Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2011 21:02:34 -0500 (EST)
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Next Generation, chapter 2

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - by BW
Copyright 2011 by billwstories
Chapter 2 -- A Brief Reunion.

Sammy and Graham were the first to arrive, since they
didn't live as far away as the others.  They are currently
sharing an apartment in the York, PA area, where they
were able to find jobs.  We welcomed them warmly and
then eagerly caught up on recent developments.

Pat showed up next, after making the drive from
Pittsburgh, and was followed by Ricky, who arrived a short
time later.  As soon as Ricky walked through the door, he
was immediately quizzed by some of the others.

"Where's Jay?" Danny wanted to know.  "I thought you
guys were coming back together."

"We did," Ricky answered, "but Jay just dropped me off
and then went to see his parents.  He's going to spend
some time alone with them tonight, but they'll all be
coming over to join us for the cookout on Sunday."

"So are you two living together?" Kevin followed.

"No, Jay lives in New York and I ended up working out of
the Philadelphia office," Ricky answered.  "We have spent
a few weekends at each other's place though.  We try to do
that whenever we're not busy and don't have any other
commitments."

"So you two are still close?" Pat asked next.

"Yes, but I really wasn't expecting him to call and offer to
pick me up on his way home," Ricky offered.  "I mean, he
knew I was going to come home for the holiday, but I
didn't know he was planning to come back too."

"Maybe he didn't decide to do it until after he knew you
were coming here too," Pat suggested.  "No matter how it
happened, it seems to have worked out well."

"That's true.  At least this way, we didn't both end up
having to make the long drive by ourselves.  We took turns
behind the wheel and even managed to be a little green in
the process.  By coming together, we saved some gasoline
and even eliminated the extra pollution from driving a
second vehicle.  Besides, I think Jay wanted my company
during the trip."

"I doubt it was your charming personality that motivated
Jay to make the offer," Brandon quipped, "but it was a
good move to come in one car.  Do either of you have a
girlfriend at the moment?"

"Not really.  I've dated a little, but not much, because I've
been really busy at work," Ricky admitted.  "I'm not sure
how often Jay gets out, but I know he complains about
being overworked by his architectural firm."

"Well, we'll see to it that he relaxes and has a little fun
while he's here then," I responded.

"How about you, Pat?" Danny interjected, changing the
topic.  "How's your new job going?"

"It's going terrific," Pat replied.  "I really like working for
General Dynamics and I enjoy the job I'm currently doing.
It's actually pretty interesting, plus I'm also getting along
fairly well with a couple of my co-workers."

"In a romantic sense?" Brandon pressed.

"No, on a professional level," Pat answered, "but I think
we're also becoming friends."

"That's fantastic.  It's always good when you're tight with
the people you're working with," Ricky agreed.

Dustin and Cole showed up a short time later, but we were
a little curious as to why it took them so long to get here.
They actually had the shortest trip, since they live locally,
but we soon discovered this was because they had both
stopped at their places after work, so they could clean up
first.  They also took a little more time to pick up their
girlfriends, who arrived with them.  Once the
introductions were made, the boys had a great time
catching up on what the others had been doing, over
dinner.

"Dustin, how have you been?" Graham wanted to know.

"I'm fine," Dustin responded, "and the business is doing
great.  In fact, it's been going so well that I've been able to
move into my own place.  I now live a couple of blocks
away from work, so I usually walk back and forth for the
exercise."

"So your old boss finally sold the place to you," Ricky
teased.  "I guess that means you'll finally be able to use
that business degree after all, as well as all of the
technical training you took after high school.  I'm
impressed.  I wasn't sure you had it in you."

"Well, I do, and I've been on my own for nearly a year
now," Dustin replied.

"Maybe it's time to fill them in about your other situation
too," I suggested, in a hushed tone.

"What situation is that?" Ricky wondered.  "You haven't
gone and got your girlfriend pregnant, have you?"

"No, I haven't done that, but I have asked Katie to marry
me," Dustin added, as he grinned at his fiance.

"And she accepted?" Ricky asked, feigning a shocked
expression.

"Of course I did," Katie answered, while showing them her
ring.

"May I get a better look at it," Cole's girlfriend, Beth,
asked, after only getting a quick glimpse.

