“Winging It”

By: Pee Jay
(© 2010-2011 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 10
"Prudence Pays a Dividend"
 

The airplane ride to Springfield was all together too quiet for John's liking; he was growing more worried with every silent minute. He was thinking and thinking far too much for his well being. He managed to work himself into a state of nervous anxiety. He convinced himself that he had upset Adam to the point where he may no longer want to be with him. His armpits had wet spots the size of pancakes and he was beginning to shudder from time to time; his hangover wasn't helping matters either. He would sneak a look at Adam every so often, who was maintaining a blank expression, alternating his attention between the instrument panel and the windshield.

Adam was well aware of John's ambivalence. What he failed to realize though, was the depth and breadth of John's self-imposed anguish. John cleared his throat a few times as if he were going to speak but never did, which made Adam smile inwardly, "Yeah," he thought to himself, "let him squirm." Adam kept his hands on the yoke so John wouldn't be tempted to take hold of it but was getting tired of flying the plane manually, so he set and engaged the autopilot.

An hour or so from home, John couldn't stand it anymore; he was going crazy. "Adam?"

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"How come you're so quiet?" John eked out in a docile voice.

That did it. Adam had to smile and look at John; it had been building up too long to repress. When he turned to John, he was appalled at the sight of him. John had worry lines in his face and looked like he might start crying at any moment. His armpits were wet half way to his belt and he was fidgeting with a pencil, rolling it between his fingers. He looked ten years older.

"John, are you okay?"

The sincerity in Adam's voice threw John off. He thought Adam was mad and not sure how to interpret his question; he was confused.

"I'm not sure. I don't feel so good."

Adam decided to end his ruse; John had obviously been beating himself up enough. Adam took John's hand and raised it to his lips and kissed it then held it tight to his chest before lowering it to his lap. He was concerned for John.

John turned to look at Adam, who was wearing a devilish grin on his face, which only served to baffle John further. John decided to get some clarification, "What's so funny?" He asked.

"You, you're too much."

"What do you mean? Aren't you mad?"

"Yeah ... I'm mad about you." Then Adam flashed an ear-to-ear grin at John.

John felt relief overcome him like a morning shower, cleansing him of the guilt and doubt that festered inside. He exhaled as he discharged every dreadful thought he fostered for the last few hours. He felt consolation and solace at the respite he had been given; he was light and ethereal as if he had been set free, a long drawn out sigh escaped him.

"So you're not mad?" John asked.

"No, why would I be mad?"

John thought about it, "If Adam wasn't mad, then why the silent treatment?" John surmised that Adam had been toying with him; he had been playing John like a maestro plays his instrument and John bought into it.

"Hon, that wasn't even close to funny; that was mean. You had me worried sick," John said. He was too relieved to be angry and a little too close to tears at the thought of losing his boy. It may as well have been a brush with death; that's how scary it was in John's mind.

John leaned over for a reassuring peck on the mouth and got it. He squeezed Adam's hand then sighed as he eased back in his seat; he didn't want to revisit those thoughts again-ever- it was too dour. He closed his eyes and let the drone of the engines lull him to sleep; secure in the knowledge that he still belonged to Adam.

When they made it home and upstairs, Adam punched the playback button on the answering machine. There was a message from Jim and Dave, another from Adam's mother, and one from John's mother. Adam returned the calls while John unpacked and put their things away. John turned the air conditioning on, put a CD on the sound system, then took a leak while Adam talked on the phone with Jim then his mother.

When Adam hung up, he said, "Mom wants to come and visit again. This time she wants to bring the old man."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her it was okay and reminded her that the apartment only has one bedroom."

"Your Mom knows about the sofa-bed though."

"Yeah, she said it was okay for her, but too small for the two of them. I'm glad, too. I don't want the old man staying here."

"Me either. We aren't the best of friends."

"Don't worry. He doesn't stray much farther than what Mom allows. She controls the largest single block of voting stock where Dad works. Actually, she's the last of the Lemieux's and sits on the board. Dad more or less works for her." Then Adam chuckled at the thought.

"That still doesn't make him easy to get along with. And Hon, I had no idea your mother was from that kind of stock. I mean she's classy, handles herself well and all that. She surely doesn't come off as being privileged or stuck on herself...you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, well that's Mom and she's always been like that. One thing about her though, if she likes you, you're good; if she doesn't, then she can be cold as ice, and she likes you. So are you gonna call your mother back?"

"Yeah, I don't know how she got this number. I haven't talked to her in so long; I don't remember when. I feel like ordering Chinese food before I return the call; are you okay with that?"

"Yeah," Adam said then left for the bedroom to change clothes.

John sat at the snack bar in the kitchen and ordered dinner. When he finished, he called home. After a couple rings, his mother answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Hi Mom, it's John."

"Hi John, how are you? It's been a long time since you called. Why do I have to be the one to call?"

"Oh, no real reason, Mom. I've been busy with work."

"That's funny, I called your office and they told me you don't work there anymore. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Mom; I apologize for not calling sooner. How did you get the number?"

"Your sister gave it to me."

John chatted with his mother and she asked if he was coming home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. John told her that he wasn't. He told her he made other plans and felt bad about it. He loved his mother; she was near and dear to him, but his bigoted father was more than he cared to deal with. He had listened to enough of his slurs over the years; he didn't want to hear any more of it. As far as he was concerned, his father was rude and crude and he had no need or use for him; love and affection was the last thing that came to mind.

His mother seized the moment and said, "How is Adam?"

John froze inside. He was stunned and speechless; he was blindsided. He didn't know where that came from; his sister was the only one who knew about Adam. And so it dawned on him that his sister had spilled the beans. It made him angry. He wanted to call and tell her to keep her big mouth closed or lambaste her; and he might have if it weren't for the fact she lived in California.

John monopolized the conversation for a few more minutes, and then promised to call in a few days. They hung up allowing John to breathe a sigh of relief. His mother aside, the last person he wanted to see was his father, especially with his situation exposed. He thought there was a good chance he would never go home again, at least as long as his father was alive.

When the doorbell rang, Adam went downstairs to answer the door and pay for the food. Upstairs, they traded containers sampling and eating from each one when the other wasn't scooping from it.

When Adam had enough, he kissed John then went to bed. John put the leftovers in the fridge then sat on the sofa to watch TV for awhile. After cycling through his favorite stations and finding nothing of interest, John went to bed and snuggled up to Adam; it was nice to be home in their own bed.

Monday was a little on the slow side as usual. Adam moved the airplanes out of the hangar then tended the office while John cut the grass and cleaned the place. Larry was busy giving lessons to University students.

When John finished cleaning, he sat on the desk to talk with Adam. "Hon, do you have a problem with me hiring some clerical help?"

"No, not at all. I thought we decided to hire another instructor so I could help in the office."
"Yeah, we did. It may be awhile before that happens. I don't feel productive sitting around the office doing menial tasks. It only takes a couple hours to do the books for the month then all I do is take reservations for the clients that don't do it over the Internet. In the meantime, I could be out there chasing business so we can justify the King Air. Let's put the word out; you know, start mentioning it to the students. Maybe someone knows someone type thing."
"Okay, I will."

"Good, I'm going to bring in so much business we're going to be pulling our hair out."

And so they let it be known that there was a need for a clerical type person. One of the students mentioned his wife and after talking with her, Adam agreed to hire her. She was a quick study and picked up on operations in no time; she proved to be an asset. Her name was Angie. She was bright, witty, energetic, and self-confident. She didn't have a problem with the gay thing; John made sure of that before they hired her. She was a pretty girl that smiled easily and disarmed people before she spoke; she reminded John a lot of Adam in that regard. In addition to clerical functions, John had her doing the cleaning including the windows and the apartment upstairs and she seemed to like the job.

John had some glossy promotional brochures printed with pictures of planes aloft and employee portraits with short bios. The printer made suggestions and John went for them; he wanted the material to be classy and worthy of the price they planned to charge. Then, he set about the task of drumming up additional business. Since they were in the state capitol, he began calling on every department he could identify. In an austerity move, the State of Illinois had trimmed their fleet to two airplanes and one was reserved for the exclusive use of the Governor. The message seemed to be lost on the legislators; they proved especially loose with taxpayer funds. John was able to book enough business to keep the Aztec aloft well into the New Year.

After they talked, John placed an ad in a trade journal for another flight instructor and the response was much better than they anticipated. They were hurting for an instructor since Adam was spending all his time flying charters.

The students were beginning to complain about the schedule being constantly full and that was bad; instructing was the bread and butter of their business. Adam sorted through the responses and narrowed it down to three candidates. He and John interviewed them then Adam made the final decision, which was fine with John. Adam told John that the one he liked could be checked out in the Aztec in a few hours if need be.

