Summer Fun 1 (#6)

Chapter 1

(Kevin's Perspective)
       The last day of school for Tim, Kyle, and Brian was May 20th, and the last two days were exam days. Kyle worried and fretted about trig but actually ended up making a B in the course. The other two studied hard, and they both got A's in everything.
       My twenty-seventh birthday was on May 25th, and it was a Monday that year, Memorial Day, in fact. We decided to celebrate it on the 23rd.
       "Guys, I want a simple cookout. Naked swimming. All guys, no ladies. And no elaborate stuff. If you're dying to do that, wait till I turn thirty," I said. We were all in the den, planning the party.
       "Just guys? Hell, I wanted to bring a date," Justin said.
       That broke us up, of course.
       "What girl would go out with you," Kyle asked.
       "You'd be surprised, Kyle. There's a girl in housekeeping that's had her eye on me for a while. She'd be a good date, too. Wouldn't eat much, either, unless I bought her some teeth first."
       He had us screaming.
       "I thought she was your sister," Kyle said.
       "She is. So what?"
       More laughs.
       "Are we planning a party, or what," Kyle said after the laughter died down.
       "I don't know about you, but I'm at one right now," Jus said. "And I'm having a damn good time, too."
       When Kyle finished laughing, he said, "I know. That's what I mean. We need to get this planning done."
       "Kyle, man, you're so fucking compulsive about this. Come here," Jus said.
       "What?"
       "Come here and get in front of me. I got to settle you down," Jus said.
       Kyle did what he told him.
       "Now take your shirt off."
       Again, Kyle complied.
       Justin started massaging Kyle's neck and shoulders. Kyle got a look of total contentment on his face.
       "Damn, you give good hand, Bubba. Not good handjobs, just good hand."
       Of course we laughed.
       Justin popped him on the side of his head.
       "Cut it out. You're going to give me a cauliflower ear," Kyle said.
       "Good. You can serve it at the next party. Meat and vegetable, all in one. Cut your planning time in half."
       When he said that, Jeff doubled over in laughter. The rest of us were gasping for breath from laughing so hard, too.
       "Stop," Rick said. "I can't catch my breath."
       "I ain't giving you mouth-to-mouth, that's for sure. No telling where that nasty tongue's been," Jus said. All of it was totally deadpan.
       We all sort of sat there with huge grins on our faces, exhausted from laughing so hard. Justin was still working Kyle's shoulders and neck.
       "Thanks, Bubba," Kyle said. "I think you worked all the compulsive kinks out of me." Then, in a second, "Steaks? Potato salad? Fried eggplant? Coleslaw? How does that sound? Rolls and birthday cake and ice cream, of course."
       "Kyle, you are fucking relentless," Jus said.
       "Does that sound good to everybody? How about it, Kevin? Is that good?"
       "Kyle, it's great." I could barely keep from laughing.
       "Okay. I feel so much better."
       Justin started to say something, but just then we heard this whimpering and scratching at the back door.
       "Let her in, Kyle," Tim said.
       "You think," Kyle asked.
       "Yeah, let her in."
       Kyle got up and went into the kitchen. In a second, a black Labrador Retriever puppy came bounding in. It's tail was wagging furiously. It went from boy to boy, nosing and licking. Then it saw Tim, and it jumped into his lap on the sofa. Kyle came in right behind it, grinning. He sat down on the sofa next to Tim, and the dog licked his face.
       "What the hell is this," Rick asked.
       "It's a dog, Rick. What does it look like," Tim said.
       "I know it's a dog, Tim. What's it doing here?"
       "She came to visit us," Tim said. "She knows me and Kyle."
       "Is this your dog, Tim," I asked.
       "No, sir, not officially, but I want her to be. She is so sweet, Kevin, you wouldn't believe it."
       I thought about the black Lab we had had when I was a kid. I actually loved that dog more than I did my brother, at the time. Of course, I was only about ten when she was poisoned. I don't remember it, but supposedly I didn't talk for a week after she died. This one was exactly like mine when we had gotten her.
       "Where did she come from," I asked.
       "Tim and I were skateboarding one afternoon about a week ago down at the motel we worked at last summer. She just came up and started playing with us, Kev. A couple of days later, Herman called me to come get her. Herman the Heartless didn't want her," Kyle said.
       "You've still got it in for Herman, haven't you," Rick said.
       "No comment on that," Kyle said.
       "Who are y'all talking about," Jus asked. "Who's Herman?"
       "The asshole manager of that place where we found you, Bubba. You remember him. He didn't want to comp your room, and he would have probably called the cops on you, too. That's who."
       I could tell Kyle still felt really strongly about that whole episode, and I wanted to change the subject.
       "So where has she been since then," I asked.
       "In our yard. Your yard, I mean," Kyle said. "Tim and I have been feeding her, and I think she's hungry right now. This is the first time she's been in the house, though, Kevin. Scout's honor."
       "Kyle, don't say that. This might be the first time you've let her in, but she's been in before," Jeff said.
       The dog's ears perked up when she heard Jeff's voice. She raised her head from Kyle's lap and looked at him with a really cute look on her face.
       "You," Kyle asked.
       He sort of cringed a little bit.
       "Yeah. A couple of times."
       "I've seen this dog around some, too. I tried to run over it, though," Justin said.
       Kyle got instantly furious, or pretended to.
       "You asshole. You tried to run over this dog? I'll run over your ass."
       "First you're going to save me from the cops, and then you're going to run over my ass? Got you last, Kylie," Justin said the last part in a sweet, soft voice.
       "I knew you'd never do that, Bubba," Kyle said. "I'm too hyper."
       Yes, you are, I thought, but I didn't say anything.
       "Actually, I've played with her a little bit. I threw your dirty jockstrap out into the street for her to fetch. She loved it, Kyle. She ate it, in fact."
       "You shit," Kyle said.
       We all laughed.
       "What are we going to do about this dog," Rick asked.
       "I think we should keep her, Rick. She loves us," Tim said.
       "She belongs to somebody, though. You can't just keep somebody's dog because it ran away," he said.
       "Rick, we've been looking in the paper every day. Nobody has advertised losing a black Lab puppy. I called the county Humane Society, and they don't know of anybody who has lost a black Lab puppy. I think she's a throw-away," Kyle said.
       "What do you think, Babe," Rick said to me.
       "Rick, if you don't want this dog here, then there's no dog here. Period. But I have to tell you this. We had a black Lab when I was a kid, and I loved her more than I loved Craig. And he loved her more than he loved me."
       "So, I gather everybody wants to keep the dog," Rick said.
       "If you don't want the dog, we don't keep the dog, Babe. This is your home," I said.
       "Yeah, but it's everybody else's home, too. And this is my family. If y'all want to keep the dog, I'm fine with it. I'm not taking care of her, though. And I'm not picking up any dog shit, either. The rest of y'all are going to have to do that," he said.
       "Babe, that's fair. We'll do all of that, right guys," I said.
       They all agreed.
       "And that dog ain't sleeping with us, either, Kevin," he said.
       "It never crossed my mind she would, Babe," I said.
       "Kyle said she's hungry. I think we should feed her," Rick said.
       Everybody grinned at Rick.
       "We've been calling her Trixie," Tim said.
       The dog perked up when she heard that.
       "We call her Trix, too," Kyle said.
       She barked a little when she heard that. That was a very smart dog, I decided.
       We fed Trixie and put her to bed on a ratty blanket in the laundry room. I decided the next day we would get her a proper dog bed. She was so cute, and I knew Rick would soften up to her.

(Rick's Perspective)
       I got blindsided on this damn dog thing. I know Kevin didn't have anything to do with it, but the kids set me up. How could I have missed a dog that big on my own property for a week? Jeez.
       When I got up for my run the next morning, what's the first thing I see in the kitchen? The dog. She was wagging her tail and wanting to lick my knees and shit. Yuck.
       I try to sneak out to run, and I'm not quick enough. The dog sneaks out with me. Good, I think. Maybe it'll get lost.
       But it doesn't get lost, and it keeps right with me the whole way. When we finished, I gave it some water, and it lapped it up. It emptied the soup bowl I gave it the water in, and I refilled it. What the fuck am I doing, I thought. I said I wasn't taking care of this damn dog, and here I am, taking care of it.
       The next morning, she was waiting for me in the kitchen. She barked a time or two. I told her to shush because I didn't want her to wake up Kevin. Then I thought, Wake his ass up. He deserves it.
       She did a number on me that morning. She started running at my pace, but then she ran ahead and stopped. She started barking for me to come on, like she was my coach or something. I'd get to where she was, and then she'd run ahead again. She did that a bunch of times until we got to my turn-around. She remembered it, evidently, because she ran in the other direction when I got there. I was pretty impressed.
       When we got home, we were both wringing wet. I dried off, and then I dried her off, too. She licked my face. Yuck.
       Somebody had bought a dog basket for her to sleep in, and food and water bowls. I filled up the water bowl, and she lapped it up quick. I filled it up again, and she drank about half of it. Then I filled up the food bowl with this shit they had bought. She liked it and ate a good bit of it before I went and found my husband.
       The third day was a Friday. We had been up late the night before, and I had decided I wasn't running Friday morning. Or so I thought, anyway.
       I woke up at ten minutes after five to this clawing at our door and this whimpering. I thought one of the kids was sick or something. I jumped out of bed, and it was damn Trixie. She barked a couple of times and then led me, like she wanted to run. Jesus, I thought. I can't even sleep in when I want to. I needed to run, though, so she and I took off.
       That weekend was Kevin's birthday, and I wanted us to go out to celebrate it. The kids all wanted to go out to eat with us.
       "Can't Kevin and I have some privacy around here? Can't we have a night to ourselves," I asked.
       "Rick, we want to be with you because we love you guys," Kyle said.
       "We know that, Kyle. But don't you and Tim want to be alone sometimes? We're probably going to talk about you guys and this fucking dog, who seems to have taken me on as a project, but I want private time with Kevin tonight. Tomorrow night's the family celebration. Tonight's ours, okay?"
