Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 21:12:08 EST
From: Cameron J <glenwoodbronco@hotmail.com>
Subject: Mile High Meeting-Chapter 15

Here's chapter 15, where Nick and Cam leave the mountain resort, and begin
their trek east...

This story is not intended to imply anything about the sexuality of anyone
involved, including celebrities and made up people.  If you are too young to
be here, you shouldn't be, but enter at your own risk!

On with the show...



Mile High Meeting-Chapter 15

     "Cameron?  Are you almost ready?" Nick yelled as he walked into the
bedroom.

     "I will be in a minute, Nick.  Control yourself," I said, putting my
hands on his shoulders, looking him in the eye.

     "I know...I am just ready to get going.  This should be a lot of fun.
So, we're staying in Denver tonight?" Nick asked, helping me finish zipping
up my suitcase.

     "Yes, we are staying in Denver.  I already have reservations at a
downtown hotel for the night.  We will follow Brian to the airport, and then
I have a few things planned for tonight.  Okay, I guess this is the last
load.  Let's take this down, and then we can get the rest of your stuff over
at the other condo."

     "Sounds good, Cam.  I will check the other room one more time."

     "Okay," I said, as he left the room.  I went over to the nightstand,
and looked inside to see if there was anything I had forgotten.  I noticed
part of a ticket stub, and I picked it up, noticing that it was the ticket
for the gondola ride that brought us together in the first place.  I stared
at it for a moment, smiling.

     "Uh, Cam?  Ready?" Nick said, returning to the room.

     "Yeah, I am," I said, putting the ticket in my pocket.  I wasn't going
to leave this behind.

     I picked up my suitcase, and went out to the living room, waiting for
Nick to follow.

     "I am going to miss this view," I said, looking out across the mountain
range one last time.

     "It is great, but so is waking up with you next to me.  I think I would
take that over some oversized rocks any day," Nick said, beaming.

     "Oversized rocks?  That's sacrilegious as far as I am concerned, but I
will let it slip, considering what else you said," I said, smiling at Nick.

     He picked up his last bag, and opened the condo door, and I was close
behind.  When we got outside, I pushed the unlock button on my key chain,
and Nick opened the back of the Navigator, and I put my suitcase in, and
Nick threw his back on top of that.

     We got in, and drove closer to the other condo, where we saw Brian
loading up the rental car.

     "Hey Bri," I said.  "Beautiful day for a drive, eh?"

     "Something like that.  How are you two this fine morning?"

     "We're good.  Nick has been bouncing off the walls for the past two
hours, getting ready to go, but I think I am getting used to that," I said.
Nick didn't even notice, as he was looking off in the distance, in his own
world.

     "Nick always gets that way when we are going somewhere.  He's probably
just excited to meet your family and your friends."

     "I am looking forward to that too.  I'm sure you'll get to meet then
soon as well.  We would have invited you to join us, but..."

     "But you need some time to yourselves since you will be apart for a
while.  I understand, Cam.  Don't worry about me.  I just hope you two have
a great time."

     "Thanks, Bri," I said, turning to Nick.  "Nick!  Let's get your stuff,
so we can get on the road."

     "Hmm?  Oh, yeah.  That would probably be a good idea," Nick said
absent-mindedly.

     Bri just looked at me and smiled as we walked into the condo.  Nick
went upstairs once we got inside, and told me it would only take a minute to
gather up his things.  I offered to help, but he said he would be fine, so I
walked outside, to get another look at the mountains.

     Nick tapped me on the shoulders a few minutes later, telling me that he
was ready to go.  I nodded my head, but Nick was mesmerized by the view as
well, and it took Brian a significant amount of noise to break our trance.

     "Hello?"  Brian almost yelled.  "I do have to be on a plane today, you
know."

     "Nick?  I'm hearing those voices again.  Should I answer them this
time?" I asked.

     "I don't know, Cam.  You remember what happened last time you did that?
  You ended up naked in the lobby of the hotel across the road.  Do you want
that again?"

