“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 13
“An Immortal Covenant”

The flight to Burlington was a little over three hours and they would be losing an hour with the time change. About an hour into the flight, John said, "Hon, I'm going back to see if everyone is comfortable. I'm going to ask the old man if he wants to sit up here for awhile; I think he would like it. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah sure, give me some pre-marital sex before you go."

John laughed, "You know the Holy Father frowns on that. Do you want me to have to go to confession before we get hitched?" Then he started nibbling on Adam's ear.

"He's in Rome. He won't know the difference." Adam flipped the mic up and out of the way. He turned his head and started probing John's mouth with his tongue and John complied with the desired response. He pushed John into his seat with the force he was exerting as they both panted and probed each other's mouths.

With the drone of the engines and air moving over the fuselage, they didn't hear the knock or notice the door to the cockpit open. John's father was hunched over in the doorway watching, his eyes wide open. He quickly decided to make light of the situation.

"WHO’S FLYING THIS HEAP," he bellowed then began to laugh.

John and Adam jumped in their seats clincking their teeth in the process and nearly hitting their heads on the roof of the cockpit, their arms and legs flailing. They turned to see who was there; their hearts pounding like pistons, their faces blood red and warm.

John's father was laughing harder than John had ever seen and obviously quite proud of himself. He kept up his fit as John and Adam watched alternating their attention between each other and Ron trying to decide what an appropriate reaction would be. As Ron quieted down, Adam looked at John and started grinning.

“Well shit,” John thought setting the awkwardness aside, then he started grinning himself; it was kind of funny even if it was a little embarrassing.

John stood up and said, "Watch it," as he tried to appear peeved then nudged his father out of the way. "Have a seat, you might learn something," he said as he made his way past his father to the passenger cabin. The more distance he put between them, the easier it was to pretend it never happened.

His father was still laughing intermittently and proud of himself as he took the co-pilot seat then fastened his shoulder harness. Adam was beginning to see where John picked up some of his antics; the picture was coming into focus, “Sans retouché,” Adam thought silently then smiled.

In the passenger cabin, John asked the group, "Anyone hungry?"

Dave said, "Yes, we're starving. We didn't have breakfast."

"Mom, Elaine could you eat something?"

"Yes," and "Yes," were their responses.

So John made his way to the galley and began preparing their individual trays. He slid them into the warming oven the waited for the timer to beep. When everyone finished, he cleaned up and put a tray out for his father and Adam then went to the cockpit to relieve Adam so he and his father could have lunch.

A couple hours later, John was handed-off to Boston Center from Cleveland. He adjusted the pitch of the props, the fuel mixture, and throttle to begin their cruise descent into Burlington. Twenty minutes later, John flared over the chevrons touching down with a firm jolt; there was a hefty crosswind in Burlington that Friday afternoon. He reversed the thrust of the props then took the mid-field turn off for the taxiway.

Inside the general aviation terminal, John ordered the tanks topped off while Adam went to the rental car counter. They had only reserved one mini-van so Adam secured another one for their parents. When he finished, he went to the courtesy phone to call FSS and close the flight plan having made their destination safely in one piece.

The hotel was part of a large international chain of luxury properties and John took care to see that all their rooms had views of Lake Champlain. They were able to secure a room for Ron and Mary, John’s parents, with a lake view. Everyone agreed to meet in the lobby for dinner at six then went to their rooms to unpack and settle in.

John reserved a large suite with two master bedrooms, a den like office, and living room with a bar; the intent was to share it with Dave and Jim, their best friends. The porter opened the door to their suite with their luggage stacked on a cart, then the guys entered with oohs and ahs. John indicated to the porter which bags went to which room and tipped him then went to the window to join the others as they assessed the view of the lake and the mountains.

The deep blue hue of the lake against the lush green of the surrounding boreal forest and mountains were breathtaking and beautiful; it was apparent why the early French settlers named them the Green Mountains, (verte monts).

"There are room rules," John said as he focused on Dave. "No going into each other's bedroom without knocking and receiving permission to enter," then he pointed his finger at Dave and raised his eyebrows while cocking his head.

Dave raised his eyebrows, too as well as his voice, then said, "Hey don't look at me.”

Everyone laughed knowing Dave's proclivity to anything with a hint of scintillation or titillation about it.

"Vodka martini anyone?" Jim asked.

He received a positive response from the others so he made a move to the bar.

"If we're going to have martinis, then I'm going to order a bottle of decent vodka," Adam said.

John opened the armoire and turned the sound system on tuning it to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) for classical music; they were in close proximity to the border and the reception was good. It was the only classical station to be had in the area. Pleased with his selection, John took a seat at the bar next to Dave then clipped him on the back of the head as he sat down.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"For good measure, behave yourself."

"Watch it or you may not have a best man tomorrow."

"Watch it or you may not have a ride home," John said grinning.

Dave shook his head, "There's no use getting into it with you.”

"I could have told you that," Adam said grinning.

"And if you're charged with a minor infraction, then there's no sci-fi TV either," John added. He was trying to think ahead in case they wanted to watch TV in the living room. He wasn't sure if there was one in the bedroom; he hadn't been in there.

There was a knock on the door then a voice announced room service so Adam got up to let them in.

John was feeling a little contrite and thought he may have been a bit too harsh on Dave. He put his arm around Dave and pulled him close, kissed the side of his head then said, "Who's your buddy? Who's your pal?"

Dave elbowed him in the side then grinned. He turned his head to John and kissed him on the lips. John allowed it and kissed him back, everything seemed to be fine; he was still on track with his best man. John patted him on the back then rested his arm on the bar. Dave put his hand on John's thigh and John rolled his eyes; he should have known better than to encourage him.

Adam signed the bill then brought the bottle of vodka to the bar.

"Geez Hon, I never heard of that brand. It must be expensive by the looks of the bottle." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, John regretted saying it.

It was Adam's turn to roll his eyes, "Don't start, Babe." Then he looked at Jim who was grinning.

"I know, I know. I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

It was an impulsive observation on John's part and he felt bad for having said it. He decided to keep his mouth shut; he wasn't doing well in the observation department. He rose and went behind the bar with Jim and Adam. He wrapped his arms around Adam's waist, hugged his boy, then said, "Mmmmm.”

Adam understood where he was coming from; it was an apology of a sort. He told him to go sit next to Dave and be nice, so he did. John kissed him then moved to retake his seat. He stopped behind Dave and placed his arms around his chest giving him a quick squeeze.

"Don't get too comfortable," Jim said to John.

"What do ya mean?"

"It doesn't take much to get him going."

John laughed as he backed away, "I have one like that, too,” then he looked at Adam with the urge to strip his clothes off him. John sat down and resolved to heed Adam’s advice keeping his mouth shut and hands to himself unless the subject was Adam.

Jim was watching Adam as he took a seat at the bar next to John; he was feeling romantic. They had been roommates for a couple years and Jim had always felt an attraction toward him. He still did thinking Adam looked better than ever. He loved Dave but the thought of having Adam in bed was ever present—taunting him.

It was nearing six o’ clock so they decided to drink up and go to their rooms to unpack and freshen up; they had to meet Ron, Mary, and Elaine in the lobby for dinner soon.

In their room, Adam asked John, "Where do you want to go for dinner?"

"I've never been here and don't have a clue. I didn't check out the restaurants on the Internet either. I don't care; whatever you want. I have a taste for seafood and a little something afterward."

Adam grinned, he knew what afterward was about; he wanted it, too. Adam sat down at the desk to call the concierge for help in finding a restaurant. John went to the bathroom to take a shower. When he finished he went to the living room to wait for the others.

