretty cheap," Chance remarked.  "Does everyone pay that?"

"It calculated per square foot, so smaller condos pay less.  I think the
smallest unit pays $110, but keep in mind, this is on top of their
mortgage, if they have one."

"Ouch," J.P. said.  "That could add up."

"Not really that bad.  If you owned a home, you'd pay property taxes on top
of the mortgage too.  This covers that, plus any repairs and maintenance to
the building."

"Do you have a pool, Kyle?"  Travis asked as he turned to look at him from
his seated position at the window next to Trevor.

"We do.  It's on the second floor though."

"Oh.  We can see the whole world from up here," he announced loudly.  "All
the people look so small."

"That they do," Jason said as he went to sit next to them, and began
pointing out where things were.  Apparently, they could both see our house
when the direction was pointed out to them.  I think they might be lying.
Trevor said he could see it, and not wanting to look like he couldn't,
Travis agreed.  They also saw whales in the ocean, Seattle, and of course,
the moon, despite it being broad daylight.  They additionally figured we
were already halfway to the moon in the penthouse.  Boy are they gonna be
in for a surprise if they ever take a spaceflight.

"I should stay here and help you guys unpack," Blake offered.  "I could
stay in the guest room tonight, or if you don't want me to mess it up, I
could just sleep with you guys."

"How about you come home with us, and let the guys have their first night
in their new home to themselves," I suggested.

"Boring."

"Can we help you unpack?"  Alex offered as we looked around at all the
boxes.

"No thanks.  It'll be our project all weekend to figure out what goes
where.  Kinda the fun of moving.  Could we take you guys out for lunch?"

"Yes!  I'm starving," J.J. announced, getting agreement from James and the
twins.

"Are you going some place good, or are you cheaping out on us?"  Blake
asked, being subtle as usual.

"We'll go someplace good.  You pick," Kyle grinned as he pulled Blake in
for a hug.

"Excellent, we'll go to the Fountainhead.  It's only a few blocks, and they
have wicked food, and it's in the gay village, so even you guys should fit
in," he said looking at Colin and I.  What the hell does that mean?

We left the stuff just where we'd dumped it and headed out for lunch.  On
the walk up Davie Street, Blake leaned in to me and spoke softly.  "I
totally got laid the last time I was at the Fountainhead.  They got some
seriously hot waiters.  If you need help bagging one, just let me know," he
said smiling as he reached out to hold my hand.

"Thanks for the offer, but we're just going for lunch.  Not planning on
bagging anyone," I assured him.

"You say that now, but the Triple J's are out in public, so I think shit is
gonna get real."

Again...what?!  "Thanks for the vote of confidence.  By the way, aren't you
a little old to be holding my hand?"  I asked.

"Hey, if they see you're with me, you're gonna be more in demand.  People
are always attracted to what they can't have."

"How do you figure?"

"Simple.  If they think you're hot, and then see you with someone, they
feel jealous at missing out, so they become interested.  If you're just
sitting alone looking pathetic, even if you're hot, you don't get noticed
as much."

"I think you're right about that, but since you're my son, isn't it the
wrong message?  How about you hold one of the twin's hands, and I'll hold
Colin's."

Surprisingly, he agreed, and I held Colin's hand for the rest of the walk
up the street.  In Vancouver, no one blinks at two guys holding hands, and
especially on Davie Street.  I think I'd be surprised NOT to see guys, or
girls, holding hands.  We entered the Fountainhead, and it took them a few
minutes to set up a large table for all of us.  Blake was right though; the
waiters were hot.  I'm talking tight pants and shirts hot!  Like Hooters
girls, without the hooters, and extra bread baskets.  Jason, J.P. and I
ended up sitting together, not because we planned it that way, it's just
how it ended up, and we sure got noticed.  I mean we usually do when we go
out, but I think the waiters played rock, paper, scissor, lizard, Spock to
see which two would be serving us.  I played eenie meenie miney mo in my
head to see which one I'd like to service later.

"Hi Brett," Blake waved as one of our waiters came over.

"Oh hi, Blake.  Didn't recognize you with a new group.  Where're your usual
friends?"

Usual?  He has a usual?  That's actually unusual.

"I'm hanging out with my family today.  My dads, uncles, cousins and
brothers.  My brothers are moving into a penthouse just down the street.
You'll have to come visit sometime, but not today as they're still
unpacking.  Guys, this is Brett.  He's one of the cool waiters."

"Thanks," Brett grinned.  "I am Brett, your waiter for today.  Has everyone
had a chance to look over the menu or would you like a moment?"

"We still need a few minutes, but we could order drinks first," Blake said
speaking up for everyone.