     "All right, you smart asses.  Let's get going," Brian said, laughing.

     "Not bad, Nick.  You're getting much better," I commented as we stepped
back inside.

     "Gee, thanks.  Think it has anything to do with the fact that I am
sleeping with the teacher?"

     "Not really.  Just consider yourself lucky that I grade on the curve,"
I said, laughing.

     "Yes, lucky me," Nick said with a deadpan look on his face.

     I helped the two of them carry the rest of their things down to the
rental car.  Brian went up to the condo one more time to make sure that he
didn't forget anything, and soon, we were ready to go.

     "Well, this is it...I'll follow you to the airport, Bri.  We will
probably get separated in Denver, but if we do, I will meet you at the car
rental booth, or the gate."

     "Okay, Cam.  I guess we should get going then," Brian said.  He then
walked over to me, giving me a quick hug, and then giving Nick a hug.
"Let's get this show on the road."

     Nick and I climbed into the Navigator, and I started the engine.  I
noticed that Nick got some drinks for us in the condo, and he lifted up his
bottle, raising it as if to toast.  I played along, and picked up my drink.

     "To the next chapter in our life," Nick said, moving his bottle of pop
to mine.  Sure, it was cheesy, but I agreed with the sentiment.  We both
took a drink, and then I leaned into him, kissing him.

     "Well, said, my dear.  Now, let's go before Brian gets sick," I said,
pointing out to Nick the look on Brian's face in the car next to us.  Nick
and I both started laughing, and Brian just shook his head, putting his car
in drive, and taking off.

     We drove slowly out of the resort, taking in the atmosphere one more
time before we finally left the area.  A few miles later, we were on the
interstate, and beginning the climb up to Eisenhower Tunnel.  It was one of
my favorite stretches of interstate in the country, and I always marveled at
the tunnel, nearly two miles long, cutting right through a mountain.  From
there, it was almost all downhill into Denver.

     Nick spent most of the trip admiring the view out the window, and I was
doing a bit of that myself.  That, along with keeping an eye on my rear view
mirror for runaway trucks behind me.  I remembered several years ago on a
family vacation where we were stuck in front of a semi that had lost its
brakes.  Traffic was so heavy that we couldn't get into another lane for
nearly a mile, and we ended up pushing the car to the limit, trying to avoid
being hit by the semi that was bearing down on us.  Fortunately, there was a
runaway truck ramp that the driver used, and we ended up stopping to see if
he was okay.  He appreciated the gesture, and took us all to dinner for
scaring us all.

     We were both lost in our thoughts, and before we knew it, we were on
the outskirts of Denver.  Surprisingly, we stayed fairly close to Brian, and
followed him all the way to DIA.

     Brian drove up to the rental car drop off area, and we parked in one of
the many parking lots, walking up to meet Brian outside.  We went to the
rental counter with Brian, carrying his luggage, and soon we were riding the
moving sidewalks to the gate where we would bid adieu to Brian.

     The three of us sat at the terminal, talking about many different
things, including some of the sights I was planning on showing Nick along
the trip home.  The time passed quickly, and I think I was nearly as down as
Nick was to see Brian leave.  I had discovered a new friend, and I was sad
to see him go.  A few minutes before boarding, we exchanged our goodbyes.

     "Cam, thank you so much for everything.  Not just for being there to
talk to me when I needed you, but being there for Nick.  He is a very lucky
man," Brian said, hugging me.

     "I'm the lucky one," I replied.  "Not only did I get to meet Nick, but
I made a new friend, one that I will always cherish.  Thank you."

     Brian just smiled, as his eyes got a bit watery.  Soon, Nick was saying
goodbye to Brian, and I backed off, as this was a private moment, and I
didn't want to interfere.  A few moments later, they had finished talking,
and Brian was boarding the plane, waving at both of us as he went out of
sight.

