Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 12:56:52 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel-book 8, chapter 1

Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts.
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.

Don't read this story if:
**You're not 18 or over,
**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,
**Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.

The author retains copyright to this story.  Placing this story on a
website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's
permission is a violation of that copyright.  Legal action will be taken
against violators.

I wish to extend my thank you to Emoe57 for his editorial assistance with
this chapter, and Art, the real Vinnie and John for their additional input
on each chapter.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

                 *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge
all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various
sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse.

                 *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Castaway Hotel-Book 8-by BW (Young-Friends).  Copyright 2004 by billwstories
Chapter 1 - Worries and diversions.               February 2004

Early Saturday morning the phone rang, and seeing I was the only one up, I
answered it.

"Hi, Dad.  It's me Kev.  I'm sure you heard about last night and I'm really
sorry, but I need to talk to Vinnie.  Is he up?"  To say the least, I was
confused.

"Up?  He's supposed to be with you."

"He didn't come home?"  Kevin sounded panicked.

"NO!  What happened?"

"Uh, he came to my room and let himself in...and he kind of caught me and
another guy sucking each other off.  He dropped his flowers and present for
me and drove off.  I just figured he was heading home."

"Oh, Kevin," I sighed.  "How could you?  But let's not panic.  Maybe he
slept in the 4Runner and will come home or come back to confront you today.
If he shows up here, I'll call you, but I want you to call me if he comes
back there or if you don't hear from him by noon.  Either way.  Do you
understand?"

"Yes, Dad, and I'm really sorry.  I was just lonely and horny and, well, I
let the little head do the thinking for me.  Please tell Vinnie how badly I
feel and that I really do love him.  Tell him nothing like that will EVER
happen again, if he'll forgive me.  I promise."  He was sobbing as he told
me this.

"Kevin, we'll work on that later, but for now I need to know where Vinnie
is.  I can't concentrate on anything else!  But I'm sure he was just hurt
and confused by finding you like that, and I pray he just stayed up there
somewhere.  Let's just wait until he contacts one of us, before we try to
mend fences."

"Okay, Dad, but I am really sorry and you wouldn't believe how bad I feel
about all of this."

"I know, but first things first."

I hung up, but I was truly worried, because Vinnie hadn't at least called
me.  He carried his cell phone with him at all times, so I saw no reason
why he hadn't phoned to either tell me what had happened or what he was
doing.  I even tried to call him, but I only got his message service, so I
left him a message to call home immediately.  Needless to say, I was
beginning to panic, even though I had told Kevin not to.  This wasn't like
Vinnie at all, and I was worried that the shock of catching Kevin with
someone else, and the anger he probably felt as a result of that discovery,
might have clouded his judgment and caused him to do something he wouldn't
have done, under normal circumstances.

When Jake awoke, I expressed my concern to him and filled him in on the
details, as I knew them.  We decided that if Vinnie didn't show up by noon,
either at home or back at Kevin's dorm, we'd go out looking for him.  We
realized it would be futile to call the police at this point, because he'd
have to be missing forty-eight hours for them to even consider doing
anything, so we were on our own for the time being.  However, for the next
few hours, all I could do was to sit beside our phone, occasionally dialing
Vinnie's cell number over and over, praying that he was all right.
Speaking of praying, that's exactly what Jake and I did, while maintaining
our vigil.

The minutes seemed to drag on for hours, and word spread through the ranks
at the house faster than a computer virus on a broadband Internet
connection.  As the various members of the family came downstairs and
questioned the worried expressions chiseled on our faces, we tried
downplaying our fears, but our attempts weren't exactly successful.  I
guess the boys knew us both too well and saw through our transparent
attempt to deceive them.  Without telling them exactly what had happened,
we explained that Kevin and Vinnie had a misunderstanding and Vinnie took
off.  I went on to explain that none of us had heard from him since and we
were just worried that something might have happened to him.  The boys were
equally as concerned and they all promised to do whatever they could to
help.  We thanked them and told them we'd let them know what they could do,
and then Jake and I talked about what we might do if no one heard from
Vinnie by noon.

