Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 13:48:41 -0700
From: gymhunk <gymhunk@msn.com>
Subject: Black and White, Chapter 53.

			      All Disclaimers


			      BLACK AND WHITE


			 Chapter 53--The Reckoning

	"When's the full partners meeting gonna happen?" Dave asked.  "And
who broke the news about the 'palace coup'?"

	"Your old boss, Mr. Hargraves," Leon said.  "But, he didn't say
when."

	"At least, he's trying to atone for his bad sense of conversation
partners," Dave sighed.  "But, I'm afraid it's too late."

	"You sound like you're never comin' back," Leon pressed.

	"If they said those hateful things about you, would you, Leon?"
Dave stormed.

	"Well, when you put it that way, no.  And furthermore, it may not
make any difference what happens with the full partners meeting," Leon
admitted.  "That kind of a poisoned atmosphere isn't where I wanna keep
working, anyway."

	"Exactly the point, Leon," Dave agreed.  "Well, let me know when
you hear any more gossip around the water cooler, Man.  And thanks for
calling.  This adds more fuel to the fire and puts their collective butts
in a burlap sling.  They are gonna lose SO big!"

	"Nail 'em, Dave!" Leon urged.  "Those full partner meetings are
taped, Dave, so if there is anything juicy in them, I'll call ya as soon as
I hear from Myrna."  Myrna was the executive assistant who always took
meeting notes, and made sure the tape recorder was working properly for all
partnership and board meetings.

	Dave gave me the history that he and Leon shared.  Leon had been
with the firm for nearly 20 years.  He was the best law clerk they had (and
that was high praise), and he knew everything there was to know about
everyone there.  I suggested to Dave that John might want to talk to Leon
to get some additional scoop on the firm that wasn't already known to John.
He agreed that we might have to pull out all the guns to win this.

	Another messenger rang the doorbell.  "FUCK! Now what?" Dave fumed
as he headed for the door.  Dave was presented with two copies of the
lawsuit that John had filed.  He grinned at the messenger and thanked him.

	"I don't even pretend to understand this legal shit, Dave," I
cautioned, waving my copy at him.  "You read it and give me the Reader's
Digest version."

	He smiled back at me.  "Sure, White Bread."  For the next 30
minutes, Dave poured over the legal pages, taking notes, grinning,
frowning, cursing, and fuming.  I decided to read a book in the sunroom.
There was a new Clive Cussler book out which was part of his Dirk Pitt
series.  The man knew how to write a real "page turner".  I was getting
deeply into it when Dave joined me.  I put the book down and gave him my
undivided attention.

	"There's some good news in here," he said rustling the pages of the
legal brief.  He consulted his notes.  "Board meetings are taped, so there
were be lots of things said there which will be confirmed by the tape
(which John heard when he was still on the board this morning).  With the
tape from the full partners meeting coming up (which I'm sure will be a
real pot boiler), that'll really cook their collective gooses, or is that
geese?" he grinned.  Dave looked down at his notes, again.  "John is suing
for $30,000,000, plus $300,000,000 in punitive damages."

	I whistled low.  "Damn," I murmured, shocked at the size of the
damages sought.  "Their malpractice insurance carrier is gonna be SO pissed
at them."

	"This won't be covered by their insurance.  This is employment, not
legal malfeasance.  The firm and the partners will be liable."

	"Oh."

	"The suit's not asking for my job back," he continued.  "I already
told John I couldn't work there again.  He agreed with me.  You okay with
that, Mike?"  I nodded.  It was his career.  Whatever he thought he had to
do, I'd support his decision.  "John writes a tight legal brief.  He's laid
it all out for them, stating events, witnesses, and legal precedence, the
works.  You can bet the farm that John's suit, well, our suit, is gonna be
Topic A at the partners' meeting when it's held."

	The phone rang.  John was bringing us up to date on what was
happening.  "We sure stirred up a hornet's nest, boys!" he boomed out
laughing.  "They're shittin' their britches over there, right and left.  To
put a fine point on it, I made a discrete call to the Chair of the County
Commissioners this morning.  He's an old friend of mine.  I let him know
about the suit we'd be filing.  When I told him the particulars of it, he
went ballistic.  He instantly saw that the County couldn't support a sexual
minorities statute, and at the same time award a contract for legal
services to a law firm that flaunts the same law.  The Commissioner was
gonna go over there this afternoon and have a 'frank discussion' with them.
I believe in polite circles, it would be called a 'Come to Jesus' meeting,"
he guffawed.  "Their name is gonna be MUD!"

	"You heard anything from the firm?" Dave asked.

	"No, and I don't expect to for a few days," John replied.
"Sometime soon, though, they'll call for a conference to discuss it.
That's when we do the hard negotiating.  We're dealing from a position of
strength here.  They don't want their good names and reputations dragged
through the legal system. They'd only get a black eye out of it, even if
they won, which they won't."

	"John, I want to let you know that we have a mole in the firm who
is feeding me information," Dave revealed.  "I'll let you know who it is if
we need to use his testimony, should this go to trial.  He said that
there's a meeting of the full partners coming up soon.  And the words
'palace coup' were being used."

	John laughed.  "They're running scared."  He paused, collecting his
thoughts.  "Let's see.  There are ten full partners, four of whom sit on
the board.  The majority of the partners can sweep out all the board
members by majority vote, if they should so choose.  I know we have at
least one member on our side, but three partners against us.  You know
these guys better than I do, Dave.  What do you think the chances are that
we'll get a new board?"

	"I know one of the other partners is a major conservative asshole,"
Dave considered.  "But, for the good of the firm and his good name, he may
side with the interlopers.  For that matter, we might turn one of the board
members who voted against us (Mr. Mason not being one of those) for the
same reason.  It really does come down to how much pressure the County
Commissioner and other powerfully connected outsiders can put on them.
This bunch of partners is well connected, politically."