     Nick was visibly upset, but controlling himself quite well.  We both
stood there and watched as the plane was taxied to the runway, and Nick
waved sheepishly as the plane left the ground.

     The walk back to the Navigator outside was a slow, quiet one.  I was
giving Nick some time to think, but I wasn't going to let it last long
because I was hell bent on having a good time with Nick over the next
several days.  As soon as we got outside, and we were in the parking lot, I
took his hand in mine.  He looked up at me for a brief moment, before
looking back down at the ground.

     I think Nick was already starting to come out of his shell when we got
to the car, and we got inside.

     "So, what's next on the agenda?" Nick asked, trying to sound
enthusiastic.

     I looked at the clock, and saw it was after 4, so I needed to get
downtown if we were going to check into the hotel before we went out for the
night.

     "Well, we are headed downtown so we can check into the hotel before
this evenings events."

     "Oh.  So, what do you have planned for tonight?" Nick inquired.

     "I just have something I need to do for a while," was all I said.

     I drove out of the airport, and eventually back onto I-70 to get
downtown.  As we got close, we got a good view of all the skyscrapers in the
downtown area.  After heading south down I-25, I got off near Coors Field,
and Nick commented that it looked like a beautiful stadium, and I assured
him that it was.  Nick said that he would like to see a Rockies game
sometime, and I told him that we would definitely have to do that sometime
soon.

      I entered the parking garage of the hotel, and found a parking space
close to the door that led to the lobby.  After checking in, Nick and I
proceeded to take our luggage up to our room, which was more of a small
suite than a regular hotel room.

      "Wow, Cam.  You always go first class?"

      "Well, I do like nice things.  Is that wrong?"

      "I certainly don't think so.  After all, you do have me," Nick said.

      "Uh-huh.  At least you are humble."

      "I know this is going to sound odd, but it was almost as if they were
anticipating your arrival at the front desk, and I saw that you didn't give
them a credit card or anything else to pay for the room.  What's going on?"
Nick asked, being his usual observant self.

      "Ah, Nick...I think you are reading into things too much," I lied.  My
room had already been paid for by someone else, but I couldn't tell him who
without revealing why I had to be in Denver tonight.  'He will find out soon
enough,' I kept telling myself, feeling guilty that I wasn't filling him in.

     "Whatever you say, Cam," Nick responded, clearly not buying my line.

     "Well, no time to worry about it now.  I need to change, and then we
need to get going."

     "Oh?  Do I need to change too?" Nick asked.  He was wearing a Rockies
baseball jersey that I bought him while we were up in the mountains.

     "Nope.  I think that will be perfect." I said.  I quickly grabbed a
Rockies shirt, so I would match Nick, and soon we were off.  I had to make a
quick stop to grab something out of the vehicle, and soon we were walking
around downtown.

     I took Nick in a direction that wouldn't allow him to directly see
Coors Field until we were only a block away.  His eyes got a bit larger as
he realized that we were walking up to the corner of 20th and Blake, the
location of Coors Field.

     "Cam, what are we doing?"

     "Well, I thought you would like to see Coors Field up close.  It really
is a great place."

     "Yeah, this is great!" Nick said as we fought the crowds near the main
entrance.  We walked past that entrance, and toward the ticket office.  Next
to one of the windows was a large door, and as I approached the last door, I
took a card out of my pocket, and flashed it to the attendant, who
immediately stood up and went to the door to let us in.

     "Welcome to Coors Field," the young man said.

     "Thank you," I responded.  "My friend will also be joining me this
evening, so could you issue a pass for him as well?"

     "Of course, Mr. Walker." He said, looking at my pass.  "If you just
take the stairs to the right, they will lead you down to where you need to
be," the attendant said, handing a stunned Nick the pass.

     "Thank you, Joe," I said, looking at the young man's nametag.

     "You're welcome.  Good luck!"  the attendant responded.

     Nick was still bewildered by the turn of events, and had no idea what
was happening.  I had to lead him down the stairs, where two public
relations people were waiting.

