Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2021 12:19:15 -0700
From: Backwoods Boy <backwoodsnatureboy@gmail.com>
Subject: Midnight Lifeguard - Part 3

Eric checked out his reflection in his bedroom mirror and smiled. The red
lifeguard shorts fit perfectly. That was fortunate because the drawstring
was missing, thus he was dependent on the elastic waistband to hold them
up.

The trainee shorts could not be found, so Eric had Austin's old pair of
official lifeguard shorts. They were faded and worn, but that was okay. It
would make him look more experienced.

The mesh liner was torn and ineffective. He found some scissors and cut it
out. He could wear a pair of briefs underneath. He put the shorts on and
looked again. His bulge showed nicely. He rubbed himself to make it
hard. Every detail of his rigid pole showed clearly through the threadbare
material. He grinned at his reflection. To hell with the underwear.

Eric tightened his abs, and the shorts dropped a half-inch. They would ride
a little below his waist and a little above his speedo tan line. He
smiled. He looked like a slightly smaller version of Skyler and Austin. Ten
percent cotton and ninety percent hot young adolescent. Perfection.

Eric checked the time. He needed to be at the lifeguard stand to help set
up for the day, so it was time to go. He pulled on a pair of cargo shorts
over his lifeguard uniform for the walk to the beach. Grabbing his bottle
of water, he stuffed a few snack bars into one cargo pocket and his phone
into the other. Slipping out the basement door, he headed for the park.

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

A few people were on the beach when Eric arrived. A couple were swimming,
but most were sunning themselves on beach towels. Swimming without
lifeguard supervision was okay, but they were on their own, as the signs
clearly stated.

Eric sat at a nearby picnic table to wait for Austin. He was excited about
his informal training program. He would train on the two or three weekdays
when Austin had the early shift alone, from ten o'clock until Skyler
arrived at noon.

Austin arrived five minutes before ten. He gave Eric a high-five and smiled
at him.

"Hey there, trainee. Are you ready to learn?"

Eric grinned. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."

Austin unlocked the lifeguard stand and Eric set up the safety equipment
and additional signage under his direction. Then they climbed up onto the
stand and pulled off their outer clothing. Officially on duty, they sat
down in the two chairs. Austin began his instruction.

"The first thing you'll discover is that you have to fight boredom, at
least early in the morning. It's important to pay attention and not to let
your mind wander. You need to systematically scan the area, not focusing
closely on one place." He smiled. "Careful inspection of hot boys has to
wait until your break."

"You don't have any authority yet, of course, so if you see anything wrong,
bring it to my attention. If it's important, I'll deal with it. If not, we
can discuss why it isn't important. Some things are better ignored if
they're minor. And if you have any questions, ask."

As he talked, Austin's eyes were on the swimmers.

"I try to keep a mental image of where people are, especially if they're
straying out of the designated area or have a potential for getting into
trouble. Mothers with toddlers are often a problem. When they start to
socialize with other mothers, I watch their kids more closely."

"Skyler will be here at noon. Until then, you and I won't leave the
immediate area. I took a leak before I left home. There's an emergency
plastic bottle in the back, and you're fairly invisible in a back
corner. I've never had to use it."

Austin paused. "Any questions?"

"Not yet."

"Okay. This morning, I want you to talk to me about what you see that you
think is important. And unnecessary chatter about personal lives should be
kept to a minimum. I might tell you, for example, that you're hotter than
hell in those shorts, but we won't get into a long conversation about it."

They watched in silence for several minutes as people came and went from
the water. A couple of boys swam to the platform and used the diving
board. Then Eric had an observation.

"There's a kid about eight years old splashing around alone near the left
end of the swimming area. I don't think he knows how to swim."

Austin looked. "Good call. So we watch him more carefully. He's not doing
anything wrong - yet."

The youngster reached the end of the swimming area. Hanging onto the
perimeter rope, he started to go further out into the lake. Austin stood
up, blew his whistle, and spoke with authority.

"Do not hang onto the rope."

The kid hollered back. "But I can't swim."

Austin responded. "Then stay in the shallow area."

The kid ignored him. Austin looked around for a parent. There were no
candidates.

"Okay, this is where I leave the stand. You stay here."

Austin walked towards the kid, who immediately began to return to shallow
water. When the kid was back on the beach, Austin squatted down to talk
with him. Eric listened to the conversation.