	"I know the Mayor," John volunteered.  "I'll call him, too.  By the
way, who pays the biggest percentage of the firm's billable hours?  You
know, the big corporations aren't gonna keep them as legal counsel if this
hits the papers."  Dave rattled off a few of the Fortune 500 companies in
the area that they represented.  "How about any other politicians, like in
State government, Mike?  Senators, Representatives from the State
Legislature?"

	"I don't know any of them very well, but I could call our..."

	John interrupted.  "No, no.  I just wonder who the liberals are
that would have some connections in the metro area.  I'll do the calling.
Does your firm make political contributions, Dave?"

	"Sure," Dave answered.  "Both political parties, as they don't
wanna piss off anyone, and a couple of PAC's."

	"Great!  We'll call them instead and let them whisper in the ear of
a couple of the partners about the firm losing credibility with them,
etc.," John added, clearly gleeful about staking the partners to a
political buzz saw.  I'll get back to ya, boys.  This is SUCH fun!"

	"Before you go, John," Dave inserted, "I didn't see any mention of
the more slanderous statements made by Mr. Mason."

	"I'm saving those for separate suits against him and the other
members who had nasty things to say about you and Mike.  Those will be
individual lawsuits against them, instead of against the firm like this one
is.  I'm saving that as further bargaining pressure."

	"Okay," Dave agreed.  "I was wondering if it had been left out of
this suit with intent or by mistake.  You answered that one."

	"Any other questions, boys, before I start making those phone
calls?"

	I looked at Dave and shook my head.  "I guess not right now, John.
And thanks.  You're so good to us."

	"My pleasure," John laughed.  "I'm having more fun with this than
you could possibly know or understand."

	"We'll take your word for it, John.  Thanks," I added.

	Leon called, again, but this time it was from home.  "More news,
guys!" he began.

	"The full partners meeting?" Dave asked.

	"No, I still don't know when that's gonna be scheduled.  We have a
couple of partners out of town, so that may be what's delaying it.
However, Myrna said that she's been asked to find time tomorrow for the
Chair of the County Commissioners on a 'most urgent and grave situation,'
to use the Chair's words," Leon confided theatrically.  "Myrna was asked by
the Chair to find time this afternoon or tomorrow morning with as many
partners as she could line up.  He wouldn't say what the topic was, but
assured her more than once that it was of utmost importance that they meet
right away with as many partners as they could round up in less than 24
hours.  Well, we could clear only one calendar today, so it'll have to be
tomorrow.  And I don't think the Commissioner is gonna be happy.  Myrna
said that she'd only found three who were available and willing to meet.
Two others said they knew what it was about and didn't need to hear from
the County about it."

	"Wow!" Dave laughed.  "John's really built a fire under his friend
at the County Commission.  I sure hope it does some good."

	"I'll call ya tomorrow when I know more," Leon promised.  "I'll try
to wangle a copy of Myrna's notes, too.  Will you be home tomorrow night?"

	"Yeah, sure," Dave agreed, getting a nod from me.  "But, don't get
your butt fired by slipping us the goods."

	"I know how to be discrete," Leon snorted.  "And so does Myrna.
Both of us are pulling for a new board and we're doing whatever we can that
can't be traced back to us which will sabotage the current board.  They've
been treating her like chattel lately.  And she's really steamed about it,
looking for revenge.  There's nothing quite as dangerous and determined as
a woman scorned," he noted, laughing.

	The following day (Wednesday), we hit the gym, then, talked to John
a couple of times about progress with the law firm clients' campaign of
subtle and not so subtle pressure on the partners.  Word was getting out.
The media would get wind of it soon if they didn't keep their mouths shut.
However, John assured us that these CEO's and COO's knew that they'd look
just as bad as the lawyers.  The media would tar them with the same "bigot"
brush for "consorting with the enemy".  So, they wouldn't be spreading the
contents of the lawsuit around in conversation at their private clubs or
golf courses.

	As we were preparing dinner, Leon called.  He was bursting with
news.  "Hot off the presses, Dave.  Myrna busted her hump getting the
minutes of this morning's meeting with the County Chair typed up.  She's a
miracle worker.  Copies went to all the partners (at the request of the
partners who attended the meeting).  An extra one just happened to get made
in the rush to distribute them.  I'm on my way home now.  Son of a BITCH!
Watch where you're driving, ASSHOLE!  Sorry, traffic's ugly tonight.  I
told the wife I'd be home late and not to expect me for dinner.  I thought
I'd wangle a dinner invitation from you guys?" he laughed.

	"No problem, Leon," Dave assured him.  "How soon can you be here?"

	"Well, the traffic totally sucks, so as soon as I can get off the
freeway, I'll be there.  Give me some directions."

	Dave dutifully gave him directions.  They were complete with
landmarks to watch for, so he'd know he was on the right track.  "He should
be here in about 15 minutes, Mike," he said hanging up the phone.  "Perhaps
more if he can't get off the freeway sooner."

	I added more ingredients to the salad.  Dave stirred more pasta
into the boiling water and another chicken breast to the frying pan.  We'd
decided to be lazy tonight and do a simple salad with Chicken Helper as the
main dish.  Steamed broccoli florets with lemon and butter would round out
the menu.  I stashed a bottle of our favorite chardonnay into the freezer
to chill it a little more than the wine fridge had.  This chardonnay was
better if chilled thoroughly.  It helped soften the oak taste, which we
found tended to overwhelm the more subtle essences of the wine.  Besides,
Leon was doing us an enormous favor.  We should give him the royal
treatment from a couple of queens!

	Dave was just tossing the finished pasta and sauce when Leon drove
up.  I answered the doorbell, welcoming him warmly.  I had to introduce
myself and assure him that he'd found the correct address.  We hadn't met
before tonight.  Dave joined us in the living room, then, gave Leon the
nickel tour before sitting down for dinner at the oak table in the sunroom.

	"Let's eat first," Dave suggested, "before we deal with this nasty
business at the office, Leon."

	"That's fine with me," he agreed.  "I haven't had time to read it
yet, but Myrna assures me it is DYNOMITE!"