As hectic as things were, John still had the urge to pursue new business but Adam put a halt to his plan; in his opinion, they were too busy as it was. John liked the sound of that and decided to respect Adam's wishes. He was going to let things run as they were for awhile until everyone got comfortable with the way things were.

And things were going well; the business was firing on all cylinders and the money was pouring in. Angie was a big help but occupying the office downstairs full time. John talked with Adam and they decided to make an office for themselves upstairs in the far corner of the apartment.

They hired the same cabinet company that did the bar and the outcome was tasteful and consistent with the apartment; it looked good. They had computers and telephones installed along with Internet connections. It was a nice arrangement. They sat facing each other while looking to the side out over the airport. They were able to talk on the phone and hold private conversations without outside interference.

They decided to sell the oldest 172-a four place Cessna general aviation aircraft-and bought another 152; a Cessna two place trainer. The training side of their business was generating enough income to support them nicely by itself. Adam took the new instructor up for a few hours and checked him out in the Aztec, so he could fill in when he and Larry were busy; it was required by law as well as the insurance company.

A week before the Thanksgiving holiday, John and Adam were sitting in their office upstairs after everyone left for the day. John got up and went over to the bar to make himself a drink. He asked Adam if he wanted one and Adam said, "Yes, make it a double." John smiled. He knew Adam had been working hard.

"Hon, we haven't made any plans for Thanksgiving. Do you have any ideas?" John asked as he put the two drinks on the bar then came around to sit next to Adam.

"No. Christ, it's been so damn busy I haven't had time to think." Adam stood and squeezed John from behind, grabbed his crotch, and kissed his neck. When he finished, he took a seat beside him. "For some reason, I have the feeling you do though. Am I right?"

"Geez, you know me too well. Okay, there's a used King Air for sale in Florida. It's been on the market for almost nine months. I called yesterday and it's still for sale and it's priced about two hundred grand cheaper than anything comparable; I'm guessing the owners would like to get rid of it. The down side is; there's less than a hundred hours to TBO." (Time to be Overhauled).

"That doesn't leave enough service time to pay for the overhaul."

"Right. Anyway, I talked with the broker and he said we might be able to get the price reduced to compensate for it."

"How old is the plane?"

"Ten years and it has that champagne interior; I forget the name of the color scheme. The exterior is hot; it has those elongated stripes down the fuselage and the top of the T-tail-it's sweet. It looks like it's doing five hundred knots just sitting on the ramp. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, it comes with a throne for the pilot's seat." John couldn't resist a hearty laugh.

Adam clipped John on the back of the head then they both laughed some more.

"Who owns it?"

"The broker said it was part of a corporate fleet; he wouldn't divulge the name. He did say the company upgraded it with a Gulfstream."

"No shit! Must be some serious cash there, how 'bout the avionics?"

"Collins, state of the art."

"Do you think we should look at it?"

"I was thinking it couldn't hurt."

"Hell, it doesn't cost much to check it out." Adam said.

"That's what I was thinking and we don't have any plans for Thanksgiving. Would you rather take the Aztec or go commercial?"

"Where in Florida is it?"

"Opa Locka Executive."

"Shit, that's basically Miami. That's a long haul in the Aztec, maybe eight hours or more. And that doesn't take into account the weather. I think it would be cheaper and faster to go commercial and we wouldn't be so tired when we get home."

"I agree. Let's do it."

And so they did. They both had a legitimate excuse to offer the family for the holidays and that eased their consciences, especially Adam's. John made it clear to Adam that they would fly coach, stay in an inexpensive motel, and rent a subcompact car. John said he didn't want to create the illusion of wealth or deep pockets; he was planning to squeeze and squeeze hard should they decide to pursue the deal.

Two days before they were set to leave, the broker called John wanting a letter of credit. John got pissed-off and told the broker that it was short notice and if he required a letter of credit; then he could shove the deal. He told the broker they would not pursue something they couldn't afford and the airline tickets were non-refundable. The broker apologized then John reminded him of the commission he stood to collect should the sale go through.

When they hung up, John thought, "Fucking brokers-whores that they are-making their living off the backs of others with no investment or risk; plug in a phone and you're in business; a mouthpiece, nothing more!" Then he paced their apartment for a few minutes until he cooled off.

It was Wednesday night and they were slated to leave Thursday morning, which was Thanksgiving Day and inspect the King Air Friday. They planned to fly back Saturday afternoon and spend a quiet Sunday at home.

Adam decided to make dinner that evening. He was growing tired of carry out and delivered meals; he craved home cooking. He wanted to make meatloaf because he said he missed it and liked it; but neither he nor John knew how to prepare it. As a kid, the housekeeper was also the cook and Adam missed her meals. Neither one wanted to call home for the recipe so they got on the Internet and found one that looked tasty and easy enough to follow.

John was watching Adam prepare the dish for the oven; it was amusing. He was getting frustrated. Adam kept referring to the recipe every two minutes. John couldn't help but smile; he was wondering what Adam would look like naked and wearing an apron with that cute pert butt sticking out behind him.

"Okay, what's so funny?" Adam wanted to know.

"You. I was wondering what you would look like naked wearing that apron."

"Fuck John, you should be doing this. I've been flying all day and you've been sitting on your ass in the office."

"Hon, that's not fair. We're both doing our part."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that. You could at least read it to me as I go."

John got up, walked over to Adam, then hugged him from behind. He kissed the small of his neck, left his head there, then made an 'mmm' sound and kissed him again. Adam turned around, pulled John in for a hug holding him for a few moments.

"Babe, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean it like it sounded. Okay?"

"It's okay. Maybe we should skip looking at the King Air. It's going to create more stress around here and it's not worth it if one of us is unhappy; screw the money."

"Let's look anyway. We need to get away from here for awhile."

"Do you think it would be better if we didn't live here? You know, find a place away from the airport and work?"

"Maybe, but I really like it here. I like the apartment and everything about it."

"Me too, Hon," John said pulling Adam's head to his shoulder then he ran his fingers through his hair. "Me, too."

The next day, they drove to the passenger terminal and boarded their flight; it was Thanksgiving and the airport wasn't terribly busy, most travelers had made it to their destination. The flight stopped in Chicago and then continued nonstop to Miami. Adam was moaning about the cheap car and motel and John felt bad about it; not bad enough to change though; sorry because he had to put Adam through it.

When they checked in, there was a note from the broker asking them to call when they arrived. They made it to their room then Adam called the broker. He said they arrived safely and would see him in the morning at Opa Locka Executive; they were to meet in the general aviation terminal. The broker would be holding a placard with the word "Hughes" written on it.

The two had dinner at a chain restaurant then returned to their room to watch TV. John was bored with television so he scooted further down in bed, kissed Adam, then rested his head on the pillow for the night. Adam was tired and decided to join his handsome hunk so he turned the light off. He pulled himself tight to John's backside placing an arm and a leg over him, pushing his stiff dick into the crack of John's backside. After some time, they fell asleep.

The next morning the phone rang, so John rolled over to answer it. It was the automated wake-up call they requested. John replaced the phone in its receiver, scooted closer to Adam, then wrapped his arms and legs around him. He kissed his boy then closed his eyes again as he held him fast.

"Babe, are you going to start the coffee maker?"

"No, and neither are you. We're staying here all day," John said then tightened his hold on his boy.

Adam turned to face John, kissed him around the face and neck, and then climbed on top of him. He pushed his morning erection into John's crotch and John pushed his hips upward forcing his erection against Adam's; he wanted him whenever Adam was ready. They explored each other's body moving hands and fingers to all the right places; touching, kneading and caressing. They were feeling the passion that love alone could fuel and ground into one another with a fervor that only orgasm could surfeit. Adam pushed John's knees up to his chest and slid down placing his hard-on between John's firm cheeks. With John's legs over his shoulders, Adam stroked the firm concave cavity on the side of John's ass causing his erect penis to jump; he couldn't wait to get inside of his handsome dude. He took the lube and greased John, then himself.

He was positioned over John, then applied steady pressure, anticipating and yearning for the object of his desire. He slipped inside John slowly and gently. John made an audible gasp and pushed down on Adam forcing him in deeper, wanting his boy inside of him.

John relaxed looking Adam in the eye as they made a silent exchange, it was clear they wanted the same thing. Adam bent down and kissed John on the neck. He rose up and began to slowly move in and out of John. John was rolling his head from side to side, filled with the pleasure of his boy and his boy's longing for him.

"Fuck me, Adam. Fuck me hard."