"Okay, buddy, let's talk about this. You need to stay in the shallow water
until you learn to swim. It would be better if you wore a life vest,
too. You can't depend on the rope to support you." He pointed. "There's a
sign over there with the rules. You need to read it and get someone to
explain it to you if you don't understand. Okay?"

The kid was now contrite. "Okay."

Austin smiled at him. "Great. Now, have a good time, but stay safe."

Several kids were listening, so the lesson had been shared with others. A
couple of adults were watching how Austin handled the situation. One
grinned and gave Austin a thumbs-up as he walked back and climbed up the
steps to the stand.

"That was a good lesson for you to watch. Another infraction, and I issue a
warning. The third, and he leaves for the day. Also, I don't use
contractions when giving instructions from the stand. That's a personal
habit because I believe it makes things clearer and more authoritative."

Eric looked thoughtful. "I noticed too that you were friendly but firm." He
smiled reminiscently. "I noticed that the other night, too."

Austin laughed. "You're right - it becomes a habit. But it's a technique
that's useful in many situations, or so my training instructor told me."

For the rest of the morning, they both watched, mostly in
silence. Occasionally, Eric made an observation and Austin used it for a
training point. Eric absorbed every bit of information Austin provided.

Skyler showed up right on time. He smiled at Eric.

"Hey, lifeguard trainee. Have you learned a lot?"

Eric smiled back. "Yes, I have. I appreciate what you guys are doing for
me."

"It's not a problem. We'll have fun doing it." He turned to Austin. "Are
you staying here for lunch or going home."

Austin pulled on his street clothes. "I'll walk across the street for a
burger today. Eric, do you need a restroom break?"

"Nope."

"You can hang out here with Skyler and get more training. When I come back,
it will be getting busy, so Skyler and I will occupy the stand. You're
welcome to hang around the beach, of course."

He paused. "Normally, Skyler and I only wear our official lifeguard shorts
when we're on duty. You should do that, too." He smiled. "But we decided
you're on duty whenever we are, so you're welcome to wear your lifeguard
shorts all day. They're likely to draw some interest."

Eric grinned. "Thanks, I'll do that."

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

Skyler made a few suggestions to Eric. Skyler paid more attention to the
diving platform, especially if there were younger kids out there, but in
general, he didn't have the experience or maturity that Austin's additional
year gave him.

"If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them, but you're
Austin's trainee, and he's the one who should give you the instruction."

Eric understood that. Too many people giving instructions can cause more
confusion than help. He'd learned that on the middle-school swim team. The
older kids wanted to give advice. He'd learned to listen to the coach.

Austin returned and turned Eric loose for the day. Eric walked out towards
the water, but was stopped by a group of kids. One of the older kids, about
ten years old, spoke up.

"Are you a real lifeguard?"

Eric smiled at him. "No, the lifeguards are my friends and they're training
me."

That didn't make any difference to what he wanted.

"Cool! Will you play with us like Skyler does?"

So this was part of the job description. Eric grinned at the kid.

"Sure! What's the game today?"

"How about tag."

"Okay, let's go up on the grass out of the swimming area so we don't run
into people."

Another kid spoke up. "That's what Skyler does, too."

Eric smiled. He knew from experience what Skyler did.

The game lasted a half hour. The kids loved playing with Eric as much as
with Skyler. They screamed with excitement when Eric did more than tag
them. If they were small enough, he tossed them onto his shoulder and
carried them around for a few moments. Otherwise, he wrestled them down
onto the grass and pinned them.

A redheaded kid a little younger and a couple of inches shorter than Eric
watched from the sidelines, wanting to play but reluctant to join without
an invitation. Eric grinned at him.

"Come on and join us."

The kid grinned back and joined the other team, following Eric's example of
giving the kids extra entertainment.

The game lasted a half hour, and when the kids grew tired of it and went
back to swimming, the redhead sat down on the grass. Eric sat beside him
and gave him a fist bump.

"I'm glad you joined us. I'm Eric."

"I'm Brody. Thanks for inviting me to play. It was fun. I heard you say
you're a lifeguard trainee. That's pretty cool."

Eric smiled at Brody. "Yeah, the lifeguards are my friends. They're giving
me some instruction because I wanna be a lifeguard in a couple of years
when I'm old enough."

"I wanna do that too, but I don't know any lifeguards to give me a head
start like you're getting. How old are you?"