       "You guys love each other, don't you." He was close to blubbering.
       "You know we do, Kyle."
       "Yeah, and we don't give you much space, do we?"
       "Yes, you do. We have enough space. I just want a little extra tonight with my guy, you know? We'll be home early," I said. "Wait up for us."
       Kevin and I had a great meal that night in what was probably the best restaurant in town. Most people thought the best ones were on the beach, and there were definitely some good ones there. But the one we ate at was the best one east of the bridge.
       We got home around eleven o'clock, and the boys were in the den waiting for us. Kevin and I sat down next to one another on the sofa, and Trixie jumped up and sat next to me. She put her head in my lap.
       "I think Trixie has a new boyfriend," Justin said. "She's in heat, and she smells that cum in Rick."
       They all laughed, but I didn't think it was all that funny.
       "Jus, that was pretty gross, you know," I said.
       "I know, but you would have said it about me if she had her snout in my crotch and you'd have thought of it."
       "Yeah, I probably would have," I said. "The fact is, Trixie and I have been getting to be good running friends."
       She sat up and licked my face when I said that. Jesus!
       "I knew you'd give in and love her," Kyle said. "What was it you called me once? You hard-ass macho fuck."
       "He called you a horny macho fuck, Kyle," Kevin said.
       "Okay, y'all were right, I was wrong," Rick said. "I love Trixie. She's part of our family now."

(Kevin's Perspective)
       My secretary buzzed me around ten in the morning.
       "Kevin, it's a phone call from a Jackie Thomas. Will you take it?"
       "Jackie Thomas? Yes, of course I'll take it," I said.
       "Hello," a voice said.
       "Jackie, is that you? Where the hell are you, man?"
       "Paul and I are in Emerald Beach, Florida. Where the hell are you?"
       "You're here? Jackie, I'm so excited, man." I was half laughing and half crying at the same time.
       "Calm down, K. You gonna be all right," he said. He was laughing, too.
       "Where the fuck are you. I mean, exactly where the fuck are you?"
       "I'm sitting on a bed in room 732 at the Laguna Hotel in Emerald Beach, Florida, that's where I am. And my brother Paul is sitting on the other bed."
       "Jackie, don't move. I'll be there in fifteen minutes," I said.
       "What if I have to piss," Jackie said.
       "I absolutely knew you were going to say that, man. And you know what?"
       "Suck it up?"
       "Exactly. That's exactly what I was going to say. But you knew that, didn't you?"
       "Get your honky ass over here right now, so I can go pee if I have to."
       "I'll be there in ten minutes," I said.
       "Ten or fifteen?"
       "I don't know how long. Right now, call down to the bell desk and tell them you want Justin and Jeff in your room right away. Those are two of my sons. Tell them who you are, you hear?"
       "Your sons?"
       "Well, foster sons, but they don't have anyplace else to go. Just call 'em, okay. I'm hanging up now. See you in ten."
       I was so excited. I felt like I knew what Kyle must feel like when he gets excited. I ran down the hall to Rick's office.
       "Come on. Let's go," I said.
       "What's going on," he asked.
       "Paul and Jackie Thomas are here. They're staying at the Laguna," I said.
       "Your two buddies from school?"
       "My two buddies from birth, Babe. Can you leave?"
       "I guess I can," he said. He told his secretary he might be gone for the rest of the day.
       When we got to the hotel, a valet parker met us first thing. She was sharp and crisp, and I liked that. She had no idea who we were, and that made her demeanor even more impressive. We took the elevator to the seventh floor and found their room in a few seconds.
       "God almighty, look at you," Paul said, when he opened the door.
       "Look at me? Look at you," I said.
       He ushered us in, and I grabbed Jackie in a big hug, too.
       "This is too good. This is too fucking good," I said. I had happy tears running down my face, and those guys did, too. They had met Rick at Craig's wedding, and they remembered each other.
       "You've met Justin and Jeff, right," I said.
       "Oh, yeah. We've already told them about ten stories about you," Paul said.
       "You better not have," I said. "Guys, call your brothers and tell them to get their asses over here."
       Justin got out his cell and called them.
       "Are y'all here on vacation, or what?"
       "On vacation and to see a good friend," Jackie said.
       "Did you know my birthday is Monday," I asked.
       "Of course we knew that, asshole," Jackie said. "What do you think?"
       There was a knock at the door.
       "That's probably the kids," I said.
       Paul opened the door, and I was sure the kids weren't expecting a black man to be on the other side.
       "Are you Kevin's kids," Paul asked.
       "Yes, sir, we're Kevin's kids," I heard Kyle say.
       "Well, come on in," Paul said.
       We did all the introduction stuff, and all the hand shaking.
       "Is anybody hungry," I asked.
       "Yes, sir. You know we're hungry," Kyle said.
       "The seed don't fall far from the tree, I see," Paul said, laughing.
       "Let's go eat," I said.
       We had a great lunch that lasted until two o'clock that afternoon. We got caught up on one another's lives. Paul was working for an engineering firm in Portland, Oregon. He had been in a serious relationship with a girl from there for several years, but he was single once again. He said he wanted to get married eventually, but he wasn't in any hurry. He was looking to relocate to New Orleans. Jackie had just gotten his Ph.D. in clinical psychology, and he was getting ready to do a year-long residency in an in-patient facility for adolescent boys in New Orleans. He had spent the previous five years in Baton Rouge going to graduate school.
       "Come live with us. That'd do it," Justin said.
       "There's nothing crazy about this bunch," Jackie said. "You might have some minor problems, but no group with this much love has serious psychological needs."
       "You can almost feel it, can't you? The love, I mean," Paul said.
       "There's plenty of that, all right," Justin said.
       "You don't find that among people who I treat, Justin," Jackie said.
       "Oh, guys, do you remember Rebel," I asked.
       They both thought for a second.
       "Your dog," Paul asked.
       "Yeah," I said.
       "I remember her. Damn, how long has that been," Jackie asked.
       "A long time," I said. "We've got a puppy that's exactly like her. I can't wait till you meet her."
       "Are y'all coming to the party tomorrow night," Kyle asked.
       "Are we invited," Paul asked.
       "If you're not, nobody else is," I said. "It's a pool party for my birthday."
       "So bring our suits, right," Jackie said.
       "Nope," I replied.
       "Oh, it's one of those. Just like the old days," Jackie said.
       "That's right," I said, grinning.
       "This guy used to love to get naked," Paul said. "I didn't know why 'cause there wasn't ever much to show off."
       "Still isn't," Jus said.
       That made everybody laugh.
       "Kevin, you tease me all the time about being a nudist and always wanting to be naked," Kyle said.
       "It's a case of 'it takes one to know one,' Bubba," I said. "I tease you about it, but I don't make fun of you for it."
       "That's true," Kyle said.
       "What's the worst thing he ever did," Tim asked.
       "Do you guys know what a potato gun is," Jackie asked.
       "No! No! Don't tell that story," I said.
       "Tell it," Rick said. "I've never heard this one."
       "A potato gun is a kind of cannon made out of PVC pipe," Jackie said. "You pack a raw potato in it, spray hairspray into the end, and light it. The hairspray is the fuel, and it explodes in the confines of the pipe. It shoots out the potato, and it makes a loud noise, sort of like an explosion.
       "Well, we made one, and we were playing with it in the playground of the school we all went to. We could have gotten in trouble just for being on the playground right then because our parents thought we were in church. It was a Catholic school, so there was the church there, too. The church had a stained glass window behind the altar that showed the Last Supper with the Twelve Apostles, including Judas. We had had . . ." Jackie started laughing and Paul took over.
       "Kevin was convinced that Judas should not have been in that window, and we had argued about it a bunch of times. That day, with that potato gun, he decided it was his job to take his ass out. No more Judas."
       "Did you shoot the window out," Kyle asked.
       "Yes, but there's more to it," I said. "That whole window had thick Plexiglas on the back of it to protect it in storms and what not. I just wanted to hit Judas in the face. I knew the potato couldn't go through the Plexiglas, and I never intended to break the window."
       "But . . .," Paul said.
       "But I did," I said. "That was the only panel that didn't have Plexiglas, apparently, and it went right through the glass into the church."
       "Tell 'em what else," Jackie said.
       "It was Good Friday, and there was a service going on inside," I said. "God, this is so embarrassing."
       "Oh, shit," Rick said. He was all warmed up to this story.
       "We were supposed to have been there for the service," I said. "All four of us were altar boys, and we were all supposed to be dressed in our robes in the church. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon."
       Jackie was laughing hard, but he continued.
       "When the thing flew into the church, it must have scared somebody and they screamed. Craig screamed out, Oh, fu . . ." He was laughing too hard to continue.
       "Craig screamed, 'Oh, fuck! You killed somebody,' at the top of his lungs. And just then, two men came running out of the church. They caught us before we could get away," Paul said.
       "Did y'all get in trouble," Justin asked.
       "What do you think? Did we ever get in trouble," I said.
       "How old were you guys," Kyle asked.
       "I was nine. Jackie, you and Craig were eleven, right?"
       "And I was twelve," Paul said.
       "What did they do to you," Brian asked.
       "Well, let's just say we couldn't sit down for about a week after that," Jackie said. "This guy tried to save the rest of us, though, I will give him that much credit."
       "Did you have to pay for the window," Rick asked.
       "Of course," I said. "Actually, my dad paid for it, and he wasn't very happy about that."
       "So you guys were badasses. Way to go, guys," Justin said.
       Everybody laughed at him.
       "I hadn't thought about that story in years," I said.
       "What else did you do," Kyle asked. I could tell he was thrilled by my misadventures as a kid. I was sure he had plenty of his own, too.
       "That was about the worst thing we did," Paul said. "We were pretty much always in trouble for something, though. We were a pretty high-spirited bunch."
       "So what else did you do," Kyle demanded. He was being delighted by all of that.
       "We set the garage on fire one time," I said.
       "Yeah, but that was really an accident," Jackie said.