That was all the encouragement Adam needed. He had a faint smile cross his face and began to pump John slowly at first then faster and harder giving it all he was worth as his want and need overtook him. He pounded into John loving the feel of his strong muscular ass around his hard shaft. He forged hard inside John only to pull back and ram him again and again, arching his back with every thrust; searching for the bottom, seeking the depths of titillation.

John moaned with pleasure having his lover boy poke and stab him in his gut with his hardness; longing for the next drive, needing it. John rolled his head from side to side as Adam drove into him faster and harder, time and again, pounding him, ramming him. John, loving the hardness of his boy buried inside, filling him up, making him whole.

Adam's pistoning began to slow as his shaft swelled inside John; feeling the nectar beginning its journey up and out. Adam voiced a loud moan and began to fill John with his juice pumping into him with every thrust; John's legs spread as far as he could manage.

John felt the pulse and release of his boy inside him and it sent him over the edge. He began to jettison his load onto his chest and stomach never touching himself, needing only the feel of his boy filling and completing him. They gasped and moaned with every release until there was nothing more to spend then Adam collapsed; satisfied and whole, complete and content. Lost in fulfillment and very much apprised of John's satisfaction, catching their breath.

Adam slowly shrank from John then reclined next to him on the bed with his arm and leg over John. He put his hand behind John's head and kissed him on the mouth then pulled him close and inhaled him. They lay side by side, arm in arm embracing, feeling, and occasionally kissing and happy; content to be in the company of the other, needing nothing and no one.

"I love you," Adam said softly.

"I love you too stud boy," then John returned his kiss. "A whole lot."

After a few minutes John got out of bed to start the coffee maker in the bathroom; there was no room service at the motel. Adam watched John as he walked around the bed and stroked himself at the sight of John's muscular ass with the dimples in his cheeks working as he walked, it was hot and sexy to Adam's eye and mind. Adam thought it was the semblance of the perfect male ass making his dick jump.

They took turns in the bathroom then packed their things after they dressed. When each one finished and they were ready to leave, Adam stopped John at the door for a heartfelt embrace, which they both held for a moment; it was an affirmation of their bond. They made their way to the front desk to pay and partake in the continental breakfast in the motel lobby. Adam was good about not commenting on the facility and John appreciated it.

Adam seemed to understand and concur with the reason for the spartan accommodations, that didn't mean he had to like it. For whatever reason, it didn't seem like a big thing; he was with John and that was good enough for him.

They finished their coffee and bagel then re-filled their coffee for the ride to the airport. It was a short drive and they talked in the car as they drove. Adam was upbeat as usual and John was wary, he harbored some misgivings for the broker they were going to meet.

"Hon, regardless of how things go; let's not give any indication, one way or the other, of our intentions today, okay?"

"Yeah sure. We need to talk it over anyway."

"Yeah, and I would never agree to anything without us talking. That's what we'll tell him if he pushes too hard. No fucking way are we going to make a decision worth one point eight million on the spot or under duress, no way."

"I agree and I expect him to push, too. From the couple times I've spoken to him, he seems like the type that would," Adam said. He was aware that John had several conversations with the broker. John had also told him about the incident regarding the letter of credit.

"Yeah, he's after the commission. He doesn't give a shit what happens to us beyond that. He's a fucking whore." John made the last statement with such conviction that it caused Adam to look at John and grin.

John glanced at Adam and said, "What?"

"He's not just a whore; he's a fucking whore!" Adam emphasized the f-word then laughed.

John smiled. He got the message and realized he was a bit emphatic with his characterization. Then he said, "Hon, if there's anything you want to discuss without him nearby we can ask him to give us a few minutes alone. I don't think there's anything rude about that given the amount of money involved."

"No problem."

Adam pulled the rental car into the parking lot of the general aviation terminal and found a parking place. He turned the engine off then looked at John; he wasn't the least bit nervous. He was still amazed that he and John had come so far and that they were actually considering buying a turbo-prop, a King Air! He knew it was primarily John's stewardship that had brought them there; and he couldn't help but feel proud of his handsome hunk.

He leaned toward John and kissed him, "You're something else babe, you know that?"

John knew what the comment was about and where he was coming from; he was thinking the same thing, too. He ran his fingers through Adam's hair and said, "Hon, it took both of us to get here; remember that. It takes two," and with that John hugged Adam with one arm in the sub-compact car, which was a feat in and of itself.

"Okay Babe, let's give 'em hell," Adam said opening his door.

They crossed the parking lot and entered the general aviation terminal, scanning the concourse as they walked. It was much larger than either one expected with a great deal of people milling about. Adam spied a fat squatty older guy holding a sign that read 'Hughes' and drew John's attention to it. They crossed the terminal in the man's direction. As they approached him, John said, "Alan Schwartz?"

"Yes," the man said.

John extended his hand and said, "I'm John Turner and this is my partner, Adam Felstow."

Schwartz shook both their hands as he smiled, "Nice to meet you guys. I didn't expect someone so young. Hell, you're just kids."

"You have a problem selling a King Air to kids?" John asked.

Schwarz began to fall all over himself trying to explain his intended meaning and surprise. John loved it. He thought with a jerk like Schwartz, the best defense was a good offense; and he was right, it worked. Schwartz was apologizing profusely as John smiled inwardly, patting himself on the back.

When Schwartz was satisfied with his retraction, he bade the guys in the direction of the tarmac and escorted them out of the terminal. He had his arm around John as they walked and John couldn't help thinking he was going to look at a used car and not an airplane; much less one that would be pushing two million with sales tax and transfer fees. He wondered if the guys polyester sport coat would make him itch before he removed his arm and smiled.

The smile wasn't lost on Schwartz; he picked up on it and patted John on the back before he lowered his arm to his side.

As they walked toward one end of the field, Adam was sizing Schwartz up. The old fart was shorter than either of them and somewhat hunched over as he walked. He needed to see his barber and get on a weight loss regimen, too; he needed both of them badly. Adam chuckled aloud as he realized the way Schwartz's mannerisms reminded him of Rodney Dangerfield, God rest his soul; then his body hiccupped as he stifled a laugh.

When they reached the hangar where the King Air was housed, Schwartz held the door for them and they went inside. He turned the quartz lights on then an audible bang from the contacts engaging echoed throughout the large structure. John and Adam looked at the ceiling where the noise originated. They were captivated by the enormity of the space. The lights hung from the domed structure fashioned from steel struts with panes of glass between them. The hangar was old but they couldn't help being impressed; it was much larger than their hangar back in Springfield.

Schwartz escorted them to the airplane as the lights heated up to a glow. Both of the guys were in awe of the plane. It shone as though it were new and the striping gave the illusion of motion as it stood tall and proud, proclaiming its majesty. Adam walked over to the engine cowling and stroked it as if it were a soft delicate flower, not wanting to knock the petals off. John took his cell phone out and captured the scene with a photo; his boy was too cute for words.

Schwartz launched into his spiel and the guys listened as they paced around the exterior of the plane. There wasn't a speck of dust or dirt anywhere to be found, not even on the tires. John couldn't help thinking it looked new though he was well aware of its ten years of service; it appeared to have been hangared the whole time, and that was worth something.

When they completed their inspection of the exterior, Schwartz motioned toward the stairs and they climbed inside the plane. The interior was spotless; not a smudge or trace of a spill anywhere on the carpeting or upholstery. In a word, it was clean. Adam turned his interest to the cockpit taking the pilot's seat. He was close to drooling as he surveyed the avionics. They were state of the art and sophisticated; he understood all of it. He adjusted the seat to fit then took the yoke in his hands as he imagined himself at or near the service ceiling of thirty-five thousand feet, almost seven miles above mean sea level (MSL).

It was too much for him. He turned to John who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat and beamed a broad grin at him. John willed himself to resist his boy's exuberance but had to give in; he wanted to grab hold of him so bad he could hardly stand it.

Something about the exchange between the two struck Schwartz as odd. He wasn't sure why they were looking at each other like that. And the way they smiled at one another; that wasn't the way friends or business partners interacted. He began to grow suspicious.

"Well how's 'bout it boys?" Schwartz asked. "You want to take her home with you?" He asked then let an insincere chuckle escape him.

John turned in the co-pilot seat to look at Schwartz, who was standing just outside the door to the cockpit. "Can we have a few minutes alone please?"

"Sure, I'll be in the office whenever you're ready to talk." Then he turned around, waddled to the back of the cabin, and descended the stairs; the plane listing with his every step.

"Babe, this is awesome. I want to fly this thing so bad it hurts. I wish we could take it for a spin."

"With any kind of luck, you'll get sick and tired of flying this thing."