Almost precisely at noon the phone rang and I prayed it would be the call
that lifted this veil of apprehension from all of us.  "Hello."

"Dad, it's me Kev.  I haven't heard from Vinnie yet.  Have you?"  My heart
sank.

"No, Kevin.  We've heard nothing here either."  I could hear him moan
slightly.

"Dad, this is all my fault and I'm scared something has happened to him.
I'll never forgive myself if it has," he sobbed into the phone, and I knew
the guilt of his actions was beginning to overwhelm him.

"Look, Jake and I are going to drive up there to look for Vinnie and we'll
stop by to see you too.  I'll have my cell phone with me, so call me if you
hear anything."

"I will, Dad, and you call me if you find him."  He was still choking back
his tears but I could tell it wasn't as bad as it was a few seconds before.
At least he felt some hope that we were going to search for his lover now.

"Kev, I will, and we'll see you in a few hours.  We won't be rushing,
because we'll be looking for signs of Vinnie along the way, but we will be
there before dinnertime.  I'll have the boys call me if they hear from
Vinnie while we're gone and you do the same."

"Okay, Dad.  See you in a little while then."

I hung up and Jake and I got a few things together and then discussed the
upcoming Valentine's Day party with the boys, before we headed out for the
Grand Am.  We tried to encourage the boys to go ahead with their plans, but
they were adamant about waiting for Jake and me to return, so we could join
them, even though we told them we probably wouldn't be home until very
late.  They said they'd wait until Sunday to hold the party then, so we'd
be there too, and they said they would contact Aunt Susan and let her know
too.  Even though we tried to convince them not to wait, we weren't about
to change their minds, so we just thanked them and left.

Jake and I planned to follow the route we knew Vinnie would have taken,
both to go see Kevin and to return home.  Even though it would be more
difficult once we got to the interstate, we thought we still might be able
to see enough to maybe locate him, if he was somewhere along that route.
One of us would drive and look, while the other would just sit and scan the
entire area for signs of our missing son, but it was all we could think of
doing.

The drive seemed to take forever, and at one point I thought I saw Vinnie's
4Runner going in the opposite direction, so I dialed his cell phone again
to see if it was him.  When I got no answer, I assumed it was just a
similar looking vehicle and we drove on.  Kevin must have been watching for
us, because by the time we pulled in the lot near his dorm, he came racing
out to greet us.

"I'm such an idiot," he announced, as his greeting.  "I was a fucking fool
to do that in the first place, and then having him see it and hurt him that
way...Dad, what am I going to do?"

"Once we locate Vinnie, you'll apologize to him and tell him the things
you've told us, and I think he'll see how much you really care about him."

"I don't think he'll want to listen," he countered, "and I can't blame him.
I'm not sure I'd listen to him, if I had caught him cheating on me like
that."  He was beginning to cry again, so I suggested we go to his dorm
room, where he wouldn't draw attention to his situation.  I wasn't sure
he'd want to have to explain to others who knew him about what was
troubling him.  It was a very personal matter and sometimes you don't like
to discuss those types of issues with others.

Once we were in his dorm room, I just held Kevin and allowed him to let all
his pain come out.  Jake and I later discovered that Kevin's roommate just
happened to go home that weekend, and that's why Kevin invited that other
boy to his room for a little fun.  The fact that his roommate was gone also
allowed us a chance to spend some time alone with Kevin, trying to reassure
him that everything would be fine.  Although he wasn't buying into my
arguments, because he felt that Vinnie would never forgive him for what
he'd done, I think he was letting go of a little of his pain.

About an hour had passed when I suggested we go out to eat before we left,
because Kevin had told us he hadn't eaten anything since he tried to catch
Vinnie the previous evening.  I didn't want him getting physically ill by
not eating, so I made him go out with us for dinner, and I made him choose
where we'd go, figuring he'd be more likely to eat if he liked the place we
went to.  He decided he was in the mood for pizza, so we went to a small
place not far from the campus.  It was a local haunt where the college
students loved to hang out and Kevin said the pizza was excellent.  We
ordered a large pie and let Kevin choose what he wanted on it.  I also
ordered a side salad and drinks for each of us.