Katie quickly agreed and held out her hand, so Beth could
see her ring better.  As Beth examined it closely, Katie
made another comment.

"I couldn't say no to Dustin, just because he has some
weird brothers," she added, while directing a cocky sneer
at Ricky.

"Touche," Brandon shouted.  "Ricky, you're definitely in
trouble if she's already learned not to take your crap."

The rest of us were all giggling, because of Brandon's
comment, which earned us all some threatening glares
from Ricky.  Since 'the look' wasn't working, he decided
to divert our attention with another comment.

"Who'd have thunk that Dustin would be running his own
business and able to talk a cute girl into marrying him?"
Ricky teased.

"Not only that, but it also means that Dad may have a few
more grandchildren to dote on soon," Brandon added,
tongue in cheek, while flashing me a wink.

"Let's just hope that if they have children, all of the kids
end up looking like their mother," Ricky quipped, "and
not their troll of a father."

Katie laughed at Ricky's snide comment, which earned her
a quick glare from her future husband.  However, most of
Dustin's evil eye was directed toward his impish brother.

"So when will this wedding take place?" Beth asked next.

"Katie has her heart set on a June wedding, so we were
thinking next June," Dustin confirmed, and all his
brothers congratulated them.

"How about you Cole?" Sammy asked, as he directed the
attention toward someone else.  "What have you been up
too?"

"Well, I got promoted, so now I'm the assistant manager of
the automotive department," he answered.

"Wow, you're just flying up the old corporate ladder, aren't
you?" Sammy joked.

"Well, I couldn't stay stuck at the bottom forever," Cole
responded.

"So you repair cars all day long?" Katie asked.

"We do mechanical and electrical repairs at the shop,"
Cole confirmed, "but we also do bodywork too."

That appeared to be more than enough information to
satisfy his questioner.

"Are you still working at the dealership where Dad helped
you get your first job?" Pat followed.

"Yep, the very same place," Cole confirmed.

"So you still like doing that type of work?" Sammy
pressed.

"Yes, I still enjoy it just as much as I did when Dad let me
buy and fix up that old Mustang, back when I was still in
high school," Cole admitted.

"And winning all those awards had nothing to do with it?"
Ricky prodded.

"The awards just proved to me that I could do the job,"
Cole responded, "and helped convinced me I wasn't dumb,
even though I was still having trouble with some of my
other classes."

I could see Cole was still dealing with some bitter
memories from his high school years, which had resulted
in some bruised feelings.  This was because some of the
other kids had teased him, unmercifully, about his
learning disability.  Even though he worked hard to
overcome his problem, his grades never truly reflected the
effort he was putting into his studies.  At least now he was
successful, happy and working in his chosen field.

"I thought you were going to eventually take over the
shop," Graham stated, while looking quizzically at his
brother.

"I still am," Cole confirmed.  "The owner is just about
ready to retire, and when he does, he's going to split the
business.  He's promised to sell the new and used car part
of the dealership to one of his best salesmen, but he is
also preparing to separate the automotive department, so
he can sell it to me."

"What about the automotive manager?" Sammy asked.
"Isn't he interested in buying it, instead of you?"

"No, he says he's too close to retirement to take that kind
of a risk," Cole answered.  "He has even agreed to
continue working for me after the split, until he is old
enough to retire."

"But how can the owner split the dealership like that?"
Beth wondered.

"Fortunately, each part of the business is located in its
own building and the two buildings are separated by a
doublewide driveway," Cole replied.  "That's how we can
each own a part of the business."

"But how will that work financially?" Ricky wanted to
know.  "The new cars will be covered by a warranty, so
how will you get paid when they need to be repaired?"

"Under the terms the current owner said he was going to
establish," Cole began, "the automotive department will
honor all of the service agreements for the dealership.  In
return, we will receive a lump sum cash payment when
each vehicle is sold.  This money will then be placed into
an interest bearing escrow account, so it can be used to
pay the cost of any repairs covered by those contracts.
The cost of continuing any of the existing service
agreements will be established and pro-rated, so an
appropriate sum can also be placed in the account to
cover each of those vehicles too.  This arrangement will be
finalized and put in writing before any sales contracts are
signed."