       "That depends on your interpretation of the word 'accident,'" Paul said. "I was already in high school, and Craig and Jackie had just finished the eighth grade. We had to wear uniforms to grammar school, and part of the uniform was a black tie. The last day of school, those two wanted to burn their ties because they hated them so much. We set them out on the workbench and sprayed them with lighter fluid. They wanted to see which one would burn up first. It was kind of like a race. Craig and Jackie each struck matches and set them to the ties, and they didn't burn. The fire went out."
       Jackie took over. "Craig decided to really soak those ties with that lighter fluid. In the process of doing that, he got lighter fluid all over the damn place. We didn't think it would set the wooden workbench on fire, though. How dumb was that?"
       "It was pretty damn dumb," I said. "We didn't actually destroy the building, but the fire department had to come to put out the fire. We dragged the workbench outside, and that's what saved the building."
       "Red ass on that one, too," Justin asked.
       "No. By then we were too old for spankings," I said. "We were just grounded for a month. Although, these guys still came over to our house every day."
       "I didn't. I was working by then," Paul said. "In fact, I don't remember why I happened to be there for the conflagration."
       "It sounds like you guys were really close," Rick said.
       "Unbelievably close," Jackie said.
       "Did you ever see Kevin get his dick caught in his zipper," Tim asked.
       "Not more than about once a week," Paul said.
       "I didn't do it that often," I said.
       "Maybe not, but it happened all the time," Paul said. "And he'd make us all look at it to check out the wound."
       "Craig did it, too," Jackie said. "He's not circumcised either. Craig and I were in the same class because we were the same age, and we were also best friends. One time at recess he and I were taking a leak, and he was in a hurry to get back to the game we had been playing on the playground. He's in a big hurry, okay, and he's not paying attention. He pulls up on the zipper, and then you hear this unbelievable scream."
       "Oh, my God," I said. "I know what's coming." I was laughing almost too hard to talk.
       "I look over to see what's wrong, and he's got quite a large chunk of his foreskin caught. He's trying to pull down the zipper to free it, but there's blood all over the zipper tab, and his fingers keep slipping off. Of course, he's crying and jumping around.
       "I try to get the zipper down, but I can't do it, either. 'Go get Kevin,' he says to me. 'Where is he?' 'He's in class.'"
       "Let me take over this part," I said. "I was in fourth grade, I guess, and I was in my desk, trying to pay attention to the teacher. This joker barges into the room and says, 'I need Kevin to come help his brother.' The teacher says, 'Help his brother do what?' She knew Craig and Jackie because they had both been in her class. Her name was Mrs. Landry. 'He's got his wee-wee caught in his zipper, and only Kevin can get it unstuck.'"
       Everybody howled.
       "Well, she wasn't going to let me go. She wanted Jackie to call his mother, which we ended up doing, anyway. But Jackie says, 'But Miss Landry, it's his wee-wee. He needs Kevin for his wee-wee.'"
       Kyle and Justin were laughing so hard they were slapping the table.
       "All the kids in the class were laughing. I didn't wait for permission to leave the room when he said that."
       "Damn right, son," Justin said. "When there's a wee-wee in a jam, you got to take action."
       That made everybody laugh even harder.
       "We ended up calling Miss Dilsey, just like the teacher had said to do, and she took him to my mom's office. No stitches, though."
       "I haven't thought of some of this in forever. It's so good to see you guys," I said.
       "Kev, listen, man. We're not going to monopolize all your time. We've got some college friends that we're actually here with, in fact," Jackie said.
       "But you'll be at the party, won't you," I asked.
       "Of course. We wouldn't miss it. You're twenty-seven, right," Paul said.
       "Right. Can you believe we're as old as we are? We've known each other all that time, too. I don't have any recollection of not knowing you all."
       "I know. We've been brothers all our lives, haven't we. One more story, then we're going to have to go. We had watched some movie about kids becoming blood brothers. They cut their arms and held the cuts together so their blood could mingle. We decided to do that. This genius here," Jackie said, pointing to Paul, "goes first and cuts a fucking artery in his wrist. You talk about bleeding like a stuck pig! He's bleeding and crying, Craig is laughing, and macho man Kevin faints dead out. I'm the only one who's half-way in control, and I start screaming for my mom. She runs upstairs to--whose room was it? Craig's?--to wherever we were, anyway. She snatches up Paul and they haul ass to the emergency room.
       "Meanwhile, I've still got Kevin passed out. She didn't even notice him. I grab Craig, who is in some kind of hysterical shock or something, and can't control his laughter, and ask him where they keep the smelling salts."
       Everybody laughed.
       "We all watched too much TV. Doesn't everybody have smelling salts around the house? Anyway, he didn't have a clue. I ended up going downstairs to the kitchen and taking a jar of horseradish back upstairs. By then Kevin was awake, but I made him smell it anyway."
       "To this day, the scent of horseradish makes me sick to my stomach," I said.
       Everybody was in stitches.
       "I had forgotten that story, Jackie," I said. I had tears in the corners of my eyes from laughing so hard. "We had fun, though, didn't we? When you hear those stories, it sounds like we were bad as hell, but we really weren't, most of the time."
       "Let's blame it on Craig, since he isn't here," Paul said.
       They laughed.
       "These guys all know Craig, and I'm sure they'd believe you about that, Paul," I said.
       "Did you guys live on the same block," Brian asked.
       "Oh, no, son. Our mother worked for Miss Beth."
       "Their mother raised me and Craig, boys, and that's a fact. Her name was Miss Dilsey, and their daddy is Mister Gabe," I said. "Miss Dilsey passed away a few years ago. She and Grandma were very, very close friends. Best friends, really."
       "But they took care of us, too," Jackie said. "We went to Catholic school from kindergarten through high school, and then we both went to Tulane University. The Foleys paid for every dime of all of it."
       "Did I know that," Rick asked.
       "I didn't know about college," I said. "I thought you guys had scholarships. That's what they told us."
       "We did. Foley scholarships. We're the only ones who have ever won one of those," Paul said.
       "This will be the next bunch to get them," I said, meaning our boys.
       "Guys, I can't tell you when I've enjoyed a lunch as much as I have this one. We need to catch up with our friends, though. We'll see all of you tomorrow night," Jackie said. "Boys, don't let this dude make you think he was anything but a normal, pain-in-the-ass kid."
       We shook hands, and then I hugged Paul and Jackie.
       "Those guys are soooooo nice," Tim said.
       "There's the best, Tim," I said. "Most of the stuff we did was when we were young, in elementary school, or grammar school, as they called it. When we went to high school, we sort of drifted apart, except for Craig and Jackie. We were in different classes and different sports and other activities. We made different friends. Plus, they didn't need to be watched after school by that age, so they went home instead of coming to our house every day."
       "But you still seem to like one another a lot," Brian said.
       "We love one another, Bri, and we always will. Craig and Jackie still hang out some together. The two of them were much closer than I was to either one of them or than he was to Paul. They stayed good friends all through high school and college, too. In fact, Jackie was in Craig and Cherie's wedding. That was the last time we saw one another. You'll have to get Craig to tell you the story of what happened when they got drunk together at a Tulane football game."
       "I wish Craig was here," Rick said.
       "Me, too," I said. "This is the kind of stuff they used to do. One time they were on a double date, and apparently the girls were virtuous and didn't want to get into heavy making out. Do you remember that big fountain we saw at the lakefront in New Orleans? Well, that's where they were parked. Anyway, they're both frustrated, right? So Craig says, 'Thomas, you swollen up back there, boy?' and Jackie says, 'Hell, yeah, all pumped up and no place to go.' Craig says, 'I'll bet you mine is bigger than yours right now. I'll put ten bucks on it, in fact.' Jackie says, 'No, way, whitey.' Craig says, 'Only one way to prove it. Get out.'
       "So they both get out of the car. The two girls are horrified and threaten to tell the boys' parents if they go through with it. By the way, Craig and Jackie had planned this. Maybe not for that particular night, but they had talked about doing this if they ever found themselves in that situation together. So, anyway, Craig says to the girls, 'Y'all can watch. We ain't bashful.' The girls say they're not going to watch, and the guys had their backs to the car, anyway. Jackie says, 'All right, Foley. On three. One. Two. Three.'"
       I slowly and methodically took several sips of water at that point in the story to build suspense, or something.
       "So what happened? Who had the biggest," Justin demanded.
       "On the count of three, they both pulled their belts out of the loops on their pants and held them up to one another. 'Damn, Foley,' Jackie says to Craig, 'yours is longer and wider. I never thought a white boy would out-measure a black boy.' 'Girls, can you believe this?' They turn around to the car and hold up the two belts. Craig's date thought it was funny, but Jackie's date got super pissed off and demanded to be taken home. Those girls never saw those boys again after that night."
       They were all laughing.
       "That's hilarious," Jeff said. "Who thought that up?"
       "I don't know. They're both capable of it, but they might have read about it or seen it in a movie or something. When Jackie and Craig get together with their friends, especially after a couple of drinks, they . . . You can't breathe, you're laughing so hard," I said.
       "Let's get together with them the next time we go to New Orleans," Kyle said.
       "We'll definitely try," I said. "Paul's been in Portland for several years, and Jackie's been in Baton Rouge. They didn't used to get home all that much, but it sounds like they'll both be in New Orleans from now on. Both of them are borderline geniuses, by the way."
       "You were the dummy of that crowd, then," Justin said.
       "I'm smarter than Craig," I said.
       "And a lot more modest, too," Rick said. "Let's get back to work."

Chapter 2

(Kevin's Perspective)
       Kyle had let it be known at Brian's party that The Clay would be in service starting around one o'clock the day of my party. Anybody who was interested in water skiing should present themselves whenever they felt like it after that time.
       Rick was the lead organizer for my shindig, but Kyle wanted to be involved in the preparations, too.
       "What needs to be done," he asked Rick, as we were sitting around in the den in our briefs that morning.
       "I think it's pretty much under control, Kyle," Rick had said. "I need to pick up the cake, but that's about it, I think."
       "Do we have ice?"