As he leaned against the end of the bar in the living room listening to the music, he heard audible grunts and groans coming from Dave and Jim's room and smiled. He picked up his half-full martini then finished it. 

Adam was first to emerge and sat next to John at the bar. "Well Babe, tomorrow is the big day."

"Yup, I'm ready; how ‘bout you?"

"It's a go here. Where are we going for our honeymoon?"

"You know what? I was thinking—“

Adam cut him short, "Oh boy here we go."

John rolled his eyes as he backhanded Adam on the arm, "Listen for a minute will ya? Instead of staying here for the rest of the weekend, why don't we take the gang with us to Mont Tremblant in the Laurentien Mountains? It's beautiful in Québec this time of year. You and your mother are fluent in French, and I'm pretty good myself."

"That's a lot of moving around for a large group and we’ll need passports. We don’t know if everyone has one. If it were only you and me, then it would be a different story; let's wait until we can do it right."

Dave came out of his bedroom, "Do what right?"

"Discipline you," John said.

"I'll give you some discipline," Dave said then pushed John forward forcing him to bend over the bar then started dry humping him.

"Get away from me, you animal." John swatted behind him trying to get the beast they called Dave to back off.

Jim came out of their bedroom and said, "Get off him, wild man," then he pulled Dave off John. "Christ, that dick of his is like a divining rod; it leads him to the nearest male ass."

Everyone laughed then Dave kissed Jim on the mouth and hugged him. Jim couldn’t resist Dave’s gesture and held him close. After that, Adam got the group motivated then they left their suite for the hotel lobby. They collected the parents in the lobby then Adam led the group to the restaurant with the directions from the concierge.

It was an upscale restaurant at the end of the pier overlooking Lake Champlain and a short walk from their hotel.  The table was a good one, in a corner with windows overlooking Lake Champlain on both sides. The meal was a nice affair with several bottles of wine consumed and too many toasts to John and Adam to their way of thinking.

John sat next to Adam observing his father while they dined. It didn't appear he had a problem with any of the goings on; in fact, he and Dave seemed to hit it off and actually enjoy each other. It was somewhat confusing to John but he was pleased for the carefree, affable humor they afforded the group.

Jim seemed to be faring worst of all. He was sandwiched between Elaine and Mary; he kept turning his head every time one of them said something. Adam thought he might get tendonitis before the evening was over and grinned.

Jim caught his smile and rolled his eyes.

Adam leaned sideways to whisper in John's ear, "I'm going to rescue Jim and take him to the bar for a few minutes; he's bored to tears between our mothers, look at him.”

"Okay, Hon, I'm getting tired. How about you?"

"Yeah, I'm tired too; it's been a long day."

Adam excused himself, walked around the table, then tapped his ex-roommate and good friend on the shoulder. Jim looked up then Adam nodded in the direction of the bar. They walked over and seated themselves then Adam said, "Jim, it looked like you were bored as hell."

"Christ, I felt like I was in a chicken coop sitting between those two hens," then he laughed and said, "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by that."

Adam smiled, "Not to worry; no offense intended and none taken. Do you think you and Dave will ever do something like this?"

"I don't know. Every time I get to feeling like I want to, he does something discouraging; like this afternoon when he was humping John. You know, once in awhile can be funny, but it’s too often for my liking."

"Has he ever cheated on you?"

"Not that I know of, nor do I have any reason to suspect it; he says he loves me. See what I mean? I get mixed signals."

"Do you love him?"

Jim was quiet for a few moments. He loved Dave but he was debating on whether or not to admit it. He felt betrayed at times, the way Dave behaved; he was a little embarrassed to concede his true feelings given the circumstances. "Yeah, I guess I do," Jim said truthfully; it was his response time that spoke volumes.

Adam patted Jim on the back and smiled, "He's a good person, Jim. We all like him.”

"Yeah he is," Jim concurred with a smile. His interest in Adam was in the fore of his thoughts and he felt guilty for thinking it. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t love Dave; that he did. It was that persistent attraction to Adam that dogged him.

Adam resolved to pull Dave aside and have a talk with him; he was hoping John could be there, too. Between the two of them, he was sure they could help Dave see the error of his ways. They had to do it and Adam decided they would; it was for their good friend, Jim. Adam didn't like the idea of interfering, yet Jim was having a problem and it bothered him; he was loyal to his friends and was going to do what he could to help.

"Enough about me," Jim said, "Tomorrow is the big day. Are you excited?"

"Yeah I am. But you know what? It doesn't change anything for me or John; we were always going to be together. You know what's nice about it? The fact that you guys and the parents are here makes it special; we really appreciate you coming. You know you guys are our best friends?"

"Yeah," Jim said then stood up. As much as he cared for Dave, he couldn’t seem to get over the attraction he felt for Adam. He knew there would never be anything between them beyond friendship; yet his desire seemed to overwhelm his sense of reason. "C’mon, let's get back to the table it's getting late," Jim said. He wanted to change their venue and his trend of thought.

Adam placed his hand on Jim's back; he was too tall to put his arm over Jim’s shoulder, then they crossed the dining room in the direction of their table. Along the way, Adam spied the waiter and motioned him over. He asked the waiter for the bill and was told it had been taken care of by a lady at their table then pointed to Elaine. Adam nodded so they proceeded to join the group.

Back at the table, Adam said, "Okay let's make a move," as he stood behind John with his hand on John's shoulder.

Everyone agreed it was getting late so they rose helping one another to their feet. They migrated toward the door and once outside; the fresh, cool, spring air was invigorating. The moon was full and rising in the eastern sky silhouetting the Green Mountains and forming a conical, shimmering reflection on the lake.

John and Adam were bringing up the rear, arm in arm, with Dave and Jim walking in front of them. Adam took Dave's arm and placed it around Jim's waist. Dave turned around and grinned at them then rested his head on Jim's shoulder. Jim placed his arm around Dave then John and Adam smiled; it was nice to see.

Ron was leading the way with his arm around John’s mother, Mary. On his other side, Elaine had her arm intertwined with Ron's. It was a bit strange to John and Adam given their recent introduction but everyone seemed to be getting along and the guys were happy for that.

The next morning, John awoke early then eased himself away from Adam allowing him to rest. He pulled the covers over his boy then stood alongside the bed watching Adam in repose. He was going to be his spouse, Adam’s life partner that day; legally bound by the statutes of Vermont. It wasn't a novel concept given Adam’s proposal; yet it would be a matter of record that day, that day in Vermont. It was one he committed himself to years ago.

John went to the living room to call room service and order breakfast for the four of them. When he finished, he went to take a leak then lie down snuggling up to Adam’s backside to await his wakening. He placed his arm gently over Adam resting his hand on Adam’s chest. He positioned his head behind Adam's then closed his eyes. It didn't matter that they were half a continent from home; John was exactly where he wanted to be.

Adam began to stir so John opened his eyes. He wanted Adam to wake in his arms; warm and secure with the knowledge that he was there—with and for him.

"Morn'in, Babe," Adam said placing his arm over John’s then taking his hand in his.

"Morn'in, Hon," John said then kissed his boy on the head. "It's been a long time since I said it. I love you."

"Ditto here," then Adam rolled over to wrap his limbs around John and kissed him on the neck.

Room service announced their presence in the hall outside their suite so John got up to let them in, giving Adam a pat on the rear as he rose.

He held the door as the waiters pushed two carts into the suite, signed the bill, then he went to wake the others. He knocked on Jim and Dave's door soundly then went back to Adam climbing on top of him.

"Come on, Hon,” John said, “We have the run of the buffet before they get up. It smells delicious; I could eat a cow." John kissed Adam. He rose then went to the living room to partake of the buffet. Adam joined him after he took a morning leak. They filled their plates and coffee cups then took a seat at the bar. Jim and Dave strolled in rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

"Morning guys," Adam said then noticed Dave’s divining rod tenting his underwear.