     "Cameron, it's good to see you!  We're just about ready for you out
there, so why don't we go?"

     I nodded, and Nick hesitantly followed, still speechless.

     We walked down a long hallway, and soon we were outside, directly
behind home plate.  We stood there for a moment, when Nick finally spoke.

     "Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on?"

     "You're about to find out," I replied, winking.

     Just then, a deep voice came over the public address system.  "Ladies
and gentlemen, would you please rise for the singing of our national anthem,
performed by a senior student at the University of Iowa, Cameron Walker!"

     Nick about fell over, as I was escorted onto the field, and up to the
microphone near home plate.  I would be singing a cappella, so after a deep
breath, I began singing to a crowd of 50,000.  You could have heard a pin
drop as I continued through the song, and I could hear the applause
beginning as I belted out the last words, "And the home of the brave!"

     I was a bit overwhelmed by the response as a hundred thousand hands
came together to applaud my performance, and no two hands were making more
noise than the two that were attached to my boyfriend as I exited the field.
  I noticed that Nick actually had tears in his eyes as I approached him.

     "That was the most amazing thing I have ever heard!" Nick practically
screamed.  "I had no idea that you had that kind of voice!"

     "Well, I'm not quite done using my voice yet, but thank you," I said,
hugging Nick as we walked back down the hallway, out of view of the fans.

     "Why didn't you tell me that you were doing this?" Nick asked.

     "I just wanted to surprise you, I guess," I responded as we reached the
end of the hallway.

     "Nicely done, Cameron." Pete, one of the PR guys said.  "You've still
got quite a voice."

     "Thanks, Pete.  I'd like to introduce you to Nick, a friend of mine."

     "Nice to meet you, Nick.  Well, Cam, are you ready to go upstairs to
see John?"

     "You bet.  I'm looking forward to seeing him," I said, and Nick was
confused once again.

     "Well, Cameron, you know the way, so I will leave you two alone.  Good
to see you again!"

     "You too, Pete...e-mail me when you get a chance."

     "Will do, Cam," Pete said as he walked in the other direction.

     I guided Nick to a nearby elevator, putting my card in the slot,
opening up the elevator door.

    "So, you mind starting from the top, Cam?"

     I smiled.  "Well, my father went to school with one of the co-owners of
the Rockies, so I've known most of these guys for years.  Tonight is
supposed to be college night at Coors Field, so John asked me to sing the
Star Spangled Banner before the game started.  I couldn't possibly turn that
down," I said, looking at Nick for his reaction.  He just shook his head.

     "I'm impressed," Nick said.  "So, what did you mean when you said you
weren't finished using your voice yet?"

     "You'll see," I said as the elevator door opened to reveal the entrance
to one of the luxury suites.

     I knocked on the door, and all at once I was practically engulfed by
John as he saw who was at the door.

     "Camo!  Damn, it's good to see you!  How have you been?  How's the old
man?"

     "Good, and good.  I hope you don't mind, but I brought a friend with
me," I said as John led us into the suite.

     "Of course not!"

     "Good.  This is my friend Nick," I said, introducing them.

     They exchanged pleasantries, and soon we were all sitting on a leather
couch, overlooking the first base side of the playing field.  We talked
endlessly, and as much as we tried to include Nick in the conversation, he
couldn't contribute much, and I felt bad about that.  Before I knew it, it
was approaching the fifth inning.

     "Well, Cameron.  The fifth inning is about to start, so are you ready
to go?" John asked.

     "You bet.  Let's do it," I said, indicating that Nick was to come with
us.  The three of us left the suite, and turned right down the hallway,
until we had reached the press box.  John then inserted a key, opening up
the gigantic press box.  We walked down the stairs toward the front, where
Wayne and Jeff greeted me; they were the radio announcers for the Rockies
Radio Network.

     I knew them both, and we exchanged greetings, and I again introduced
them to Nick.