       "The cake and some ice," Rick said, grinning.
       "When are we going to get an ice machine? Don't you think it's a pain in the ass having to remember to buy ice all the time," Kyle asked.
       "Yeah, it is. Why don't you be in charge of getting us an ice machine," Rick said.
       "That's all I've been waiting to hear," he said. "I checked out the kitchen in the clubhouse, and there's a place for one already there. We just have to buy it and have it delivered and installed. No plumbing."
       "Plumbing? Why would it have to have plumbing," Tim asked.
       Kyle rolled his eyes at his monkey.
       "Where do you think the water to make the ice comes from," Kyle asked. He didn't say that sarcastically, which I might have been tempted to do.
       "Oh, yeah. How do you know stuff like that," Tim asked.
       "How do I know you make ice out of water?"
       "No, I know that. How do you know it doesn't need plumbing?"
       "I looked at it, and I saw the water line," he said. "Tim, go to your room."
       Tim shot him a bird, and then they both laughed.
       "I'm going to get an ice machine that makes clear ice," Kyle said. "That's the pretty kind, I think. I hate cloudy ice cubes."
       "You don't have enough to think about," Justin said, pointing at Kyle.
       "What do you mean?"
       "Who ever thinks about cloudy ice and clear ice?"
       "I do, evidently. Do you have a problem with that," Kyle said. They were facing off for a round of jokes, and I chuckled with anticipation.
       "I think it's just such stuff as that that gives gay men a bad name, Kyle."
       We laughed.
       "So you don't think straight guys dislike cloudy ice?"
       "I don't think they notice," Jus said.
       "So what does that make you?"
       "Okay. You got me last," Justin said. "I'm not having my queerness challenged by some damn ice cubes."
       That was funny.
       "So, do you want to help me pick out the ice machine? It has to be color coordinated with the rest of the stuff in that kitchen out there. Then there's the whole matter of size."
       "Kyle, when we get the fucking ice machine, look for your dick in it, 'cause that's where I'm putting it when I cut it off," Jus said.
       Even Kyle laughed at that one.
       "Gahh, I'm ready to party," Kyle said.
       "Why don't you go out and walk up and down on the pier a while. Take the edge off, Buddy," Justin said.
       Tim yawned and stretched.
       "Why do we get up so early, Kyle," he asked.
       "I dunno. I just wake up," he said. "Go back to bed, if you're tired."
       "He doesn't want to be in bed without his sweetie," Jus said.
       "Shut up, asshole," Kyle said. "Oh, you know what? I didn't tell Jackie and Paul about skiing. Does anybody know the phone number of that hotel?"
       Justin started saying the number.
       "Not so fast. I need to dial it," Kyle said.
       He let it ring, and then someone at the desk must have answered. He asked to speak with Jackie or Paul Thomas.
       "Hello. This is Kyle Goodson, one of Kevin's kids. Who's speaking, please.
       Pause.
       "Hi, Jackie. We sure did enjoy meeting you guys yesterday. Those stories were awesome."
       Pause.
       "Kevin told us the one about you and Craig on the double date with the belts. That's rich."
       Pause. Laugh.
       "Well, thank you. Actually, the reason I called was to let you and Paul know we're going to start running the ski boat at one o'clock, if you guys are interested. You will need suits for that. But just come on over anytime you want to."
       Pause.
       "Men or women?"
       Pause.
       "Oh, bring 'em on. The more the merrier. And we have plenty of towels, so don't worry about that. Do you like to dance? 'Cause we usually get around to dancing after dinner. Sometimes before."
       Pause.
       "Well, we'll see you later, then. Bye."
       He hung up.
       "I just invited two more guys. I hope there's enough for them to eat."
       "I gathered as much. How'd that happen?"
       "Well, he said they have two friends with them, and they wished those guys had a chance to meet us. What was I going to say?"
       "You could have said SOL," Justin said.
       "What does that mean," Tim asked.
       "Shit outta luck."
       That made us laugh, too.
       "Jus, Kyle did the right thing. In fact, we should have told them to bring their friends when we saw them and invited them yesterday. Think about this, Jus. How would you and Brian feel at a party of thirty or so black men if you only really knew one other person there?"
       "I'd probably feel uncomfortable, but because they were strangers, not because they were black," Jus said. "Especially if I had to show my wee-wee just to swim."
       We laughed.
       "You say that about race not being an issue, and I know you mean it, but that isn't true for a lot of people. It's probably not an issue for them, now that I think about it, but it could be. But, Jus, your point about being strangers is a very good one," I said. "They're going to feel more comfortable with their friends here."
       "So the Stud saves the day," Justin said.
       "Why are you picking on me this morning," Kyle asked.
       "'Cause I love you."
       "Oh. That's what I thought," Kyle said. After a moment's pause, Kyle continued, "Kevin, since we don't start work until a week from Monday, can Tim and I do some camping on the island?"
       "How come they get a week off," Justin asked.
       "You had a week off in March for your trip, and you got paid. They don't get paid until they work," Rick said.
       "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that," he said, grinning sheepishly.
       "Besides, this is Memorial Day weekend. We're lucky any of us is off," Rick said. "We ought to have your ass down there toting luggage."
       "Well, ain't you the hard-ass, all of a sudden," Jus said. "It's usually Kevin. Stay away from him, Rick. He's rubbing off on you, Bubba."
       Rick laughed at him, and Jus and Kyle knocked fists together.
       "Kyle, in answer to your question, don't you think you should ask your parents, instead of us?
       "We did. They said it was all right with them, if it was alright with you all," he said.
       "Well, yeah. It's alright with us, isn't it, Babe?"
       "Sure. Who's going? Just you and Tim?"
       Kyle nodded. "And can Trixie go with us?" She perked up when she heard her name.
       "What about Brian? Are you just going to leave him here by himself? He's not working yet, and Justin is. Did you think about that, Kyle," Rick asked.
       "Do you want to go, Bri," Kyle asked. I could tell that was a genuine invitation, not a perfunctory one.
       "Not if Jus can't go," Bri said.
       "Why can't he go, too," Rick asked.
       "He's working, Babe," I said.
       "Not at night. What are your hours, Jus?"
       "I work 7:30 to four this coming week," he said.
       "How long does it take to get out to the island?"
       "About twenty minutes from here," Kyle said.
       "This doesn't sound hard to me," Rick said. "Kyle picks him up here after he gets off work, they all spend the night on the island, and Kyle brings him home in the morning in time to get ready for work."
       "Do you want to do that, Jus," Kyle asked.
       "Yeah. Hell, yeah, I'd like to do that," Jus said.
       "Then I say it's a done deal," Kyle replied. "It'll be more fun with you guys there. Kevin, we were thinking we would leave tomorrow morning after family time. Would that be all right? It means we wouldn't be with you all day on your birthday. Would you mind?"
       "My birthday's Monday, Kyle. Today's the 23rd, not the 24th."
       "Oh, my bad. But we won't see you at all on Monday, probably."
       "You're seeing me now, Kyle. I really don't mind, guys, but thanks for thinking of that. Rick and I were thinking we might drive over to Tallahassee, anyway, on Monday. And it's all right with me if Trixie goes with you."
       "Do you guys still have friends in Tallahassee," Justin asked.
       "A few," Rick said. "Some people we worked with, and I'll reluctantly grant Trixie permission to go."
       Just about then Jeff came in. He was the late sleeper in the crowd, but it was really only ten o'clock, not exactly late by adolescent standards.
       "Good morning, Jeff," we all said in one form or another. He told us good morning, too.
       Jeff got himself some coffee and made himself a bowl of cereal. Trixie tried to get into his lap, but he pushed her away.
       "Jeff, we're talking about going camping for a few days starting tomorrow. You want to go," Kyle asked.
       "I have to work," Jeff said.
       Kyle explained how they had it worked out so that he and Jus could camp and still go to work.
       "Thanks, Kyle, but I don't think so," he said.
       "You're not the outdoor type, are you, Bubba," Jus said.
       "Not at all, Jus. I love doing things with you guys, but camping doesn't really do it for me. Besides, you'll have to get up so early to get in in time for work."
       Jeff looked uncomfortable, like he had something on his mind. I hoped he wasn't depressed again. Finally he spoke.
       "Would it be all right if I asked a date to the party tonight," he asked.
       Kyle's face lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree.
       "You met somebody? How'd you meet him," he asked. "Where'd you meet him?"
       "Yes, I've met someone," he said. "I first met him on line in a chat room. We've had coffee a few times after work and went out one night."
       "Who is it," Kyle wanted to know.
       "His name is Tyler Jones, and he's in the Coast Guard. He's stationed here."
       "Jeff, I think Kyle's reaction tells you how we feel about your friend coming over tonight. We're happy for you, man," I said. I got a little misty eyed when I thought of the implications of his having a date.
       Kyle was much more effusive. He got up, went over to Jeff, pulled him from his seat, and hugged him. Kyle even bounced them around a little.
       "I'm so happy for you, Bubba."
       "Thanks, Kyle, but it's just a date. He hasn't proposed or anything," Jeff said.
       "I know, but think about where you were last October, man. And Christmas? It's that ink, isn't it?"
       Jeff couldn't help grinning at his little brother.
       "That reminds me. We still haven't seen that ink," Rick said.
       Jeff hadn't been with us in briefs mode lately, and he was already fully dressed that morning. He was a much more private person than the rest of us were, and we respected that and gave him all the space he wanted.
       "You'll see it tonight. It will be the great unveiling."
       "Has Tyler seen it," Kyle asked.
       "No. Of course not," Jeff said.
       "Kyle, don't pry, Bubba," Rick said with mock sternness.
       Kyle grinned, and Rick grinned back at him.
       "Well, I need to get some gas for the boat," Kyle said. "Tim, can I take your car?"
       "What's wrong with yours," Rick asked.
       "It's not mine; that's what's wrong with his," Tim said. "I'll take you, but I'm driving."
       "Fair enough. Let's put the top down."