"Morning," was all either one was able to manage as they surveyed the buffet.

As Jim and Dave slowly joined the world of the cognizant, John and Adam ate and talked.

"Where do we go for the ceremony?" Adam wanted to know.

"Right here, the hotel has a facility for that. I reserved it from three to four this afternoon. They take care of getting someone to officiate and everything. It's a justice of the peace. All we have to do is pay. It’s deep in the bowels of the building; I think they call it, The Chapel of Love."

Adam eyed John trying to figure out if he was knee deep in horseshit again.

A few moments later, John couldn't maintain his straight face and grinned, "How appropriate huh, Hon? Chapel of Love and all," John was laughing.

"I knew you were full of it."

John decided to bite, "Full of what?"

"Horseshit, what else?"

"Aw Hon, you hurt my feelings on this, our wedding day. I'm crying on the inside. Can you feel my pain?"

"Eat your breakfast."

"See if you get into my Chapel of Love again."

"It's more like the Mosque of the Misbegotten."

"Call it what you may. The fact is, you need a key to gain access. And I, as keeper, have the key of course—so there."

Adam shook his head grinning; it was too early to get into it with John. Maybe he would be up for it after his morning routine. He decided to be quiet; John had the last word, as usual, so he let it go at that.

After breakfast, John called Elaine and his parents and arranged for everyone to meet in the lobby at ten. He had a map with points of interest in the area; he thought they could take a driving tour and check it out. That would give them a few hours to bum around before they had to be downstairs for the ceremony.

John was the first one down to the lobby to lookout for their parents so he decided to kill some time browsing the hotel gift shop. He noticed a revolving rack of key blanks on the counter and had an idea. He examined the carousel looking for something he thought would be large enough. When he was satisfied with his selection, he asked the clerk to engrave it. He said he didn't want it cut, just engraved.  He asked for the words, “Chapel of Love,” to be inscribed on it. When it was ready, John requested a gift box then paid the clerk; he intended to give it to Adam as a quasi gag gift after the ceremony and it made him smile. Maybe it could be construed as humorous; but to John, it held a certain volition as well as truth. He belonged to Adam and there was no question in his mind that it would be otherwise.

In the lobby, he took a seat on a padded bench, put his hands behind his head, and leaned against the wall closing his eyes and stretching his legs. As he sat lost in thought, he couldn’t help thinking about the ceremony and started feeling a little uncertain about it. Had he made too big a deal of it? He didn't think so; after all, it was Adam's idea to begin with. And he really liked the thought of being married to Adam. He had never loved anyone in his life like he did his boy. God, he had it bad for him and knew it would never change. He guessed if he had to put it into words, he would probably have to call it undying love and that was essentially it; what else could it be?

He smiled at the notion and the mental picture of his boy at sixty; Adam would always be his boy no matter what his age. “Until death us do part,” he thought. That was it, nothing more to add—“C'est tout,” he thought (that's all), then he smiled.

John felt cold fingers go down the sleeve of his polo shirt and feel his armpit hair. He opened his eyes to see Adam standing there with a smile on his face.

"I should have known it was you. There's only one person I know that's hung up on armpits," he said as he stood then scanned the lobby to see if it was safe, and then gave Adam a quick peck. Given Adam’s fetish and John’s intent; there wasn’t much to dispute. John kissed his boy, his spouse to be.

Jim and Dave both laughed as the elevator doors parted to reveal Elaine, Mary, and Ron. They spotted the guys standing near the gift shop and crossed the lobby in their direction.

Adam looked down at the bench and asked, "What's that?" as he bent down to pick it up.

It was a small rectangular gift box; the one John had placed The Key to the Chapel of Love in. He grinned and placed his hand on Adam's wrist taking the box with his other hand, "That's for later, Hon. It's yours, though, all yours.”

Adam looked at John with a big grin; he could only imagine what John had come up with. The more he thought about it, the more he began to feel bad; he hadn’t bought anything for John and they were going to be married in a few hours. It never occurred to him to buy a wedding present, yet John hadn’t forgotten; he was prepared. Adam felt small for having overlooked something so obvious.

John told the group they were going to drive up into the Green Mountains and take the tram to the top of one of the ski resorts, maybe Stowe, and so they did; primarily because no one had a better idea. It was a beautiful, warm day with the smell of spring in the air. The sun shone brightly and the birds sang as they courted and flitted about in the trees. The group turned out at a few scenic overlooks for pictures and generally enjoyed the excursion and each other.

At one of the overlooks, John pulled his father aside and asked for his help. He wanted him to bribe some of the employees into putting a makeshift sign over the door to the room they would be using for the ceremony. He told his father it was a joke and would more than likely get a good laugh out of Adam without giving him the reason then told him how he wanted the sign to read.

His father, being the practical joker that he was, agreed and seemed to like the idea from the grin on his face. John gave him three twenty dollar bills to use as bribe money and then the two parted smiling.

As they approached the rest of the group Adam said, "What's so funny?"

"It’s Dad. He’s telling corny jokes again." John said as he turned and walked toward the parked vans. He didn't want Adam to see the glint in his eye, knowing full well that his countenance would be all the incriminating evidence Adam needed to suspect something was afoot. "Come on, Hon," he said as he walked away. Then he blushed for having said that in front of the parents.

They climbed into their vehicles and started back to the hotel, John and Adam in the back seat feeling, groping, and fooling around; while Jim drove and Dave rode shotgun doing more or less the same.

In the other van, Mary gave the front passenger seat to Elaine while Ron did the driving. A short while later, Elaine looked at Ron and asked, "How do you feel about this?"

"I'm okay with it, Elaine; if that's what they want. One thing I can say for sure, we don't ever want a rift like we've had in the past. We love John; he's our only son and we want him to be happy. He's a good worker, conscientious, and has a good head for business. He's never asked us for anything; he always attained it for himself. And you know what, Elaine? We're proud of him."

That was exactly what Elaine was hoping to hear; she felt the same way. "You should be, Ron. He's the brains behind their business. That doesn't mean to say Adam doesn't contribute. Adam more or less runs the day to day operations while John oversees, and plans; he's very astute at handling money. They make a good team and, I might add, a good deal of money."

"What business?” Ron asked, “I thought he was unemployed." He strained to see his wife in the rear view mirror for clarification. As far as he knew, John was collecting unemployment compensation. That’s what Mary led him to believe after she tried to reach John at his office.

Elaine looked at Ron then glanced at Mary in the backseat. Mary was dumbfounded; she was the one that told her husband about the call to John's ex-employer. Elaine returned her gaze to Ron, "How do you think they bought that airplane?"

"Well, John did say they owned it free and clear. I thought Adam bought it or something. I don't really know and I was afraid to ask for fear of embarrassing John."

Elaine raised her hands with open palms, not condescendingly, more in disbelief at Ron's ignorance. "Ron, they own a business together. It's a flying business. That's not the right term; I'm not well versed in aviation. They bought the business on their own; they’re partners. You didn't know that?"

"No." Ron said somewhat embarrassed. He felt regret for the lack of interest and knowledge he and his wife were clearly guilty of.

Elaine continued, "John and Adam bought a business on their own. The two of them own it and it's doing well. I haven't given them anything," then she thought about what she said. She didn't want to come across as a braggart, which she wasn’t; it was family money but that didn't matter. She felt petty for having phrased it that way but wasn’t about to retract or explain. That wasn't her style though she wished she had articulated it differently.

"I didn't know," Ron admitted then stared at the road ahead as he contemplated Elaine’s words. After a short while, Ron said, "I had no idea. I wonder what else we don't know." He craned his neck to catch his wife's eye in the rear view mirror.