     "Well, Cam, are you ready?" Wayne asked.

     "Yep," was all I said as one of the producers handed me a headset.  At
the same time, a chair was placed next to me for Nick to sit on.

     As I heard the commercial in my headset fade, Wayne began speaking.
"It's the top of the fifth inning here, with Florida leading 3-1.  In the
booth with us today, we have a young man who may someday be stealing my job
away from me, Cameron Walker.  By the way, Cameron, you sounded absolutely
wonderful singing the national anthem."

     "Thank you, Wayne.  I'm glad to be here," I responded.

     "For those of you who don't know, tonight is College Night at Coors
Field, so college students across the country are here tonight helping with
the game, and Cameron is going to help us out here in the fifth inning,"
Wayne said.

     We talked briefly about my interest in broadcasting in between pitches,
and because the Florida Marlins went down in order in the top of the fifth,
we didn't have a lot of time to talk on the air, but Wayne asked if I could
hang around for the next half inning, and I graciously accepted.

     "Cameron, I am going to have you lead into the bottom of the fifth, if
you think you are up to it," Wayne said during the break.

     "Of course, I am!" I responded, and as soon as it was my cue, I took
control.  "We're going to the bottom of the fifth inning, with the Rockies
trailing by two runs.  Astacio struck out the side in the last half inning,
so that could give the Rockies the momentum they need to get their offense
going.  Here to call the action, once again, is Wayne Hagin."

     "Thank you, Cameron.  Nice job.  Leading off this inning will be Perez,
followed by Larry Walker, and Todd Helton.  Cameron, would you like to call
this half inning?"

     "I'd be more than happy to, Wayne.  Perez steps up to the plate
sporting a .295 average, which is much improved from the beginning of the
season.  He steps in, and here's the first pitch.  Swing and a line drive,
base hit into right field!  That's a good way for the Rockies to start the
inning."

     "It certainly is, Cameron." Wayne added.  Larry Walker then proceeded
to draw a walk, bringing Todd Helton to the plate, where I again called the
action.

     "Listen to the crowd cheer as Helton's name is announced.  This young
man has a chance to be one of baseball's greatest hitters if he continues
this pace.  He is currently hitting a monumental .396, and is trying to
become the first man in nearly sixty years to hit .400 for a season.  What
an amazing accomplishment that would be.

     "The pitcher looks a little shell shocked out there right now, and I
don't know if he is going to give Helton anything to hit this at bat or not.

     "The pitcher looks in for the sign, and here's the windup, and the
delivery...swing and a long one!!  Deep into the night!  A-d-ios!  A mammoth
shot out to center field has given the Rockies their first lead of the
night, 4 to 3!  Todd Helton comes through again, like he has so many times
this year!"

     The Rockies ended up scoring two more runs that half inning, and I had
the tremendous opportunity to broadcast the inning that would eventually win
the game for Colorado.  I had an adrenaline rush like I had never felt
before, and one the inning was over, Wayne and Jeff showered me with praise,
and offered to help me with my broadcasting career in any way they could.  I
thanked them repeatedly, and soon, Nick and I left the booth.  As we walked
back to the suite where we would watch the rest of the game, Nick and I
finally had a chance to talk.

     "You never cease to amaze me, Cam.  I can't believe what has just
happened.  Is there anything you don't do well?"

     "I don't take compliments well," was my response.

     "Well, you need to learn that then, because I have a feeling that you
will be getting them your whole life," Nick said, putting his arm around my
shoulder.

     "I will work on that, Nick."

     "Good.  For now, lets go enjoy the rest of the game."

     "Sounds good to me," I responded as we reentered the luxury suite.



That's it for 15...I intended for it to be longer, but wanted to get this
out before the weekend, because I will be swamped.  I didn't have time to
proofread, so forgive me for mistakes!  LOL

E-mail is appreciated! (glenwoodbronco@hotmail.com)

Thanks for reading!