	"She'd know," Dave concurred.

	Leon and Dave talked shop while we ate.  Leon was a gem, no
question about it.  They were going to lose a wonderful man when he quit.
From the sounds of it, Leon was going to take Clarence with him, wherever
he finally landed.  Clarence was young, but enthusiastic and a quick study.
Leon was grooming him as his eventual replacement.

	When we'd finished eating, I raced around the kitchen, putting away
food and loading the dishwasher, while Dave and Leon got comfortable in the
living room.  Dave had built a fire earlier, while I'd fixed the salad and
the pasta was boiling.  As I entered the living room, I heard Leon say,
"You did good, Dave."  When I asked what he meant, Leon volunteered that
Dave got the right man.  I was a good cook, cleaned up well, and was easy
on the eyes, FOR A WHITE BOY!  They both laughed uproariously at that.
Leon didn't have problems with gay men at all, he'd said.  Left more women
for him, he laughed.  "But, the old gal keeps me on a short leash, so my
skirt chasin' days are over," he sighed with a big grin.

	Leon pulled the notes from his briefcase, handing them to Dave.
"Rather than have us read these notes at different times, I'll read them
out loud," Dave volunteered.  We agreed.  He began reading the meeting
notes.

	For ease of understanding, I've put them in a more narrative form.

	The transcript of the meeting read as follows, after reciting the
date, place, and attendees:

	"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," the Commissioner
began.  "I'm always pleased to see friends across the table when we have
such important issues to discuss.  I've brought with me our County Counsel
to assist us in understanding the nuances of the law, as we understand it.
I believe you all know Roger Throckmorton?"

	The three partners nodded a greeting to their friend and legal
colleague from the County.  "We've asked Myrna to sit in and take notes.  I
hope you won't mind," one of the partners said.  "You did mention that this
hurried meeting was of the gravest consequence."

	"That it is," the commissioner agreed.  "We have no objections to
Myrna taking notes," he added, turning to his counsel to be sure it was
okay with him.  Roger nodded.  The three attending partners sat on one
side; the county representatives sat on the other; Myrna, the executive
assistant to the partners, sat at the end of the table.

	"Let's cut to the chase here and move this discussion along,"
proposed the Commissioner.  "I'm disappointed that only three of the ten
partners could meet with us on such an important issue.  But, I understand
how hard it is to get several busy people together on short notice.  You're
busy people and so are we."  The partners nodded wary agreement.  "Your
firm signed a contract with us in late June of last year which runs through
June of this year for legal services.  Subsequent renewals of the contract
can run another four years after that, if both parties agree and the budget
is there to fund it," he stated, thumbing through a copy of the current
contract.

	The County Chair looked up to be sure he still had their attention.
"A clause in this contract states clearly that you will comply with county
statutes dealing with non- discrimination.  We have recently been apprised
of a lawsuit, which claims sexual minority discrimination.  Should that
prove to be the case, you would be in default and we will cancel the
current contract and not exercise the renewal option.  Therefore, we are
exercising our rights under the terms of the contract and, hereby, give you
30 days notice of our intent to cancel.  Roger?"

	The County Counsel handed the partners a notarized letter stating
the County's desire to cancel the contract, effective 30 days from the
receipt of the letter.

	To say the partners were stunned would be to understate their
collective countenances.  How did the County know about the lawsuit so
soon, they wondered.  It didn't really matter.  The cat was out of the bag,
now.  They were white as ghosts, stammering, sputtering to understand what
had just happened.  "But, you can't do this!"  one of them insisted.
"Their petition hasn't had a hearing, nor have we had time to respond."

	"We have every right to cancel the contract, giving 30 days
notice," County Counsel stated flatly.

	"Gentlemen," the commissioner broke in, "the County must act
swiftly when we see an abrogation of contract terms.  You have 30 days in
which to set the situation right.  You can settle or take it to
arbitration.  But, let me be blunt.  Your good names and that of this firm
cannot afford to be dragged through the mud.  This County Commission would
never win another election if we didn't act now and distance ourselves
immediately from this quagmire you've gotten yourselves into."

	"Now just a minute, there, J.D.!" a partner exploded.  "You can't
threaten us like this. "

	"This is not a threat.  This is politics," the commissioner grinned
malevolently.

	"But, what about our side of the case?" another partner wailed.
"Don't we get a fair hearing?"

	"The way I understand it, Jim, is that you fired this young man,
because he's gay.  He has sterling credentials, and outstanding reviews,
and promotions ever since he got here.  His performance has been that of a
rising, young star.  I know for a fact that your managing partner has fired
him only because of his sexual orientation.  So, don't shit me about a fair
hearing.  Where was his fair hearing, huh?" the commissioner nearly
shouted.

	"We're a private organization," a partner blustered.  "We can
handle our employment issues without the County or anyone else second
guessing us."

	"I knew you'd say something that asinine!" broke in Roger
Throckmorton, the County Counsel.  "You signed a contract in which you
agreed NOT to discriminate.  And please, don't bore me with stale arguments
about the constitutionality of the statute."  He pulled a thick sheaf of
paper from his briefcase and tossed it on the conference table.  "Hearings,
court challenges, and decisions all backing the constitutionality of the
County's version of a sexual minorities statute.  We crafted it carefully,
so that stupid charges like yours wouldn't stand.  Posturing isn't gonna
change the fact that you've stepped on your dick.  Oh, sorry, Myrna," he
apologized for his crudity.

	"We'll fight you on this, J.D.," the partner snarled.  "You aren't
the only clients we have, you know."

	"I wouldn't advise that, Jim.  I'll give you a few minutes to think
this through.  You're bright guys, you figure it out.  Losing this contract
isn't going to hurt you monetarily, by itself.  We agree there.  However,
how many of your big clients do you think you'll keep in this town after
word gets out that you're a collection of racist bigots?"  The partners
blanched.  "That's certainly what the transcript of the board meeting
shows, Jim."

