Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:43:57 -0400
From: cgard 43 <cgard43@hotmail.com>
Subject: OtherBoysofSummer-1
This is a story about some young gay men and their families, and what they
experience learning about gay life. Comments welcome to Cgard43@hotmail.com
THE OTHER BOYS OF SUMMER
-1-
The expression 'boys of summer' usually refers to baseball players, but
there are other guys who also work mainly during the summer. My uncle gave
me such a job during the summers when I was in college, working with one of
his landscaping crews. We took care of the lawns and landscaping for office
buildings and fancy houses.
I'd just finished my sophomore year in college. I have a wonderful family
(parents and a sister), I get pretty good grades, I have a wonderful
ex-boyfriend who is still my best friend, and am generally a very happy guy.
And, I like this summer job because it lets me work physically (away from
the school books) and outside most of the time.
The crew consisted of three guys, plus our foreman. The foreman, whose name
was Eric, also supervised another couple of crews. He was a college student
also, just a year or so older than me. He'd worked on a crew the prior year
and then was promoted to foreman. We actually went to the same university
but we'd never met before that summer. My uncle had suggested that I could
become a foreman in another year if I did a good job.
The two other guys on my crew were both Mexican immigrants, legal I hasten
to add, but neither of them spoke English very well although they were
working on it. I spoke some Spanish, having studied it for years in school,
so I acted as Eric's translator when it was needed. The other guys in the
crew were Pedro, who was short and slim, and Guillermo, taller and more
muscular. Both were pleasant enough looking, with dark hair and eyes and the
olive skin that is part of their combined Spanish and Indian heritage.
They both looked particularly good in the light gray uniforms that were
provided to us. Unfortunately, my pants were a size too big for me so they
didn't fit very well and I thought I looked like a bag tied in the middle by
my belt.
We worked well together. We were all prompt in meeting at the landscaping
shop in the morning, so we could set off to our various job sites right on
time. Both Pedro and Guillermo, who agreed that I could call him Willie
after the first week, worked steadily and never tried to get out of doing
whatever needed to be done. We didn't talk a great deal, except when we
stopped for lunch or a break, because we were so spread out when we were
working on a site that talking was difficult.
I suppose it's normal that in any crew, each guy likes a certain part of
the job better than another. Willie particularly liked driving the tractor
mower, which he did very well, keeping it in a nice straight line as he cut
the large lawns of the office buildings. I hated driving the mower because
it made me tense and always gave me a hard-on. Pedro liked taking care of
the shrubs and trees, although he sometimes got a little carried away with
the pruning shears.
That left me with the edging and the weeding, and especially with dealing
with the people in the buildings who always wanted to come out and ask
advice about their own lawns and gardens. I didn't mind any of it, because
it was such a change from going to school.
One day a guy from an office building walked up to me as I was finishing
the weeding. Willie had finished the lawns and Pedro and he were loading the
tractor back onto the truck bed we used to get around to the jobs. The
office guy, named Drew, was young, slim and quite handsome. He asked me
about when to fertilize his parent's lawn and I handed him a card with the
name of my uncle's home landscaping service on it. That was our standard
answer to any question.
As he turned and started to walk back into the building, I heard Willie and
Pedro talking. It wasn't loud enough that I could hear all the words, but I
suddenly heard "Maricon," a slang word for gay or queer that I think every
first year Spanish student learns, even though it's not in the book.
I looked at the two of them quickly and they were both embarrassed. Willie
finally nodded his head, gesturing at the guy who was walking away and I
took it to be an appraisal about him. I smiled without nodding and went back
to my work. In my assessment, the office guy was possibly gay but that was
strictly my gaydar, which is often faulty.
Actually, I was relieved that they weren't talking about me. It wasn't that
I minded if they learned that I was gay, but you never know just how guys
are going to react to that information.
As we drove to the next job site, I asked Willie why he thought the guy was
gay. Pedro started to laugh and Willie stammered through a lot of words
without saying anything. I finally just laughed it off, and we talked about
other things.