Although Kevin was still down, he did eat well.  I guess his stomach
finally informed him he had neglected it for far too long, so he ended up
devouring four slices of pizza and his salad.  It was good to see him
putting something into his system.  Once we finished, I paid the bill, left
a tip, and then we took Kevin back to his dorm.

Once we returned, I called the house, to see if there was any word on
Vinnie and was told they had heard nothing.  That made me even more
concerned, so I told Kevin it was time for us to go, as we would need to
take our time heading back, so we could check along the entire highway,
even the exit ramps and rest areas, looking for some sign of Vinnie.
Immediately, Kevin begged to go with us, but I told him I didn't think that
would be wise, because we weren't planning to make another trip back there,
and I didn't want him to miss any classes.

"Dad, I'm not going to be able to concentrate or do anything until I've
worked things out with Vinnie anyways.  So, can't I go back with you?  I
really need to do this."  His face pleaded with me to give in to his
request, but I just couldn't do that.

"Kevin, I know this is important to you, but you are thinking with your
heart, and not your head.  You can't afford to take time off from classes
now and if we hear anything or locate Vinnie, we'll let you know.  In fact,
I promise that I'll drive him out here next weekend, so you two can patch
things up.  Will that help?"

Though he looked slightly relieved, I could see he still didn't agree
totally with my suggestion.  He finally relented by saying, "Okay, as long
as you'll make sure he calls me as soon as you find him, because I really
need to tell him how sorry I am.  Then you have to promise me you'll bring
him here next Friday and stay until Sunday afternoon.  I have a lot of
making up to do with him."

"I promise, Kevin, and we'll keep in touch."  Jake and I both hugged and
kissed him, letting him know that even though he made a mistake, we loved
him nonetheless.  He walked us out to the car and didn't go back inside
until we disappeared from sight, but I knew how depressed he still felt and
he wouldn't feel any better until he and Vinnie had worked things out.

Jake and I drove under the speed limit all the way back.  We searched both
sides of the highway, looking for signs of the 4Runner, thinking Vinnie
might have been involved in an accident, which hadn't been discovered.
However, we saw nothing.  We also got off at each exit, driving a little
way in each direction, looking for any trace of our missing son or his
vehicle.  Finding nothing, we got back onto the interstate and continued
searching.  At each rest area, we would not only stop and look around, but
we'd also try to find anyone who might be on duty there, asking them if
they'd seen a boy on crutches during the past 24-hours.  Try as we might,
the best we did was one guard who said he'd seen several men and boys on
crutches over the past couple of days, but he could not give us enough
specific information to allow us to identify Vinnie as being one of them.
Somewhat disappointed, we continued on like that, until we finally arrived
back home.

Some of the boys came running out to greet us, to see if we'd found Vinnie,
and they were as disappointed as we were, when they discovered we had not
been successful.  They quickly informed us that they had not heard from him
either, and now I was really worried, so I decided to seek assistance from
law enforcement, but not tonight.  It was nearly midnight and I knew we'd
all be better off with a good night's sleep, so I sent everyone to bed.
We'd go to church tomorrow and pray for Vinnie's safe return, and then I'd
call Steve Shay, to see if he knew someone in a position to help us with
our predicament.

When I went inside, Ted and his Aunt Jane were there, and I'd totally
forgotten they were coming.  Sammy had called to invite him to be his date
for the Valentine's Day party, which thrilled Ted to no end, so his Aunt
Jane had taken the weekend off and volunteered to bring him and spend the
night, after working things out with his parents.  They merely told his
parents they were coming to visit us, not that Ted had a date for a party.
That was probably wise, though I hate to lie or deceive parents.  We got
them both set up in a room, as we had plenty of space with all the college
boys being away, and they would spend the night and leave after things
finished tomorrow, so we'd have to have it earlier than originally planned.
We would eat at 4:00, then go on with the other activities, finishing up
around 7:00, so they could get home by midnight.