	"But, that was said in the heat of the moment," Jim complained.
"He didn't really mean it."  He shouldn't have admitted such a thing.  How
did the Commissioner know about the transcript of the board meeting?
However, even bright people make stupid mistakes.

	"Bullshit!" exploded the County Counsel.  "Uh, sorry, Myrna.  You
know Les better than that.  He meant every syllable of it.  And you know it
won't look good in print, Jim.  I doubt very much that your other clients
would be very understanding about those kinds of comments, especially when
NONE of the other board members contradicted him on the spot," added Roger
Throckmorton.

	"Shit," one of the other partners muttered.

	"And you're deep in it, Gentlemen.  You have 30 days to make this
right," the Commissioner said as he and the County Counsel stood to leave.
"After that, you'll be dragged through the newspapers for sure.  If it's a
slow news day, the television stations will pounce on it, too.  I can see
it now.  A teaser before the evening newscast: Local prestigious law firm
accused of firing rising star lawyer because he's gay!  How do you propose
defending the firm in a ten-second sound bite?  You know how these sharks
are."

	"Shit," muttered another of the partners.

	Dave looked up from the typed notes, having reached the last page.
"This is accurate, Leon?" Dave asked, putting aside the transcript of the
meeting between the commissioner and partners.

	"Myrna never embellishes.  She types what was said.  VERBATIM,
Dave," he laughed, leaning back in the sofa.  "Love your sunroom, by the
way.  It's so bright and cheerful, a great place to be on a stormy, nasty
day like today. "

	"Damn!" I breathed.  "The Commissioner was certainly blunt enough.
Can he get away with saying that?"

	"He can and he will," Dave grinned.  "They wouldn't dare leak these
minutes to anyone.  They'd look far worse than the Commissioner would.
They're defending the indefensible."

	"Myrna told me that they've been getting calls all day long from
some of the movers and shakers around town," Leon confided, leaning in.
"Not one of them was pleasant from the looks on the faces of the partners
who took the calls or met with the clients.  Not one!"

	"John's gotten the word out, it would seem," Dave smiled.  "I had
no idea he knew that many people in this town."

	"The problem seems to be Lester Mason," Leon added.  "He's a
brilliant lawyer, but has the social graces of a pig.  Even though he's
managing partner, there have been thinly veiled suggestions that he has to
go or the clients will find another firm."

	"The clients are saying that?" Dave asked.

	"Not that I know of, but they could have.  This is the partners
who've been overheard saying this by several of my spies," Leon grinned.
"The 'palace coup' will happen sooner, rather than later.  I think they're
waiting for a solid majority before they make their move.  With the
pressure that's coming from all sides, they'll cave soon and agree to a
full partners meeting to discuss 'the future direction of the firm', as
they call it."

	The phone rang.  John was calling to tell us that he'd just spoken
with several of the firm's big clients who were angry that they got no
satisfaction from their calls and meetings to the law offices.  They got
only stonewalling.  The County Commissioner had assured him, though, that
the wheels had been set in motion to cancel the contract with the law firm,
as well as a frank discussion about what the partners had better do next or
face severe public backlash.

	"We have a transcript of that meeting, John," Dave volunteered.

	"Well, isn't that nice!" John crowed.  "Keep it for me.  I don't
want to use it unless I have to.  Anything in it that I need to know about
beyond what the Commissioner told me."

	"Nope," Dave quickly decided.  "Lots of words, posturing, and
blustering, but the bottom line remains the same.  They were told to get
their act together, and soon, or there'd be hell to pay."

	"Okay," agreed John.  "I'm going to sit back for a couple of days
and wait for their next move.  With the parade of unhappy clients they've
already talked to, I'm sure they'll have their full partners meeting soon.
After that, they'll want to talk to us, and settle this fast.  It all comes
down to how quickly and deeply they feel the outside pressure, before they
decide to act."  He reminded us that we were going to win this one, and we
shouldn't worry at all.

	"And just so you know, Mason's kept his promise to make sure you
never work here again.  He's called a number of the other law firms in
town, poisoning the well about you, Dave.  Now, we don't know if they
listened or would act on it, but that's not the point, anymore.
Appearances are everything in this kind of suit.  Because of his outrageous
conduct, they have to settle on our terms or face a huge negative publicity
storm.  They'd never survive it," he assured us.  "And I'll make sure
during those negotiations (which I expect to happen right after they have
their full partners meeting)," he repeated, "that they understand that."

	We felt better about it, but we still worried.  Anything could
happen in the next few days to screw this up.

	Two days later (Friday), Leon called.  "The full partners meeting
is set for Monday morning.  The coup looks secure.  I don't have a solid
count, but I'll bet it comes out better than 6-4.  They've asked me to look
into the bylaws of the company to see what the provisions are for canceling
a waiver for age."

	"What's that mean?" I asked.

	"They're going after old man Mason and maybe one of the other
partners.  They're both over 65, and have to be granted continuing status
in the firm each year after their 65th birthday, kind of a forced
retirement with loopholes.  It's generally a pro forma kinda thing to grant
the exemption," Leon explained.  "So, they're looking to see if they can
cancel the current exemption.  In my opinion, they can.  I was also told,
they need some new blood in the firm."

	"They aren't gonna get this Blood!" Dave laughed.  "How much longer
you gonna hang with these honkies?" Dave demanded.

	"As soon as you've won, I'm outta here, and so is Clarence," Leon
confided.  "We have standing job offers at another law office that we'll
pounce on.  I checked yesterday to be sure it was still there.  But, I
couldn't tell them anything as I thought there was a chance it could get
back to the people here.  I didn't wanna get canned before I could finish
this last 'project'."

	Dave laughed.  "You da Man, Leon!"

	Friday night we had dinner with our neighbors, Gary and Robert.  Of
course, they insisted we stay for "dessert," which was tight, chocolate
bootie and big, football- player ass.  Dave decided not to let them in on
his current employment difficulties.  As they didn't ask about work, we
didn't volunteer anything.