(Rick's Perspective)
       Those weekend mornings were some of the best times of our lives together. One of them, Kyle I think, had called it "family time," and that's truly what it was. Sunday morning was sacrosanct for the family to be together, but even that wasn't always true, if Jeff couldn't be there. Saturday mornings were our second best time, and Kevin and I cherished the hours all of us spent with one another. The boys had their own lives, and they were pretty busy people. But when we were all there, we were a unit.
       Chris had done a number on me at first. He was a very likeable kid, but, frankly, I was scared of him at first. He was so small and so stiff that I was afraid we'd hurt him without even realizing it. The boys didn't have those hang-ups, though, and they wrestled him and swam with him and even threw him back and forth among themselves in the pool. He loved it, and all of us were very sad when he had to leave. I had been thinking since he left about a cross-country car trip for us to go to Montana to see him, but I hadn't brought it up yet because I knew the kids would want to leave the next day.
       And that damn dog! What am I doing, I kept asking myself. But she got to me, let me tell you. I broke her quick of waking me up when I didn't want to run in the morning, but it was so much more fun running with her than running by myself. I had said I wasn't taking care of her, but I'm the one who took her to the vet the first time she went. The doctor said she thought Trixie was about eight months old, and she also said she thought Trix had had some training. I had expected to step in loads of dog shit all over the house, but that didn't happen. A couple of times there were wet accidents in the laundry room when we had been late getting up, but I swear she was embarrassed she had done it. You could actually see the sorrow on her face. How could you not love a beautiful animal like that, who was smart as hell and always more than glad to see you? Kyle and Tim had been right. She did love us, and we loved her.
       Tim's birthday party was unbelievable. The New Orleans crowd came for it, and I was just a little bit sorry Kyle hadn't thought to call my mom and Arnie. I don't know if they would have come, but I was going to make sure they'd at least know about the next "all call" for Justin's birthday. Of course, it had been on the family Web page, so I guess they had seen it.
       Kev just wanted locals at his, and we didn't even post the party to the Web site for fear they'd feel obligated to come for it. I mean, we're talking two big medical practices and two law practices here. They just couldn't drop everything every other weekend and come see us, five hours away. Kevin's point was that if we invited them, they'd feel like they had to come, and that just wasn't fair to them. We'll invite them for Justin's party on the Fourth of July, though, and I'm almost certain they'll come for it. And mine was July 11th. I thought I'd do for mine what Kevin did. Locals only.
       Kevin and I were doing extremely well at work. We had both been working very hard since we had gotten those jobs the previous September, and the hard work was paying off. The company had always made a lot of money, but it was making even more than it had before. Gene praised us constantly, and he gave us bonuses all the time, too.
       The money was nice, but we didn't need nearly as much as we got. We had a really good investment program going, but Kev and I weren't interested in getting rich, necessarily. Gene was rich, and he ended up giving away more than half of it to various charities every year. He had the lawyers create a Goodson Family Foundation to give away his money, and Kevin and I were board members of that. The local United Cerebral Palsy Clinic got a good bit after Chris was with us. We were in the very inner circle of that business, but even we didn't know everything that Gene was into. We knew that Kyle was rich in his own right, but he had no clue about what he owned, and we didn't know the details of that, either. We knew that was probably going to have to change pretty soon when he turned eighteen, but we also knew it wouldn't make any difference with him.
       Was I happy? Was I content? Was I satisfied? Was I ever! The only thing that had been a problem for me was Arnie, my step-father, and how he felt about me and Kevin. The boys had pretty much taken care of that, though, at Christmas, and the only worry I had in my life was whether I would finish the next marathon I entered.

(Kyle's Perspective)
       They started coming in early on the day of Kevin's party. I knew they would, so I made Tim stop at Publix when we went to buy gas so we could buy some sandwiches and fried chicken and stuff for them to eat. I got ten foot-long deli sandwiches, and I made them cut them into six pieces each, instead of just two. They didn't want to do that at first, but I said, hey, look! I got sixty pieces of fried chicken, a gallon of slaw, and a gallon of baked beans. I also bought a couple of sacks of bakery cookies and that sort of thing. I knew those boys were going to be hungry when they got there, even if they had just eaten lunch, and we were going to be prepared.
       "What did you do? Buy out the store," Rick asked me when we got it all inside.
       "They're going to be hungry when they get here. You know that," I said. I grabbed me up a couple of wings. The wing was my favorite part of a chicken.
       Justin and Brian came in from somewhere just then.
       "Yum, lunch," Justin said.
       He and Brian each made them a plate. They each took a couple of sandwich pieces, three pieces of chicken, healthy dippings of the slaw and beans, and a couple of spears of dill pickle.
       "Have I made my point yet," I asked Rick.
       "Yeah," he said. "You're learning, aren't you?"
       "Learning from the masters," I said.
       Philip and Ryan were the first ones there around 12:30, and they needed food. Chad, Gage, Sam, and Fred came in about a half hour later, and they were hungry, too. Morgan, Blake, and Riley were in next, and they needed to eat. All afternoon there was a steady stream of people coming in, and that food went.
       We did some fine skiing that afternoon, too. I made pass after pass up and down that lagoon, which was really a bayou, and I think everybody who wanted to got at least one chance to ski. I skied a couple of times, and I let some of the ones I had trained drive the boat. They all did a good job, especially Philip, but I expected that of him. That was the first time I had seen Morgan ski, and he was pretty good. Blake wasn't bad, either, but Riley needed some pointers. Philip took him in hand for that, though.
       Paul and Jackie got there about mid-afternoon with their friends Randall and Tyrone. Randall and Tyrone were just as nice as they could be, but none of the four of them wanted to ski. They got lunch food, too. Then they wanted to play basketball. I snatched Rick up to play with us, and we had a pretty good three-on-three for a while.
       "Y'all never thought this many people would show up this early, did you," I said to Rick.
       "No, we didn't. I'm so damn glad you bought that food, man. Jesus Christ, what would we have done if you hadn't?"
       "They'd have gone hungry, that's what," I said. "But I knew."
       "Yeah, you did, Bubba, and thank you."
       "Let's play some ball, man," I said.
       I was in just a Speedo and a pair of Nikes, and my tattoo was showing proud. I was so slick with sweat, you could have shoved me up somebody's ass, but I was having a great time. I had left Philip in charge of the boat, and Trixie was out there with the boys. Every time somebody fell, she jumped in the water to go save 'em. You tell me about another dog as good as that one, and her still a puppy.
       After that basketball game, we were all hot and tired. All six of us got naked and went in. Let me tell you something. Those black guys were built, and I, for one, appreciated what they looked like. I'm not talking equipment, although that was pretty good. I'm talking overall physique. Those were some good looking dudes.
       After I went in the pool, I didn't put my clothes back on right away. There were naked guys all over the place, and if somebody had a problem with that, fuck 'em, I say. Not even Rick said anything about it, or my dad, when he got there.
       The highlight for me of that day, though, was meeting Tyler, Jeff's date. What an incredibly nice guy! I was naked when he came in, which probably wasn't the best way to meet your brother's new friend for the first time, but he handled it good. Yeah, he glanced. Who wouldn't? He was really nice looking, and I figured him for a virgin. He had that really short military hair, which was bright blond, and he had that real scrubbed clean look. He had one of those squared-off jaws that I liked, and he had a really nice smile.
       "You done good, Bubba," I said to Jeff when Tyler had gone to the bathroom.
       "Do you like him," Jeff asked.
       "From what I've seen, I do. How old is he? Where's he from?"
       "He's twenty-one, and he's from Minnesota," Jeff said.
       "If you want him to sleep over, you know it's okay, don't you?"
       "Yeah, I know, but we're not nearly there yet, Bubba."
       "Hey, that's the first time you've called me Bubba, I think."
       "Probably. Usually I can remember your name. I couldn't just now, though," he said.
       That made me laugh. "Fuck you," I said.
       He grabbed me in a big hug. "Thank you so much, Kyle. For everything."
       "You can forget crying, 'cause you ain't getting no ice cream right now," I said.
       He laughed his ass off.

(Justin's Perspective)
       Kyle came up to me, naked as the day he was born.
       "What is this about," I asked, just to tease him.
       "Fuck you. Did you meet Tyler?"
       "No, not yet. Did you?"
       "Yes, and he's an incredibly nice guy, too. And very cute."
       "I'm surprised you ain't hard," I said, again to get his goat.
       "You fucker. Come with me. Let's go talk to him. I want your opinion, and Jeff's gonna want it, too," he said.
       "All right. Let's go."
       "Tyler, this is our other brother, Justin," Kyle said.
       "How you doing, Tyler," I said, shaking the man's hand.
       He told me hi, and he smiled real broad and friendly. That boy was major cute, you hear me? I always notice people's teeth, and he had some of the best.
       "How many brothers do you have, Jeff," Tyler asked.
       "Too many," Jeff said.
       We all laughed, and ole Tyler looked at Jeff like he was liking what he was looking at.
       "Actually, I have one blood brother and four honorary brothers," Jeff said. "I told you that."
       "He's got a sister, too, and they could be identical twins," I said.
       "What," Jeff asked, all puzzled.
       "Trixie," I said.
       "Trixie's the dog," Jeff said.
       Tyler laughed, and it was a good laugh.
       "Can I get anybody something to drink," Kyle asked.
       We all said yes, and he came back with four cans of beer, still unopened.
       "If you'd rather have a soft drink or a mixed drink, we've got those, too," he said.
       We all said beer was fine.
       Kyle disappeared and came back a few minutes later with his Speedo on. I was glad he did that, too. Kyle's got a great body, and I wouldn't mind looking at it all day long. But Tyler was a new friend, and there wasn't any reason for Kyle to be naked, since we weren't swimming.
       "Would you all like to shoot some pool," I asked.
       "We might have to put our names on a list," Kyle said. "Monte, Terry, Sam, and Fred were playing when I went to get the drinks. Let's go see, Jus."
       "What did you think," Kyle asked me, as soon as we got in the clubhouse.
       "I think ole Jeff's got him a stud, is what I think," I said.