"Damn, so Cole is going to be an entrepreneur too?" Ricky
teased.  "It's beginning to look as if I was the dummy in
this family."

Cole realized Ricky had just given him a compliment, so
he smiled at his brother.  Even though Ricky often pulled
pranks on the others and gave everyone a rough time, he
was also very supportive of his brothers.

"So, are you sharing a place with Dustin or have you
moved in with your girlfriend," Ricky quickly teased.

"I've got my own place," Cole confirmed, "but Beth does
spend a lot of time there with me."

"So when are you two tying the knot," Graham asked next.

"We're not quite ready to do that yet," Cole responded.
"I'd really like to wait and make sure the repair and body
shop business is going to be successful first, before we get
married."

"Yes, it's probably wise to make certain you'll be able to
support a wife and family first, before you make such a
permanent commitment," Sammy concurred.

"I'll give him some time to get his act together," Beth
teased, "but I'm not going to wait around forever."  She
then gave Cole a light punch in the arm, to let him know
she meant business.

Even though we were having a good time, we also began to
feel badly that Duck and his girlfriend hadn't shown up
yet.  We were planning to hold dinner until they got here,
but Duck called and told us they'd be late and wanted us
to go ahead and start eating without them.  He apologized
for not making it on time, but assured me they were fine.
He said they would stop along the way to grab something
to eat, so we didn't need to keep dinner warm for them.

After we finished our meal, we moved into the family room
and waited for Duck and his girlfriend to arrive.  When we
saw their car pulling into the driveway, the boys got up
and raced outside to welcome them.  After more than a
few hugs and handshakes, they came inside and my sons
began their friendly interrogation.

"Hey, man," Dustin began, once we were all in the family
room.  "Are you slowing down a little as you're getting
older?"

"Um, not exactly," Duck answered, while looking slightly
embarrassed.  "It was just that there was a problem at
Jen's job and she ended up working a little later than we'd
planned."

Duck stopped at this point and looked over at his
girlfriend, Jennifer.  She appeared slightly uncomfortable
about having arrived late too, which was not really that
big of a deal for the rest of us.  However, Jennifer seemed
to feel that she needed to clarify the situation further, so
she spoke up.

"I'm sorry.  Not only did I end up working later, but I also
had to go home first," she admitted, "so I could change
my clothes and put the rest of my things in the suitcase.
I had taken a little break while I was packing last night
and kinda fell asleep before I was done."  Her face began to
turn a lovely shade of crimson, as she was saying this.

"That's why I had to finish my packing before we could
leave," she added, a few seconds later.

"We're just happy you made it," I stated calmly, hoping
this might sufficiently take her off the hook.

"Where's Mark?  Isn't he here?" Duck asked, coyly
changing the subject and shifting the attention away from
Jennifer.

Mark, like Duck, is another honorary son and the two have
become very close.  Mark also takes care of the family's
personal financial investments, as well as those of the
Castaway Foundation.  It is a charity the family founded,
so they could continue helping other young people.

"No, he's staying in New York for the holiday," I answered.
"His girlfriend and her parents are going there to be with
him, so they'll be celebrating together and attending the
big fireworks display there."

"Damn!  I was looking forward to seeing him again," Duck
responded, dejectedly.

"I think Mark was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be
here with the rest of us too," I advised him.  "I know his
mother is also crushed that he won't be joining us, but I
do understand the reason.  His girlfriend wanted him to
spend a little more time with her parents."

"And they didn't invite Susan to join them?" Duck asked,
amazed.

"Mark invited his mother, but she and Mark's future in-
laws don't get along very well," I replied.  "I've been told
that Amy's parents act and treat Susan as if she's beneath
them.  For that reason, Susan opted to stay here and will
be joining us on Sunday instead."

While we had been talking about Mark, Jennifer went over
and began chatting with Katie and Beth.  The three of
them were getting along quite well and eventually their
boyfriends went over to join them.  It was nice to see the
three girls and the guys hitting it off, so the rest of us
didn't disturb them.

When it started to get late, Dustin, Cole and their
girlfriends bid us farewell and returned to their homes.
After they departed, the rest of us began to turn in too.
Duck and his girlfriend said good night and then
disappeared into the guestroom.  Shortly thereafter, the
rest of the boys headed off to their rooms as well.