A couple of days later, we were working at a job site where the lawn is
especially large and Pedro and I always finish before Willie does. We were
sitting on the back of the truck waiting for him when Pedro started talking
to me.
"I want to tell you something," Pedro said in carefully measured Spanish so
that I could understand him easily, "Promise you won't tell anybody what I'm
going to say." I always find it odd when someone asks that; I don't know
why. I nodded in agreement.
"Guillermo didn't think that the guy at the office was a maricon," Pedro
said, "He was saying that from the way Eric looks at you, he thinks Eric is
that way."
I laughed and told him I doubted that was true, and that I'd never noticed
Eric looking at me any special way. He just smiled in return.
It was true that I'd never noticed how Eric looked at me, but I sure knew
the way I looked at Eric. He was short, only about five-feet-nine, with
blond hair and blue eyes, and was very attractive. Not only was he
good-looking, but also he wore his uniform pants really tight and showed a
great looking body and package. I couldn't keep from looking at it every
time we were together, although I tried to be subtle.
I kept thinking about what Pedro had said, and for the next several days
made it a point to watch Eric when we were together. I can't say he did
anything obvious, though once in a while I thought I saw him looking at my
crotch with interest. I told myself it was probably just my imagination and
tried to put it out of my mind.
One morning, Eric followed us to the first job site on our list. It was a
new account and he wanted to be sure we understood exactly what was to be
done. He asked me to translate what he was telling me into Spanish and as I
did, I finally saw what the guys had talked about. While I was talking to
Pedro and Willie, I saw out of the corner of my eye how Eric's glance swept
down to my crotch and lingered there. What's more, he did it every time I
turned to talk to the guys in Spanish.
My mind raced all the rest of the day. Could Eric really be gay? Could he
be interested in me? And finally, how in the hell could I find out?
I should digress for a moment to tell you one more item about me. For the
last couple of years I'd been dating a guy I went to college with. We'd even
roomed together, but somehow in the last six months, we'd talked about maybe
cooling things off a bit. I was still crazy about him, but well, some things
just make you question yourself. So, having said that, let's go back to
considering Eric.
"Well at least I can get my uniform to fit better," I said to myself, so
after we quit that Friday I raced home and took the other pair of uniform
pants to the tailor.
My Dad and I have been taking clothes to this tailor for a long time. The
tailor is an older guy, and frankly I think he's just an old queen. Sorry if
that sounds unkind, but he's frequently made suggestive remarks to me over
the years when I was with him alone. But, he is a good tailor, and I was
raised not to judge people on that basis. And, on this day, he agreed to
take my pants in for me quickly and for just a small fee. I insisted I
wanted them to fit well, and maybe a bit more snugly at the crotch, and he
did everything but grope me as he measured and marked them. I just ignored
what he did.
He promised to have the pants ready the next day and when I picked them up,
I found he'd done an excellent job. I ignored the very suggestive remarks he
made because he didn't appeal to me. Meanwhile, I'd washed the second pair
of pants I'd been provided, and I left them for him to alter too. This time
the tailor went even further.
"There," he said, placing his hand firmly on my cock and balls as he pulled
the fabric from behind, "We'll fix them so this will fit right here." I
didn't flinch and refused to rise to the bait, so he finally gave up and
finished marking the pants.
I looked at myself in the mirror as I dressed for work on Monday.
"There," I said, admiring the way the pants now accentuated my endowment,
"That'll give him something to look at."
I was surprised when Willie noticed the new fit of my pants first.
"What happened?" he asked in Spanish, "Your pants shrink or something?"
"I guess so," I answered casually and went ahead with my work. Eric didn't
show up at the first job site, but was on hand when we arrived at the second
job that was a huge house. He climbed out of his truck and walked toward us
as we started unloading the tractor so we could get to work. He started to
tell me some special jobs that the owner wanted done that week, and he asked
me to translate to the other guys.
