by Trina Solet
Usually Brent would start to feel restless when he was in charge of the kids. That was enough to get him to enlist someone else to watch the kids so he could run away. Nate banished that feeling. Brent didn't have the urge to go out even when Nate was ready to go and leave him alone with Ricky and Georgie.
As Nate left for his class, Brent walked him out. Maybe as a reward for staying home, Nate hugged him tightly and kissed him but only on the cheek. It was almost a passionate embrace anyway. Their bodies lingered close as lips brushed over warm skin. With a touch that was more than friendly, Brent stroked the back of Nate's neck for a while before he let go. As he came up the path from the guesthouse, John happened to see them like that. He waved to Nate as he drove away. Having seen the affectionate moment between him and Brent, John had to speak up.
"At least keep it in the bedroom," he told Brent.
"We haven't even slept together yet," Brent grumbled.
"Even better."
"No, it's not. I'm so crazy about him. I'm afraid that when we do it, I won't be able to keep it casual."
"Then don't do it," John instructed him.
"That's not an option. And maybe I can be trusted to handle my own relationships?"
"Not on your life," John said decisively.
"I guess this isn't a pep talk."
"If you two got together, you would only screw it up by screwing around."
"I haven't been."
"What?" John said, refusing to believe what he was hearing.
"Screwing around."
"Are you telling me you are being faithful to a man you just met, and you are not even sleeping with him?"
Brent hesitated too long before he answered.
"No. That would be stupid," he finally said.
John saw right through his lie.
"There is no hope for you," John pronounced.
Brent asked him to clarify.
"For me and Nate or just for me?"
"For you, no hope whatsoever. For you and Nate, maybe if..."
"Ooh, I got a maybe. From you, that's as good as a 'go for it,'" Brent gloated.
After his class, Nate expected to come back to a dark house. Instead he had to go through the whole downstairs, turning off lights in empty rooms. The upstairs was dark and mostly quiet. Faint sounds of a TV came from Brent's room. Nate saw that his door was open so he went over. Brent was sitting up in bed watching TV, not porn. He muted it when he saw Nate was back.
"I can see that history didn't put a smile on your face," Brent said since Nate was slouching and worn out.
"I went in late and had to settle for one of the bad chairs. Plus I had to sit still. If you fidget, Dr. Franklin starts talking just to you like you're the only person in the room. That woman is a freak." As he spoke Nate went to sit on Brent's bed.
"She probably has the hots for you."
"Not everyone has the hots for me."
"Of course they do."
Nate shifted the pillows to make himself comfortable and groaned.
"Lie down here and I'll give you a backrub," Brent offered.
"A real backrub or two seconds of a backrub followed by groping my ass?" Nate wanted to know before he agreed.
"Whichever one you prefer."
"The first one."
"Feel free to change your mind any time," Brent said as he kneeled while Nate stretched himself out.
Brent straddled his legs but didn't try anything funny. His touch was perfect, firm and soothing, just what Nate needed.
"I think this might be my favorite way for a guy to come on to me," Nate mumbled as he enjoyed what Brent's strong hands were doing to him. "You're good at that," Nate told him.
"I've had a lot of professional massages. I may have learned a thing or two."
And Brent wasn't lazy about it. Nate didn't think he would be able to keep going for more than a few minutes, but he kept going so long that Nate fell asleep on him.
Once again Nate woke up in the middle of the night in Brent's bed. He was tempted to stay, but he forced himself to go to his own bed. He did take a good long look at Brent as he slept. He was so beautiful. Nate gave himself credit for having a will of steel to be able to leave him when he looked that good.
Chapter 9
During the rest of the week, Nate was busy with his second job and his classes. Just as Ricky had claimed, Brent wasn't around much especially in the evenings. He was good about staying home when he was needed, but on other nights, he stayed out until early morning hours. Now that the novelty of having Nate around had worn off, maybe Brent was going back to his routine. On one morning, Nate did catch him watching the kids eating breakfast, or really fighting over breakfast. Georgie was trying to fish out the colorful pieces from Ricky's cereal. He had left them for last. Georgie ate hers first and now was trying to poach his. Brent had a longing look, like he wanted to join them. Nate didn't see why he couldn't.
On Saturday morning, Nate saw that Brent wasn't in his bedroom. Nate hoped that he hadn't already left. The kids were done with breakfast, the maids had arrived, and Nate had plans which included Brent.
Downstairs, Nate started his search in the office.
"I was looking for Brent," Nate said when he only found John there.
"Don't expect to find him in the office unless I tie him to a chair," John said.
"Should I assume that you meant for me to picture him naked?"
"Oh God, now I have to deal with that image," John said.
"Poor you," Nate mocked him as he left. Like picturing Brent naked was a terrible thing. Though Nate didn't want to picture him as much as actually see him and then do a lot more than look. But right now he couldn't even find him.
When Nate asked Ricky where Brent was, he was more informative.
"He's in his favorite place," he said.
