They drove to the shop Luc suggested and were surprised when it was so small and quite unremarkable outside; inside the jeans and underwear selections were amazing. While a young fellow was helping Alex select jeans—and enjoying every minute of it if the tent in the front of his jeans was any indication—Josh was busy selecting sexy underwear for the two of them when Winston called. He and the dealer had reached agreement on a GMC. "Kinda surprised a GMC turned out to be the best deal and the best truck for the job," he said, "but it did."
"The color?" Josh asked.
"Well, that's one reason we got the deal we did. A guy had ordered the truck with just primer so he could have a custom paint job. There are four or more coats of electric blue metallic on the truck. The dealer says it looks as if you could plunge your hand in it. Anyway, the guy who ordered the truck prepaid for the paint job and earnest money—five thousand—then backed out of the deal. The dealer says if you met the wife you'd understand why as she pitched a hissy fit in the showroom. Anyway, seems no one wants a truck that fancy so he's had it almost a year and was happy to unload it. We got a deal.
I called the trailer guy to give him the paint information and to check on prices again. He said he got a nearly new four-horse trailer after I talked with him the first time. 'It's in good shape other than the fact that it needs to be cleaned up, and needs new tires and a paint job. Looks like someone deliberately scratched it up. Will make you a real deal on it.'
"I asked about the body work. I gave him the paint code and told him we'd need at least four coats. He named a price that was about three-fourths again as much as the new two-horse trailer, but I told him I'd have to think about it. Half an hour later he called and said we could have it for a half as much again as the two-horse one if we'd handle getting new tires for it. The ones on it were not worn, but dry rotten. I told him if he had it ready by Tuesday at five with no less that three coats of paint and a clear coat—and reminded him there were logos involved—we'd take it. He did stipulate that the design for the logos had to reach him before five tomorrow. By the way, talking about the truck… if it can be added it has been, including satellite radio."
"Winston, you are the man."
"Yeah, well, you just have to know what the deal is to get a deal," he laughed.
"How's Susan and the boys?"
"All growing," Winston said, laughing again.
"Hug them all for Alex and me."
"I will."
Josh called Linda and gave her detailed paint information and she said she would have the logo ready for first approval by noon the next day. "I can get him the final in a couple hours after that unless there are major changes."
"Good," Josh said.
Alex and Josh finished shopping and went back to the apartment. As soon as they arrived, Alex tossed some of his new clothes in the washer. "I guess I'll never learn to like to wear washable things before they are washed to get all the extra finishing stuff out of them." That done, the two sat on the couch and started making out. A few minutes later, clothes came off and making out advanced to serious love making. Wrapped in each other's arms and legs, the two were soon asleep without having cleaned up after each had experienced a very satisfying climax—twice.
They were awakened at six by the phone. Josh managed to untangle himself and pick it up. "Josh here."
"Josh, Cândido. Would you and Alex be interested in dinner? Luc and I are going to a small cafe we enjoy. Not fine dining, but good food. We'll just have a quiet dinner and hit the bed early. We might even get some sleep."
"Let me check with Alex. Barefoot Boy, it's Cândido. He wants to know if you and I would like to join Luc and him for a quiet, early supper. Says they plan to have an early dinner, hit the bed early and might even get to sleep.
Alex took the phone from Josh and said, "Cândido, Alex. Seems you have got your man on the right track these days … Good man. I'm still trying to get mine under control." He turned to Josh and said, "Cândido says the secret is to wear you out in bed … Cândido I'm trying, but right now he is in better shape than I am … We'd be delighted … See you then." Alex hung up the phone. "He said to meet them at their place in half an hour and that the cafe is very casual; jeans are fine."
"Ok, throw a pair of those new jeans in the drier. They have time to dry and I want to see your hot ass in them."
"How about your hot ass?"
"I'll try not to disappoint."
When the two were dressed and ready to leave, no one would have been disappointed in them except anyone expecting to get it on with one of the hot studs because it was obvious as they walked out the door that they were taken.
They walked next door and when they knocked, Cândido invited them in. He was not disappointing either, in well-fitting jeans and polo shirt. "Come in," he said as he hugged each of them. "It is really good to see you both and you looking so well, Alex. How has it been?"
"Bad question unless you want to be here all night," Alex responded. "I was in North Carolina until last Monday."
"No one could have told you the beauty of that place, could they? There is also much positive power and good spirit there. I am sure it was very healing for you. One day I will return; soon, I hope."
"Because I did so well there, last week in Boulder was not fun, but I am almost back to nor– well…" Alex leaned over toward Cândido and said in a loud whisper, "Lover Boy here gets upset when I say I'm almost normal."
"I agree," Luc said. "Who wants to be normal, whatever that is. Come on in and have a seat. What do you want to drink?"
"A nice red?" Josh asked.
"Indeed. For you Alex?"
"I guess a half glass of red as well. I am still on a small dose of a med which increases the effects of alcohol."
"You guys can sample some exquisite wine the next time you are in NC," Josh said. "We have a wine cellar with over three thousand bottles." He then told Luc and Cândido about Elijah's wine collection.
They chatted about Sentinel Mountain and about the anticipated reopening of Boys' Camp. "I think that generic kind of name will be changed," Josh said. "Several people asked about that and when I broached the subject, it was something the Mountain people had thought about. I mean, for all of its life it has been Boys' Camp."
"Something to honor Elijah, I hope. I remember the lesson from the Hebrew scriptures a few Sundays ago was about Elijah and a fiery chariot. How about calling it Elijah's Chariot?" Cândido asked. "The lesson tells the story of Elijah who, before he was taken into heaven by a fiery chariot, was asked by Elisha for double his spirit and it was granted to him. Elijah was taken to a better place and Elisha had double his spiritual power. Maybe the institution should be called Elijah's Chariot," Cândido said.