"'I'm thirteen."

"I'll be thirteen on Friday."

Eric grinned. "Happy Birthday early, in case I forget. I haven't seen you
around. Do you live here?"

"I'm visiting my grandmother for a week."

"Awesome! I hope you'll come down here and hang out with me when I'm not
training."

Brody smiled happily. "Thanks, Eric. That would be great. I've been here a
couple of days and haven't met anybody yet besides you."

Eric stood up. "Wanna swim out to the diving platform?"

Brody's smile grew broader. "Sure!"

They walked onto the swimming dock, dove into the water, and swam to the
platform. As Eric climbed up the ladder, his shorts slipped down an inch or
so, revealing his ass crack in back and blond pubic hair in front.

Once on the platform, he looked down at himself. The wet shorts clung to
his body, and his junk stood out in bold relief. If he got wood, every
detail would be visible. He smiled. That would be fine - it paid to
advertise.

Brody climbed up behind him. Eric looked back. Brody was checking out his
ass. He turned around and Brody quickly scoped him out in front, too. Eric
pulled up the shorts and they stayed in place. He looked at Brody.

"No drawstring. I hope I don't lose them."

Brody replied without thinking.

"It'd be okay if you did."

Eric laughed, and Brody turned red with embarrassment.

Eric got up on the board and dove in, and Brody followed. Climbing back
out, Eric was careful about keeping his shorts up.

Eric sat down on the edge of the dock. Brody sat beside him, checking him
out. He looked up and saw that Eric was watching him. Brody turned red with
embarrassment again. Eric grinned at him.

"Don't worry about it, Brody. I've been looking at you, too. You've got a
hot muscular body, and a nice package, too." He paused with a teasing
smile. "For a kid who's only twelve."

Now nearly as red as his hair, Brody managed a smile. "Thanks."

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Eric noticed a middle-aged
lady on the shore waving at them.

"Is that your grandmother?"

Brody looked unhappy. "Yeah, it is. I guess I gotta go now. I had a lot of
fun. I'll be gone tomorrow. Will you be here Thursday? I can stay all day
then."

"Yes, I'll be here. I'll be training until noon. Then I'll be free for the
rest of the day. I'll look for you."

Brody's smile returned. "Cool. See you then."

Brody dove in and swam towards shore. Eric watched until he got to the
beach and turned around. The boys waved at each other. Eric had a new
friend. And maybe his first lifeguard groupie.


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

"So, who was the redhead I saw you talking with on Tuesday?"

Austin and Eric had been on duty about an hour. The morning was cloudy and
cooler than usual. The beach was uncharacteristically vacant.

"His name is Brody. He's visiting his grandmother this week."

"I saw him playing tag with you and the younger kids, and then swimming and
diving later. He seems like a nice kid."

Eric smiled. "I like him. He's supposed to show up today and spend more
time with me."

"Any potential for night fun?"

"Maybe, but I'm not sure if he's interested. If he is, daytime fun in the
woods may be a better idea. He might not be able to get turned loose at
night."

Austin nodded. "Let me know what happens." He pointed towards the beach. "I
think I see him over there waving at you."

Eric looked and waved back. "He's here early." He signaled to Brody to come
over. Brody seemed shy in Austin's presence. Eric smiled at him.

"Hey, Brody. I'm glad you're here. This is Austin, my trainer. He's the
senior lifeguard."

Austin leaned over and shared a high-five. "Nice to meet you, Brody. Eric
says you're visiting. Are you having a good time?"

Brody warmed up to Austin quickly. It was hard not to.

"Yeah, I am." He smiled. "And it got better when I met Eric the other day."

"Eric's a cool guy. He'll be a good friend while you're here. If you want,
he can join you now. Our training program isn't rigid."

Brody shook his head. "I don't want to interfere with Eric's training. I'm
gonna wander around and check out the park and the woods next to it for a
while. I'll be back to swim after it warms up a little."

"Okay, we'll expect to see you later. You can leave your beach towel by the
lifeguard stand if you want to. No one will bother it."

Brody dropped his towel. "Thanks." He looked at Eric. "I brought a
Frisbee. I thought maybe the kids would like to play Frisbee tag."

Eric smiled. "Great idea! We'll try it."

Brody walked away in the direction of the park. Austin looked thoughtful.