"No way. I'll never get tired of flying this mother, never."

John pulled Adam toward him and held him; Adam turned it into a deep throat experience and they went at it hard. John stroked Adam through his pants and Adam ran his hands over every part of John he could reach. Adam moved to John's neck then started nibbling making him moan with pleasure as John tilted his head back. John wrapped his arms around Adam's neck and said, "Let's do it here."

"Take your clothes off," Adam said into John's ear and they both laughed.

"I guess you like it, huh?"

"John I could fly this without being checked out if it were legal. Do you realize this cruises twice as fast as the Aztruck?"

"Yeah I do. It's pretty exciting isn't it?"

"You bet, Babe. I feel like I have the greatest toy in the world here."

John grabbed Adams dick and said, "So do I," then stroked it a few times.

"Okay, let's go Hon before I bone up again." John agreed then rose to leave the cockpit. Adam felt John's ass as he rose from his seat so John bent over briefly.

The two of them exited the plane and walked across the hangar to the office. Once inside, Adam said, "Hello," in a loud voice.

"Back here," came the response from Schwartz.

They walked to the back of the offices to find Schwartz chewing on a mushy cigar and sitting at his desk. They sat in the two chairs in front of Schwartz's desk.

"Well guys?"

They looked at each other and smiled again, they couldn't help themselves. John re-directed his attention to Schwartz and said, "Mr. Schwartz, we want to know the bottom line. We don't want to dicker, negotiate, or haggle; none of that horseshit. We have two other prices so when we get your bottom line; we'll make our decision."

"Give me the figure you want to pay."

"No, I just told you that we're not here to play games and try to best each other. Call us when you have your bottom line and we'll make our decision."

With that, John rose, stretched his hand out to Schwartz and shook it. Adam did the same. Both the guys thanked him for his time and patience then turned to leave. As they crossed the tarmac toward the general aviation terminal, Adam said, "Babe, why didn't you name a price?"

"Hon, that old goat has sold more airplanes than you and I will ever buy. I had no intention of getting sucked into his game. If he wants the sale then he has to do whatever he can to offer us the best price. And guess what?"

"What?"

"Whatever price he comes back with will be too high," John said then chuckled.

"Well we don't want to lose the deal. You said it's the best one you've come across for the money."

"True, and there's plenty of time to spend two mil. We don't need to rush into anything."

"That's one fine airship," Adam said. "It would be a shame to lose it."
"Hon, we have one fine business. It would be a shame to lose it."

"Jesus Christ, you have an answer for everything. John, I would hate to see us miss this opportunity."
"I hear ya. It's not over yet, Hon. We can agree to the asking price any time we want. Before that happens, it can't hurt to squeeze a little. Any money we can make with our mouths; we don't have to earn with our backs," John said then smiled at Adam.
Adam gave John a playful punch in the arm and John wrapped one arm around Adam's neck and pulled him in then released him. Adam knew it was John's aversion to risk and his conservative nature that had brought them that far; he trusted John and decided to go with whatever John recommended. He was sure it would be the right thing to do. As they walked across the tarmac, Adam couldn't help thinking how handsome his partner was and relished the thought; he liked the idea a whole lot.

They decided to call the airline and try to get a flight back home instead of staying another night. They wanted to go home and relax; that would give them two days home alone, just the two of them with no one else around until Monday morning. John closed his cell phone and said they were booked on a flight at 4:30 that afternoon, and asked Adam what he wanted to do until then. Adam suggested they call Mr. Hughes and drop by to say hello if Hughes were up to it.

John liked the idea so he pulled Hughes number up on speed dial. When Hughes heard John's voice and that they were in the area, he was glad to hear and anxious to see them. John took his address down then hung up. They found Hughes' house twenty minutes later; he bought a place in Miami Lakes on the golf course. His house was on the sixteenth fairway and was beautiful. He had palm trees in the backyard with a swimming pool and a nice lanai for shade. They settled under the lanai with a cold beer to chat and catch up.

They told Hughes the reason they were in town then gave him the details of the King Air at Opa Locka Executive. The old pilot said he was aware of the plane and knew it was for sale. He said it was owned by a local bank that merged with a larger, out of state bank. The acquiring bank had an Israeli Westwind II and a Shrike Commander for short hauls, so they didn't want or need the King Air.

The guys explained to Hughes how Schwartz said the seller bought a Gulfstream to replace it and that was the supposed reason it was up for sale. Hughes told them not to believe anything Schwartz said; he didn't have a good reputation in the business. John asked Mr. Hughes if Schwartz had an exclusive listing and Hughes laughed.

John's curiosity was piqued; he suspected there was something less than straightforward with the guy so he asked Hughes to explain further. Hughes informed them how the broker was an old whore, which made John laugh. He apologized to Hughes for interrupting saying how he had the same opinion of him. When the old pilot finished his story, he offered to find out who to talk to regarding the sale and the guys were most grateful.

They brought Mr. Hughes up to date on what was going on with the business and the old man was impressed wishing them continued success; it was a sincere wish, too. He thanked the guys for making their payments in a timely fashion and told them how much he depended on that. He also expressed his gratitude for their help when Nelda sold her home.

The mention of Nelda's name evoked a snicker from Adam, who couldn't resist a quick grin. That prompted him to inquire about her as they hadn't seen her since they arrived. The old man's demeanor took a noticeable turn for the worse; he looked forlorn. After a few moments, he told them that she wasn't well; that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and had to be institutionalized. He related an incident where she came after him with a knife while he was facing away from her in the kitchen. He said if he hadn't turned around when he did, she likely would have stabbed him. The old man's eyes were misty by the time he finished the tale. He excused himself asking them if they wanted another beer.

The guys looked at each other not knowing what to say; they felt for him. It was a sad state of affairs to be sure. The old man had spent seventy some years of his life earning his place in the sun and his chosen companion couldn't share it with him; she didn't so much as know who he was. It was a sad state of affairs indeed.

Hughes told them about the golf league he joined and how much he enjoyed it. How he swam in the pool every morning and evening for exercise, his card playing, and everything else he did to occupy his time. They talked about all sorts of things but the conversation always came back to aviation; it was a passion they shared.

As the time to leave grew short, Adam said, "We better get going, Babe," then he began to turn red as soon as he realized what he said. He put his sunglasses on in an attempt to hide behind them.

They both looked at the old man, who smiled and said, "What time is your flight?" as he stood up.

"Four-thirty," John said as they rose in concert.

The old man led them toward the front door. John clipped Adam on the back of the head as they followed Hughes through the house. They were both grinning ear to ear.

At the front door, they shook hands and wished each other well. They vowed to stay in touch then Adam extended a standing invitation to visit anytime Hughes was up to it.

Hughes thanked them for dropping by and told them how much he enjoyed their visit, then the guys left. On the way to the airport, John said, "That was an eye opener."

"What do you mean?"

"About Schwartz, that was exactly the impression I had of him."

"Maybe Hughes will be able to put us in touch with the owners."

"That would be great. I mean the seller pays the commission so that doesn't bother me; it's the sleaze factor that rubs me the wrong way."

"You know, Babe, we make a pretty good team when it comes to the business."

"Yeah we do. I've thought about that a lot and I agree. There is one thing that bothers me though."

"And that is?"

"Well, if we buy the King Air or any plane in its class for that matter. The burden is going to fall on you to fly it."

"I don't see that as a problem."

"Maybe not at first but the novelty is bound to wear off sooner or later. And, with the extended range and speed, there's bound to be some overnight charters. How do you feel about that?"

"To be honest, I hadn't thought about it. I'm not sure."

"See what I mean, Hon? It's going to create a whole new set of circumstances. We can afford to have Larry checked out but I would rather we wait. I was hoping to have a cushion of a couple hundred grand after the acquisition. You know a safety net type thing."

"John, with what we have in our personal and business accounts, we have over half the purchase price. What's the problem?"

"Hon, the idea of owning a business is to take money out not put it in."

Adam said, "Then we could loan it to the business. What's the difference, take a loan at the bank or take a loan from us?"

"Jesus Christ Hon, I never thought of it that way," John said with a surprised look.

Adam was right. And why not, John thought; it made a lot of sense. The business could pay them interest instead of the bank. Of course, they would still have to borrow from the bank, not nearly as much. If push came to shove, they could pay the bank and wait to reimburse themselves; it would lower the hurdle, and maybe the interest rate with a larger down stroke.

"Son of a gun, Hon-hey that sort of rhymes. That's a great idea, glad I thought of it," John said and leaned over to peck Adam on the side of the head.

"Sheeet, you're so full of it."