Mary, Ron, and Elaine rode the rest of the way in relative silence; each with their own thoughts. Elaine had recollections of her deceased husband, Jack, and wondered about the mentality of men at times; their apparent lack of sensitivity and cognitive skills as it pertained to family matters and relationships. She knew men were a different breed; she had spent too many years in the boardroom to be convinced otherwise. At that point, she accepted it as a fact of life; it didn't appear things were going to change any time soon.

Ron and Mary were doing a lot of soul searching. There was something about the way Elaine talked about John and her son that made them speculate and, if they were truthful, regret the fissure between them and their son.

Ron resolved to take a different tack going forward; it was primarily his fault the schism existed in the first place, or so he thought. He wanted to be part of John’s life and was truly proud of his son and very much mindful of Elaine’s account of the way things were.

On the other hand, Mary was ambivalent. She loved her son and wanted to be happy for him. She suspected long ago that John was different; a mother’s intuition can be surprisingly accurate. She was a religious woman and, therefore, wrestled with the notion.

Back at the hotel, they left their vehicles with the valet then entered the building. The clock in the lobby indicated one-thirty; an hour and a half before the ceremony.

John said, "When everyone is ready, come up to our room then we can proceed downstairs together.” He placed an arm around his boy then escorted him to the elevators. He was in a ‘let’s get hitched’ mode and feeling good about it. Everyone followed then alit the elevator at the appropriate stops.

In their bedroom, Adam said, "Let's take a shower, John.”

"No way," was John's reply, "We're taking separate showers. I know what you're after."

"What's with the Sister Holy Water routine all of a sudden?"

"It's not a routine, Sister Communion."

Adam was smiling; he knew it was next to impossible for John to say no and decided to try to wear him down. He was going for the mouth on the neck trick; John was powerless to refuse when he invoked that approach. He moved across their bedroom and buried his face in the small of John's neck from behind as he wrapped his arms around John's waist, then nibbled and kissed, and nibbled and kissed.

John pronated his neck with characteristic instinct as his eyes closed then purred like an alley cat, or so he thought; not knowing for sure what an alley cat sounded like though the idea intrigued him.

After a few moments of pleasure, John said, "It's not going to work. You don't have the key to The Chapel of Love." John was sure of that; he had the key in his pocket.

Adam persisted with his assault; he could care less about some stupid key or whatever the hell John was referring to. He was going to have his boy, take him even, if that's what it came down to.

As badly as John wanted Adam’s hardness inside him; he wasn't going to relent. That would render the key meaningless and the thought made him smile. He was, however, going to tease the shit out of Adam and enjoy himself in the process.

John pressed his ass into Adam's crotch and slowly rubbed it back and forth, smiling all the while. Adam began to dry hump his boy and caress John's stomach and chest with his hands while he kissed him on the neck. Adam ran his hands under John’s shirt then into his armpits while he humped him from behind.

The situation was heating up and John knew he had to stop soon or pass the point of no return. He turned in Adam's arms, pecked his boy on the lips, then said, "That was special, Hon. I have to take a leak,” then he made his way to the bathroom.

"Come back, Babe," Adam said in frustration. He was geared up and ready for action.

John closed the door behind him and exhaled deeply; he had never done that before. He thought it was one of the hardest things he ever did then wiped the moisture from his brow.

Adam was left standing in the middle of the bedroom; he was stunned. He was rock hard and his boy had walked away at the height of pre-copulation; it had never happened before and he was more than confused. He was confounded and disconcerted. He walked over to the bed to lie down; he reclined then pulled a pillow under his head. He looked at the ceiling and tried to sort it out; there wasn't much to ponder. In his mind he had been rejected.

The more he thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. There had to be something else. He convinced himself that it wasn't rejection. John must have had to go to the bathroom; that had to be it then he smiled. He rolled over on his side then placed a pillow between his thighs and pushed his hard dick into it wishing it were John's ass.

John came out of the bathroom naked after his shower; he had a towel draped over one shoulder. His crotch was readily visible with the dark brown hair around his big member, he looked hot to Adam and his dick did a lilt. John flung his used underwear at Adam on the bed as he moved to the armoire to get dressed.

Adam eyed the perfect male ass as it passed in front of him and his dick strained in his pants. He thought John was one of the lucky ones to have a physique as defined as it was without the hassle of working out. Then he corrected himself and decided he was the lucky one to have access to such a sensual body then his dick began to throb.

John took a clean pair of briefs from the armoire then stood on one leg for a little too long; he wanted to flex his ass to, hopefully, intrigue Adam; which he didn’t have to do. He knew Adam was watching and it made him smile. He avoided looking at his boy on the way to the closet to select a pair of slacks and shirt. After dressing, John pulled his sport coat on. Having dressed, he felt it was safe to address Adam then exited the closet.

"Are you going to shower?"

"Yeah," Adam said then sighed.

He sounded a little forlorn, so John walked over to the bed and kissed his boy then said, "I love you, Hon.”

Adam pulled him into a passionate kiss; he wanted a lot more than kisses but was willing to take what he could get. When they broke he said, "Love ya always," then he got up to take his shower as he palmed John's ass, which was stimulating if not carnal to the penultimate.

In the living room, John waited for the others while his boy showered. He was going to make a martini but decided it would be better to attend his wedding sober; there would be plenty of time for that later.

There was a knock on the door so he made his way to answer it. He stepped aside to let his parents, Ron and Mary, inside.

"Wow," Ron said, "Nice room you guys have here. What do you have to do to get one like this?"

"Get your credit card out," John said smiling. "Come in. Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll have a water," his mother said.

"I'll wait till after the wedding to get started," Ron said.

They took a seat in the living room then John turned the sound system on, which was already tuned to the CBC in Montréal. Mary was watching John as he moved. She couldn't help noticing how attractive her son was and knew she could credit her side of the family; she felt pride looking at him. She also wished her handsome son would produce offspring but decided not to dwell on it; after all, she still had a daughter in California. John was gay and wanted to be with Adam, so she endeavored to understand and accept it.

Adam came bursting into the living room in his underwear, "Babe, where are my pants?" He dropped his jaw when he saw John's parents on the couch. He turned and hurried back into the bedroom saying, "Excuse me."

John grinned and said, "I'll be right back. He'd lose his head if it weren't attached."

In the bedroom, John asked, "Did you look in the closet or the armoire?"

"No."

"Then you didn't look anywhere, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do I have to dress you, too?"

"No."

"Can you say anything other than yeah or no?"

"Yeah."

John heard a knock on the door and hollered, "Mom, Dad will one of you let Elaine in?"

"Okay," John's mother replied.

John was feeling like he wanted to jump Adam's bones as he observed his boy standing in the middle of the bedroom in his underwear. He put the thought out of his head, as best he could, then retrieved Adam's garment bag from the closet.

Adam was watching John. He looked hot as hell to Adam with his sport coat over a polo shirt and his slacks clinging to his ass.

John brought the garment bag over to the bed and selected a silk shirt and slacks for him. He took Adam's sport coat from the bag and placed it on the bed. Satisfied with his selection, he hung the garment bag in the closet.

"Put those on and I'll have the pleasure of taking them off you later,” John said then turned around to see if Adam agreed with his selection. "I didn't know you knew how to make a teepee,” John said, “Jesus Christ, Hon; does that thing ever take a rest?" Then John laughed as he slapped Adam's tool. It popped out of his boxers and snapped back hitting his stomach with a thump.

"You can do anything you want with it, Babe," then he wiggled it back and forth to entice John as he grinned.

"I think I'll cut it into short pieces and make Snausages out of it."