It was the same situation as the week before, but after he finished the
first part and I turned to translate it to Pedro and Willie, I watched as
Eric's glance swept down my body then heard him inhale sharply.
"Something wrong?" I asked, turning toward him just as he lifted his eyes
from my crotch.
"No, nothing," he said quickly and nervously.
I went back to translating and soon we'd finished all that. Pedro and
Willie and I got to work, and Eric hung around, doing some of my weeding
with me. As a result, I finished much quicker than usual, and was loading my
tools into the truck before the other guys were much more than half through.
"I'm going to get a cup of coffee," Eric said, "You've got some time. You
want to come along?"
"Sure," I said, and I told Pedro we'd be back in fifteen minutes or so. I
climbed into Eric's truck and he drove to a nearby coffee shop. We sat on
stools at the counter, and I realized right away that this had the effect of
making my bulging crotch even more noticeable than it was when I stood. It
sort of embarrassed me so I kept my hand in my lap.
I was stirring my coffee with my right hand when Eric passed me the sugar.
I don't use it but since he'd passed it to me I had to take it and then set
it down. There was no way to avoid it, so I reached for the sugar with my
left hand, and watched as his eyes quickly stared down at my crotch.
"Wow," I thought I heard him mumble. I look at him questioningly but he
quickly said, "The coffee's really hot."
He kept it up the whole time we were there. Every time I took my hand from
my lap, he looked down. I was getting embarrassed, and then my cock started
getting big too. I finished my coffee and stood up, brushing my hand down
the front of my pants to help rearrange things.
"I've got to go to the john," I said and headed that way.
"Okay," he answered.
I was standing in the restroom trying to figure out how to make my cock go
soft again when the door opened and Eric walked in.
"Thought I'd better go as well," he said nonchalantly as he walked up to
the urinal next to mine.
I tried to keep my gaze straight ahead, but out of the corner of my eye I
could see that he was looking furtively. I was standing close enough that he
couldn't see mine, but when I glanced his way, he was standing well back and
I saw what made that large bulge in his pants. His cock was quite large, and
it looked like a nice one.
I looked up at his face and our eyes met. I was sure there was a strong
look of desire there, but I wasn't interested in a rest room encounter, no
matter how exciting it might have been. I finished and washed and dried my
hands thoroughly while Eric remained at the urinal.
"I'll see you outside," I said and walked out the door.
Eric joined me in a few minutes and we drove back to the job site. Just
before we got there, Eric spoke up.
"Hey, I didn't mean to embarrass you back there," he said in little more
than a whisper. "Sorry, man." I just nodded to let him know I understood.
"I wasn't embarrassed," I answered.
"You know what I wanted to do back there, don't you?" he asked. I looked
over at him.
"Uh-huh," I murmured quietly, "I'm cool with it. I might want it too, but
not in a place like that."
Once the recognition hit, we both smiled at each other and laughed
nervously.
"I really think you're a very sexy guy, Andy," he said, "Sorry about back
there."
"Don't be," I answered, "I find you attractive too." We both got quiet
again.
"My problem is that I live at home and really can't do anything there," I
said.
"Well," he said, "I live at home too, but my parents are up at the lake
most of the summer. You want to come over sometime?"
"Sure," I agreed, "Just let me know where you live and when." We agreed to
get together that night, but I said I wanted to go home and shower and
change first.
It's one thing to realize that another guy's gay, but the first time you
talk about it can be very awkward. Eric and I didn't talk much as we drove
back to the site.
Pedro and Willie were just loading the tractor back on the truck when we
got back. I jumped down from the truck as Eric called to me.
"I'll see you back at the shop." I was glad that he waved to the other guys
too, and also that my cock had softened again during the trip back. I
thought Willie looked at me strangely as I walked across to them, but I
hoped it was just my imagination
We finished our jobs in good time and drove back to the shop. Eric wasn't
around so I went in and said hello to my uncle for a few minutes. He's a
really nice guy, and we've always been very friendly. While we were talking,
Eric walked in with the job tickets for the day.