"I know...it' not easy being an idea man; I keep churning 'em out like a mill. You should carry some paper and a pen so you can write 'em down."

"The only note I'll be writing is DOA ... Dead on Arrival when I drop you off at the morgue."

"Then what would ya do, huh? Be lonely? Be sad? Be sad and lonely? You'd miss me. You'd start listening to country and western music. You'd cry a lot, too. You better scratch that idea; it's a bad one. I'm thinking of you here."

"Yeah right," was all Adam said with a smile. He knew better than to try and spar with John; it was hopeless.

When they boarded the plane, Adam wanted the window seat because John always fell asleep so they traded seats. It was an uneventful trip and John woke up while they were on the ground in Chicago. He went to the bathroom while the plane discharged and took on passengers. When he came out of the bathroom, a rather attractive flight attendant stuffed a piece of paper in his shirt pocket. He looked the guy in the eye and saw a twinkle there along with half smile on his face. John gave him a perfunctory smile then made his way to his seat.

He had the idea to keep it secret; he didn't want to give Adam any cause to doubt him. But the more he thought about it, he had an idea. He took Adam's hand from his lap and pressed the paper with the flight attendant's name and phone number into Adam's palm.

Adam gave John a quizzical look then examined the paper. "Where did this come from?"

John nodded his head in the direction of the flight attendant. Adam turned to have a look. John could see the anger building in Adam and wondered what he was thinking; he sort of knew. Whatever it was; John was certain to get a kick out of it. Adam's face was getting red and he was pursing his lips; he could have been firing bullets from his eyes with the intensity of his glare. Looks aside, he would definitely make a lousy actor.

John lowered his seat back closing his eyes with a trace of a grin on his face; whatever happened, he was sure to enjoy it. He liked the territorial behavior his lover boy evidenced; it made him feel safe and secure.

The other flight attendant served them a beverage during the short flight to Springfield, so Adam didn't have an opportunity to confront him. The object of Adam's ire was tending to the first class cabin.

When the plane parked at the gate, John and Adam retrieved their bags from the overhead bin and queued up for the exit. John was in front of Adam and wished he were following so he could see what, if anything, Adam was going to do. John thought he might miss the whole thing then chuckled.

John turned his head every so often to check on Adam with his peripheral vision. As they neared the exit, Adam's glare became more intense; he was very nearly seething with incense and John was getting worried. The flight attendant was standing by the front door as the passengers stepped into the jetway. When John moved in front of the flight attendant, he offered a token smile and turned his head to the side. Adam took the flight attendant's hand, slapped the paper into it as he glared at him, proclaiming loudly, "He doesn't want it."

John had to turn and keep walking so Adam couldn't see his big, shitty grin, thinking as he walked, "Damn, I love that guy." They walked to John's truck, threw their bags in the back, and drove to the other side of the airport; it was good to be home.

Jim and Dave were getting into Jim's SUV when they pulled into the parking lot of the FBO. John honked the horn announcing they were home. Jim and Dave closed the doors and waited for them to park. They exchanged hellos then Adam invited them upstairs.

Adam was still agitated when they entered the apartment, so John gave him a firm hug and a kiss then stroked his soft hair. Adam held onto John firmly and said, "Babe, that guy pissed me off."

John smiled looking over Adam's shoulder so he couldn't see. John felt a pang of guilt having, more or less, engineered the whole thing. "It's okay," John said. "Forget it, it's over."

Then Adam had to explain the scenario to Jim and Dave. John went about turning the lights on and putting their bags in the bedroom. He was glad for the diversion because he didn't think he could keep a straight face while Adam explained the ordeal. Talking about it seemed to calm Adam down; he began to relax and smile some.

The four of them were sitting at the bar drinking a martini, talking, and looking out over the airport. Adam had a classical CD playing in the background; while the mood was upbeat and easy.

"You guys had some work done since the last time we were here; it looks great!" Dave said. He was genuinely impressed.

"Thanks, it's all Adam's doing. He's the one with the vision," John said.

"We need something for the walls though," Adam observed.

"Oh, speaking of something for the walls," John said as he rose from his stool. "I have something for you."

John walked over to the corner where their desks were and pulled a paper bag from the leg space under his work station. He walked back to Adam and said, "Here," handing him the package.

"What is it?" Adam asked as he reached inside pulling the contents out.

It was a shadow box with a dried white rose mounted askew with a mat around it; the frame was black lacquer and shone with a rich luster.

"It's from our room in Gulfport. Remember the bouquet of white roses in the foyer? I took one when we left."

"Thanks, it's nice; I really like it."

Jim and Dave both commented on how much they liked it as well. Jim got up and offered to make another martini for anyone that was ready and everyone pushed their glass forward.

"I miss the good times we used to have at the condo," Jim said.

"Me too," John and Adam said almost in unison.

"I miss your cooking, too," Adam said.

"Yeah, same here," John added.

Jim invited them over for dinner the next night and they accepted; Adam had hunger pains thinking about it. Jim commented how John appeared to have lost weight and Adam concurred.

Dave suggested a four-way before dinner so they could work up an appetite and Adam clipped him on the back of the head; he was sitting next to Dave. Jim chuckled from behind the bar when Adam noticed the change in him. Jim's disposition was perceptively brighter and more gregarious, which he attributed to Dave. Adam was happy for him; it was nice to see his old roommate happy.

Dave asked John and Adam where they had been as he recalled the bags they carried in. Adam gave him the skinny on the King Air and their trip including Mr. Hughes and the part about Nelda, and finally Schwartz. When Adam finished, Dave wanted to know what kind of plane a King Air was; aviation jargon was Greek to him.

John went over to his desk to retrieve an industry publication. It was open to the page with the ad for the King Air; it was a half page, color photo of the same airplane. John showed it to Dave and he looked like he was going to drop his teeth; and he probably would have if they weren't attached. Dave noticed the asking price and looked at John then Adam; he was beyond being impressed, he was in awe. Dave placed the ad in front of Jim then pointed at the price.

Adam looked at John and they smiled at each other; they were proud of themselves and it showed.

"Geez, are you guys seriously going to buy it?" Jim asked.

"We're doing our best, time will tell," Adam responded.

"Say, you guys haven't taken us for a ride in the Aztec," Dave said.

"You could have gone with us to Gulfport," Adam reminded him.

"I would have liked to go but Jim's parents were in town."

John and Adam told Dave that they had forgotten about that and suggested they try it again sometime; Jim and Dave agreed enthusiastically.

Adam said he was going to order some carry out from an Italian place that he and John liked and went to the kitchen to get the menu. They passed it around and everyone marked it up with their selections. When the last one was done, Adam phoned the order in then hung up. He went to the closet for his coat and asked Jim if he would ride with him and Jim agreed. Adam asked John for the keys to his truck, so John told him they were on the counter in the kitchen. Adam gave John a goodbye peck as did Jim to Dave then they left pulling the door closed behind them.

Dave sat down next to John at the bar and they began to talk about different places the four of them could go in the Aztec. Dave asked John how much it would cost and John told him not to worry about it; he and Adam would pay for the cost of the airplane. John said they only needed worry about their lodging, meals, and any activity the four might pursue.

Dave said, "That's very generous," and looked at John then his crotch; he had that wanton look in his eyes.

John wasn't stupid; he got up, walked to the backside of the bar, and took a cold beer out of the fridge then sat on a stool behind the bar. He didn't want anything to happen that might jeopardize their friendship; and the signals were getting stronger all the time. It wasn't that Dave was an unattractive guy, not at all. Dave was very attractive borderline hot in fact. Forget being able to look Adam in the eye; John would never be able to live with himself if something happened. There was only one person he wanted and needed and he didn't need to be reminded of who that was.

They heard the truck doors closing in the parking lot, so John went to look out the window to see if they needed help. They were managing well enough so he went to the kitchen for silverware, napkins, and condiments. He placed them on the bar then brought some wine glasses and a bottle of red French wine.

The four of them managed to eat everything that they ordered and enjoyed every bite. Jim and Dave lounged around for a while before thanking John and Adam for an entertaining evening. John and Adam walked them to the door and said good night reminding Jim of the home cooked meal he had promised them.

After they left, John said, "I don't know about you but I'm tired."

"Me too, Babe, let's clean this mess up and go to bed. I'm beat."

And so they did. When they finished cleaning up, Adam turned the desk light off and walked over to the windows overlooking the airport. John came up next to him and put his arm around his boy. They observed the airport and the snow that started falling a couple hours earlier. The scene was beautiful and eerily quiet; it was a holiday weekend and there was very little general aviation traffic that night. They stood there for several minutes until Adam kissed John on the side of the head and pulled him toward the bedroom. John followed and they stripped down, climbed into bed, kissed again, then tangled up for the night; neither one able to think of a place they would rather be.

