Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 19:06:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: Evan Bradely <evanbradley33@yahoo.com>
Subject: Chapter 30 of "The Crew"

The following fictional story deals with sex among males.  If you are
offended by such material, are too young, or reside in a location where it is
not allowed, please depart. Though not observed in this story, care enough
about yourself and humankind to practice safe sex.

The author retains all rights.
DrewBradley33@Yahoo.com

Chapter 30
Shams and Pretenses
				Murphy's Gym

After springing Boyd from jail, Hal conferred with Ted the next morning
about how to help the brittle, edgy fellow.  To counter Boyd's isolation,
amplified by the onus of his arrest, they decided that their beginning strategy
should be integrating Boyd more with the crew during a workout at Murphy's
after work.  Les Porter had called that morning, postponing their afternoon
meeting because he was working behind the scenes - successfully, he felt - to
quash the charge against Boyd.	When Hal pulled Boyd aside and related the
news to him, Boyd was both relieved and disappointed - the matter would not
be resolved soon.  He just shook his head in resignation and thanked Hal, then
turned and walked back to his work.  Without disclosing the specifics, Hal and
Ted quietly let the members of the crew know that Boyd needed some
buddies.  Without any hesitation, crew members committed to the evening or
changed plans to welcome Boyd into their midst.

The crew burst into the locker room at Murphy's Gym in high spirits.  Boyd
wasn't the only one joining them; Drew was as well.  All were determined
that former times had returned, especially for their boss, whom they had again
begun to adore.

Jamal and Tonio had pretty much shanghaied Boyd at the site, delivering him
to the locker room with the crew.  To quell Boyd's sputtering protests, Hal
handed him extra workout clothes that he'd brought with him.  As the guys
were divesting themselves of work clothes - and appreciating the scent of men
who'd labored during the day - Boyd, at once shy, kept repositioning himself
to catch sight of Kenji nude.  He was pulling his tee over his head when Kenji
dropped his cutoffs, revealing white boxer briefs, packed in the pouch,
stretched in the back over mounds, revealing a tantalizing cleft.  Boyd was
paralyzed until Tonio had pity on him and helped pull the shirt over his head,
recalling stories about covering horses heads as they were led out of burning
barns.	'Burning balls is more like it,' Tonio thought.  Noting the byplay, Max
was amused and proud of his lover's affect on other men.

When Drew entered the locker room wearing a loosened tie and starched
white dress shirt with the sleeves folded back, catcalls and whistles ensued.
Hal sported a grin that threatened to crack his face.  Drew blushed, but did a
little bump and grind, evoking laughter.

Jamal walked up to Drew, pulling him up against him.  Drew's face rested
right in between Jamal's pecs.	"Hey, Drew Baby.  It's good to see you back.
Tonio!	Come greet our man!"

As Hal had observed once before, Jamal and Tonio sandwiched Drew between
them, hugging him this way, then turning him that for another hug.  Still, they
noticed Drew's veiled glances at Hal as he continued dressing for the
workout.  With a wink to each other not missed by the attentive crew, Jamal
and Tonio started pulling Drew's tie off, unbuttoning his shirt, and unbuckling
his belt.  Drew shoved them away, grinning:  "What do you think you're
doing, taking liberties with my person?"

"It's not your person I'm after," Tonio said, sliding his hand over Drew's
package, "unless that's a new name for your tool."  Drew tried to jump back.
Instead, he bumped up against Jamal, who slid his long arms around Drew,
one hand tweaking a nipple under his shirt, the other sliding down to his
package.

Drew twisted away, laughing.  "You guys need to rein it in.  Don't you get
enough sex at home?"

"Can't rein it in, honey," Jamal leered.  "You're too hot, and I'm too horny."

"Balderdash!  Your lover is standing right beside you.	You guys probably
spend all your free time in a king size bed at home."

"Yeah, Babe-e-e-e," Tonio said with a Hispanic lilt in his voice, "but we're so
oversexed - and it's not like you have anywhere to give it away."  The crew
was instantly alert.  A brilliant challenge had been delivered.