Nate found Brent lounging in the sunroom. He was engrossed in something on the iPad in his hand. Since he didn't notice him, Nate could take in the view of Brent and his surroundings. On three sides, the walls were almost entirely tall, glass doors. The one solid wall was covered with some natural stone that looked like white coral. It was a pleasant room furnished in wicker and black, tropical print fabrics. At this time of day, it was only getting direct sunlight in one corner. Brent was still absorbed in the iPad so Nate took the opportunity to stare at him.
"You look comfortable, but I promised the maids I would get you out of the house." Nate actually promised Lisi and Mona that he would get the kids out of there, but it gave him an excuse to invite Brent to join them.
"Are you saying you're ready for some adult company? You're not going to ditch me this time and leave me at John's mercy?" Brent asked. He made a point of not moving. He just looked up at Nate seductively.
"Forget it," Nate said and turned to leave.
"No, no. I'm coming," Brent said and jumped up.
Nate smiled at him.
"Don't act like you pulled something over on me," Brent said.
"You were the one playing games."
They told the kids to go get ready and meet them in the garage.
"Where are we going?" Brent asked as the two of them stepped into the garage, and Nate looked over the cars. Every car that had a back seat also had two children's car seats installed. It was a weird sight considering some of them were sports cars.
"We'll take one of these fancy cars you have sitting here and drive up Wayne Road," Nate said.
"To where?" It must not have sounded promising to Brent. Wayne Road would take them past some small towns and into open areas and farmland.
"Just somewhere different for the kids to run around," Nate said.
Brent wasn't won over by this vague plan, but he went along with it anyway. He told Nate to pick out which car they would be taking.
"And I have to drive. I'm the only one who knows where we're going," Nate said.
"When they invent GPS, that will all change," Brent said with a grin. "You know how to drive a stick?"
"What do you think?" Nate told him.
"Then you can have any one of the cars and me too," Brent said.
"The Aston Martin," Nate decided after he made sure there were kids' car seats in the tiny back seat.
"You might want to practice before the kids get in, you don't want to give them whiplash," Brent suggested.
"It's not a jet."
"Compared to your car, yes, it is."
Nate didn't really mind taking a spin in it without having to worry about the kids. Before he left, he told Brent to go help Georgie get ready so she wouldn't end up wearing anything crazy. Then Nate went out the gate and drove around, wearing a smile on his face the whole time. So that's what it's like to drive an awesome car. The responsiveness was even too good considering what he was used to. When he got back, Brent and the kids were waiting in front of the house. Georgie was jittery with impatience.
"Go fast!" Georgie encouraged him after she was strapped into her seat.
"She is never getting a driver's license, is she?" Nate asked.
"Not as long as I have anything to say about it," Brent confirmed.
Georgie wasn't old enough to realize the horror of what they were saying.
Driving this kind of car was like a dream. Nate couldn't believe how good it felt. As they drove out of town, the kids enjoyed the scenery of open fields and distant houses. Sometimes they saw a cow and got all excited. The cow sightings didn't win him any points with Brent.
"What's this place?" Brent asked seeing Nate give a turn signal in front of a roadside diner.
"It's a place where they have killer waffles," Nate said as he turned into the nearly full parking lot. The kids had eaten one breakfast already, but Nate wasn’t about to pass up those waffles.
As they parked, Brent looked around at the other vehicles.
"There is a higher ratio of pickup trucks than I like to see," Brent complained.
"Don't be a snob," Nate said though he knew what he was worried about.
The diner was called Hugh & Hank's, and it was nothing special to look at. Beige vinyl booths with gray tables were lined up in two rows. Some faded photos were on the walls. The diner was full, but another family freed up a table just as they arrived. They grabbed it and looked over the menu.
"The caramel apple topping is unbelievable," Nate said.
"No! Strawberries," Georgie insisted.
"The caramel apple is..."
"Strawberries," Georgie insisted again.
"Suit yourself," Nate told her.
When the waitress came by, Georgie put in her order before anyone else.
"Well, you know what you like, don't you, sweetheart," the waitress said in response to her vehemence.
"Yes," Georgie said proudly.
Brent did order the caramel apple topping for his waffles. Ricky had trouble making up his mind. Georgie tried to help him by yelling, "Strawberries!" in his ear.
"Can he have blueberry, chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream?" Brent asked the waitress. They weren't on the menu.
"Sure. We can make that. No problem," she said.
"How's that?" Brent asked Ricky.
"It's OK, I guess," Ricky said though his eyes had lit up at the mention of the blueberry and chocolate chip combination.
"And we want a dozen of those bacon, cornbread fritters to go," Nate put in just before the waitress left.
Brent was impressed to see how fat and crispy the waffles were. Georgie ate the strawberries and whipped cream first then ate the waffles with her hands but only around the edges. She got her sticky hands on some of the caramel apples and some of Ricky's special pancakes too.
"I will teach her some table manners if it kills me," Nate swore to himself as he took her to clean up in the ladies' room.
When they came out, they found Ricky and Brent by the register. Brent's tip made their waitress raise her eyebrows then she made sure it wasn't a mistake.