The next morning they slept late, lying in bed half awake with no obligations until dinner at Jim and Dave's later that evening. John was getting restless so he decided to get up and make a morning snack for the two of them. He put a t-shirt and sweat pants on then went into the kitchen to start the coffee and toast some bagels; he was feeling good about spending a laid-back two days with Adam. He turned the heat up in the living room, the temperature outside had dropped substantially overnight and the apartment was on the cool side. He put a CD on the sound system then went to look out the windows over the airport; it was covered in a pristine blanket of fresh snow and John stood there admiring the beauty of it.

As John stood quietly lost in thought, Adam snuck up behind him hoping to scare the crap out of John. He accidentally stubbed his toe on an end table and emitted a string of expletives, which made John turn around to see what happened. Adam was hopping on one foot holding the injured one with both hands; swearing as he tried to maintain his balance.

John started laughing; he knew that criminality was afoot and walked over to Adam. He gave Adam a peck on the cheek then pushed him down on the sofa laughing some more. Adam was still wincing in pain as he moaned and rolled around although his swearing was beginning to subside.

"Serves you right," John said as he walked back to the kitchen.

When Adam was able, he hobbled back to the kitchen and sat down at the snack bar. John put two plates and coffees down then walked around to sit down.

"I think it's broken, Babe."

"See what happens when you sneak around with malice and ill intent in your heart. God punished you for your thoughts. At least your time in purgatory won't be lengthened."

"I'm having my hell on earth. I won't be stopping in purgatory."

John laughed at that, then said, "What do you want to do today?"

"I don't know. You feel like going furniture shopping to finish this place off?"

"Yeah sure, I'd like to see it done, too. Let's make it our Christmas present to ourselves."

"John, don't start with that squeaky shit again."

"Damn it Adam, there's no end to your spend thrift ways. Do you forget how hard and long we had to work to get it?"

The phone rang so John got up to answer it.

"Hello," John said abruptly with a stern voice.

"Bonjour, mon tresor. Comment a été ton Thanksgiving?" (Hi my treasure. How was your Thanksgiving?) Adam's mother asked.

"Bonjour, Madame Felstow. C'est Jean. Un instant s'il vous plait, je vais cherché Adam". The translation being, "Hello Mrs. Felstow. I'ts John, one second please, I'll get Adam."

John handed the phone to Adam, "It's your mother."

Adam took the phone and greeted his mother. She must have inquired about John because Adam told her he was squeaky that morning and laughed as he glanced at John. John rolled his eyes and decided to take a shower; he failed to see the humor in Adam's observation.

When John finished his shower, he was in a better frame of mind. He felt lousy about his little tantrum though his opinion was unchanged. He couldn't get it out of his head how Adam seemed to think money grew on trees. The idea still irked him like a nagging itch that you can't reach. He decided the issue was going to go his way; they were not going to piss away their hard earned funds on frivolity or largesse. He was resolute and determined; Adam's spending habits had to change, one way or the other.

John finished the rest of his routine in the bathroom then made his way to the bedroom to dress. Adam was off the phone and John ignored him as he walked by. As he dressed, he was feeling apprehensive but was not going to change his mind; the furniture was going to be their Christmas gift to each other, period!

Adam sensed the cold shoulder he was getting from John and was concerned. He went into the bedroom to get clean underwear before taking his shower. He was watching John from the corner of his eye; John was going about his business, not saying a word. After dressing, John made the bed and straightened up the bedroom then went back to the kitchen for another coffee.

Adam went to the bathroom for his morning routine; he was worried as he went through the motions. He knew there was a lot of money available from home; he had never mentioned that to John. He was sure John had picked up on it though; it should have been obvious to him Adam thought. He didn't understand John's problem; the reason he was being such a tight ass.

Adam dressed himself in the bedroom then sat on the bed. He took a deep breath then went to the kitchen where John was sitting with a coffee, reading an aviation publication.

"Babe, let's talk."

"I'm all ears. What do you want to spend money on now?"

Adam put his arm around John while John stiffened his posture. There was no way he was agreeing to spending a large sum for Christmas or any other God damn thing.

"Babe, we're not broke," Adam said then waited for a response.

"No, but the way you spend money; it won't be long."

Adam was cautious; he knew John was having a John moment. He chose to wrap his arms around John and kiss his neck; that always disarmed him, and John responded as usual.

John turned around, wrapped his arms around Adam's waist and rested his head on Adam's chest.

"Hon, we can't piss money away every time there's an occasion or whim."

"Babe, Mom's loaded. You should have figured that out by now."

"Good for her. We aren't and we're trying to build the business."

Adam sighed. He loved the handsome guy in his arms but how could he make John see his point? John didn't seem to understand that it wasn't about the money; there was plenty of it, all he had to do was ask. He wanted John to get over his tight ass routine.

"Okay then, how about I use the check Mom gave me?"

John released Adam with a sigh then turned around, "It's okay, Hon. We'll use our own money. Let's try to keep the Christmas spending modest. I don't want or need anything, okay?"

"Okay," Adam said then rolled his eyes and shook his head behind John's back. He couldn't understand how someone that wasn't thirty years old could be so miserly. He laughed to himself wondering what the hell he was going to be like at fifty. Adam contemplated giving John a good hard screw; maybe that would loosen him up.

They put their coats on then John tossed Adam the keys to the truck and they left for the furniture store. Of course, Adam selected one of the most expensive stores in town, which only served to grate John that much more. Adam selected a round, pub style table with stools for the kitchen, some pictures for the walls, and two halogen lamps for their work station. He bought a three piece entertainment center to house their home theater equipment. There was an armoire that caught his eye for the bedroom but he decided against it; John was already acting like they were homeless and he wasn't up to another confrontation.

When he was satisfied with his selections, he went to the office to pay while John sat on a sofa in the showroom; he didn't want to know the total. Actually he did, but figured he would know soon enough. When Adam finished, he found John and they went to lunch.

Adam drove them to a bistro in the gay district. They went inside and were seated by the host; it appeared that the clientele, as well as the staff, were all gay. The two of them checked everyone and everything out; they had never been in a gay establishment together. It was strangely different and a little exciting for them. Adam noticed two guys kissing at another table and stared at them; it was a public display of affection, which intrigued him.

John was taking it all in too; he spotted the two guys kissing and felt a rush of exhilaration. It never occurred to him that it would be okay to do that in public; he felt a sudden urge to kiss Adam thereby staking his claim on his boy. After a few minutes, the novelty wore off and John turned his attention to Adam.

"Hon, I don't know why I have such a problem spending money. I was thinking while you were paying that it's not my money; it's yours, too. I don't know where that comes from. We weren't rich growing up but we weren't poor either; I guess you'd say comfortable."

"It's okay, Babe. I don't know where you get that shit either. But you know what?"

"What?"

"If you didn't pull that shit, then you wouldn't be you; and I love you," Adam said then he winked and smiled at his handsome boy.

John couldn't resist a smile either. Under the table, he rubbed his leg against Adam's making his dick do a jig. He thought there was a good chance that he was the luckiest person in the world.

The meal was tasty and light, but filling nonetheless. They enjoyed the restaurant and their time there vowing to return soon; it was a pleasant change to let their guard down in public. When their waiter returned to the table, Adam gave the him his company credit card then the waiter left.

When the waiter returned, he said, "You're the guys who own that flying school at the airport, aren't you?"

John and Adam looked at each other in bewilderment; they couldn't figure out how the waiter knew. It was a little un-nerving to be singled out like that; not that it was a bad thing, just a little surprising.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Adam said as he admired the waiter's good looks.

"I saw the company name on the credit card. My boyfriend's taking flying lessons there and that's the name of the company he makes his checks out to. His name is Daniel Stefan."

"Oh, I know who he is," John said. "He's Larry's student." John pictured the two of them together wondering who was doing what to whom. They were both good looking and John couldn't help picturing them together.
Adam was inspecting their waiter's butt and decided it was properly stout and firm. It wasn't muscular like John's, but nice just the same. He took a business card from his wallet, wrote their home number on the back, then handed it to the waiter saying, "Give a call sometime and come over for a drink with Daniel; we'll show you around. What's your name anyway?"
"Patrick O'Leary, Pat's okay, too ... whatever," he said extending his hand.

"That wouldn't be Italian by chance?" John asked with a chuckle.

Adam shook his hand then John introduced himself and shook his hand, too. The waiter left after their conversation and the guys sat for a few minutes finishing their coffee. John was sitting sideways with his back to the wall and his legs crossed, surveying the room. He liked the place and the relaxed feeling it afforded them; the scenery was pretty good, too.