Although there were a bunch of protests about not going to church the next
morning, my wishes prevailed.  The boys wanted to stay by the phone; just
in case Vinnie called or returned, but I told them I'd take my cell phone
with me, set to vibrator, of course.  Once we got to our usual place of
worship, I think the boys were thankful I made them come, because we all
started praying and found some solace in doing that.  Ted and Jane seemed
to enjoy going with us, especially in being a part of such a large group
that was greeted so warmly by the rest of the congregation.  When the
service was over, the boys all informed me, in their own way, that they
wanted to go home and not to brunch, as we would usually do.  This time I
gave in to their requests, and Jake said he and some of the boys would whip
something up instead, to tide them over until their special dinner.

I checked the messages when I got home, but still nothing, so I got on the
phone and called Steve.  He picked it up on the third ring.  "Steve, it's
Josh.  Vinnie has turned up missing and it's been over 24-hours since any
of us have last seen him.  Do you know anyone in law enforcement who might
be able to help?"

"Yes, Josh, I do.  But what happened?"

"I let Vinnie go see Kevin, but Kevin happened to be entertaining someone
else, and Vinnie walked in and caught them in the act.  He took off and
none of us have heard from him since."

"Damn, Josh.  I hope he's okay.  Look, I know the commander of the local
State Police barracks, so let me call him, explain to him my adopted son is
missing and then I'll have him contact you for the details.  Will that be
okay?"

"Yes, Steve.  More than okay.  I'm sorry I let this happen."

"Josh, Vinnie's eighteen and a strong-minded young man.  He's not easy to
rein in, once he's made up his mind, and I know you would never have
allowed him to do anything that might be potentially dangerous to him.  I'm
sure he was hurt over what he saw, and maybe he just can't face any of us
yet.  Maybe he's just staying at a motel somewhere, trying to cool off and
regain his composure."

"I hope you're right about that, Steve, but we just drove his whole route,
up and back, and not a trace of him.  I'm really scared about this.  I've
already lost two sons and there's no way I could handle going through that
again."

"Don't worry, Josh.  I'd be willing to bet he's fine.  Just give it some
time and your prodigal son will return.  I'll make that call now, so be
expecting a call from him shortly.  He'll probably want a picture and a
description of what Vinnie was wearing, so see if you can get that together
in the meantime."

"Right, Steve.  Will do, and thanks for the help."

I hung up and started asking the boys if any of them could remember what
Vinnie was wearing when he left.  "I'm pretty sure he was wearing his brown
corduroy jeans," Graham informed me.

"Yeah, he was," Sammy confirmed, "with a black sweater.  I remember seeing
him earlier in school."

"Okay, any idea what shoes he was wearing?" I asked.

"Same ones he almost always wears," Cole informed me.  "His brown, slip-on
Nevados."

"Okay, what about his jacket?"

"He was wearing his black Old Navy jacket," Trey added.

"Okay, I think I have enough for when Uncle Steve's friend calls me.
Thanks, boys.  This will help a lot."  Now all I had to do was to wait for
the phone to ring, and that didn't happen right away.  It was nearly an
hour later, before I got that call.

"Hello, may speak to Josh Currie, please?" the voice on the other end of
the receiver asked.

"Speaking," I replied, though not my usual response.

"This is Captain Charles De Luca.  I'm in charge of the local State Police
barracks and Judge Shay suggested I call you for information.  Something
about his adopted son disappearing."

"Yes, and thank you for getting in touch with me.  Steve's my best friend
and Vinnie has been living here with me for quite a while."

"I won't ask why," he stated dryly, "but I'm going to need some
information.  What is the boy's full name and description?"

"His proper name is Alvin Mitchell Rydell, but he likes to be called
Vinnie," I told him.

"Wait, I thought this was Judge Shay's adopted son?"  I knew why he was
confused.

"Legally, he is, though Vinnie decided to keep his parents' surname.  They
were in one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on
September eleventh, and he thought he should honor them by keeping their
name.  Steve understood and agreed."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, and now I understand.  Please forgive me,
if I sounded cold and unfeeling earlier."