"So what do you think, Eric?" my uncle asked, "You think Andy here could be
a foreman next year?"
"Sure," Eric said, "He knows the work and it really helps that he can speak
Spanish too."
"Thanks," I said, smiling at him. He handed me a piece of paper that I
stuffed in my pocket.
"I gotta go, Unc," I said, turning back to him. It's a nickname he hates
but it's become kind of a joke between us.
"Get outta here," he called after me. Eric stayed in his office while he
reviewed the job tickets.
The note from Eric was clear and to the point. 'Eight o'clock. 157 Edgewood
Drive.' It also had his phone number. I knew exactly where it was, even
though my family lived on the other side of town. I drove home and had a
quick shower, scrubbing to get all the dirt from my fingernails, and dressed
in what I thought was my best-fitting pair of jeans and a knit shirt.
I had dinner with my family then quickly excused myself.
"You got a date, Andy?" my Dad asked.
"Not exactly, Dad," I said, "I'm just going out with the guys. Who knows
what'll happen?" My Dad's really a great guy, but he's always pushing me
about dating girls. Some day, I knew, I was going to have to come out to
them.
I drove to Eric's house, arriving a little early. It was a beautiful, big
house and there was only one light on upstairs. I waited until I saw the
light go out, then walked up to the front door and rang the bell.
Eric opened the door very quickly and we smiled at each other. He was
dressed in 501's and a tight knit shirt and looked as sexy as ever. He
invited me in and led the way to the family room.
"You want a beer or something?" he asked. I accepted a beer. We walked into
the large, comfortable family room and both sat down in chairs. Suddenly I
felt very nervous, and I knew Eric could tell.
"What's the matter, Andy?" he asked. I shrugged.
"Just a little nervous," I answered. "I've got to tell you I haven't done
this very often." The truth was that I'd done it fairly often, but only with
one person.
"Me too," Eric said with a smile. "Just a couple of newbies, huh?" We both
laughed.
"Look," he said, "I don't want to be crude, but I'd like to know what
you're 'into'?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, "It's simple. I'm gay. I like guys. You?"
"What about this?" he asked, standing and walking toward me. I stood and he
put his arms around me. Then our lips met. His lips were parted and I opened
mine slightly as he pushed his tongue deep into my mouth. He didn't kiss
especially well but he kind of came around as I showed him my way. We kissed
for several long minutes before he pulled away.
"Oh God, you're beautiful," he whispered, "I didn't dream you'd be this
nice."
"What do you mean?" I asked, very puzzled.
"Well," he said, "Usually when I meet another young guy, they don't like
kissing or affection. They just like having sex."
"Not me," I said, "I like kissing almost as much as anything else.
"Eric, there's something I think we need to talk about," I said. He sat up
quickly and looked at me with a puzzled smile.
I was disinclined to tell him that I'd been dating a guy for several years
and was definitely not in the mood for a quickie. So I took a different
approach.
"I'm not interested in just getting it on," I said finally. "I'd rather
take this a bit more slowly and get to know each other. You okay with that?"
"Oh yeah, sure," he answered, moving away from me on the sofa. "That's fine
with me."
The next minute passed in silence. Finally, I knew I had to speak again.
"Don't get me wrong," I said. "It's not that I'm not attracted to you, but
I'd rather get to know you first before we rush headlong into sex."
He had the most peculiar look on his face I'd ever seen.
"I guess I've never thought about that before," he said finally. "All the
guys I've ever met just wanted to get off."
We moved close together and our lips met again. This time, he kissed
more nicely, and I found it exciting. His strong body pressed against mine,
and I responded in turn, feeling the heat even through our clothes. He
moaned quietly as we kissed, as if expressing his pleasure at what was
happening.
Soon we were stretched out on the couch, side by side as we continued to
kiss and hold each other. He ran his hands over my body, finally reaching to
grope my crotch gently and he moaned quietly again. I confess that I
flinched when he grabbed me.