"John, what the fuck?" Adam said.

"What?"

Adam was pointing to John's shoe on his crossed leg. John stretched his leg out to inspect his shoe; he didn't see anything unusual, just a plain leather loafer.

"What?" John repeated. "I don't see anything."

"Your shoe has a hole in it for Christ sake," Adam said shaking his head.

"Oh yeah, I was going to have them re-soled but I don't know where to find a shoe repair."

"That's fucking it, John. I can't believe you. That's a new low." Adam stood up turning in place with one hand on the back of his head. He stopped facing John, who was seated, then raised his hands with open palms shaking his head.

"What?" John said sheepishly; he sort of knew what Adam was getting at.

"Come on, we're going to the mall and you're going to spend some god damn money, that's what." Then Adam headed for the door not waiting for John; talking to himself and gesticulating as he walked.

John stood up to follow Adam. When he looked at their waiter, Patrick was smiling; he heard the exchange and thought it was funny. John gave him a wan smile; he was embarrassed.

Adam made John buy an entire new wardrobe. He picked out stylish shirts, belts, pants, shoes, socks and underwear. He told John that he was throwing out all his underwear and socks with holes when they got home. He made John buy a new leather winter coat and sweaters; Adam was tired of looking at John wearing worn out, cheap clothing and he was pissed off enough that John didn't dare protest. John had never seen Adam irate like that; it wasn't an act.

He made him buy a designer suit and two new sport coats and several slacks he could interchange with them. He selected several ties that he liked with the suit and sport coats. When Adam couldn't think of anything further to make John spend money on, he relented; and John was grateful his spending spree was over.

"Okay, we're going home to clean out your dresser and closet to make room for this stuff," Adam said.

"Okay Hon," John said in a child like manner; he didn't dare cross Adam, who was beginning to calm down. "I must have spent at least five thousand."

"Shut up or we'll go back for more," Adam said; he was starting to gear up again.

John didn't say a word.

When they arrived at the apartment, Adam got a large garbage bag from downstairs and began cleaning out John's dresser; throwing all his old shit, as he called it, on the floor. When he finished, he turned his attention to John's closet. There were shirts, pants, sweaters all kinds of worn out old shit, as Adam termed it, flying out of the closet. John was picking them up and putting them in the garbage bag; it was killing him to throw the stuff out; though he dared not object.

When Adam was satisfied, he came back into the bedroom and said, "Okay let's have 'em."

"What?" was all John ventured to say.

"The shoes," Adam pointed to John's feet.

John slipped his loafers off then put them in the bag; he hated to see them go, they were his favorite pair.

"The shirt and pants, too," Adam said.

He laid his belt on the bed then took his shirt and pants off; the elbows and knees were paper-thin. He threw them in the bag and Adam took the belt and threw that in, too; it had white scratch marks for the length of it.

"Those, too," Adam said indicating John's underwear. All the bleach in the world couldn't whiten them; they were that old and dingy.

Adam had to stare at John's naked crotch for a moment. It's true he had worked himself into a tirade of sorts, but he still cared for and was attracted to him. He fondled John cupping his balls then running his fingers through John's pubic hair. When he was satisfied, Adam said, "Get dressed sexy," then kissed John. Adam took the bag from John saying he was throwing it in the dumpster next to the hangar so John couldn't salvage something.

Adam left John standing in the bedroom naked. He walked into his closet then started looking over his new clothes selecting a pair of pants and shirt that Adam said he especially liked when they were in the store. He was looking for his favorite cardigan sweater but couldn't find it; he guessed it was probably on its way to the dumpster.

He pawed around his closet some more looking for a different one; he bought so much stuff he couldn't remember what he did and didn't have. He found a new sweater that had a v-neck with buttons and rather liked it.

When he finished dressing, he inspected himself in the mirror on the back of the closet door. He needed shoes so he went back in the closet to find some. He saw a new pair of brown casual loafers so he slipped them on; they were nice and comfortable; not worn out.

When Adam came back, John was standing in front of the mirror admiring his new look and clothes; he liked what he saw, though he thought he smelled like new clothes. He turned sideways to glimpse his backside when Adam walked up behind him. He grabbed both John's ass cheeks and squeezed them then wrapped his arms around John as he stood behind him kissing John's neck.

"Babe, you look great."

"Good enough to fuck?"

"Oh yeah, very fuckable."

John turned around and embraced his boy saying, "Thanks, Hon." and then he kissed his lover boy on the lips. The money was the last thing on his mind; he wanted his boy to be happy and it seemed like he was. He felt pretty good, too; the new threads were nice and they looked nice on him.

Adam decided he needed to change clothes as well, so John went to the living room and put a CD on the sound system. He went over to the bar and made two vodka martinis then checked himself out once more in the mirror over the back bar. He liked what he saw; he was feeling good. He came around the bar to claim a stool then had an idea. He decided to do a couple dance steps with an imagined Ginger Rogers; he was listening to Strauss' "Voices of Springtime" on the sound system. As he twirled Ginger, he took her hand when she came to rest after a pirouette. They struck a pose then resumed their Pas de deux.

Adam came out of the bedroom to witness the scenario, "What the hell are you doing?"

John stopped instantly; he was busted. "I'm dancing with Ginger Rogers. Wanna cut in?"

"Noooo. Are you feeling okay?"

"Never better." Then John went over to Adam, took his hand, and began to dance around him. "You make a great Ginger, Hon, and you're prettier, too!" John laughed as he pranced around Adam. "Soin a danser?"
John asked Adam in French if he cared to dance.
"Not with a nut case like you." Adam couldn't help but grin at his goofy twit.

"Aw Hon, how 'bout a slow one then? We could pretend it's our first rendezvous, our first fateful meeting!"

"Your fate is sealed. You're bound for the nut house."

Adam stepped into John and took him in his arms. John responded accordingly; then Adam rocked them slowly to and fro, savoring his boy. John swallowed as he held on, trying to quell the emotions welling up inside him.

After a few silent moments, Adam used the phone at the bar to call Jim and Dave asking what time they should show up. Jim told him to leave whenever they were ready. John and Adam talked for a while as they finished their drinks. They turned a couple lights on then left for the condo. John chose to wear his new leather coat and he looked as handsome as ever, he was an eye catcher, and Adam was taken with the transformation; as good as John looked, he wanted to bed him in the worst way.

When Dave opened the door, the aroma in the condo billowed out filling their senses with visions of delicious food. When he closed the door behind them, Dave said, "Wow, what happened to you?" He was looking at John.

"Adam made me throw a bunch of perfectly good clothes out and buy all new stuff," he was trying to get a dig in for having been forced to part with, what seemed to him, a small fortune.

Jim had come to the foyer to greet them as Dave was taking their coats and asked John, "Did he make you throw those loafers out, too?"

"Yeah, and they could have been re-soled; they still had some mileage left in them," John said as he made his way to a stool at the island in the kitchen.

Jim looked at Adam and rolled his eyes; Adam said, "I know," softly so only Jim and Dave could hear.

Dave poured everyone a glass of wine then they converged at the island to talk. Jim said it would be another hour before dinner was ready and encouraged everyone to drink up saying they had plenty of wine. Adam put some music on the sound system and turned it up so they could hear it in the kitchen. When he returned, he took a stool next to John and was having trouble keeping his hands to himself, which suited John just fine.

Dave was unusually attentive to Jim and John was glad to see that; at least he wouldn't have to worry about Dave getting frisky. Jim asked Adam what they were doing over Christmas and Adam told him they hadn't made any plans. He also said they hadn't decided on which days the business would be closed. "It was to be determined," he said.

John said they should decide soon because they had no control over client's scheduling via the Internet.

Adam said, "If you guys want to go with us; I'm pretty sure we're going south. Exactly where and how long, we haven't decided."

Dave was getting excited, "Jim, do you want to go?"

"Yeah sure, I may have to make an appearance at home for Christmas or something."

"Try to find out as soon as you can," Dave said. He was intrigued about flying in a general aviation plane and the price was right; it was gratis.

Adam said, "My mother wants me and John to come for Christmas Eve."

John moaned. The last person he wanted to see on Christmas Eve was Jack, Adam's father. The guy was impossible to get along with; he recalled their last encounter, it was tenuous at best.

"How about you, John?" Jim asked.

"I'm off the hook. I already told my mother I had plans. With any luck, we'll be trying to figure out how to get the King Air home."

They talked some more until Jim asked Dave to set their places at the island because everything was ready. Jim cooked a turkey since none of them had a Thanksgiving meal and they thoroughly enjoyed it. He gave Adam and John a generous amount of leftovers to take home, which was greatly appreciated. The hour grew late, so John and Adam thanked them for a fantastic meal and evening.