"It's not a problem, so let's get back to Vinnie.  He's eighteen, five
foot-six inches tall, has brown hair and brown eyes, and he's uses metal
crutches.  He was born with cerebral palsy and can't get around well
without them."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that too," he offered, sincerely.  "Do you have a
picture of him?"

"Yes, I do, and I'll drop it off wherever you wish," I told him.

"That won't be necessary.  I'll have a car drop by and pick it up.  Can you
tell me when and where he was last seen?"

"Yes.  He went to Temple University to visit one of my sons and they had a
misunderstanding and Vinnie left.  No one has seen or heard from him since.
My son is beside himself with worry, afraid that something's happened to
Vinnie and it's his fault, because of their disagreement."

"We'll probably need to talk to him," he informed me.

"I know, but can that wait a bit.  My son is really taking this hard.
Yesterday, we drove the route Vinnie would have taken to and from Temple,
to look for him, and my son wanted to leave school and come with us, so he
could help look too.  I had all I could do to make him stay there, so I
don't want him feeling he should come home again."

"We'll do our best to keep that from happening, but we will need to get his
take on the boy's demeanor when he left and if he might have noticed
anything else, like what direction he was going when he left."

"I understand."

"What kind of vehicle was he driving?"

"He was in a 1998 Silver Toyota 4Runner, Limited 4 X 4, with Pennsylvania
D.A.R.E. license plates, number DA 978."

"And when was the last time anyone saw him?"

"Around 8:00 p.m., Friday evening."

"Great!  I have all the information I need.  I'll fill out a report and get
this information out to the field as quickly as I can.  Let me give you my
home and work numbers, so you can call me if you hear anything from him in
the meantime."

I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the information he gave me and
then I thanked him for his help.  After I hung up, I informed everyone
about what he told me he was going to do and then we sat down to eat the
light meal Jake had prepared for us.

Once we had finished our brunch, we had to change our focus and get ready
for the delayed Valentine's Day party, which had been originally planned
for the previous night.  I felt bad that the boys had delayed this, as it
was more for them than for Jake and me, but I understood they wanted us to
be part of it too.  We took the time to make sure everything was set up as
we had planned and we knew Susan would be arriving shortly, to begin
preparing the meal.  I sent the boys up to rest, get cleaned up, and get
out what they were planning to wear, and then Jake and I sat down to
discuss what other options we might have concerning Vinnie.

Susan arrived and began to work her magic in the kitchen, though she
brought much with her, having begun her preparations at home.  All she
planned to do here was to use our ovens to cook everything, and then she'd
serve it, along with the drinks.  Even though none of us was really in the
mood tonight, we knew the efforts she went to, so we didn't want to
disappoint her either.

Before Jake and I went to get ready, a patrol car showed up to pick up
Vinnie's picture.  After they left, Jake and I went to take our showers and
change, while the food was still being prepared.  When we came back out,
all the boys were starting to come downstairs, as the smell the food had
attracted them and they were hoping they might be given samples.  That
didn't happen, but I had to admit it all smelled wonderful.

I was impressed when I saw the boys.  Some of them were dressed in suits or
sport coats, while the others were dressed in nice sweaters and slacks.
They all looked very handsome.  At that point, Cole and Mark left to pick
up their dates, and it wasn't long before they were returning with them.
After exchanging greetings with the two girls, I apologized to them for
having cancelled this event from last night and moved it to today, but they
both said they understood and it was no problem.  I did notice that each
girl was sporting a nice corsage.  Mark's date had her corsage fastened to
her lovely dress, while Cole had given his date a wrist corsage.  I was
just about to suggest that maybe we should go in and be seated when Frankie
came downstairs, and was I in for another surprise.  Even though I knew he
wanted to make this a formal affair, I hadn't expected him to rent a tux
just to wait on tables, but he did, and boy, did he look awesome.  I think
both girls noticed that right away, as well.