Predictably, Drew's eyes blazed and his head tipped down as he glared at
Tonio.	Several crew members snickered, knowing what was coming.  "I beg
your pardon?"  Drew's question was brimming with attitude.

"Honey, you don't have to beg us," Jamal said in an indulgent manner.  "We
help the unlucky.  We spread our machismo around."

Drew's mouth set as he turned steamy.  "What's this 'unlucky' crap?  Maybe I
have someone right here who could take care of me plenty fine!"  In only a
few seconds, he realized the import of the taunt he'd tossed out, blushing,
refusing to look at Hal.  The latter, however, roared out loud, joined by the
crew.  Drew looked sassily at Hal, flipping him the bird.

"Ou-u-u-u, nasty fuck signals already!" Rich laughed.  Drew shot him a
withering look.

"So who you got hidden away back in your crib, Baby?" Jamal asked.

Drew looked away, disdaining an answer.

"It's the bossman," Tonio interjected.	"Hey, Bossman," he sang, turning
toward Hal, "did you know that my man Drew is laying claim to your tool?"

Whirling about, Drew admonished Tonio, "Cut that out!"

"Oh, I see," Levi jumped in, "it's just wishful thinking, Drewsy?"

Exasperated, Drew boasted as he turned toward Levi:  "He says he loves me,"
smiling as though he'd been granted the greatest of gifts.

"Yeah?" Jamal challenged.  "I'd make him prove it."

"Prove it?" Drew stared dumbly back at Jamal.  It was hardly the response
he'd expected.	"He loves me.  I know he does.	And he proved it."

"By planting a tree in your yard?" Jamal snorted scornfully.  Max grinned at
Ted and Levi.  They knew what Jamal's goal was.  To establish before all
present that Hal and Drew were an official couple again.

"That was NOT just a tree!" Drew's eyes fired.	"That was a red sugar
maple," he said reverently.  More than one member of the crew wondered if
the reverence was prompted by the tree or Hal as author of the act.  Kenji and
Tonio had to cover their mouths to keep from breaking the mood and tipping
Drew off.  Drew resumed dressing for a workout.

"I'd definitely get some corroborating evidence," Rich pushed, adding more
fuel to the fire.  Hal was watching bemused, realizing what the crew was
doing.	He intuited that they were pushing for some commitment from both of
them right there where it all started - in Murphy's gym.  Hal was more than
ready to match Drew's contribution.  He had to wonder why Drew hadn't
caught on.

Drew stared at Rich as though an arch betrayer had handed his buddies over to
the enemy.  "What?" Drew whipped out a response.

Spotting an opportunity to join in the fun, Carl started, "Wel-l-l-l-l-l, why
pay for it when you can get it free?  Love doesn't have to have anything to do
with it."  Drew's jaw dropped because he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Jamal exclaimed to Drew, "You're so easy!"
As they laughed along with Jamal, the crew watched Drew's face move
rapidly through puzzlement, confusion, realization, embarrassment,
awareness, and challenge again as Drew quickly surveyed their faces.  Then
he studied Hal's face, which was registering amusement ready to move to
hilarity.  Drew's face froze.  Then he wheeled around and ran for the double
doors to the stairway.	Everyone stood rooted to the spot as Drew shot off
across the weight room and through the doors, wondering what was
happening.

"The track," said Max, and they moved in concert to the doors and the track.

"Man," Jamal said to Hal, "you gotta teach him to do something other than
run every time it doesn't turn out for him."  All but Boyd immediately
remembered the sound of their Nikes and Reeboks thundering up the stairs
months earlier when they were climbing to the indoor track to help Hal claim
Drew.  As before, they stopped at the double doors leading to the indoor track.
They looked through the glass, watching Drew fly around as though pursued
by demons.