They all agreed to start thinking about dates and destinations for a break over the Christmas holiday. Jim told them they were welcome for dinner anytime; he was a great cook and enjoyed having the guys over. They all bade each other good night then John and Adam left for home.

The next day they rose well after the sun; it was the last day of the holiday weekend and they hadn't made any plans. John thought to call his mother and decided to wait for a weekday when his father would be out working and he wouldn't have to worry about talking to him. They lounged around the apartment, watched TV, played video games, and generally enjoyed the down time.

Wednesday of that week proved hectic; the weather had been clear all week with good visibility, high ceilings, and relatively calm winds and the students were taking advantage of it. The furniture store delivered Adam's purchases and two workers showed up to install some window treatments. Adam had ordered some fabric covered cornices for the windows. John was a little peeved though he didn't say anything since it was a done deal, and he didn't feel like an argument.

That afternoon while the workers were finishing up; Mr. Hughes called and Angie forwarded the call upstairs to John. They chatted for a few minutes then Hughes gave John the name and phone number of the contact person for the King Air. It was a guy by the name of Charlie Jenkins at the corporate headquarters of the acquiring bank in Atlanta. They chatted a little longer then John thanked him, said goodbye, and then hung up. John was elated at the prospect of not having to deal with Schwartz; he didn't like or trust him.

He leaned back in his chair and gazed out over the airport. As he scanned the airfield, he noticed Adam taxiing back in the Aztec and rose to go meet and give him the good news; he was returning from an airfreight run. When Adam killed the last engine, John approached the Aztec and put the wheel chocks in place. He opened the cockpit door and told Adam about the phone call.

Adam looked tired but snapped out of it excited at the news; they decided to go upstairs and place the call right away. On their way up, John told Angie they were going to place an important call. He asked not to be interrupted until they came back down.

They settled in at their desks facing each other. John placed the call and was forwarded to Charlie Jenkins by Charlie's secretary. When Charlie picked up, John introduced himself then Adam, who was listening from the extension at his desk. After the intro's, John explained the nature of the call and how they obtained his number. As it turned out, Charlie had served in the air force with Mr. Hughes and they had maintained contact over the years; John liked that, networking was a good thing.

The guys listened to Charlie relate a couple of war stories about himself and Hughes; Adam rolled his eyes at John and they smiled. They spent nearly a half hour discussing the airplane and its condition. They wanted to know everything about the King Air and its history, and Charlie told them the airplane log was available for their scrutiny. Charlie answered all their questions easily from memory; he was familiar with the plane and its condition.

The guys told Charlie about their visit to Opa Locka Executive then Charlie said he was aware of it; Mr. Hughes had given him the details of their trip. John couldn't stand it any longer and wanted to talk money; he brought up the fact that there was only a hundred hours until TBO then asked Charlie if he had room to move on the price. John reminded him that there was no broker. In other words, if John and Adam went through the broker, Charlie's employer would have to pay the commission.

Charlie told them he could only go down a hundred grand and that was it. John raised his eyebrows and nodded his head at Adam in a silent gesture that meant, "Is that okay with you?" and Adam nodded approvingly. John told him he had a deal then asked him how he wanted to handle it.

Charlie said his company wanted cash so the guys agreed, verifying the terms and price. Charlie said his employer was not willing to finance the deal. Adam asked Charlie if he knew anyone that could get him checked out to fly it and Charlie said he could, but they would have to pay. John asked for an approximation of the charge for Adam's instruction. Charlie told them not to worry about it; they wouldn't be able to find it any cheaper anywhere. Charlie said he was looking forward to spending the time in Florida, so he could visit his old friend Hughes so John let it go at that.

Charlie said the bank's legal department would draw up a contract for both parties to execute. They traded fax numbers and email addresses then hung up.

Adam and John were shouting, whooping and hollering with excitement. They high fived each other and generally acted like a couple of yahoos. When their intoxication began to dwindle and their buoyancy diminished to grinning, John said, "Hon, I have to talk to you about something."

"What is it, Babe?"

"I'm scared to death to tell you the truth. This is going to be a big acquisition for both of us. You know what's on my mind?"

"I have a pretty good idea where you're going. It's the money isn't it?"

"Yeah, you got it. We have to watch it for a while or I swear to God I'll have a coronary."

"At least you'll look nice lying there in your new Armani suit."

John walked over to Adam and held him with the side of his head against Adam's, "Hon, I'm serious. I'm going to sweat this every nickel and inch of the way. Let's consider the trip to Florida our Christmas present and not spend anymore than that, okay?"

Adam sighed, "Okay Babe. If that's what you want then that's the way it'll be." Adam hugged his handsome boy, pecked him on the mouth, then led him toward the stairs. He wanted to announce the good news to anyone he could find.

The next day, John called his old boss, Will Harris. After a few minutes of chatting, John told Will about their planned purchase and the one financing commitment they had in hand; John wanted Will's advice. Will suggested he call the Chicago branch of the Toronto Dominion Bank. Will said that the bank had the lowest rates for loans of a million dollars or more, so John took the number.

John thanked Will and invited him to the airport for a ride in the King Air when they got their hands on it. He reminded Will that he never collected his ride in the Aztec. Will said he wasn't crazy about small planes. John was about to offer it to his wife and kids but thought if Will didn't like small planes; he probably didn't want his family in them either, so he let it pass.

John told him what happened when Kay Armstrong came to see him at the airport and Will said he was aware of it as well as the rest of the office. John wasn't keen on that but there wasn't much he could do about it. When they were close to winding things up, John invited Will to lunch Friday and he accepted; they both enjoyed each other's company and realized how long it had been. They said their goodbyes then hung up.

That afternoon, Charlie's secretary sent the contract via fax to John and Adam. John read the document and everything was just as they had discussed. When Adam returned they signed in the appropriate place, then had Angie notarize their signatures and fax it back.

John looked at Adam and said, "Congratulations flyboy, you own a King Air now."

Adam approached John and said, "We own a King Air," then he hugged John. "When will we be able to pick it up?"

"We have thirty days to come up with the financing, which we already have. I talked to Will this morning and he gave me a lead on another bank, a Canadian one. I'll check with them and then we're ready to go. Charlie sent the insurance company a copy of the agreement, too."

"I don't know about you; but I'm a little nervous."

"Me too, Hon. I'm scared if you want to know the truth. We better start moving our personal funds into the company account. I don't know if they want to do a wire transfer or certified check or what. Do you still have the check from your mother?"

"Yeah, how much do we need?"

"We don't. I was thinking ahead in case we get into trouble; that's all. You know, the slow season is coming up, too. Jesus Christ Adam, what have we done? Are we crazy?"

"Settle down, Babe. Everything will work out, you'll see."

"I hope so. I really do."

They looked at the clock to see that it was quitting time, so they went downstairs to say good day to the employees and lock up. Larry helped Adam put their fleet of five planes, soon to be six, in the hangar and invited him upstairs for a drink before he went home.

Upstairs, they told Larry about the King Air and he was astonished. It took several minutes to convince him that it wasn't a joke. He kept glancing back and forth between them looking for signs of humor, or a smile; anything that would tell him it was hogwash, but nothing was forthcoming. John and Adam had a serious, if not, concerned countenance.

Larry wanted to know if he was going to be able to fly it and Adam told him he would. Adam explained that he was going to get checked out first, so he could ferry it home then he would check Larry out when time and funds permitted.

Larry was excited at the thought of flying a turbo-prop, and a King Air at that! It was the grand dame of turbo props, very impressive. He said that would make them top dog at the airport and would make the Piper Aerostar that Fischer Aviation had look like a toy and he was right. The Aerostar was the biggest plane Fischer Aviation had and the pilots over there were always making fun of the Aztruck. Larry said he couldn't wait to rub their noses in it and the guys all had a laugh over it. John mentioned that the Aerostar was older than anyone of them and they laughed again.

As the Christmas holiday neared and the dead line to consummate the sale was upon them; the guys, along with Jim and Dave, decided to take their holiday break in Florida. They would leave Adam there and John would fly the three of them home in the Aztec. Adam would stay with Charlie and Mr. Hughes at Hughes' house, while he became proficient in the new plane. When his training was complete, he would fly the King Air back to Springfield.

And so the die was cast and the wheels set in motion; there was no turning back. Their bold acquisition was about to precipitate a momentous bearing on the shape of things to come. John and Adam were poised to leave their mark in the annals of aviation; they had arrived.

To be continued...

Posted: 04/01/11