The sight of it made John grow hard. He stepped behind Adam and pressed his hardness into Adam's rear end, "I'm going to fuck you tonight, Hon; it'll be our wedding night tryst,” he said as he ran his hands over Adam's bare stomach and chest drawing him in. John savored the feel of his chest and stomach, which was soft, smooth and firm. He slipped his hand into Adam's underwear to cop a feel of his boy's soft pubes and strong erection and stroked it a couple times.

John's comment worried Adam. He had never been screwed before and the thought of John's much larger dick inside of him was a little un-nerving, if not intimidating. And it being their wedding day, how could he say no? He was in a quandary as his hard dick deflated at the notion.

John kissed his boy on the side of the head and whispered in his ear, "I'm just kidding, Hon. You can pump it up again," then he released Adam, slapping him on the rear end.

"Geez, you had me scared, Babe. That thing of yours is big. I don't know if I could handle it."

John smiled, "I'm going to have my way with you tonight; this, our wedding night. Mark my word, you will remember. I'm going to milk you drier than the Sahara or Mojave, drier than the most God forsaken arroyo. It will take you months to recoup. Tonight of all nights, IT'S TO THE MOON ALICE!" then John shot his index finger skyward. He laughed at his paraphrase of Jackie Gleason having seen him on late night television.

Adam couldn't help himself, he grinned at his goofball whom he loved dearly, "Get your arse out of here hot stuff before I throw you on the floor and take you in front of God and all creation.” Adam was ready, able, available, and willing to do just that. He was primed.

"You can't take me; I'm already yours,” then John pecked his mouth, "Hurry up and get dressed, Hon; everyone's ready 'cept you."

In the living room John walked over to Elaine who was sitting on a bar stool and whispered in her ear, "I don't know how you managed it, but your son turned out perfect; I owe you big time.”

Elaine smiled and patted John on the cheek.

He bent over again and whispered in her ear, "I mean it, Elaine. No one could have made someone more outstanding; you got it right the first time.”

Elaine waved her hand and said, "I had you in mind when I made him," then patted John on the cheek. She cared for John and felt good about her son being with him. She was about to designate John as a trustee for Adam’s trust in spending matters.

John felt good, too, having confessed his innermost feelings to Elaine. He knew she got the message; he loved her son and that was the point of it all.

When Adam made his entrance, everyone stood up and clapped; he was beautiful, radiant, and exuding sex appeal to and for John; and John felt the itch that only Adam could scratch. Jim walked over to Adam and put his arm around him saying, "You look great. I know you and John will be happy for a long time to come." As much as Jim wanted to be with Adam, he was truly happy for him.

Adam smiled and patted his good friend on the back, then said, "Thanks Jim.” He got misty eyed; he knew it to be true and believed it. He was looking forward to having John in a commitment, on a tether if he could, or under contract if that's what it took, anything that would preclude his boy's departure.

John picked up the phone and pressed the button for room service. When an answer came, he ordered two bottles of Mâcon-Villages knowing what Elaine preferred and his mother didn't care as long as the wine was white. He ordered a bottle of Irish whiskey for his father and a half-gallon of premium vodka for the four of them. He passed the phone to Elaine asking her to order the champagne saying he didn't have a clue and she was honored to assist. He also asked her to order the hors d'ouerves, which she did.

With that piece of business out of the way, John said, "Is everyone ready to go to the Chapel of Love?" Then he saw his father grinning, who gave John a thumbs-up standing behind everyone.

Dave noticed their exchange and clipped John on the back of the head. He was sure John had conjured up some kind of ruse. He liked it when he did, and wondered what it might be that time.

John said, "Hey, watch it dude if ya know what's good for ya and apparently ya don't." John was smiling, "Okay let's get the show on the road, so we can celebrate."

Adam put his arm around John’s neck and pulled him in saying, "Come on Goofy; we have a date with destiny."

"Geez, you make it sound sinister."

They rode the elevator down to the lobby then Adam inquired at the front desk for directions to the chapel. He said they had to ride the elevator to the basement then walk the length of two hallways so the group followed Adam’s lead.

When they arrived at the dead end, the chapel was on their left. John took Adam’s arm and pulled him to a stop. He pointed to the sign over the door. It was a long strip of freezer paper taped to the wall with the words The Chapel of Love handwritten in block letters.

"See, I told you but you wouldn't believe me. Don't you feel a little contrite for having doubted me?"

Adam was smiling as was Dave and Jim. Adam shook his head in disbelief, "This is another new low for you. How low can you go to prove a point?"

"I'll go to the depths of the ocean, the floor of the Grand Canyon, the very gates of hell even ..."

He didn't have a chance to finish; Adam pointed him at The Chapel of Love then pushed him inside.

Within a few minutes, everyone was in place and introduced so the Justice of the Peace began to officiate. The ceremony was straightforward and rather traditional in nature. There was pre-recorded music playing in the background and it made Elaine smile at the simplicity of it all. She thought tacky briefly then smiled setting the thought aside; after all, it was what her son wanted so she did her best to appreciate it on both their behalves.

They opted for the ‘I do’ route versus writing and reading their vows and it suited them just fine. They wanted it to be simple and meaningful without a lot of pomp and circumstance and so it was. It reflected the nature of their relationship. It was the thought that counted most for them.

When it came time to place the rings on each other's fingers, John had to elbow Dave; who was standing at his side to draw him out of his trance. He was staring at Jim with a mesmerized look on his face. Dave produced the wedding bands and handed them to John and Adam. The bands were simple circles fashioned of white gold without ornamentation and they placed them on each other's ring finger saying the words,” With this ring, I thee wed.” Then the officiant made the final declaration and their union was complete; sanctioned in The Green Mountain State and a matter of record.

John and Adam wrapped their arms around each other in a warm embrace and held on tight, both of them wearing grins capable of spanning the Mississippi. When they parted, they gave each other a peck then accepted hugs, kisses and grat's from the others.

During the grat's, John managed to whisper in his husband’s ear how stunning and attractive he looked, how much he looked forward to removing his clothes later. He cited his perfect smile and disarming charm. The problem was, he couldn't stop looking at him; he was drinking him in like a dry sponge does water and it didn't go un-noticed by the group.

Jim had his digital camera going during the ceremony and was still taking pictures. They asked the master of ceremonies to take a group picture so he snapped several for them. There was an employee in the lurches who agreed to take one with the Justice of the Peace and the party.

When the picture taking was over, John reached in his pocket then handed the official two crisp, new, one hundred dollar bills thanking him. It was a lot of money and John had to force himself to do it. He justified it by telling himself that no amount of money was too much to spend on Adam and that seemed to ease his apprehension.

Adam put his arm around John and said, "Let's go upstairs and celebrate.”

"Here, here," Ron said.

The group echoed his refrain so they made their way toward the elevators. Outside The Chapel of Love, John asked Jim to take their picture as they stood in the doorway under the makeshift sign. John had his arm around Adam's shoulders and a big ole smile on his face then raised his hand with his fingers forming a “V” behind Adam's head. Adam was grinning too as he held two fingers up behind John's head in the shape of a “V” and that made Jim and the others laugh, then he captured the moment.

After the photo op, Ron pulled the freezer wrap sign down from over the door. John rolled the sign up then noticed Adam and Dave talking to two guys dressed in suits. Jim and John walked over to find out what was going on while the parents waited for them.

They introduced themselves as Rob and Chris then everyone shook hands. They were next in line to be married. John unrolled the sign to show them and they laughed.

Adam asked, "Where are you guys from?"

Rob, the taller of the two, said, "Indianapolis originally, but we live in Chicago now. We're in grad school."

Chris, the cute one, said, "Rob is graduating next year in internal medicine and I'm going to be graduating from the MBA program.”