	Saturday dawned bright and cool.  Kurt called about noon, asking if
we had plans for the evening.  We didn't, so he told us that he and Gene
were taking us to dinner.  They wanted our views on the bids they'd gotten
to remodel their potential new home.  I suggested that they needed to talk
to Scott (their real estate broker) who would know more about this stuff
than we did.  Kurt assured us that they had set up a time to go over the
bids with Scott this afternoon.  But, they still wanted and valued our
input.  We agreed to dinner.

	When Dave and I discussed it further, I wondered aloud if Linc
might be a good resource for them, too.  We'd suggest to them tonight that
when Gene goes back to Las Vegas to finish up his move, that he stop in and
see Linc and ask his opinion on what was being proposed.  Instead of
waiting for dinner, Dave suggested that we call Linc and ask if he'd look
over the bids.  Linc agreed, suggesting that we fax them off to him
tonight.  Of course, Linc had to know what was going on with Dave's work
situation.  He promised to relay all the scandal back to Uncle Clay, too.
After another 30 minutes on the phone, Dave called Gene back at the hotel,
but didn't get an answer.  He left a message with the front desk to have
Gene or Kurt call us back when they returned.

	Dave smiled when he hung up.  "They're fucking!" he laughed.  "The
clerk mentioned that the two keys were not in the box behind the desk, so
they may be elsewhere in the hotel, or may be gone, but didn't leave their
keys at the front desk.  He certainly knew it was two guys sharing that
room.  A couple of towering hunks like those two wouldn't go unnoticed if
they'd left the hotel."

	"I'm sure you're right, Dave," I laughed with him.  "Remember how
we were when we first got together?  We couldn't stop fucking, either!"

	By mid-afternoon, they'd returned our call.  It wasn't necessary to
find out what they'd been doing.  They volunteered, in fact, bragged about
how many times they'd blasted loads in each other's butts today.  Promising
to fax the bids off to Linc, and call us to confirm the restaurant and time
after returning from their meeting with Scott, they hung up.

	We took another shower before leaving for the restaurant.  Tough as
it was, we agreed not to fuck each other in the shower like we wanted to.
We decided that Kurt and Gene would want to work us over after dinner as
part of dessert like Gary and Robert had last night.  Considering how buff
and well hung our dinner hosts were, I knew it was a wise decision.

	Dinner was French.  Service was good, but not exceptional.  The
sauces were too rich for me, but I ate it and loved it.  We skipped dessert
at the restaurant and had it at our house.  It started with sorbet and
butter cookies, but quickly devolved to butt munching and ass pounding.

	I started with my tongue up Gene's butt, but soon found myself with
my legs over his broad shoulders and his 10" dick up my ass.  Dave
"suffered" the same fate with Kurt.  Their youthful exuberance rushed them
to a climax they hadn't intended to occur so quickly.

	But, we managed to make them feel better, by hammering at their
tight butts after we'd switched partners.  Kurt did love to fuck with me.
I was his first, after all.  Gene, of course, would never turn down a big
dick.  And Dave's 11" butt channel stretcher was always a good fit in
Gene's butt, even after all the fucking he and Kurt had been up to these
last two days.

	Dave had rolled Gene into a doggie style fuck.  His round, muscled,
bodybuilder ass worked overtime at munching and stroking Dave's black fuck
post.  Kurt had his sturdy legs over my shoulders, with his hands pulling
his tight butt cheeks apart for my pistoning dick.

	"I'll bet you haven't had a chance to drink each other's sperm in a
long time, have you?" Dave asked.

	"No," Kurt grinned.  "The loads seem to get shot up each other's
butts.  We love fucking so much."  Gene nodded his agreement as Dave
screwed deeper.

	"Then, I think you should get into a 69 while Mike and I continue
working on your tight, hungry buttholes," Dave suggested with an innocent
grin that no one believed.  "A creamy finish for your dinner."

	Gene scrambled over to Kurt with Dave still lodged deep in his
well-fucked butt.  However, he wasn't so fast that they ever disconnected.
"That huge foot-long middle leg always feels so good, no matter where Kurt
puts it," Gene sighed contentedly.  "Teen cum is so plentiful and
delicious," he added.  "But, that big dick feels so good up my ass that I
seldom think of how much I love to drink his cum directly from his trouser
snake."

	"Don't you drink directly from the condom?" Dave asked.

	"Not the same," Gene admitted, swallowing nine thick inches of teen
dick.  "But, better than nothing," he grinned, going back to his task,
trying to swallow more of Kurt's amazingly long ass and throat stretcher.
If we hadn't already seen a 12" cock on Junior, we'd think there couldn't
be any white boys with dicks that size besides Kurt.

	Gene's throat and butt muscles acted in unison.  Both knew how to
milk dick to get cream.  Dave warned him to slow down or it would be over
much too soon.  Kurt moaned and growled his agreement.  The more my dick
stroked his prostate and Gene sucked his dick, the more waves of
contraction I felt echo through his taut body.

	I leaned over Gene's broad back and kissed Dave.  The passion in
his return kiss warned me that he was going to cum very soon.  A low rumble
started in his throat.  A reverberating matching groan resonated from Kurt.
Gene was not holding back.  With a monster dick in his butt and an even
bigger one down his throat (combined with Kurt's lashing tongue on his
throbbing 10" horse dick), it was more than his heavily muscled body could
withstand. The 12" donkey dick in his throat strangled the roar of a
peaking climax.  His big nuts flushed heavy cream into Kurt's sucking
cheeks.  Gene's pulsating ass chute matched his climax waves, giving Dave
an irresistible dick massage.

	"FUCK!" Dave bellowed.  His bull dick rammed hard and deeply into
Gene's hungry butthole.  Dave's attempt at long-dicking failed.  He needed
to sow his seed as deeply as possible.  His big hands grasped Gene's hips
and pulled him tightly onto his thick, black, spraying hose.  How Gene was
able to take so much dick after being hammered so many times by his new
boyfriend was more than I could understand.  I couldn't take Dave's as
often as these two had been fucking lately, and I was much more used to hot
butt-banging sex than Gene was.  Or so I thought.