Frankie led us to our places in pairs, and seated us.  He had everything
set up in advance.  There were three card tables, arranged where our large
dining room table would normally have been.  Each was covered with a nice
tablecloth and had a candle placed in the center.  The silverware was laid
out in its appropriate place and the napkin was folded so it stood up where
the plate would eventually be set.  Jake and I were seated with Mark and
his date.  The next table had Sammy, Ted, Graham and Little Ricky, so that
Sammy and Graham were on either side of Ted.  The last table was for Trey,
Dion, Cole and his date.  Once we were seated, Frankie lit the candles and
Susan took our drink orders.  There was wine, beer and mixed drinks for
those of age and soft drinks for those who were not.  While she went to
fetch our desired beverage, Frankie asked us all what dressing we would
like on our salad.  Before long we were starting on the first course, but
still talking between bites.

When all the salads had been consumed, Frankie collected our salad bowls,
before he returned with the main course, dished out appetizingly on our
best china.  The Duck L'Orange was moist and had a marvelous flavor.
Although I wasn't sure how everyone would take to the asparagus souffle,
they all seemed to enjoy it, and the creamed potatoes were wonderfully done
as well.  I had told Susan that everyone would be allowed one glass of wine
with their meal, which they all took advantage of, and I passed my
compliments to the chef when she refilled my glass.

Once those dishes were cleared, we were asked what topping we would like on
our cheesecakes and then they were delivered to the table.  The girls cooed
seeing the little heart-shaped treats with the red foil Hershey's kisses
lined around it, and it was the lightest cheesecake I think I've ever
eaten.  All in all, it was at least a four-star meal.

Once the dishes were cleared and we were finishing our drinks, I began to
hear music filtering down from the rec room, and some of the boys began to
take their dates back to dance.  Jake and I got up to join them, walking
into a dimly lit room, with romantic music setting the mood.  Although I
wouldn't remember every tune they played that evening, some old and some
new, there were three that particularly caught my attention.

The first was "Valentine", by Martina McBride.  At first, I had been
surprised to hear a country song, but I guess Cole had taken a liking to
this genre of music during our vacation and had been listening to it when
he was alone.  He was the one who had requested this particular number, and
the lyrics went like this.

If there were no words, no way to speak I would still hear you If there
were no tears, no way to feel inside I'd still feel for you And even if the
sun refused to shine Even if romance ran out of rhyme You would still have
my heart Until the end of time You're all I need, my love My Valentine

All of my life I've been waiting for all you give to me You've opened my
eyes And showed me how to love unselfishly

I've dreamed of this a thousand times Before, but in my dreams, I couldn't
love you more I will give you my heart until the end of time You're all I
need, my love My Valentine

And even if the sun refused to shine Even if romance ran out of rhyme You
would still have my heart Until the end of time Cause all I need is you My
Valentine You're all I need, my love My Valentine


I found those words to be hauntingly beautiful and so appropriate for the
occasion, and I saw some serious cuddling and kissing going on while it was
playing.  In fact, I think that song was played three or four times during
the remainder of the night, as the couples took a special fancy to it too.

The second song was an N Sync tune, called "God Must Have Spent A Little
More Time On You."  I'm not sure why it caught my attention, because I'm
not a big fan of most of those boy groups, except to gawk at them.  They
seem to be more about show than about the music, but I still seemed to
enjoy this particular number.  This is how its lyrics went.


Can this be true, tell me can this be real How can I put into words what I
feel?  My life was complete.  I thought it was whole.  Why do I feel like
I'm losing control?

I never thought that love could feel like this Then you changed my world
with just one kiss How can it be that right here with me There's an angel.
It's a miracle.

Your love is like a river Peaceful and deep Your soul is like a secret that
I never could keep When I look into your eyes I know that it's true God
must have spent a little more time on you Oh, a little more time, yes he
did, baby

In all of creation, all things great and small You are the one that
surpasses them all More precious than any diamond or pearl They broke the
mold when you came in this world

And I'm trying hard to figure out Just how I ever did without The warmth of
your smile.  The heart of a child.  That's deep inside and leaves me
purified

Your love is like a river Peaceful and deep Your soul is like a secret that
I never could keep When I look into your eyes I know that it's true God
must have spent a little more time on you Oh, you. yes he did, baby

I never thought that love could feel like this Then you changed my world
with just one kiss How can it be that right here with me There is an angel.
It's a miracle.