       "I know. He seems real nice, too, doesn't he," Kyle asked.
       "Hi, guys," Mont said when we walked up to the table.
       We both told all of them hi.
       "Is there a list of who wants to shoot pool," Kyle asked.
       "Not that I know of," Sam said. "Why? Do you guys want to play?"
       "Yeah, but not until y'all have played all you want to," Kyle said. "We're not in a hurry."
       "What if we just come find you when we're finished," Sam asked.
       "That'd be great, Sam," I said. "But don't rush, okay?"
       Kyle and I went back outside, but Jeff and Tyler had moved off from where they had been. Then I saw they were shooting baskets, and they both had their shirts off.
       "I want to see Jeff's tattoo," I said.
       We walked over to where they were, and just kind of stood there, nursing our beers. It was a red heart, about the size of a quarter, about an inch above and to the right of his left nipple. It had a word under it, which I knew was Clay's name in French. It looked damn good, and it also looked like it belonged right there, too.
       "Where's your camera, Kyle," Jeff asked.
       "I took a bunch before, but let me get some more," Kyle said.
       He went in the house and came back with his camera bag and both cameras. He handed me the digital, and he went to work with his other one. He got a bunch of shots of Jeff and Tyler playing basketball. Then he put that one away, and made me give him the digital. I had only taken three or four shots, but he went to town.
       "He's taking pictures for our family Web site," Jeff said to Tyler. "I'll have to show it to you later."
       "Cool," Tyler said. "Does it say anything on there about you guys all being gay?"
       "Not a word," Jeff said. "Plus, it's password protected, so the general public can't get to the pictures. Would you prefer that your picture not be on it?"
       "No, that's fine. I would prefer that my picture and my name not tell the Coast Guard I'm gay, but it doesn't sound like that's an issue," Tyler said.
       "The 'don't ask, don't tell' rule," Jeff asked.
       "Exactly. You'd be amazed how many guys in the military are gay, though," Tyler said.
       "Is it hard being around all those hot guys all the time," Jus asked.
       "Sometimes it's hard, but I kind of enjoy that," Tyler said.
       We weren't expecting that kind of pun out of him, so it took us a second to react. When we did, Kyle and I laughed our asses off.
       "You sound like us, Ty," Kyle said. "Do you mind if I call you Ty?"
       "Not at all. That's pretty much what I go by with my family," he said.
       "Where are you from," I asked. "I'm from Alabama."
       "Minnesota," he said. "I'm sort of the farm-boy type."
       "That's me, buddy. I'm pure country," I said.
       "Do you like country music," he asked.
       "Are you kidding? What other kind of music is there?"
       "Rock and roll," Kyle shouted.
       He loved all those old songs from long before we were born. Every time we were in the car, he'd put the radio on an oldies station. Kyle could sing pretty good, and he knew the words to every one of them. Compared to a lot of guys our age, though, music wasn't all that big a deal for any of us, really.
       "Are you guys dating," Tyler wanted to know.
       "Yeah, but not each other," I said. "We're just best friends, ain't we, sweetie?" I put my hand on his chest and started playing with his nipple ring.
       "Get off me," he said, knocking my hand away.
       "You just wait till later, honey," I said.
       "Shut up, Justin," Kyle said. "His boyfriend is Brian, Ty, not me, and my boyfriend is Tim."
       "Do you guys joke around a lot," Tyler asked.
       "It's pretty much constant, Ty, especially these two," Jeff said. "It's really fun living with these guys."
       "You said you're not going to go back to the University of Florida," Tyler asked.
       "Right. I'm switching to the FSU campus here," Jeff said.
       "What? When did this happen? Why wasn't I consulted," Kyle demanded.
       Jeff explained about the rivalry between those two colleges and that he and Kyle were the only Gators in a house full of Seminoles.
       "It sounds like you don't want me around, Kyle," Jeff said.
       "You know that's bullshit, Bubba. I'm just carrying on. I'm glad you're going to be here. You know that," Kyle said.
       "I know, especially when I get you last like I just did," Jeff said.
       "You fucker," Kyle said, grinning.
       Jeff explained about "got you last," and Tyler laughed.
       Kyle looked at his watch.
       "Let me go check on the boat," he said, and he took off.
       "Do you notice that he never says 'my boat,' only 'the boat' or 'our boat,'" I asked Jeff.
       "Yeah. I think that's pretty neat," Jeff said.
       "Is that the boat he named after your boyfriend," Tyler asked.
       "Yeah," Jeff said.
       "You know about Clay," I asked.
       "Yeah. We've talked quite a bit, and we've had, what?, three or four coffee dates before tonight," Tyler said.
       "We know each other pretty well, don't you think, Ty," Jeff said.
       "You know him, and you're still willing to date him," I asked.
       "Go to your room, Justin, like a good little asshole," Jeff said.
       All three of us laughed.

(Tyler's Perspective)
       I "met" Jeff the first time I ever went into a gay chat room. I had wanted to do it for a long time, but I had been afraid. I had been afraid someone would walk up behind me and see what I was doing. I had been afraid somebody would trace my on-line activity, discover what I had been up to, and expose me. I had been afraid of the implications of the fact that I was hopelessly gay and didn't want to be. I had been afraid.
       But the loneliness just got to be too much. I had been a really popular guy in high school, with lots of friends. But that was in a school of less than 250 people, and everyone was accepted, more or less. Nobody but me knew then that I was gay, of course, and I was determined that nobody but me would ever know that.
       I went to community college for a year after graduation, but I was tired of school. For one thing, it was forty miles from home, and the daily commute, especially in the winter in Minnesota, was a killer. For another thing, I couldn't force myself to study. High school hadn't been very challenging, and I had made reasonably good grades by more or less just paying attention in class. College was different, though, and I didn't have much self-discipline or motivation. I dropped out at the end of the spring semester.
       My parents actually encouraged me to join the military. They thought it would help give me focus and goals, and they thought I would benefit from being away from home. I knew they only had my own good at heart. I chose the Coast Guard because it seemed more exotic than the other branches of the service. I didn't know very much about it, but it seemed like it was as good as any other branch.
       I guess you could describe me as a gentle person. I'm not weak or effeminate or shy, even, but I seem to feel things more deeply than the other guys in the Coast Guard. Throughout basic training and the schools they sent me to, I never really connected with anybody. I wasn't looking for sex or a romance, and the guy didn't have to be gay. I just wanted a friend, and I couldn't find one. A couple of guys teased me about being a fag, but I knew they had no way of knowing I was. That got on my nerves, but it wasn't really serious harassment. It was just insensitive joking by guys who were trying hard to be macho.
       I was rather appalled by some of the talk about pussy and the constant joking about what they would like to do with (to?) every girl we happened to see. I had grown up in a place where modesty was considered a virtue by many, and all of a sudden I found myself surrounded by guys who thought nothing of walking around stark naked, even when they were half hard. I overcame my shyness about nudity, though. After a couple of years, I had adjusted reasonably well to military life, but I still didn't have any friends. That's why I took the chance and went to the on-line chat room.
       I logged on to a room for the southeastern part of the United States. One of the guys who was already there was using "EmeraldBFL" as his nickname. Since I was in Emerald Beach, Florida, I decided to check him out. It turned out he was in Emerald Beach, also, and we seemed to have some things in common. He described himself, and I liked the description. He told me about being in college and deciding to transfer to a college in Emerald Beach. I knew there was a community college here because I passed it often, but I wasn't even aware Florida State University was in town. When I finally checked it out a few days later, I discovered a beautiful campus tucked away on a bay, out of the view from any main roads.
       The guy told me his real name was Jeff Martin and that he worked as a bellhop in a hotel on the beach. I told him that I was in the Coast Guard, that I had a brother ten years older than me, and that I loved to read. He loved to read, too, and we spent a while talking about favorite books. I talked to him for well over four hours that first night, and we agreed to meet in the chat room again the next night.
       The next night, Jeff told me a lot about himself. He told me he had been in love with a boy named Clay who had died from some kind of reaction to a drug he had been given for a headache. He said he had gone through some serious depression but that medicine and Clay's brother had helped him overcome that. He told me he was ready to start dating again. He also told me about the trauma of getting disowned by his parents when he told them about Clay, about moving in with Clay, and about the family in Emerald Beach who had taken him in. He seemed like he was very gentle and kind. He asked me for my email address because he wanted to send me a picture of himself. My first reaction was panic, but I eventually gave it to him. When I opened the picture, I knew he and I could be friends.
       Jeff and I chatted every night for two weeks, sometimes staying up so late that I had trouble at work the next day. It was worth it, though. He had a very dry sense of humor. He was great at making puns, which was something I did all the time, too, and we just hit it off. He was the one who suggested we meet after work one day for coffee. I didn't commit to that right away, but I yearned to see him, to hear his voice, to shake his hand.
       Our first meeting was nervous for both of us. Jeff had over a year of sexual experience with a partner behind him, and I had only years of guilt-ridden masturbation. Jeff had a houseful of gay men to support him, and I had only him who even knew I was gay. Jeff seemed very confident and self-assured, and I felt worthless and scared. I had no history of involvement with another, and Jeff had the painful residue of his lover's tragic death. I had no past to overcome, and Jeff had to get past his dead boyfriend and the need to start over. I had a deep secret that I could probably keep forever, and Jeff had "in-laws" to deal with as he started dating again.
       After ten minutes together, though, we both knew we had a new friend in one another. We met a few more times for coffee, and one Saturday in mid-May we met at a place and rode go-carts and played miniature golf. We went out for a couple of beers after that, and we had a great time.
       Then he invited me to Kevin's birthday party. He told me that most of the people there would be gay, and that nude swimming would be a featured entertainment. By then I wasn't intimidated by having others see me nude. That's probably a good thing since Kyle, whom I knew to be Clay's brother, was stark naked when Jeff introduced us. It was distracting as hell because he was gorgeous, but I only glanced at his full body once or twice.
       Jeff said his younger brothers would love me simply because I was his friend, and that his older brothers would like me, as well. He said there would be wonderful food, lots of games to play, and dancing. I was Catholic, as was he, and he said a Catholic priest would be in attendance. He said I would feel safe and accepted.