"Oh, darn. My mistake. Sorry," Brent said and gave her another twenty on top of that.
"Come back any time," she said as they were leaving.
Taking nicely curving country roads, Nate drove them to their second stop for the day.
When Nate parked, making sure the car wasn't visible from the road, Brent and the kids looked around for their destination. Even when they got out and had a better look, there was nothing to see, or no buildings at least. On one side there was a wooden fence along a field stretching out well into the distance, with no gate in sight. Nate took them the other way. They were following a path, but a tangle of large bushes hid it from view at every turn. Running ahead, the kids enjoyed the adventure of the unfamiliar while Brent looked quizzical.
As the undergrowth thinned out, it was replaced by a forest of young trees that let plenty of sunlight through their branches. Brent heard the river, but the children didn't know what the sound meant. They walked among the trees until they came to a large clearing that finally let them see the river. Greenish from the reflected treetops, it didn't run smooth. Its course was disturbed by rocks and fallen tree branches. Since the riverbank was steep there, Brent and Nate held the children by the hand so they could get a closer look without falling in. The kids then chased each other around in a clearing that ran the length of the river and narrowed further downstream. Following the course of the river, they came across willow trees along the riverbank. Rocks jutted out in some spots forming little ledges that overlooked the water. As they walked by, Nate warned the kids not to get too close to the water's edge.
"If I see you anywhere near those rocks, we are leaving immediately," he told them. He knew those rocks could get slippery from the splashing water and weren't safe to climb.
Ricky took him seriously, but Georgie looked like she wanted to test him. Brent grabbed her by the hand.
"You'll get us in trouble with Nate," Brent told her.
Nate decided the best place to stop was where the riverbank sloped gently toward the water. He saw less chance of the kids falling in there. After Nate told them to stay in sight, the kids went exploring. As Nate secured the bag with their takeout in the crook of a tree, he told Brent how he knew about such a secluded spot.
"A guy I was dating showed me this place. Strictly speaking, we are on private property. But me and him did more we could get arrested for than we are likely to today. So I think we're safe."
"Are you doing this to drive me crazy? Let's revisit all your old fuck spots!" Brent said as he took a seat on a trunk of a fallen tree.
"Keep your voice down. This is wholesome, family time, nothing like the wild make-out sessions I had here before," Nate said with a sigh.
"You brought me here to torture me." Brent knew Nate was taunting him.
"Want to play hide and seek?"
Brent glared at him.
"There are so many games I want to play with you," Brent grumbled.
Nate smiled at him. Brent looked up from his pout just in time to catch that smile. He looked a little surprised. Nate didn't see why. Guys probably smiled at him all the time.
Some shrieking from the kids made them both turn their heads, but the kids were just enjoying nature. Ricky was already up a tree. He was throwing down some white flowers to Georgie. She couldn't catch any of them so she screamed. There was also some jeering from Ricky as well as sound effects like the flowers were grenades or something. While the kids were demolishing nature, Nate and Brent sat together on the grass close to the water's edge. Across the river, shrubs and trees grew thick and wild, crowding the shore.
"He's a picky eater," Nate said remembering their second breakfast as well as other occasions when Ricky wanted something specific and wouldn't even consider something new. Georgie wasn’t usually as strict as this morning, and in the end, she sampled a little bit of everything.
"He knows what he likes," said Brent, who was obviously happy to indulge him.
"Maybe he should expand his horizons." Nate wasn't just talking about food.
"I don't lik
e to push him."
Nate couldn't tell from his answer if he picked up on his other meaning.
"I noticed," Nate said pointedly.
Now Brent knew that Nate was talking about something else.
"You want to tell me something?" Brent asked and nudged his shoulder to encourage him. He seemed ready to listen, which surprised Nate a little. Sometimes Brent seemed so young to him. Nate decided that instead of giving Brent his two cents, he would hear him out on the subject of Ricky.
"Why don't you want to push him?" Nate asked.
"I don't need to. You shouldn't underestimate by boy," Brent said with a proud smile. "He's just doing what he needs to do."
"And he needs to keep you at arm's length?"
"It's a wise child who knows his own father," Brent said with a sigh.
Nate turned to him in surprise.
"And what are you trying to say with that?" Nate asked.
"In my gloomier moments, I'm convinced that Ricky can see my failings. That he knows he can't trust me to take care of him."
"And in your sane moments?"
"That's when I know that Ricky is just a stubborn little guy who knows that I love him. And that he'll come around on his own terms." As he spoke, Brent had a melancholy but somehow confident smile on his face.
Nate was skeptical about his approach, but he wasn't going to argue. He had the impression that Brent's certainty about Ricky wasn't based on his own parenting skills but solely on his faith in Ricky.
"I like how you believe in that kid. You are a better dad than you realize. Why doesn't he just call you dad?"
"I think because I adopted him when Greta was dying. She told Ricky it was so he would have someone to take care of him after she was gone. Greta didn't consider anyone in her family good enough to take him. Plus most of her mother's people are in Germany, most of her father's in Argentina. She didn't want to send him so far away to be with relatives he didn't know."