	But, these fleeting thoughts were washed away by Kurt's gripping
ass tunnel.  His massaging butt punctuated each of his moans of pleasure.
My dick had no choice but to empty my cream-filled nuts into the condom
buried in his hungry hole.  For someone so young, Kurt was an incredibly
accomplished bottom.  His butt thirstily drank of my cream, despite the
condom.  I grinned at the memory of being a part of his early education.

	We pulled out of the younger men's holes as they were working on
our overly sensitive, post-coital dicks, unmercifully.  But, they continued
nursing on each other's long dongs.  Whether they dripped after cumming as
much as Dave did was unknown, but it could have been their joy in orally
satisfying each other, too.

	"I'm astonished how good Kurt is each time I enjoy his hot ass," I
smiled at Dave.  "His deep ass seems to have gotten even better with Gene's
dick stretching it more. I sure hope you enjoy his butt as much as we have,
Gene.  You've discovered an incredible young man, here."

	The young, buff studs pulled away from each other.  "Only when
we're with you two do we feel completely fulfilled," Gene nodded to Kurt,
getting his approval.  "Taking a big dick up the butt while servicing Kurt
is almost the most fun I can ever have with my clothes off The only thing
better is getting him to fuck me with his big horse dick while he sucks me
off.  That's AWESOME!  He makes love better than anyone I've ever been
with."

	"You ain't so bad yourself, Gene," Kurt allowed.  "And I owe my
lovemaking technique, poor imitation that it is, to Mike."  I blushed
several shades of crimson.  "He showed me how men make love, not just
fuck."

	"Yeah, he's pretty good in that department," Dave agreed.  I
blushed again.

	"Stop, already!" I protested.  "I'm not that good.  Besides, I've
had good material to work with."

	"I don't think so," Dave insisted.  "You have an innate ability to
take a sexual situation and make it romantic.  I'm a kludge when it comes
to intimacy.  But, you've shown me how," he smiled, then, kissed me
meaningfully.  "One of many reasons that I love you, Mike."

	Again, I blushed.  "Not in front of the children, Dave," I
protested weakly.

	"I kinda like it," Kurt said, handing his new lover a towel to
clean up.  "It gives me hope that love can mean this much in our future
together."  He kissed Gene lightly on the lips, his eyes sparkling.  "You
mean the world to me, Gene."

	"Aw, you just love me for my money," Gene laughed, blushing
slightly himself.

	Kurt smiled devilishly back at him.  "Of course I do, now that you
have a real job.  But, the real reason, my love, is your BODY!"  Kurt ran
from the room and slammed the door to the bathroom.  "Your hot ass and big
dick!" he shouted through the door.  Gene pounded on the door.  "Or, was I
supposed to say your mind?" Kurt laughed loudly from behind the door.

	"Look, Kid," Gene said laughing, "I'm the best thing that ever
happened to you!"  He paused for a moment.  "Well, except for Mike bringing
you out!  And I'm VERY grateful."

	"Enough chatter," Dave broke in.  "What about the remodel?  We
didn't discuss it at dinner. What did Scott say?  Have you heard from
Linc?"

	"Nothing," Kurt sighed, reentering the bedroom.  "Scott wasn't a
lot of help.  This was outside of his expertise.  He knows some reliable
remodelers, but he doesn't know anything about pricing."

	"Nothing from Linc?" I pressed.

	"Nada," Gene sighed.  "But, we haven't given him much time, either.
He asked for a copy of the floor plan as well, so he'd know what they were
talking about, but Scott was able to come up with that for us."

	"Does he know how to reach you?" I persisted.

	"He has the number at the hotel, but we haven't been back there for
hours," Gene revealed.

	"So, call the hotel and see if you have any messages from him!"
Dave directed.

	Kurt and Gene smiled sheepishly.  "Yeah, we should.  It isn't too
late in Vegas, is it?"  I looked at the clock.

	"They're in the same time zone, so 9:00 p.m. isn't too late," I
advised.

	Gene called the hotel, asked for messages and was told he did have
a message from Linc.  Using his cell phone (retrieved from his pants left
in the sunroom), he dialed Uncle Clay's number.

	After connecting, Uncle Clay brought Linc to the phone.  "Ignore
the bid from Handy Remodelers.  They aren't dependable.  I got that from
two sources.  The other two are good people.  And not because I recommended
them," he laughed.  "The bids are approximately the same for the same level
of remodel.  I think you should talk to both of them and see what they have
to say about their bids.  You'll be able to tell more after that.  What
about Dr. Hartung's idea to get some college kids to do a set of drawings
and proposals?"

	"Gee," Gene said, "I forgot to follow up on that.  I'll call
tomorrow."

	"Call tonight.  These bids are good for 90 days, so tell the
contractors after you meet with them that you may need an extension of
their bid, because you're working with the college on plans and
specifications," Linc suggested.

	"I'll call Dr. Hartung and get that phone number for you, Gene," I
volunteered.  I dialed from the sunroom, so I wouldn't disturb the rest of
the call.

	"I'd call the contractors tomorrow, then.  It may be Sunday, but
I'll bet they're both hungry for a nice big job like yours, Gene," Linc
proposed.  "And call the college as soon as you get a number.  You don't
want this opportunity to get away from you."

	"Thanks, Linc," Gene said.  "We owe ya."

	"No problem.  You're a friend of the family now, so I'm glad to
help."

	I returned with Dr. Hartung's number.  Linc told Gene to have me
call Uncle Clay, as he had some family matters to discuss.  I knew he only
wanted to know if there was any more news about the lawsuit, and there
really wasn't.  I offered to send him an e-mail instead.  Uncle Clay was
fine with that.

	Gene, then, called Grant Hartung.  He rapidly explained the nature
of the call, asking for the phone number of the college professor.  Rather
than give out his number, Dr. Hartung offered to call him and have the
professor call Gene back.  "College professors don't like to give out their
numbers to students," he cautioned.  "And Kurt is a student there."