"So, he's checking out the woods. I wonder if someone told him about the
possibilities there. I didn't mention it the other night, but there are
several secluded spots like the one we used. Skyler and I aren't the only
ones to use the area. It's kind of an open secret that you can go there
either for privacy or companionship, if you get my drift."

Eric looked surprised. "I see. I didn't know we had a gay hangout here - at
least that's what I think you mean."

Austin smiled. "You understand perfectly. It's not used much, but if you
decide to use it, go to the end of the trail like we did with someone you
know. Older guys who are there for a quickie stick closer to the front and
use the side trails. It's best to avoid them."

"Cool. Thanks for the advice."

Brody was back in a half hour. He grabbed his towel with a smile and
thanks, and claimed a spot on the beach. The clouds had disappeared, and
the usual crowd had shown up. After the slow start, it was turning out to
be a normal summer day. Austin stood up and stretched.

"You can take off early and join Brody if you want to."

"Thanks. I'll do that today so I can spend more time with him."

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

As soon as Eric left the lifeguard stand, the kids gathered around. Brody
came over, and Eric watched while he divided the group into two teams and
explained the rules of Frisbee tag, an expanded version of keep-away. The
kids loved it. The game lasted over an hour before most of them drifted
away and Eric called an end to the game. Eric was enthusiastic.

"That was a great idea. It will provide more variety to amuse the kids."

Brody beamed with pleasure at the compliment.

"Thanks. It turned out to be fun for all of us."

As they walked back towards the beach, Skyler motioned for them to come to
the lifeguard stand. He checked Brody out as they approached. Smiling to
himself, he decided that he wouldn't mind adding the hot little redhead to
his scorecard.

"Hey, Brody, we haven't met yet. I'm Skyler. I was watching you guys. That
was an excellent idea. It's too bad we don't have an official recreation
program. I'd put you in charge."

Brody smiled, pleased with the success of his idea.

"Thanks, Skyler, but I'll only be here until Saturday morning."

"If it's okay with you and Eric, I'd like to help you guys tomorrow. Could
we do that at noon when I have my lunch break? I'd like to spend a little
time with you while you're here." He winked at Eric. "Eric can't have all
the fun."

Brody's eyes lit up. "I'd like that."

Brody and Eric walked to the beach and sat down on Brody's towel. Eric
casually made an inquiry.

"What did you think of the park and the woods?"

Brody smiled. "I enjoyed the woods. I like nature, so it was a relaxing
thing to do."

"Did you see anyone else?"

Brody hesitated a moment. "Well, yes. If I tell you, will you keep it to
yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll do that."

"Way in the back, Skyler was screwing a kid on a beach towel. I'd never
seen anybody having sex before, so I hung around and watched until he
came. It was pretty hot."

"You don't sound very surprised."

"I was, a little bit, but we have a place like that at home." He
hesitated. "I got a blow job there once."

Eric was surprised Brody would be that open, both about seeing Skyler and
about his own experience.

"Thanks for trusting me with that information."

Brody smiled. "Grams told me I could trust you."

Eric was surprised again. "She knows me?"

Brody grinned. "Yeah, she was your fourth-grade teacher."

Eric slapped himself on the side of the head. "I thought I recognized her,
but I haven't seen her since she retired that year. That's been three
years. I'm surprised she said you could trust me. It's been a long time
since I was her student."

Brody smiled. "She said you were a good student then, and you still
are. She told me you were on the middle-school swim team last year. Grams
keeps track of her former students. She said you were a good guy to hang
out with."

Eric thought a minute. By a lot of people's standards, he hadn't been very
good recently.

"Your grandmother may have more confidence in me than I deserve." He
smiled. "But I promise not to get you into any trouble you don't wanna get
into."

Brody laughed. "That sounds good enough for me."

Eric leaned back and looked out at the lake. Brody had been very open about
his activities. Given that and his earlier actions and comments, it was
likely he was gay. From their conversation, Brody should have figured out
Eric was gay, too. But Brody seemed a little shy, and he hadn't done any
flirting or made any sexual advances.

Having just met him, Eric didn't want to push Brody into something he
wasn't ready for. Furthermore, Eric wasn't sure it was a good idea to have
sex with his fourth-grade teacher's grandson. That might get both of them
into trouble. He'd wait for Brody to make the first move.


*** If you enjoy this kind of story, please donate to Nifty to ensure that
this free resource can continue. http://donate.nifty.org/ ***