       I was scared, but I accepted his invitation. As it turned out, that was probably the best time I had ever had.

Chapter 3

(Kevin's Perspective)
       My birthday was great. Having Paul and Jackie Thomas show up out of the blue was the first of a series of things that happened to make the whole thing wonderful. Their two friends were as nice as they were, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them a little. It turned out that the trip to Emerald Beach was more than just a vacation for Paul, though.
       "Kevin," Paul said at the party, "I told you yesterday I'm trying to relocate to New Orleans, and I am, but I'm actually here to talk to a company about a job at the Navy Base."
       "That would be terrific," I said. "In fact, it's almost too good to believe."
       "Could you stand having me around," he asked.
       "Are you out of your fucking mind? Stand it? We'd love it, Bubba. You know that, man. You saw how the kids reacted to you and Jackie yesterday. Could you stand being friends with a house full of queers?"
       "Are the boys all gay," he asked.
       "Every one of them," I said.
       "Kevin, I know you didn't mean anything by that question, but had somebody I didn't know and love as well as I know and love you asked me that, I would have been insulted. You know where I have always stood on the subject of homosexuality. In fact, if that Kyle kid was a little older, I might have to go after him myself," Paul said.
       "Are you telling me . . ."
       He laughed. "I'm not gay, Kev, and I'm not bi, either. I'm straight. But that kid's got a lot of sex appeal, even for me."
       "Yeah, he does. I don't want you to misunderstand anything, Paul. Rick and I are scrupulous about making sure there is no adult-kid sexual contact, at least that we are aware of. And I'm 100% sure they haven't had any sexual contact with any adult since they've been here," I said.
       "It never crossed my mind that it would be any other way, Kev. You forget how well I know you, man."
       We grinned at each other.
       "You and Rick look very much like an old married couple to me. Am I right about that?"
       "Oh, yeah. It's only him for me and me for him," I said. "Not that your fine black ass doesn't make me wonder if I shouldn't reconsider."
       He howled with laughter, and I laughed hard, too.
       * * *
       Another unexpected treat of my birthday weekend was learning that Jeff had started dating. The boy he brought over, Tyler Jones, was handsome, well built in a lean way, and gifted with the kind of sense of humor that would make him fit right in among us, if that's what was in the cards.
       "You're the famous Kevin," Tyler had said when Jeff introduced us.
       "Famous?"
       "Aren't you the guy who hung the moon," he asked facetiously, grinning warmly.
       I was both a little embarrassed and greatly flattered that Jeff would have spoken so highly of me.
       "He's actually the one who shoots the moon," Jeff said.
       We all laughed.
       We made small talk, getting to know one another. He asked about my job, and I told him, and I asked about his career field. He was in computer network administration, and he told me his rank, which was, unfortunately, meaningless to me. For some reason, many military people think everyone knows what all those different ranks mean. I had the officer ranks pretty well under control, but that was about it.
       Tyler seemed pretty self-confident, and he seemed to like Jeff very much, too. Jeff made it obvious he and Ty were very good friends and on the road to becoming even better friends. Jeff later told me in private that they had logged many hours chatting on the Internet and had actually had a few dates before that night. The dates came as a surprise to me, but I then realized that our evenings were often splintered. He could have been out with him every night some weeks, and I wouldn't have noticed Jeff's absence.
       I saw Jeff's tattoo for the first time while I was talking with them. They had been playing basketball, the only sport Jeff had ever really shown any interest in at all, and they had their shirts off. The tattoo was small, tasteful, and meaningful to him and his brothers. I asked about the word written under the heart, and he told me it was French for Clay.
       "That's a nice touch, isn't it," Ty said.
       "It's a very nice touch," I said. And it's damn nice of you to say that, I thought.
       * * *
       The food was pretty simple, but it was delicious. That was definitely a pool party, and we were back to plastic plates and cups, although Rick did use the new cutlery Kyle had bought us for entertaining purposes. The family member who probably had the most fun at the party was Trixie. Everyone, kids and adults alike, couldn't resist her when she came up for a morsel and cocked her head. Most of them had never met Miss Trix before that night, and they all fell in love with her.
       Pretty much everyone had been in swimming before we ate. The adults, including Jeff and Tyler, had bothered to put shorts or a bathing suit on before dinner. Most of the kids, however, led by Kyle and Justin, stayed nude. The year before, both of them had often had partial erections at pool parties, no doubt a function of hormones and a young boy's natural need to flex. I noticed that they were both completely flaccid all the time that night. I knew they were still horny as hell, but they were moving into the age when they got erections because they wanted them, not because there happened to be a breeze. Tim and Brian were still young enough to be worried with spontaneous pop-ups, but, as usual, they handled the situation well.
       I opened my presents before dessert, and I got the usual assortment of shirts, ties, books, CD's, and gift certificates. Kyle and Tim gave me a beautiful antique lap desk that I was sure Rita had found for them. Justin and Brian gave me a crystal decanter that I had no doubt Rita had bought as well. George gave me a subscription to National Geographic, and Gene and Rita gave me an embarrassingly large check.
       The best gift, though, was the one from Rick. I had started collecting small statues a few years back. I had a particular fondness for horses, but I had one or two other things, as well. For my birthday, Rick gave me a set of twenty antique lead British redcoat soldiers. They came with a beautiful oak display box to hang on the wall. It was gorgeous, and tears came to my eyes when I opened it. There was also a thank-you letter from the United Cerebral Palsy for a donation to them that had been made in my name by a Mr. Richard Mashburn. From that day on, the CP kids of Emerald Beach were going to be our charity, all thanks to a happy little monkey named Chris Uhle.
       After dinner there was dancing, pool, ping pong, basketball, cards, and, of course, swimming. Kyle had taken quite a few pictures, and he set those up on the computer for whoever wanted to see them.
       "Those ain't the good ones," he told me in hushed tones as I was looking at them. He was inside the clubhouse, still naked.
       "Where are the good ones," I asked.
       "I have to develop them," he said. "The good ones are the ones I took with my SLR."
       "What the hell's your SLR," I asked.
       "Single lens reflex camera," he said. "The one that uses film."
       "Oh. How do you know those will be better than these?"
       "I just know," he said and smiled his irresistible smile.
       It was a great party, and everyone had fun. Trixie didn't know what to make of the dancing, and she thought everyone wanted to play with her. Justin picked her up at one point, and the two of them danced together. Kyle went crazy and took a bunch of pictures of that. Justin was still nude, but it hardly mattered. I knew that at least some of those would have to go on the Web site.
       Gage had brought over a karaoke machine, and Kyle, who really did have a very good voice, did some singing. Trixie wanted to sing, too, and everybody, including Kyle, doubled over in laughter when she started to howl at his singing. Kyle finally put his Speedo back on to act as MC of the karaoke machine, and several guys, including Jackie Thomas, tried their hand at it. Gage had brought a dirty-lyrics songbook, too, and we had fun with the puns and changes in words of songs we had all heard a hundred times. That was fun, and I knew Kyle's next purchase would be a machine just like that one.
       "Jesus Christ! When are they going home," Rick said around 1:30 Sunday morning. "Some of these damn people have been here more than twelve hours."
       A good many had left already, but there were still quite a few there.
       "Are you tired?"
       "No. I just can't wait to get your ass in bed," he said with a leer.
       "Let's tell the kids to start cooling it," I said, as eager for my ass to be in bed with him as he was to have it there.
       "Okay."
       I don't know what Rick told Kyle, but a few minutes later Kyle made the announcement over the karaoke equipment,
       "Tim, let's go to bed so these people can go home."
       That broke everybody up, but it also gave them the hint they needed. The house was empty except for us by 1:45. Nobody left without saying what a wonderful time they had had.
       The kids, including Tyler, insisted on cleaning up the place, and Rick and I went on to our room. It didn't take him long to show me why he wanted me in bed.

(Kyle's Perspective)
       The party for Kevin was a big success. Everybody had a great time, and they proved it by staying late. My motto is, If you're not having fun at a party, get the hell out of there. I think most people believe that.
       Ty stayed to help us clean up, and I figured he and Jeff were going to slip up to Jeff's room. They didn't, though. Jeff walked him out to his car, and I watched what happened.
       They stood real close facing each other. Jeff had his hands on Tyler's hips, and they might have even been touching in front below the waist. I couldn't see that part. Ty had his hands on Jeff's shoulders. They looked at each other for a few minutes, and Jeff kissed him. It wasn't a hot, get-your-dick-hard kiss, but it was a kiss. I prayed to God right then that Tyler and Jeff would become boyfriends. I loved Jeff, and I wanted him to be happy and to have somebody special in his life.
       I found the puppy sound asleep behind one of the sofas in the clubhouse. I picked her up to take her to bed, and she only stirred a little bit. She put her head on my shoulder when I carried her inside, and I wished somebody could get a picture of that because I bet she looked cute. I put her in her bed, and she didn't even open her eyes. She had sure been a trooper that day, and she was worn out. I had never had a dog before, had never wanted one, really, but I was so glad we had her. I knew Rick wouldn't be running in the morning, so she could sleep for a long time. I put fresh water in her water bowl, and I filled up her food bowl in case she got hungry during the night. I popped a couple of the kernels of food in my mouth to see what it tasted like. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't steak, either. I knew she liked steak better, too.
       Tim and I got in bed around 2:30. He was so tired he only mumbled "good night" when I kissed him. I snuggled up next to him, like I always did. He smelled really good to me, and ordinarily I would have been hard in five seconds. Not that night, though. In about half a minute, it was lights out for Kyle.
       * * *
       The next morning we both woke up hard. Surprise! Anyway, we peed, and then we made each other feel real, real good.
       "Did you like Tyler," I asked, when we were relaxing after making love.
       "Yeah, I liked him a lot. Did you like him?"
       "Yeah, I did. I hope he and Jeff hit it off," I said.
       "You really care a lot about Jeff, don't you," Tim asked.