We went around the table getting what we wanted, and then turned our
attention to the menu.

"I recommend the burgers," Blake announced to everyone.

"How often are you down here?"  I asked, somewhat surprised by the level of
familiarity he had with the place.

"Not often.  Once a week maybe.  I've brought Cory, Layne and Darcy here a
few times.  I've also brought some of the diving team with me once in a
while too."

"How'd you come to find this place?"  Jason asked.

"Asher brought me here once, and introduced me to some of the guys.  Hung
out with a few of them afterward which was tons of fun.  They're what I
like to call `all you can eat'.  Oh, by the way, they think I'm 16.  Just
so you know."

"I'm not even gonna ask why," I said shaking my head.

"You already know why, Dad.  If I'm older, I get to do more adult things
with them when we hang out."

We let that conversation end as the drinks were brought out and we ordered
lunch.  Ben reminded everyone to order something good and not go hungry,
since Chance and Kyle were paying.

While we were waiting for lunch to arrive, I noticed a few tables looking
over at us.  You get pretty used to the murmurs and stares when the three
of us are out together.  I think people discus whether we're really
identical or not.  Blake looked over towards the bar area, and got up to go
over.  I watched him talking to our waiter, and fist bumped the bartender.
He returned quickly and sat down.

"What was that about?"  I asked.

"He just wanted to know what your deal was," he replied while sipping his
drink.

"Our deal?"  Colin asked.

"Yeah, like if any of you were gay, and were you guys' triplets.  The
normal shit.  Gave him my number and told him if he wanted to come over
sometime, he could find out for himself.  He's one of the guys I've been
with here.  He's as hot out of his clothes as he is in them."

It's a very weird sensation having your son picking up guys that he
believes you might like to take to bed.  Even weirder feeling when he's had
them first.

During lunch, two guys came over to say hello to us.  On my rating scale
they'd be one-hour boys.  I'd take them home for one hour, and then send
them on their way.  We have the fifteen-minute boys, who are usually good
for a quickie in a bathroom stall, then we ramp up in stages to the
overnight boys, and of course the forever boys.  At the top of that list is
Colin.

"Sorry to disturb you, but we sort of recognize you from that TV show
Blurred Lines.  We kinda thought the triplet characters were played by one
actor, since there's only one name on the credits.  Could we impose long
enough to ask for your autographs.  You too, Duane?"

"It's Blake actually," he said grinning at being recognized.  This is going
to get unbearable if he ever becomes an `A' list actor.  He'll be Tom
Holland, Timotheé Chalamet and Harry Styles popular if he gets that one
break out role some day.

We all signed their paper, and Blake put some signature swirl on his, and
said it was his new trademark.

Kyle meanwhile had gone silent as he looked at his phone.  I figured he was
just reflecting on the past as that's what I did when I moved out the first
time.  You're excited about the future, but look back at your life as if
this were like stepping through a portal.  He slowly leaned over to Colin
and showed him his phone.

"Is this a mistake, or did you do something?" he asked quietly.

"It's not a mistake," Colin replied.

"What's not a mistake," I asked, not wanting to be left out.  I like to be
knowledgeable about things, no matter what they're about.  Kyle showed me
his phone which was open to his banking information.  The balance in his
savings account was over two million dollars, and you could clearly see on
the transaction list where a full two million was deposited in one sum.  I
remember when Colin did that to me just after we first met.  I was stunned,
and then wanted to go shopping.  Now that original five million seems like
pocket change.  Weird, right?

"I wanted to make sure you guys didn't stress about surviving.  Focus on
school and getting the best education possible.  Once you graduate, use
that money to help with your business.  You're going to need capital if you
plan on running an airline service.  I did the same amount for Chance so
that you both have your own funds."

"Oh my god.  That's way too generous, Colin.  We don't need anywhere near
this much," Kyle said as he gave Colin a hug.

"Not yet, you don't, but you will.  Don't leave it in your savings though.
I'll have my financial advisor call you, so that you maximize the
interest."

"I honestly don't even know what to say, except thank you so much.  I
thought it was generous to let us live in the penthouse for free.  This is
just a whole other level that I couldn't even imagine."

"That's what family is for," Colin replied, with me nodding in agreement.

Kyle turned to Chance and had him open his phone, and waited for the
reaction.

"Are you fucking kidding me?  Is that real?" He asked stunned, just sitting
there staring at his screen.

"Is what real?"  James asked, as he sat next to Chance.

"Just some personal information, buddy," Chance answered.  He stood up and
came to give Colin and I hugs.  Wow, tough room.  We give them a total of
four million dollars, and all we get is a hug.  How much do these boys
charge for an overnighter?