"Which school are you guys going to?" Jim wanted to know.

"We're both at University of Illinois, Chicago," Chris replied.

"Are you guys alone?" Dave asked.

"Yeah, we just finished finals and decided to start the summer off right," Rob said with a chuckle.

"How long have you guys been together?" John asked.

"We knew each other in high school but didn't get together until our first year at University," Rob said, "So it's been like six years now."

"Jim, do you have any memory left in your camera?" John asked.

"Yeah, plus I have another blank one in my pocket."

"Let's take some pictures for the guys; then we can email them when we get home. They can print them on their PC when they get back."

"That would be great. We would appreciate that," Chris said.

John asked their parents if they wanted to go inside and observe or go upstairs and wait for them. He told them that the two guys were alone and the four of them were going to take a few pictures and cheer them on. He said it wouldn't be long based on what they had done so everyone decided to go inside.

Jim clicked away while everyone observed the ceremony. The event was a carbon copy of the one the guys had been through. When the ceremony was complete, John and Adam unrolled the sign and held it above and behind Rob and Chris while Jim recorded the scenario digitally. Everyone had a good laugh. A few more poses and it was over, not to say meaningless, simply a thing accomplished.

"Would you guys like to join us in our room? We're all going upstairs for a small celebration," Adam asked.

Rob and Chris looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, "Sure why not?" Chris said, "We don't have anything special planned."

"Good," John said, "Let's get on with it then."

The group made their way upstairs to John and Adam's suite. Room service left the booze along with the wine and champagne in ice buckets on the bar. There were two carts with white tablecloths off to the side with hors d'ouerves and finger food in chafing dishes. There was more than enough to make a meal for everyone.

"I'm going to find something a little more lively on the radio," Adam said.

John opened a bottle of wine then poured Elaine and his mother, Mary, a glass while Jim made four vodka martinis.

"What can I get you guys?" Jim asked Chris and Rob.

"I'll have one of those vodka martinis," Chris said.

"I'll have a beer and a shot of Irish whiskey," Rob said.

"You got it,” Jim replied then set about filling their order, “Here, that should warm you up, Rob. But first we're going to toast the occasion with champagne. Are you guys okay with that?"

Apparently they were; they were smiling and looking at each other longingly as they agreed.

Adam overheard Chris say to Rob, "This is great. I'm glad we met these guys. This is better than having beers in our room."

"Yeah, I'm glad, too. At least there’s someone to celebrate with," then Rob lowered his head to kiss Chris on the mouth.

Mary and Elaine asked John to pour them a half glass of champagne saying, “That along with the wine, was going to be plenty,” so John poured and served them and then poured a full glass for the others. With flutes in hand, everyone clinked glasses, wished one another the all best, then drank up.

Dave wanted to know who the brides were so he could kiss them, which prompted Jim to clip him on the back of the head.

"Jim, I think he said that because he likes getting clipped," Adam said and everyone that knew Dave had a good laugh.

"Naw, I'm just trying to be friendly."

John rolled his eyes and escorted Adam to the bar where they situated themselves on stools.

Jim dimmed the lights in the room and Dave raised the volume on the sound system. There was a slow tune playing so Adam approached his mother, extended his hand, then began to sway to the music with her. Elaine was in heaven; she loved her son and was ecstatic to be there on his wedding day. It didn't matter that he married a guy; it was Adam's wedding day and she wanted her son to be happy. He was her only child and she wanted all the best for him; if that meant John, then so be it. She moved in concert with Adam; deep in thought.

Dave and Jim began to dance as did Chris and Rob while John sat with his parents watching and feeling left out. He studied Adam thinking about the two of them. He decided sitting it out wasn’t so bad after all; he knew who he was going home with and reveled in the thought. He was going home every day for the rest of his life with Adam and that was exactly what he wanted.

John's mother approached him with beckoning arms so he rose to dance with her. John took a classic approach with one arm around her waist while taking her left hand in his right.

"I'm happy for you, John. I wish your sister could have been here. I know the two of you are close."

"Mom, I can't tell you how much it means to me that you and Dad are here. I still can't believe Dad. I thought he would have a moose over something like this."

Mary giggled, "Honey, he has always wanted the best for you. He was hard on you for your own good."

"Mom, that's a cliché not a good reason. Still, I'm glad the two of you are here. Do you like him?"

"Adam? I think he's one of the nicest looking young men I have ever seen."

"Mom, I know he's attractive. Do you like him?"

Mary had to think about that for a moment. She had to admit she didn't know Adam per se. She wanted to respond positively and not appear gratuitous. "I can't say I know him well. What I do know of him, I like. I think his mother is a fine person and she thinks the world of you. I do know that your father and I want what is best for you; we want you to be happy. We always have; that's what every parent wants for their kids. If that means Adam, then we're behind you all the way."

"Mom, I love him. I don't know if you can understand that, but I want you to know."

They danced together for a few more minutes, John wanting his mother to acknowledge his love for Adam and Mary not sure of what to say. After some time, John released his mother, kissed her on the cheek and suggested she dance with his father so she did.

Rather than sit down, John walked over to Adam and Elaine and placed an arm around each of them. He kissed his boy as the threesome moved in concert with the music. As much as he cared for Elaine, he wanted to be close to Adam. He needed reassurance after the exchange with his mother; John wanted to embrace Adam.

"Excusez-moi, madame," John said to Elaine, "Can I have a waltz with my husband?" Then he smiled at her knowing she would acquiesce willingly.

"He's all yours," Elaine said then she kissed the two of them. She made her way to the sofa and her glass of wine.

After Elaine left, John whispered, "I knew that," in Adam's ear. He embraced Adam and said, "I own you now. You can't leave; you're all mine. Now and forever, you belong to me."

"I always did and always will. Like the man said—till death we do part."

"Me too, Hon. There's nowhere in the world I would rather be. I'll stay until hell freezes over, until the cows come home, until the fat lady sings, until all the rivers run dry..."

"Okay, okay. Shut up, Mr. Gaboris," Adam was smiling, "Let's sit down. I've had enough dancing for a while. Let's get buzzed."

"I'm already high, Hon; I'm high on you," then John pecked him on the back of the neck as he followed Adam to the bar.

Adam smiled as he led John by the hand; John more than happy to follow his boy anywhere.

The parents were watching their sons interact and, from the looks of it, they were happy for them. Elaine looked at Mary and Ron after a minute then the three exchanged a smile. Ron nodded with approval then put his arm around his wife.

Ron turned his attention to Dave. They had talked at great length the night before over dinner and fell into a comfortable conversation. He decided he liked Dave with his cleaver wit and spin on things; he seemed like one of the guys. In fact, none of them seemed 'gay' in the context he had always thought. He focused on the two new guys, Chris and Rob, and realized he was in the minority. They all seemed like decent enough people to him and, of course, he loved his son and was proud as hell of him after Elaine's dissertation that afternoon.

John followed Adam’s lead taking a seat at the bar watching the others. When the tune was over, everyone went back to drinking and talking. Adam got up saying he was going to make a plate for himself and asked John if he wanted one. He did so Adam went to make them both a plate of food.

Dave sat at the bar next to John while Jim went behind to make martinis. Chris joined him asking if he could help saying he wanted to learn how to make them so Jim walked him through the process.

John noticed Rob was on the reserved side while Chris was a bit more animated; sort of like Adam, he thought, then wondered who was doing what to whom. It made him smile. He decided he liked Chris. Rob too, even if he was a little stodgy, which wasn’t surprising; after all, John reasoned, he was going to be a doctor.

John put his arm around Dave and said, "Thanks for coming and thanks for being my best man.”