The crew moved out onto the track, having to kick it in, trying to keep up with
Drew.  'I didn't know he could run that fast," Hal thought.  As they
surrounded Drew and pulled in tighter, moving into one of the curves of the
track, he jumped aside, at the same time shoving Hal into the group.  There
was another pile up, marked by cursing, laughter, and gasps.  Drew stood
aside, leaning against the track railing, disdainfully studying his fingernails,
blowing on them and polishing them on his wife beater in the classical
patronizing stance.  When the crew recovered itself and looked at him, he
smiled mischievously:  "You guys are so easy!"

Of one voice the crew cursed, grumbled, and profaned the air as they arose
and dog piled Drew, who went down laughing as pretend punches and blows
rained down on his sweaty body.  In the melee, many pairs of hands were
taking inventory of Drew's cock, balls, and ass.  A grin was splitting Boyd's
face.  Despite his reserve, he could feel himself being pulled to these guys.

When they all untangled and finally stood, Drew was left lying in Hal's arms.
They were just looking into each other's eyes, but a lot of communicating was
occurring.  The crew's healing was continuing.	"May we try that date again,
Love?" Hal asked Drew, looking into his eyes, then slowly pressing his lips to
Drew's.

			       The Thomas Site

At midmorning, the crews were working in their respective areas at opposite
ends of the Thomas home.  Because of other construction in the developing
neighborhood, no one paid particular attention to the sound of a semi easing
down the street until it pulled to a stop along the curb.  Max walked through to
the other end of the house to find Ted.  "Hey, Ted, did Hal mention anything
to you about a delivery coming by semi today?"

"No.  The next delivery doesn't occur until next Wednesday, I believe.	And I
don't think our supplier would be using a semi.  Why?"

"There's a semi pulled up in front of the site."

All the workers from Max's crew had walked in the end of the house where
Ted's crew was working, thinking they were going to need to help unload the
truck, speculating on what new discovery Gwen Thomas had made to
contribute to the uniqueness of the Thomas home.  Ted's crew had walked
through to the front of the house to cluster around what would be a picture
window in the den of the completed home - all, that is, except Boyd, who,
Ted noticed, held back a bit.  'Even after being with us last night at the gym,
he still holds back from us.  He still hasn't gotten over the arrest,' Ted
thought, deciding that he and Boyd were going to have to have a beer
together.  Boyd was stoically holding it all in - ultimately dangerous.

The semi was close enough that the crews could see two people in the cab.
Suddenly the passenger door swung open, followed by the driver's door.	A
wiry fellow climbed down out of the cab, pulling a duffel bag behind him
while shouldering a backpack.  The driver walked around the front of the
truck.	He was tall, slim, sporting side burns and a beard, on the youngish
side.  He walked up to the young guy, bending down and pulling him into a hug
and then a hot kiss as he moved a hand down to the short fellow's ass and jammed
his body into his crotch.  Soft exclamations moved among the crew.

When the two broke the kiss, Max studied the younger man, for an intimation
had seized him.  The young man had almost no hair on his head, it having
been shaved or cut right down to the scalp.  Still, there was something
arresting about him, starting with his features.  He was aware that Kenji had
come to stand beside him.  Turning Max asked, "Do you know that young
man?"

Kenji was smiling.  "Lover, you are about to meet your brother-in-law."

"Yuki?" Max asked.  The other members of the crew were watching the two
closely, attending to their exchange.  With new interest, they turned their
attention to the two men by the semi.

"Well, I think so, but he looks so different," Kenji said.  "He's grown up.
He's taller, filled out some.  And what happened to his hair?  How did he ever
get our parents to go along with that?	Life must have improved for him after I
left."

"Looks butch," Tonio observed, "and hot!  Get me a date with your little
brother, okay Kenji?"