"We're never going to be able to repay you for this," Chance said as he
went to sit back down.

"Then it's a good thing no repayment is necessary," Colin said smiling.
"Just use it to ensure your life is amazing."

"It has been so far, and even without the money, as long as we're together
with a family like this, our life is already perfect," Kyle said, giving
Colin another hug.

I still have trouble wrapping my head around how much money Colin actually
had.  I'd done basic math and figured that even a bare minimum interest
rate, he was making at least a million dollars a day in interest.  I'm sure
he does investing differently than most people, so I'm assuming that number
is a lot higher.  I know he has brokers who keep buying and selling stock
for him.  I'm assuming they get a cut of any transaction they make, so
they'd want to keep him happy by getting good interest rates on things.

I already knew that Colin didn't have like 6 billion dollars in the bank in
cash.  I'm pretty sure he owns lots of properties, and stock in progressive
companies.  Plus, he has all that investment in the new start up companies
he funds.  I'm guessing a lot of that is making good money by now.  I hope
we own some gold.  One day I'd like to go down to the bank, walk into a
vault and see a big pallet of gold bars sitting there.  I'd freak out the
security guards by picking one up, and putting it in my pocket to walk out.
I mean we'd own it, so I could, but I'd just like to see how they'd react.
So back to the money we'd just given Kyle and Chance.  That four million is
basically the interest after four days.  That's insane.  Who needs this
much money?

I know Colin set up his new company to help others get a start, but even if
most of them failed, we'd probably not even miss the money.  When I think
of complaining about how much he spends on the cars, I have to remind
myself that a million-dollar car is worth one day's pay to him.  That's
beyond fathomable.  I'd be so stressed trying to figure out what to do with
the money that I'd have a nervous breakdown.

We had a nice lunch, and despite how hot the waiters were, not to mention
some of the guests, we didn't pick anyone up to take home, although I think
Kyle and Chance may have made a connection or two.  I expect they'll be
having lunches here regularly, with desserts being served at their place.

"If any of you guys are still hungry, you wanna go up to Hamburger Mary's
to get a milkshake?"  Blake asked all of us.  "They make them awesome
there."

I'd agree with that, but I think we were all just way too full to have
anything else.  Even the younger kids turned it down, which is shows how
stuffed they must be.  We walked around a bit after leaving the restaurant,
with Blake actually being our tour guide.

"That's a good hotel," he said pointing to the Sandman.  "All their room
have kitchens in them, I think.  At least the ones I've been in did."

I'm not even going to ask why he's been in a hotel room here, never mind
several, from the sound of it.  The boys all liked the rainbow crosswalk,
and had to have their picture taken walking across it like we were the gay
Beatles.

But like all good things, it had to come to an end.  Mainly because cars
were honking their asses off once the light went green, and we were still
standing there.  Patience people.  We're walkin' here!  Did that just make
me sound a little New Yorkish?  Hey wassa matter, you don't not like us
Canadian gays.  Fooie on you.  That was a bit Asian Italian mobster New
York.  I dunno.  Never been there, but movies are usually pretty accurate.
I half expect it to be a pretty messy city with all those giant spiderwebs
on all the buildings, or do they dissolve.  That's never been clear.
Spiderman might have to pay a web fee.

We headed back to the penthouse, and left Kyle and Chance to go up on their
own and settle in.  The rest of us went home to our now `boring' mansion,
according to James and J.J.  I guess the views of the ocean just don't
compare to the 28th floor view of the rest of the world.  I think I curled
up with Colin reminiscing about the times we had in that penthouse.  Damn
those were fun days.  Me learning about being gay.  Colin sharing Jason and
I up against the window, and in the hot tub, and our adventures to clubs.
Kyle and Chance would now get the opportunity to make those memories
themselves.  I might go and help.



End of Chapter.

Kyle and Chance are out.  Who's in?  Only time (and more chapters) will
tell.  Coming up on the next episode...The invitations to the Sexpose go
out.  Nate and Justin get to work, while a big party has Justin and Blake
in attendance together.  If you don't like spoilers, then don't read that
last part. You gotta do that warning thing so you don't ruin shit for
people.  Comments and suggestions welcome at outinwest@gmail.com.  Watch
for new chapter announcements on Twitter @outinwest.  Unless Twitter gets
too Musky for announcements.

Thanks for still reading this story.  Still plenty more planned for the
future.  Is it time for the boys to have a birthday yet, or should we keep
them from aging for a while?  Bigger question is do we really want Blake
with a driver's licence.