"I kinda like that, Dido," Luc said (this was the first time Luc had used his pet name for Cândido in front of Josh and Alex), "but I was thinking more in terms of the whole place and thought about Elijah's House."
"Strange, Alex came up with much the same idea by a different route suggesting Elijah's Camp and that the boys be called Elijah's Sons or Sons of Elijah," Josh said.
"I do like the idea," he added, "and I think House of Elijah and Sons of Elijah. I talked to Rob and asked him to discuss names with the folks on the Mountain and have them think about it. I'll give him a call and toss in Elijah's Chariot. As I told Rob, they will have the final say. So, Cândido, how is your life these days? It seems like you are left out with Luc and me involved with Blankenship and Alex and me with Sentinel Mountain."
"I'm not the problem," Luc said. "Thanks to the CEO of Blankenship who did some marriage counseling, things are good, but maybe he needs to have a talk with my husband."
Cândido kissed him, chuckled and said, "Actually, I must confess, I am the one that has been busy running all over the place doing lecture series. I stopped teaching last semester because of the hassle from bureaucratic bullshit and lazy students. I am used to freshmen taking a semester to get serious. Even after that thinking more about partying than academics was pretty much to be expected, but my graduate students acted more like undergraduates than serious candidates for advanced degrees.
"After my second guest lecture series, I took another look at teaching and it couldn't compare with a lecture series which has in attendance, for the most part, people who are interested and knowledgeable. I especially enjoy elders who, now that they have time, really dig into a subject." He laughed, "I have encountered a few wise women I would love to see have a go at Claude Levi-Strauss! I met one in south Georgia who spoke Bororo with the most delightful southern accent, but still I am away a week at the time and, I guess Luc and I are still on our honeymoon."
Josh was afraid Alex was stepping in quicksand when he asked Cândido about Levi-Strauss, but Cândido simply said he couldn't understand how someone could spend a short time with his mother's people without understanding the language and write intelligently about them."And in truth, to give the guy credit, he had a way of dealing with people and their lives which didn't require a lot of knowledge of them. Maybe we'll have an opportunity to talk about, not Levi-Strauss, but my mother's—and my—people soon. I have been contacted about an extended lecture series at Mountain State University in Crockett and if we can work out dates and money, I'll do it. I'd do a lecture/question and answer session three evenings a week for two weeks. Recalling how much we enjoyed our time on the Mountain, I have asked that the nights be concurrent and preferably Monday through Wednesday or Wednesday through Friday. That way I might be able to convince the Kings of the Mountain—Luc told me of your new title—that a live-in anthropologist for a weekend or two might have an advantage to the kingdom, if nothing more than to reduce the inventory of an overfilled wine cellar. Then if I could get my husband to fly in for at least one of those long weekends, life would be a dream." Cândido sang the last phrase.
Josh said, "I'm not sure the kings would have any say about that! I am sure the empress of the castle would not allow the kings a minute's peace if they didn't provide royal accommodations for 'that wonderful black Indian and his sweet husband', although she doesn't understand how they can both be husbands."
"Which reminds me, oh Light of my Life," Alex said, "I noticed I have been being introduced as your husband, not that I mind at all."
"Well, maybe not legally, but to my mind you are my husband and it sure clears up a lot of trying to describe our relationship. It cuts right to the heart of the matter."
Alex nodded, kissed Josh and said, "It does, husband of mine.
"Well, if we have all the relationships in good repair," Luc said, "it's a pleasant night, so if you two will grab light jackets, we'll walk to the restaurant. It's only a few blocks… unless it will be too much for you after your flight and all."
"We're fine," Alex said.
"Yeah," Josh added. "We went to bed and we did sleep."
"Well," Alex said very slowly, "that's not exactly how it was, but even though we never made it to the bed, we did sleep."
The restaurant was small, but beautifully decorated, the service without reproach, and the food very good. Luc and Cândido both had prime rib, but Josh and Alex chose seafood since they had lots of beef in North Carolina. Getting decent seafood there was not easy.
After a leisurely dinner, they strolled through the area, something Josh had not done since moving to this part of the city. As they approached their building, a car went speeding up the street. Cândido said, "I guess it's just a primitive jungle dweller's instincts, but intentional or not, that car had been following us ever since we left the apartment."
When they reached their floor, Alex said, "Would you two like an after dinner drink and coffee? I'm sure Josh has something."
"Sure, but only for that. I promised Luc I would get him to bed early."
It was shortly after nine when they left and Alec and Josh got ready for bed. "I have meant to ask you, Josh, where did all the beautiful Asian artifacts come from? Did you manage to hang on to them after you were fired or buy them after you went back to Blankenship? Are those swords above the bed real?"
"Whoa! One question at a time! I bought them after I went back to Blankenship. They are from Kelly's office. I had admired them from the day I went into his office for my interview. When I took over, I took the Old Man's office and left it pretty much as it was because I spent little time in it when I was getting the company back on its feet. Luc took over Kelly's office and Cândido selected the art for it—all Brazilian—and the Asian things were up for grabs so I got them for next to nothing. And yes, I don't know how Kelly got them, but those are authentic samurai swords. I am sure it would take little effort to slice a man in half with one of those, but I want my man in one piece." He kissed Alex deeply, which began another round of wonderful lovemaking.
Editors: Jesse and Scott.
As always, I own the copyright, so no use beyond personal copy, without permission. If you are too young or whatever to read literature which may describe explicit sex, don't or take any consequences.
All persons and places are fictional and any similarity to persons or places living or dead is coincidental. Again, it's fiction, folks.
~ Sequoyah