"You want me to back off?" Eric whispered.
"Yeah, for a while," I answered, though my resistance was shrinking.
We talked for quite a while and then we went back to kissing again. Before
long, our jeans and shirts were off and we were stretched out on the sofa in
just our jockeys. Suddenly Eric lifted himself up so that he was resting on
his elbow.
"Well, can I see your cock again?" he asked. I grinned at him.
"Sure," I said, "I want to see yours too."
We both stripped off our shorts and I have to say it felt wonderful to lie
there with him naked. We kissed some more and he pulled me over on top of
him and we rubbed our bodies and erect cocks against each other. Suddenly
Eric stopped.
"Come on," he whispered, "Let's go upstairs. We don't want to mess up the
sofa." He stood and pulled me up and we walked up the stairs. He was ahead
of me as we went up and I couldn't help but notice how sexy his ass was.
"Nice," I said as I touched him. He giggled.
We had a delightful time in his bed rubbing against each other and we came
on our chests and bellies within seconds of each other just from our body
contact. Eric got up and cleaned up both of us with a warm washcloth then
lay down next to me.
I looked into his beautiful blue eyes as his mouth widened into a smile.
"Wow," he said as he lay down, "That was fantastic, Andy."
"Yeah it was," I answered as my normal breathing returned. I turned around
and pulled him against me.
"You're really nice," he said, kissing me tenderly. "I guess I've never had
the pleasure of meeting someone as nice as you."
"You're terrific," I said quietly, "You really are." He grinned like crazy.
"No one's ever told me that before," he almost gushed, "I mean I've not
been with a lot of guys who talked." I looked at him in some surprise but
instead of saying anything, I just hugged him. After a few minutes I felt
him relax and snuggle against me.
"Wow, this is nice," he whispered as he kissed and then starting to tongue
my ear. I confess it made me chuckle a little.
"I'm serious," he whispered again, "I've never had sex with a guy who
seemed to care about me like this."
I pulled back and looked at him in amazement. Where had these androids he'd
met been? I mean Eric is a handsome, well-endowed and sexy guy. Why hasn't
he met a guy before who appreciated him?
Eric and I went back downstairs and pulled our briefs back on. He brought
us each a bottle of water from the fridge. We moved back up to the sofa and
sat down. Soon, he was snuggled against my chest.
"I've never met any guy like you before, Andy," he whispered. "Of course
that could have something to do with where I met them." I'm sure I looked
puzzled, but I prompted him to go on with his story.
"My folks put me in a program to try to cure me," he said quietly.
"Oh," I said quietly. I'd heard about such programs but I knew very little
about them.
"Fortunately, fairly quickly my parents' friends convinced them that the
whole idea was stupid and that there was no reason for them to try to cure
me of being gay," he said with a rather gentle smile. I didn't say
anything.
"So, my folks agreed that I could see guys who'd been in the program with
me but just for sex, not to try to have a relationship. A lot of the guys
I'd met in the program kept in touch and so my sex life hasn't been exactly
zilch, but it's not been very satisfying either. I want to be with guys like
you." Now I was really puzzled.
"Eric," I said, "I'm not pushing for a relationship, but it seems to me
that your folks have denied you the right to be yourself full out, if you
know what I mean." He almost giggled.
"No, I mean it," I said. " I get the feeling that your parents were
agreeing to let you have sex but to deny any emotional part of your life. Am
I right?
"Look, man," he said, "I was so damn glad to get out of that program I'd
have agreed to almost anything."
"Yeah, but I think you're missing out on some of the best stuff, pal," I
said. He looked at me and smiled though his eyes remained very sad.
"Teach me, Andy," he whispered almost imploringly, "Teach me what I need to
know so I can meet a guy like you again."
It was so sweet, the way he said that; I had to hug him and promise I would
try to do what he wanted.
When I left Eric's house a half an hour or so later, I realized that I had
no idea or experience in how to do that.
To be continued.