Jamal grabbed the back of Tonio's neck, turning his head to look into Jamal's
hostile face.  "Wanna run that by me?" Jamal said in a basso voice, posturing
menace.  The men laughed at the byplay between the two solid lovers who
were always pretending to be looking at greener pastures until the other reeled
the wayward partner in.  It was regarded as a mark of the newness of their
relationship.  Ted thought it was also a means the two had for reassuring the
other that he was still important, that they were still committed although he
had to wonder why they couldn't just say that to each other.  Of course, that
had never been Jamal's way, and Tonio's way was to do whatever Jamal
wished.

The two men in the street spoke to each other for a minute.  Then they kissed
passionately again.  "Doesn't look to me as though Yuki ONLY hitched a
ride," Kenji said, chuckling.  "He's always been horny."  As the young man
started to walk to the construction trailer, the driver climbed back into the
cab, but sat waiting.  Before Yuki could reach the trailer, Kenji put his foot
on the bottom of the window and vaulted out, calling Yuki's name.  Yuki looked
up.  When he recognized Kenji, Yuki dropped backpack and duffel bag and ran
toward Kenji, his arms held open.  The two collided, grabbing each other to
keep from falling over, whirling around and around, laughing and hugging
each other.  Except for Boyd, the entire crew was sporting monster grins,
happy for Kenji and eager to meet his brother.	Boyd stood rooted to the spot,
fixed on the two brothers.

Yuki pulled back from his brother, the smile fading as he looked in Kenji's
eyes, speaking softly.	Max guessed that he was apologizing for not standing
up for Kenji in that fateful confrontation in the Hamada garage.  He knew
that's what it was when Kenji started shaking his head in the negative.  Yuki
kept talking.  Suddenly Kenji grabbed Yuki, laying a hot kiss on his mouth,
which caused Yuki's body to melt into Kenji's so that they were flattened
against each other.

Max chuckled, his eyes twinkling with interest as he conjured images of the
three of them in bed, giving his brother-in-law a proper reception into their
family.  "Damn!" Levi said, sliding an arm around Ted, who smiled back at
him, giving him a peck.  Ted smirked, knowing that Levi was going to tackle
him at home that night.  Ted looked over at Boyd, whose eyes were bugging
out.  'Now that's a change for the better,' Ted decided.

When Kenji broke the kiss, Yuki's head sank slowly onto Kenji's shoulder
while the two talked softly to each other as Kenji ran his hands over his
brothers back, neck, shoulders.  Finally, Kenji looked over his shoulder,
seeing the window filled with the two crews, all of whom were smiling and
kibitzing among themselves.  All but Boyd, Kenji noticed.  Kenji pulled Yuki
over to his travel gear, bent down, picking up the duffel.  Wiping away tears,
Yuki retrieved his backpack.  The driver of the semi honked his horn twice
and shifted into gear, pulling out.  Yuki turned to wave, smiling, before
following his older brother.

The crews watched the two brothers walking up to the front door, then
listened to nonstop talking as Kenji led them to the den.  When the two
Hamadas entered, the crew studied the two brothers, for one could see that
siblings they clearly were.  Yuki was shorter, sparer, and had little hair.
But their eyes were equally spaced under black eyebrows.  Being the younger,
Yuki's face was slightly less angular than Kenji's.  His eyes were guarded
while Kenji's often looked apprehensive.  Yuki's shoulders weren't as broad,
nor was he muscled like his older brother.  Their noses were equally full, and
Yuki had a cute little button mouth slightly smaller than Kenji's.  His hands
were smaller, not work roughened like his brother's.  Kenji had a hot, young
ass while Yuki's wasn't as full yet - more a button ass like his kissable mouth.
All in all, Yuki was damned cute, the kind of cute that made a horny older
male want to despoil what looked like virginal innocence.