As Jake and I entered our bedroom and prepared to turn
in, I spent a few moments lost in my thoughts.  I was
happily reflecting on how nice it was to have so many at
home with us again, even if it was only for a brief time.
While I was finishing up my thoughts, I noticed Jake
staring at me and suspected he was wondering if
everything was all right.  Immediately, I smiled to
reassure him, and then I closed the door to our room, so I
could put the last of his concerns to rest.

The night passed quickly and Jake and I awoke early, as
we normally do.  Since many of the boys had driven home
yesterday, after putting in a full day's work, we agreed
they probably needed their rest.  For this reason, we let
them sleep in much later than we normally would have on
a Saturday.  We also didn't plan any activities for the
morning, so they could continue to take it easy.  However,
that afternoon the guys suddenly announced that they
wanted to go to the high school, so they could play
softball.  They knew it was something the girls would also
be interested in doing and would enjoy too, so we all
headed down to the athletic field and chose up teams.

I wouldn't say it was the best display of athleticism I'd
ever seen, but they definitely had fun.  The first time
Joshie was up, he hit the ball in the infield and the boys
threw it wildly about, until Joshie had time to race around
all of the bases and score.  He was extremely proud of his
accomplishment and it helped earn the guys some points
too.  The girls thought it was nice that their boyfriends
and the others had done this and were willing put their
own competitive natures aside for Joshie's benefit.  I was
fairly certain their boyfriends would try to cash in these
brownie points later, when they were alone with their
girlfriends.

After the softball game ended, we returned home and the
softball players decided they needed to cool down, so they
agreed to hit the pool.  Since this was a co-ed activity,
everyone was on their best behavior and wore swimsuits.
Other than on the few occasions when we had company or
if my older children and their families were visiting, it was
rare to see the appropriate swimwear worn in our pool.

That evening, I took everyone out to eat and then we all
went over to the cinema complex to catch a flick.  Since
we couldn't all agree on one movie we wanted to see, we
split up and went in various directions.  The girls dragged
their boyfriends off to see a chick flick they had heard was
quite good and which they were determined to see.  The
guys didn't appear as if it would have been their first
choice, but they went along with their girlfriends anyway,
to keep the peace and maintain the good will they had
chalked up earlier.

After that group took off, some of the other boys decided
they wanted to watch 'Eclipse,' which is the third
installment of the 'Twilight Saga.'  While they were
purchasing their tickets, some of the others agreed they
wanted to see 'Robin Hood,' with Russell Crowe.

Dion, Trey, Jake and I planned to accompany Joshie,
because he wanted to go to the new 'Karate Kid' movie.
When it was over, I was actually glad we had done this.  It
was obvious that we had all enjoyed the flick, but none
more than Joshie.  I think I had just as much fun
observing him, while he was focused on the screen.

Joshie was especially comical to watch when the 12-year
old character, Dre Parker, was either practicing or using
his karate skills.  As the actor was going through his
routine, Joshie's arms and legs were also jerking and
twitching, as he kicked and punched along with the main
character.  I also enjoyed watching my grandson whenever
the action was taking place at the Great Wall of China,
because Joshie was enthralled by the beauty and splendor
spread out before him.

Noting his fascination with the movie, I suspect Joshie
will continue experimenting with these moves when we
get home.  I also believe he might soon begin teasing for
us to allow him to take martial arts lessons.  This thought
made me wonder how his fathers were going to react, if
Joshie does make that request.

On the way home, I got everyone to agree to stop for some
ice cream and frozen yogurt.  Yes, Jake and I had the
frozen yogurt, along with the girls and Joshie.  Since
Joshie has spent so much time with me, he seems to
prefer the frozen yogurt, instead of the ice cream, possibly
because it's what we usually have at home.  No matter the
reason, we all seemed to enjoy our treats.

Once we returned to the house, Dion rushed Joshie off to
bed, since it was already well past his bedtime.  Some of
the other boys decided to go to their rooms for a little
private time too, while a few of the others stayed up with
Jake and me and chatted for a bit.  Most didn't stay up for
very long, but a few of us did stay up later than we
normally would or possibly should have.  That was
definitely the case for Jake and me.