Your love is like a river Peaceful and deep Your soul is like a secret that
I never could keep When I look into your eyes I know that it's true God
must have spent a little more time on you

On you.  God must have spent a little more time on you A little more time
on you, oh.


The last of the three songs that caught my attention was another country
song, again selected by Cole, but once more, it suited the evening to a
tee.  It was "Breathe", by Faith Hill.  These are the lyrics.

I can feel the magic floating in the air Being with you gets me that way I
watch the sunlight dance across your face and I've Never been this swept
away

All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze When I'm lying wrapped up
in your arms The whole world just fades away The only thing I hear Is the
beating of your heart

'Cause I can feel you breathe It's washing over me Suddenly I'm melting
into you There's nothing left to prove Baby all we need is just to be
Caught up in the touch The slow and steady rush Baby, isn't that the way
that love's supposed to be I can feel you breathe Just breathe

In a way I know my heart is waking up As all the walls come tumbling down
I'm closer than I've ever felt before And I know And you know There's no
need for words right now

'Cause I can feel you breathe It's washing over me Suddenly I'm melting
into you There's nothing left to prove Baby all we need is just to be
Caught up in the touch The slow and steady rush Baby, isn't that the way
that love's supposed to be I can feel you breathe Just breathe

Caught up in the touch The slow and steady rush Baby, isn't that the way
that love's supposed to be I can feel you breathe Just breathe

I can feel the magic floating in the air Being with you gets me that way


Everyone had been dancing very closely together the whole evening,
including Jake and me, and no one stared at anyone else or made any
comments, as they were too caught up in paying attention to their own
partner.  I did let my eyes wander around the room, checking out all my
children, and that's how I noticed Frankie dancing with Susan.  It was nice
to see them enjoying themselves and I think Mark got an extraordinary
delight out of seeing that, and I know he thanked Frankie after every one
else went home.

I got a particular thrill out of watching Ted dancing with Sammy, as this
was his first dance and he was a little hesitant at first, but he warmed up
as the evening wore on.  I was glad his Aunt Jane stayed out of the rec
room until after he had gotten started, as she, Susan and Frankie had the
same meal we had, but they waited until after we had finished, and ate
while we were dancing.  By the time she came back to watch her nephew, he
had lost all of his inhibitions, and Frankie, Jake, and I all danced with
her, as well as with Susan, at various times during the night.  It was very
nice, but Jake and I did spend most of our time together.

In the middle of our dancing, the phone rang, and I raced to answer it,
thinking it was Vinnie or news about him.  However, it was Kevin calling in
to see if we had heard anything.  I could tell he'd been crying, probably
for most of the day, though he wouldn't confirm that.  I knew I'd have a
major problem on my hands, if something did happen to Vinnie, and not just
with getting Vinnie well.  Kevin would be inconsolable and never forgive
himself, if something like that were to happen, so I could only pray for
both of my boys.

After going back to the party, I had to call an end to the festivities
around 7:00, as Ted and Jane had to leave and the rest of us all had school
tomorrow.  I hated to end such a wonderful time so early, but I had to put
my role as parent first, and my wanting to continue spending time with my
lover behind that.  I did get more than a few mild protests, but Jane
helped to end the uprising by saying they really did have to go and they
would appreciate help carrying their things out to the car.  Of course,
Sammy and Graham bolted to help them, with Little Ricky in hot pursuit, so
my being a miserable ogre was momentarily forgotten.

Now, other than Jake, the only thing that occupied my thoughts was Vinnie.
'Where the hell are you and why haven't you called?' I wondered.

               *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me
at 'BW's Rainbow Youth Connection,' at http://bwsryc.gayauthors.org/

You can also locate my stories by clicking on the Nifty author link and
scrolling down to "BW".  This will give you the links for everything I have
posted there.

I also love to hear from my readers and get their reaction to my stories.
If you don't mind, please share whatever information you feel comfortable
with, because it helps knowing my readers better when I decide what to
write or how to gear it.  Please email me at bwstories8@aol.com and let me
know what you thought, so I can do even better in the future.  Thanks,
Bill.