Kenji pulled Yuki over to Max, introducing the two to each other as brothers-
in-law.  Yuki threw himself into Max's body, grabbing him tight as though a
big wind were about to blow through.  They spoke softly to each other, then
they kissed, hotter than a brother-in-law kiss.  Then Max smiled at Kenji.
Kenji led Yuki around, introducing him to all the guys.  Yuki appeared to be a
little dazed, clearly in awe of the men he was meeting.  More than one of the
men noted a bulge in his jeans that was larger than what one would expect of
one so diminutive and young.  Everyone noted that when Kenji and Yuki
reached Boyd, the latter stood transfixed, staring at Yuki, his mouth open a
bit.  Yuki held out his hand to shake Boyd's, who still stood frozen.  "Boyd?"
Kenji spoke.  Boyd's head turned in Kenji's direction, but there was nothing
registering on his face.  "Don't you want to shake Yuki's hand?"  Boyd stared
dumbly at Kenji until he reached out and squeezed Boyd's arm.

"Huh?" Boyd muttered.  Then Kenji's words registered.  He looked down at
Yuki's hand and then up into his face.	He quickly swiped his right hand
across his thigh and then grasped Yuki's hand, shaking it vigorously.  He
finally remembered to say "Hi," every response occurring as a delayed
reaction.  Yuki was surprised to feel little tremors in Boyd's hand.  Amused,
interested in this tall hunk, Yuki returned his greeting as the members of the
crew swapped raised eyebrows and knowing grins.  Boyd was smitten, and he
had piqued Yuki's interest.

No one had noticed earlier that, after his introduction to Yuki, Bobby had left
the house.  Ever since Randy and Esteban had flown back to Europe, Angie
had been depressed.  Her brother Randy had tried to hide his disappointment
over his father's rejection of him.  After leaving the guys at the airport to
catch their flight back to Europe, Angie had wept and moped, but nothing was
going to counter the loss Randy felt.  Not even their mother, Tee, could talk
her out of it.	Bobby had hoped that Yuki's appearance might buck up her
spirits.  Suddenly Angie walked through the door with little Hal Robert in her
arms and Jimmy trotting and panting along side.  Jimmy spotted Yuki
immediately, running over and leaping into his arms.  Somehow, through
doggie logic, he'd already recognized Yuki as being attached to his buddy
Kenji.	Yuki giggled and struggled to hang on to the wiggling, whining dog
while he received lots of tongue kisses.  Hal walked in behind Angie with
Bobby along side.

The group trooped up to Yuki for introductions.  But Yuki, handing Jimmy off
to Kenji, grabbed Angie in a gentle hug, being careful not to jostle Hal Robert.
"You're our sister!" he exclaimed, laying a big kiss on her cheek.  "I've
already heard a lot about you.	And you're my nephew," he said to Hal Robert
as he chucked his crooked finger under the baby's chin, who looked a little
doubtful about this new fellow handling his face so intimately.  Yuki allowed
Kenji to walk him up to Hal, who stood waiting, eyes twinkling, as Kenji
introduced them.  "Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you," Yuki stated quite
formally, bowing in classical Japanese tradition, causing Kenji to arch his
eyebrows as the two men shook hands once Yuki and straightened.

"The pleasure's all mine," Hal said, repressing a laugh as he saw Yuki's eyes
flashing all over his body, assessing its features.

"How about a job?" Yuki shot out, causing Kenji to gasp and Max to roar.

"I don't know if I can take two of you," Hal said, glancing at Kenji, clearly
amused.

"Oh, he's the complicated one," Yuki said, shooting a sassy look at Kenji.
"I'm the easy one."

"Easy as in . . . ?" Hal responded, wondering how daring Yuki was.

"Whatever you want," Yuki shot back.

Kenji roped an arm around Yuki's waist, pulling him back against him:
"Women and children present," he warned Yuki, causing everyone else to
laugh.

"Don't know then if I can protect you from all these guys," Hal explained,
clearly enjoying the repartee.

"Why do I think it's the guys who may need protecting?" Max observed, to
the general amusement of the crew.  From what they'd seen in just the past
few minutes, they didn't doubt for a moment the truth of Max's observation.