"Hey thanks for asking. We’re happy to do it and having a good time. Jim seems to be getting more comfortable in the King Air. We were talking this morning and he's glad we came, too. I think we might do the same thing in the near future."

John accepted a fresh martini from Chris, thanked him and turned to Dave, "Dave, I have something I want to say and I hope you don't get offended because it's not meant to be mean," John spoke softly.

Dave lowered his voice and said, "Shoot John, we’re friends and I know you're not a mean person. You can be frank with me.”

"Dave, I like you a whole lot and I mean it. You and Jim are our best friends. But you have to be careful with the intimate and suggestive things you do; it's embarrassing for me and I'm sure Jim at times."

"John, I don't want to go to bed with you or anyone else. Jim's my main man; my only man. Why do you say that?"

"Well you do things from time to time that are a little too risqué, if you know what I mean. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable; as flattering as the gesture may be. I'm sure Jim feels that way as well. How do you think Jim felt when he saw you humping me this morning? What do think he was thinking? See what I mean?"

"John, I didn't mean anything by it. It was kidding around; I hope you know that. It was supposed to be fun, a joke."

"All I'm saying is, things aren't always what they seem. If it was insignificant to you, it may not appear that way to Jim and it made me feel uncomfortable, too."

"Then I won't do it again. Hell, I don't want a problem with you or Jim. What makes you think I want to be with you anyway?" Dave said defensively.

"Once in a while is cool and funny. That's all I'm saying."

John realized that the message was received. Dave's reaction was a clear indication that he understood; John apparently made his point. He also wanted to minimize the impact of his statement as well as affirm their friendship.

"Are we good then?" John asked.

"We're cool, dude. Nothing to worry about,” Dave said.

John's comments were a little too close to the truth for Dave to dismiss. It was true he found John attractive but the last thing he wanted was to cause a problem. He liked John a lot, though nothing compared to what he felt for Jim. If he had offended anyone, it was surely not his intent. He resolved to be more mindful of his actions going forward.

John was glad the discussion went well even though Dave was acting defensively; at least he understood and that was a good thing. He hoped it wouldn't be a problem in the future. He gave Dave a one-arm hug then smiled at him. Dave smiled back indicating they were still on track and their friendship was intact.

Adam was sitting next to Ron, John's father, and his mother was on the other side. They appeared to be getting on well in serious conversation. There were the occasional thoughtful looks and passing smiles; the conversation appeared to be, more or less, what one would expect between parents and their adult offspring.

Chris and Rob were behind the bar deep in conversation and appearing isolated. John nudged Dave and motioned at the two of them.

Dave turned to face them and said, "Come around here, you guys.”

Chris and Rob abandoned their conversation and came around the bar to join them. John got up and made room for the two of them between him and Dave. It appeared they were somewhat uneasy and retreating to the comfort of each other's company.

Dave placed his arm around Rob and nodded at John to do the same to Chris so he did.

"So, you guys are married now. What's that like?" Dave asked.

"It's like good," Chris said leaning forward to look at Dave, "Are you and Jim married?"

"No, not yet; maybe down the road we'll do it. We started discussing it when we came here with John and Adam. We never gave it much thought prior to that."

"It's a big step and a really great thing, at least for us it is," Chris said, "You have to be sure. If you're not committed to uphold what it stands for back home, then don't do it."

Adam came over and sat next to John, he had enough parental contact for awhile. He put his hand on John's back and massaged the back of his shoulders.

"That feels good, Hon."

"When are you guys going home?" Chris asked.

John looked at Adam meaning he should respond.

"We haven't decided for sure. As long as we're back for work Tuesday morning, we can leave anytime," Adam said.

"Hon, what if we were to go home tomorrow? Then we could have a lazy day before we have to work Tuesday."

"Fine by me, providing you can get the others to agree."

"You better call the airlines before you make plans," Chris said.

"I just talked to the owner of the airline and he said it was okay with him," John said with a grin on his face.

The look on Chris' face was precious. He was cute as could be and the bewildered look made him all the more appealing. Adam was sporting a big grin, too. He knew where John was headed and decided to go along with it.

Chris was baffled. As far as he was aware, John hadn't used the phone at all. He figured he was kidding around. How could John possibly know the owner of an airline; airlines were publicly held companies. And the fact that he was smiling, well that had to mean braggadocio or bullshit; either way, it added up to the same thing. He decided to bring John back to reality.

"When did you talk to the owner of the airline? I haven't seen you use the phone."

"Don't need a phone to talk to the owner,” John said loving every minute of it; Adam was enjoying it, too. Adam wondered how long John was going to lead Chris on.

At that point, Chris was really confounded. He had to admit that he didn't know the guys all that well; in fact they had just met. Maybe they were VIP's or something; it wasn't out of the question. Their room was an impressive suite. He thought maybe one of their parents were important; he was puzzled, he couldn’t make sense of it.

"Okay, lay it on me," Chris said.

John looked to Adam for their response.

"We own an FBO," Adam said.

"What's an FBO?” Chris asked, “A Fake Business Organization?"  The four of them laughed at Chris' skeptical reckoning of the acronym.

"Fixed Base Operator,” Adam said, “We own an aviation business with our own planes. When John said he talked to the owner, he was referring to me although we're equal partners. We flew everyone here ourselves."

"Oh," Chris said raising an eyebrow; he was noticeably impressed.

The three parents rose from the sofa and approached the guys. They were going to say good night, wish them good fortune one more time, then make their exit. It seemed like the six guys were wrapped up in conversation so they said it was getting late and they were going to turn in for the night. Elaine took the wedding card from her Blazer pocket then discreetly slid it on top of the bar. Hugs and kisses were exchanged and then the parents left for their rooms.

Jim went behind the bar to make another round of drinks.

"So what kind of plane do you guys have?" Chris asked.

"We have seven," Adam said, "Two Cessna trainers, two 172's, a 182, a Piper Aztec, and a Beech King Air."

"Gee, you guys must be rich!" Chris remarked.

"No," John replied, "We're poor. We live in a one bedroom apartment." He didn't really believe it but wasn’t one to flaunt their success.

"Don't believe him," Dave said, "They're loaded. You should see the plane we flew here in. It's huge; it's a King Air. It cost two million!"

John excused himself to go to the bathroom and ran his fingers through Adam's hair as he rose. He didn't want to play the part of a braggart or anything close to it. Nor did he want to answer questions about how much money they may or may not have had.

"Wow! Is that true, Adam?" Chris wanted to know.

"Yeah, it's a very nice turbo-prop. In fact, it's the best in its class and a pleasure to fly. We love it and John got us a super deal on it."

"You mean they cost more than that?"

"Oh yeah, ours is ten years old. Brand new, they cost over four million the way ours is equipped."

Both Rob and Chris were surprised that the two guys, barely four years older than they, enjoyed such success.

"Did your parents help out?" Rob asked. His father was a doctor and paying Rob’s way through med school so he thought the guys might have a similar arrangement.

"No," John said having returned from the bathroom. "Although Adam's mother could probably buy the whole airport if she wanted. Well, I should correct myself. We did take about ten thousand from her when we first moved into our apartment. You know Hon, we should probably pay her back now; I forgot all about that."

"I think we should let it go," Adam said, "It's been so long and she doesn't need the money. I think it might even hurt her feelings if we tried to pay her back. She likes the idea that she helped us get started even though we didn't need it."

"If you didn't need it then why did you ask?" Rob wanted to know. He needed every nickel he received from home and couldn't understand why they wouldn't take the money when it was offered.

Adam took the next several minutes to explain John's propensity to pinch pennies evoking grins and chuckles along the way. When he was satisfied with his characterization, he told them how skilled John was at handling money. He wrapped it up explaining how their success was directly attributable to John’s finesse in financial matters.