	"Oh, okay," Gene agreed, giving him the cell phone number he was
calling from.  Within five minutes, Gene's cell phone chirped.  He told the
professor all about his idea.  He was intrigued.  The college course was
becoming too routine, too academic.  This would be a good way to liven it
up.  He'd have to check with the Dean to be sure there were no objections.
They'd have to jump a few hurdles, like permission to go on a "field trip"
as he laughingly called it, but they shouldn't be showstoppers.

	Gene related to him again that the bids were only good for 90 days,
so time was of the essence.  They agreed to meet next weekend at the house,
so the professor could see what they were up against.  That, of course,
assumed that the college would not have pulled the rug out from under the
idea.  He'd certainly know before Friday if the college were going to be a
problem.  In the meanwhile, he was going to get the students rolling on the
idea.  Gene offered to give them a set of floor plans with a target of
approximately $100,000 to spend, and a copy of the bids.

	When Gene concluded the call, Kurt was beaming.  The house was as
good as bought, he thought, and showed through his big smile.  "The house
is livable as it stands, remember?"

	"Yes, Kurt," Gene smirked.  "I remember.  So, we'd better call
Scott back and make that offer after he pulls some comps to see if the
offer price, plus the cost of the remodel will compare well with the market
for the remodeled dwelling."  Kurt nearly bounced off the walls.  He gave
Gene a bone-crushing hug and patted his new lover's gorgeous, naked butt.

	"I promise to fuck you anytime you ask," Kurt gushed.

	"Nice offer," Gene smiled.  "But, I can't be bought for a hot
fuck!"

	"How about a hot fuck and a tight ass for your dick?" Kurt offered,
upping the ante with a squeeze of Gene's fat cock.

	"SOLD!" Gene laughed.  "But, let's talk to Scott first.  We still
have to make sure this will fly, including the cost of the remodel," Gene
cautioned.

	"Okay, but I know this'll work," Kurt bubbled.  I'd forgotten about
the enthusiasm and sureness of youth; so refreshing.

	After Gene called Scott and set up an appointment for early Monday
morning, they departed for Gene's hotel (no doubt for more fucking and
sucking), I sent an e-mail off to Uncle Clay, telling him that we really
didn't have more to tell. They were already up on all the latest.  We were
in a waiting mode, now, but John assured us that all was well and we were
going to win.  He might do better asking John directly.  Evidently, Clay
was on the computer at that moment because he said he'd called John earlier
in the evening and because of client-attorney confidentiality, he couldn't
tell Clay anything.  However, if Dave or I wanted to blab, that was up to
us.  Again, I assured him, we had nothing to add (and probably wouldn't),
until at least Monday, if not later.

	Sunday was another dreadful weather day.  The rains seemed endless.
But, we went to the gym and did our "chest day" without incident.  The gym
was nearly deserted.  The rain and wind seemed to keep everyone home,
including the gay boys.

	Dave built another roaring fire.  We sat on the floor at a
comfortable distance from the heat source, reading and listening to music.
I was deeply into my new book and Dave was working on his taxes.  He was a
procrastinator where his tax return was concerned.  He always seemed to owe
money when he filed.  I'd already filed and gotten my small refund back.

	After he'd finished with the forms, I went over them with him.
He'd left out a couple of deductions, and used the wrong chart.  That saved
him nearly $200.  So, he owed about $45 when I got done with it.  I asked
him to go through his checkbook to see if he had charitable contributions
he hadn't listed.  Of course, there were several that added up to nearly
$500.  That reversed the results, giving him better than $150 back.

	He paid me for my services in front of the fire.  He suggested that
we grab one of my old copies of a porno film and do what they did.  It was
one that I'd always liked.  Even though it was two buff white guys, the
dicks were big, the butts round, and the cum shot far.  I fucked him
bareback (like they had (it was a very old video from about 1980)), but
didn't pull out when I shot like the videotape showed.  I deeply sprayed a
creamy load of hot sperm up his butt just as the porno stars squirted.

	Dave saved his load for later.  I got a generous helping of his
baby sauce early Monday morning before we got out of bed.  His technique
was incredible.  What I had done to him several days before, he did to me.
I was begging and thrashing about needing his creamy load.  He postponed it
as long as he could, bringing both of us to new heights of ecstasy before
he slid his monster dick up my well-tongued and very needy asshole.  And as
he had done to me, I did to him.  My butt muscles massaged and milked his
dick so well that he was jetting dick gravy up my bootie within a minute of
his fat dickhead parting my ass lips.

	His hips plunged deeply and held me face down, pinned to the
mattress.  My hands were on his hard, muscled butt mounds urging him to
fuck me hard and deep.  He didn't need, but still enjoyed, the
encouragement.  One finger strayed into his ass canyon and rubbed against
his clutching pucker.  The contact was all it took for him to finish what
my gripping ass was attempting to accomplish.

	"Shit, Mike!  Fuckin' cumming!" he cried in a strangled whisper
into my ear.

	I spread my legs and hole as much as I could to get him as deep
inside of me as he could force his cock.  The first jerk of his body
produced a howl of pleasure from both of us, but the second wave of his
climax shot a wad of cum so big up my ass that I felt it spread warmth
through my guts.  He growled and moaned, biting softly into my shoulder,
jetting more cum into my welcoming love channel.  His need to breed
satisfied, he sighed contentedly.  "Hot fuckin' ass, Mike.  I only wish we
could fuck all the time, but my dick and your butt would be too sore to
touch if we did," he allowed.

	"Mmmm," I responded.  His big dick felt wonderful when it was so
deep in my ass.  I massaged his round, black ass mounds, pulling him
deeper, spreading my legs more for him.

	"You're the most incredible bottom," he purred.

	"It takes a great top to make a good bottom," I assured him.  "And
you got all the right moves to get my eager ass to open up for you."