Yuki shrugged, innocently lifting the palms of his hands up as though he
couldn't understand Max's question.  Then he stepped out of Kenji's arms and
walked over to Bobby.  "I think you must be our sister's main squeeze," he
stated as he and Bobby hugged.	Bobby laughed, turning to Angie.  "You have
other squeezes I don't know about?"  The crew chuckled.  Yuki laid a hot kiss
right on Bobby's lips, causing his eyes to open wide.  Angie burst out
laughing.

"See what I mean in my warning?" Max asked, clearly enjoying what was
occurring.

Kenji pulled Yuki back.  "What's this job stuff?  And what are you doing here
anyway?"  He felt Yuki sag against him, turning slowly in his arms, his high
spirits suddenly fled.	The others listened closely.  "Um, Dad locked me in my
room. . . Couple of nights ago, Dad locked me in my room.  I hadn't noticed
that he'd changed the lock.  I couldn't get out.  You know how I hate feeling
trapped.  So I packed these bags and waited until the middle of the night.  I
used a penknife to cut the window screen and climbed out on the roof.  Then I
dropped down to the ground and took off.

"Did you leave a note?"

"Of course not!  That bastard deserves no explanation when he gave me none.
He can sit around and guess what happened if he really cares that much.
Don't worry; he doesn't," Yuki spoke heatedly, bitterly.  "I don't know what
he cares about except his precious reputation."  The crew was taken aback to
hear such bitterness in Yuki's voice, such intense emotion at variance with
what they had observed of him up to that point.  Cleary, caution was to be
advised in this line of conversation.

"What about Mom?"

Yuki's face registered irritation as he looked at his brother, pursing his
mouth.	"It's time for Mom to fish or cut bait.  She knew about the lock.  She
knew what Dad was going to do.	She didn't warn me or anything.  She also handed
your letter over to Dad when she found it in my bento kit.  I can't count on her
for anything except to go along with Dad."

Kenji looked down at the flooring, nervously scuffing his boots along the
surface.  "Just so you understand, Yuki, before Mom was even born, her
family - great-great grandparents and all that - in the old country had
connections to the Yakuza.  Even though her family had been here in this
country for a long time, the taint transferred to them here through word of
mouth.	So-called decent families here wouldn't have accepted her as a
daughter-in-law. She might as well have been back in the old country.  In fact,
Dad's family never wanted Dad to marry Mom.  I don't know why he did, but
he always thought Mom should be grateful that he saved her from being an
old maid.  In her day, that was shameful.  And her family was grateful that
Dad proposed because it boosted their acceptance."

"I never heard any of this.  How did you?"

"You probably don't remember when I was in the sixth grade.  Tim Wilkins
and I got into a fight at school.  He called me a gangster.  I couldn't figure
out what he was talking about, so I punched him.  We had to go to the
principal's office.  His mom and our dad were called to school.  Tim had to
explain what he meant.	So he turned to his mom and told her he heard her
talking about it to one of her friends on the phone.  Dad asked how her friend
knew about Mom's background.  Seems this woman worked for a Japanese
businessman.  Her employer was complaining about bad stuff from the old country
coming to this country.  Then she told Tim's mom during one of their gossipy
phone conversations."  Yuki stared into Kenji's eyes, saying nothing, thinking
plenty.

Kenji continued:  "Remember that Mom belongs to a different generation, an
uptight generation with uptight values.  You might not want to be so hard on
her.  Her life has been anything but happy."  Yuki continued to stare at his
brother, lost in thought.

Recognizing the opportunity to step in, Hal started, "Well, Yuki, perhaps you
and your brother and Max and I should repair to my office to discuss your
employment future."  Several members of the crew watched as Boyd's eyes
tracked the group's progression to the trailer.  More than one thought, 'He's
got it bad.  But for whom?  Kenji or Yuki?'

(To be continued.)

This chapter is a little late in being posted.	I flew states away to attend my
son's wedding.	We had a great father/son time!  I'm still reveling in it.  A
great time with Nifty author Patrick Young ("Clay") too, who was present.
And the Nifty Six as well as a few others were also in attendance, in spirit at
least.	Wait until they see the pictures!