       "Yeah, I do. I think there's like this bond between us, you know? More with me than with anybody else."
       "Yeah, I know. But you chose me, didn't you?"
       I didn't know what that was supposed to mean, and I didn't much care.
       "Yeah, I chose you because I saw the monkey potential in you from the first," I said.
       "Kyle, I love you so much," he said.
       "I love you more," I said. "Come on. Let's get up."
       * * *
       It was eleven damn o'clock by the time we got downstairs, and Tim and I were the first ones there. I let Trixie out to go pee or shit or whatever she does first thing in the morning. Tim and I were standing at the kitchen window watching her out back. She squatted to pee, and then she started sniffing around the patio.
       "She's looking for meat," I said.
       "Somebody put food out for her last night. She didn't even touch it," he said.
       "Yeah, I did. That food isn't good, Babe. Don't eat it," I said.
       He looked at me real strange.
       "How do you know it's not good? Did you eat some of it?"
       "Just a bite or two last night. I wanted to see what it tastes like. It's not awful, but it's not good, either," I said.
       "Kyle Goodson! You kissed me after eating dog food? Did you at least brush your teeth first?"
       "No."
       "Oh, my God. I'm going to throw up," he said.
       He and I were both laughing hard.
       "I kiss you all the time right after I've been licking your butt. You don't seem to mind that."
       "My butt's clean. Don't ever kiss me after you've been licking your own butt, though. Don't do it, Kyle."
       "I'm going to kiss you any time I want to," I said.
       "Like right now?"
       "Yeah, like right now," I said, and I started in on him. Kissing was one of my favorite things we did, and I could kiss him any time, any place and never get tired of it. We played tongues for a while, and then we heard somebody clearing his throat. It was Rick.
       "Isn't this sweet," he said.
       "We're sorry, Rick," Tim started.
       "No, I meant it, Tim. It is sweet. I know you guys love each other, and I know nobody else was around. But it's still pretty damn sweet. Don't be embarrassed."
       I appreciated him saying that, but I wasn't the least bit embarrassed. Our dicks were hard as rocks in our underwear, but so what? He'd seen that before, and he was probably going to see that again.
       We all made ourselves cups of coffee and went out into the den.
       "What are we going to eat," I asked. "They're not still serving breakfast anywhere that I know of."
       "I'm way ahead of you, Kyle," Rick said.
       He went into the kitchen and brought out four big boxes of doughnuts, two dozen in each box. I'm sure my eyes lit up when I saw those. I am always so damn hungry the morning after a big meal, and I dove in. I ate about a dozen, which I knew wasn't the polite thing to do, but there were plenty.
       Kevin came in next. He had showered up and shaved, even, and I wondered what that was all about. He got some coffee and ate a few doughnuts.
       "Are you going somewhere, Kevin," I asked.
       "Yeah, I'm going to ride around to the hotels and motels to see how things are going," he said.
       "Why," I asked.
       "This is Memorial Day Weekend. It's a very big weekend for us. We have 100% occupancy at all of the properties. I just want to show my face."
       "Oh, yeah. My dad used to do that on big weekends," I said.
       "Now I do it," he said. "Do you want to go with me?"
       "Yes, sir, I do, but we're supposed to go camping today, remember?"
       "Oh, that's right," he said.
       He got a second cup of coffee, had a cigarette, and then got up to get dressed. He came back in nice pants and a Polo shirt.
       "If I don't see you before you all leave, have fun camping," he said.
       "Do you want me to come get you and Rick for dinner? Say on Tuesday night," I asked. "I'll bring you home, of course."
       "Or we could spend the night," Rick said.
       "Yeah, let's plan on that, Kyle," Kevin said. "Well, I'll see you all later." He took off.
       * * *
       We farted around in that den for way longer than I wanted to. Justin and Brian came down around 11:30, and I pretty much knew there was no hope of us seeing Jeff that morning. That boy was a sleepy head.
       I finally told them I wanted everybody downstairs and ready by 12:30. Justin had to give me a little bit of a hard time about that, just like I knew he would, saying who fucking made me boss, and so on. He knew somebody had to get us going, though, and he was just teasing me about it.
       Our first stop was the grocery store. They all wanted to know why we didn't just get on the boat and go.
       What the fuck are you going to eat and drink, I thought. You can't just go off camping like that without food and water, at least. Justin probably didn't know any better, but Tim and Brian were fucking Eagle Scouts. They should know that. Sheesh. The only one who didn't complain was Trixie.
       We were in Tim's Wrangler, and I was driving. We had the top down and the radio on. One of the old Beach Boys songs came on, and I love those guys better than anything. I started to sing, and Trixie started to howl.
       "Why does this dog want to make that noise every time I sing. She did it last night, too," I said.
       "She wants to sing with you, Bubba," Jus said. "And truth be told, she's got a better voice than you."
       "Very funny," I said, but everybody but me was laughing. Trixie was barking, even. What is this all about, I thought.
       Tim and Brian stayed in the car with Trixie, and Jus and I went shopping. There were two pretty good-sized coolers on the boat, so we would have plenty of room for stuff that we needed. We got some good meat and cheese in the deli for sandwiches, and I bought eight nice steaks for Tuesday night when Kevin and Rick would be there. There would only be six of us, probably, but I was holding out hope that I could talk Jeff and Tyler into coming out with Kevin and Rick. We bought lots of chips and some dip, fruit, candy, cookies, a couple of bags of salad greens and two tomatoes. I got two bags of marshmallows and a big box of chocolate-covered graham crackers for So' mores. Justin loved pickled okra better than anything, so he put a couple of jars of those in the buggy.
       For drinks, I got twelve-twelve-twelve. Twelve bottles of water, twelve cokes, and twelve beers. I had already packed a quart of Jack Daniels whiskey, in case we wanted it, too. Knowing that crowd, we might bring back all twelve beers and an unopened bottle of Jack, or no beers and an empty bottle of Jack. You just had to be prepared. I bought myself two packs of cigarettes, too. I didn't think I would smoke more than three or four the whole time, if that, but I wanted to be prepared. I got a large bottle of sunscreen, too. I didn't want any burned butts or dicks on that trip.
       And we didn't forget the puppy. I got a bag of the stuff she ate at home, and I got a bag of bacon snacks for her, too. I knew we couldn't feed her as much as she would eat, even though we might want to, but this was going to be her only vacation. She deserved to eat good.
       "How long are we going to be camping," Justin asked while we were in check-out.
       "Me, Tim, and Brian don't have to report for work until Monday week," I said.
       "Kyle, you're already brown, man. You're going to be brown as a nut after a week," he said.
       "So?"
       "So nothing. Have at it," he said.
       I knew that wasn't enough food for us for a whole week, but I figured I could re-provision on into the week when I took Jus in to work. We bought eight bags of ice, something we wouldn't have to do before long, once we got our ice machine. I was pumped about buying that ice machine.
       There really wasn't that much room in Tim's car for all that stuff we had bought, and we had to put some of it on the floor of the seat Justin and Brian were sitting in. Brian was holding Trixie against his chest, and he made her get under the seatbelt. She kept turning her head around to lick his face. That was really cute.
       We got the boat all loaded up. We were probably taking way too much, I knew. We had a soccer ball, a volleyball, a volleyball net, a football to toss around, my cast net, four fishing poles, a couple of Frisbees, and a .22 to shoot sharks, if we had to. We had all our camping gear. We didn't take a tent, but we took sleeping bags as ground cover, some charcoal in case we couldn't find enough wood, my boom box and about a hundred CD's, snorkel masks, and, of course, my cameras. We didn't take many clothes 'cause we didn't really plan on wearing them. We had the bare essentials, of course, but that was all.
       It was two o'clock before we took off, and that bothered me a little bit that we were so late. Then I thought, Chill, Kyle. You've been with them having a great time all morning. It's about having fun, dude, whatever the fun is. Just about everything I ever did with them was fun, and shopping in that grocery store with Justin had been fun. It's the people you're with who are fun, I thought, not what you're doing. I pretty much had fun all the time, but I had to remind myself of that sometime.

(Rick's Perspective)
       Kevin and I had a great day, just the two of us, on his birthday on Monday. We drove over to Tallahassee and rode around on campus. Summer school had already started, and we saw a few students darting around. It was a holiday, though, and the campus was pretty much deserted. We marveled at how much it had changed in the four years we had been gone. There were three new buildings, and there were two others under construction. My mom had commented that the campus wasn't what she remembered when she had visited there, and more and more Kevin and I were feeling the same way.
       Kevin and I knew a lot of the same people, and we hooked up with a few of them. We went to the place where he had worked, and three people, two guys and a girl, were still there from his time. One guy had dropped out of college altogether, and the other two were still going at it sporadically. He and I both knew all three of them, but from different connections. They were hanging out, drinking beer, not working that day.
       Driving home that night, Kevin said,
       "Did you get the feeling that we were grown-ups and they were still kids?"
       "Yeah, I did. I wanted to grab all three of them and say, 'Get a fucking life!'"
       "We got a life, didn't we?"
       "Yeah, we did. And it's a damn good one," I said.
       "What would you change about our life," he asked.
       I thought for a minute, but I didn't need time to think. I knew what the answer to that question was.
       "We'd adopt them," I said.
       He smiled.
       "We couldn't adopt Tim and Kyle," he said, "or Jeff."
       "I'm not so sure about that, Babe. A teacher at my mother's school was adopted by his aunt, and he was thirty-two. His parents were both alive, too."
       "The aunt was straight, though, wasn't she?"
       "Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?"
       "Florida is a great state, and I love living here, but this adoption thing is all wrong," Kevin said.
       "Thank you, Rosie O'Donnell," I said.
       "Well, our guys have adopted us, even if we can't adopt them," he said.
       "Do you think it's ironic that the only family member we totally control is a female dog?"
       "You've really taken to Trixie, haven't you," he said.
       "Well, yeah, you know."
       "Rick, I knew you would, man," he said.
       "I guess I'm a sucker for a cute face," I said.
       &nbs