	"Just don't get too comfortable in this position," he warned
smiling.  "I have needs, too.  And they include your dick in my butt,
hammering away until you fill me up with your baby sauce."  He pulled out
and slapped my pink ass.  "Get your butt outta bed.  We need to hit Costco
and look over those plans Joe sent from Las Vegas for the yard."  I'd
already called my boss and told him that I need more time off to sort out
this problem I had.  It could take another week to resolve it.

	"Shit, Dave," I groaned.  "I wanted you to drain all your cum up my
ass. Why'd you pull out so soon?"

	"Because that pretty ass of yours would keep me in bed all day if I
allowed it.  Now, get up!" he added tossing a pillow at me.

	I rolled out of bed, reluctantly.  While he showered, I made the
bed, "aborted his babies", and shaved.  His beautifully muscled,
café-au-lait body glistened in the cascading warm water.  I stepped in
next to him, standing behind him, nestling my face into his shoulder, and
working his nips with my fingers.  My dick responded to pressing against
his hard body.  His long dick responded to my dick expanding against his
hard butt cheeks and my stimulation of his now erect nipples.

	"You need to get fucked again, already?" he moaned as his monster
dick throbbed harder and longer, and my fingers worked over his pecs.

	"I had something else in mind," I whispered in his ear.  I reached
around him and plucked a bottle of lube from the shelf in the shower.  "You
need a hot fuck before breakfast?"

	He turned off the shower, bent over and spread his cheeks.  "Does
this answer your question?"  His black pucker winked at me.  My tongue
danced over it, licking and slurping, going as deeply as my oral digit
would stretch.  I stood, lubed my hard, throbbing 9" dick, and pressed into
him.

	"Yeah, I think it does," I answered breathlessly, pushing my fat
dickhead through his opening.  I popped inside and sank to my pubes.
"Fuck!  What a hot ass!" I groaned.  I was still turned on by the deep fuck
I'd gotten earlier.  My heavy nuts boiled in their sack, reminding my dick
how much I needed to shoot.  "This isn't gonna take long," I breathed
heavily.  "You have me totally turned on, Dave!"

	In answer, he milked my rod, pulling on my ass cheeks with both his
hands, trying to get me as deep inside him as I could shove my jerking
member.  "Yeah, Man!  Fuck that ass!" Dave's voice echoed about the walls
of the bathroom.  He punctuated each word with my hips bouncing off his
hard butt cheeks, urged on by his big hands on my ass.  "Fuck it!"

	"Stop milking me!  I'm gonna cum too soon!" I warned him with a
growl.

	That only spurred him on.  In another ten seconds, I was streaming
ropes of creamy cum up his ass.  I bucked and slammed deeply and rapidly.
My hips and dick were in control, but not the rest of me.  I flopped on his
back as more waves of climax washed hurriedly over me.

	As I recovered my control, Dave reached for the bottle of lube.
"You got me so fuckin' horny, I want another piece of that tight ass."  He
pulled off my slowly shrinking dick and turned me around.  Before I could
protest (like there was any chance I would), he had me lubed up and deeply
speared.  He nibbled on the back of my neck and played with my still erect,
sensitive nipples.  My ass channel gripped and relaxed each time his
fingers plucked at my eraser hard, brown nubs.

	Dave didn't need my milking ass to get him off.  Banging his ass
had gotten him very close to cumming anyway.  The acts of turning me around
and shoving deep was enough to bring him to the edge again.  "Oh, MAN!" he
muttered, and came.  He grabbed my shoulders as leverage and rammed hard
into me.  He bellowed into the ceiling and rammed, again.  "FUCK!" he
repeated with each climax wave.

	But, this time, he left his softening dick in my ass.  He whispered
how much he loved me, kissing my neck and shoulders.  Ten minutes later,
his softened dick exited my well-fucked butt.  I was sad to feel it leave,
and his warm, hard chest and stomach pull away from my back.  He turned on
the shower again, helping me wash my ass and dick.  I did the same for him.
But, in both cases, our dicks began to lengthen.

	"We'll be fucking all day if we let our dicks control our actions,"
I warned.

	"And the problem with that is?" he smiled, then, kissed me gently
on the lips.  His warm, full lips melted any resistance I had.

	I broke the kiss and said, "We have to let Joe know when to come up
and start on the yard.  And we need to tell him about Gene and Kurt's
place."

	"Yeah, yeah, I know," Dave sighed, but smiled.  "There is more to
life than fucking."

	"Yeah, sucking," I grinned, bent over and sucked his flaccid dick
into my mouth, tonguing the underside bundle of nerves.

	He laughed pushing me away.  "Who doesn't have an off button?" he
taunted me.  "Get away, you pervert," he laughed as I tried to get his dick
back in my mouth.  He turned off the shower and grabbed a towel.  "If you
gotta eat something, eat my ass," he laughed.

	Dave thought I wouldn't.  But, you know I did!  His beautiful butt
beckoned to me.  I fell to my knees, pulled his hard, muscle cheeks apart
and speared his recently fucked hole as deeply as I could.  Dave laughed
and backed into me.  "Searching for cum?"

	"I think I buried it too deeply to find any," I said standing
again.  My dick had gotten rock hard again.  "Your butt turns me on so
much!"

	"I can see that, but we need to do something else today."

	"Yeah, I know.  You're such a party pooper!"

	He slapped my ass with the towel and left the shower stall.  "I'll
start breakfast.  You pull out the plans that Joe sent and we'll go over
them as we eat, then go to Costco.  I want to be home when Leon calls about
the full partners meeting."

	"Okay," I sighed like I'd been given a life sentence at hard labor.

	"Don't worry," Dave laughed at my theatrics.  "You'll get another
deep load before the day is over.  Now, get your ass outta the shower and
get busy!"



So many issues unresolved.  What about being daddies?  What about a career
for Dave after the settlement?  Will there be a settlement?  If so, on what
terms?  Will Gene and Kurt buy the house behind Mike and Dave?  And MUCH
more!

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