Then Dave couldn’t resist relating the story about the hole in John's shoe; how Adam made him throw out his holey socks and underwear, then buy a new wardrobe. He told them how Adam referred to John's squeakiness when he walked and the close watch John kept on the cash. He told them that Adam probably needed permission to go in the safe in their apartment. He said he wouldn't be surprised if John had a hundred grand stashed in there.

John smiled; there was a hell of a lot more than a hundred grand in the safe. They had bought another one and put it on the floor in the same closet. It was able to withstand a ridiculous amount of heat in the event of a fire.

"What's so funny?" Chris asked John. He noticed how fast the red on John’s face was replaced with a grin.

"Nothing Chris, I was laughing at myself."

Adam was smiling, too. He was thinking the same thing John was; there was a hell of a lot more loot in the two safes than what Dave imagined.

"Something's up," Dave said, "They're both smiling. What is it you guys?"

John rose and went behind the bar in an effort to evade Dave’s scrutiny. He hoped Adam would somehow handle it then he started to make a martini. He was well on his way to a buzz but, what the hell, it was his wedding night and he felt like having another one. He offered to make one for whoever wanted a refill when he noticed the card from Elaine on the bar. He picked it up saying, "Here's a card, Hon."

"Well?" Dave said waiting for an answer, "Don't try to change the subject, John." He was sure it was going to be good since John was doing that very thing.

Adam said, "We're not sure how much is there; it's been a few months since we last counted."

"And how much was there at last count?" Dave pressed on.

"A little over two hundred," Adam said softly.

"That's bullshit," Dave said, "I know that safe holds a hell of a lot more than that. John would never let it get that low."

"Two hundred thousand," Adam said softly, "We bought another safe that sits on the floor in the same closet."

He was proud of his statement. It was a result of both their efforts and John's iron grip on the purse strings. After the past few years, he had come to appreciate John's skill in money matters. “Skill?” He thought silently, ”Naw, it was an obsession,” he decided. Though one that didn't seem so bad, having just stated the results.

"Shit, you guys are rich," Chris said.

"Oh my God, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD," John said as he lowered the card from Elaine. "I don't fucking believe this. I just don't fucking believe it. Hon, it's too good to be true."

He handed the card to Adam as his mouth hung open like the biggest Venus Flytrap in the world; one for The Guinness Book of Records. He was shaking his head in awe and wonder. He had to walk around the bar and look at the pseudo-deed again; he had to make sure it wasn't a joke; it seemed too good to be true.

"What is it?" Jim asked on behalf of the group.

Adam handed the card to Jim then jumped on John; wrapping his legs around John's waist and his arms around his neck. John gripped Adam's waist leaning back so as to balance them then hugged his boy. Adam was whooping and kissing and hugging and bucking in John's arms and the two were slobbering over each other as they missed their mouths. John lowered Adam to his feet; unable to support the two of them any longer.

Jim read the card and then the deed and passed it around for everyone to see. After everyone read it, John corralled Adam around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss.

"What is it?" Rob wanted to know.

"It's a deed to a building," Chris informed him, "Adam's mother bought them a building for a wedding present."

"What kind of building?"

Chris looked at the two lucky guys and said, "I don't know."

"It's a building on the airport," Adam said, "It used to belong to our competitor but he went out of business. Now we own it." Adam squeezed John with one arm grinning at him something fierce.

"Well, there you have it,” John said, “Now we can't say we haven't had help; and it doesn't bother me one bit. That's a pricey building and I, for one, am glad we don't have to pay for it. Now we don't have to worry about buying a jet either; we can afford it." He gave Adam a pat on the back and left his hand there.

"We'll have to thank Mom in the morning when we see her."

"For sure, I don't think we will ever be able to thank her enough."

The time was approaching one in the morning so Chris and Rob thanked them for a nice evening then they agreed to meet for breakfast. Adam made them a 'to go' plate from the leftover food then handed it to Rob. Before leaving, they gave their room number to the group and exchanged hugs. John noticed Chris kiss Adam when they hugged. He filed it away for future reference resolving to keep an eye on, what was hopefully, a harmless gesture.

Jim and Dave headed for their side of the suite while Adam turned off lights and John cleaned up. When they were done, John walked over to the windows to observe Lake Champlain shimmering in the moonlight. Adam joined him placing his arm around his spouse. John slid his arm around Adam’s waist then raised his hand to admire his wedding ring and all it stood for. Adam aside, he considered it his most prized possession.

"It was a nice day," Adam said.

"It was the best day of my life, Hon," John said then rested his head against Adam's.

"Me too, let's hit the sack, Babe. I'm beat."

"Suits me."

As they walked to their side of the suite, John took Adam's hand and raised it to see his ring then kissed it. He knew it was kind of dumb but the sight of it warmed his entire being. After undressing, Adam went to pull the comforter down and noticed a gift box on the pillow.

"What's this?"

"It's for you; open it."

Adam removed the cover then folded the tissue paper away exposing the 'Key to the Chapel of Love'. It was too dark in the room to make it out so he turned the lamp on beside the bed. He took it out of the box and read the inscription. He looked at John who was grinning back at him.

Adam pulled the covers down then slid under them and said, "Come here, Babe.

I have the key to your hot chapel,” he said smiling then turned the light off.

John slid under the covers and scooted across the bed into his arms encircling Adam with his limbs. He kissed him on the lips and said, "I love you lover boy, now and always.”

"I love you, too."

John kissed Adam again and said, "I know, Hon. Now fuck me silly.”

Adam did just that. He screwed John up, down, sideways, over, under and any other way that came to mind. John assumed the position that finally took them over the edge. He held on to the headboard as he squatted and bounced on Adam's shaft, his legs spread wide for penetration while Adam arched his back then withdrew in concert. The sight of John's muscles in motion along with his erect dick between his legs and muscular ass put Adam's senses in overload as only lust fueled by love can do and it took him to the brink of orgasm.

The newfound position drove Adam deeper into John than he had ever been. The sensation of John’s rock hard boy probing his guts, their love for each other, his soft pubes against his cheeks, and the sight of him thrusting and driving as he did his work, his raw maleness; it was all sensory stimulation extraordinaire. John pumped his load onto Adam's chest and stomach having never touched himself.

After they ejaculated, John eased himself down on Adam's still erect dick and wiggled his butt, nesting Adam deep inside of him; loving the feel of his stud boy buried to the hilt and wishing it would never end. He caressed Adam's smooth, defined chest and held his gaze staring into his eyes, into his soul with nothing but love and devotion. He leaned forward pressing his ass against the shaft inside of him, kissed his boy then pushed his tongue into Adam's mouth.

After a few minutes of kissing and caressing, John began to move up and down slowly on Adam's erection still sensitive from copulation and Adam rose to the occasion. He began to assault John’s ass again so John sat on him with all his weight forcing him to lie still and rigid inside John.

Adam wanted more of the hot male ass that pleasured him so much. His body went rigid under John’s weight lodging his pole deep inside John. A short while later, they resumed their gyrations and coaxed one another to a spasmodic climax before collapsing in a pile of passionate panting, neither one needing or able to go on. They wrapped up in each other's arms then slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Adam woke with a headache and eased away from John allowing him to sleep. He hit the bathroom and made his way to the common area of their suite. Jim and Dave were awake watching the news on TV.

"Morn'in," Adam said.

"Good morning," they both responded.

"Have you guys ordered breakfast yet?"

"No we were waiting for you guys," Jim said.

Adam went to the phone and ordered breakfast for four then hung up. He went to wake John so he would be ready to eat when the food arrived.

John was lying on his back half-asleep in an alcohol induced haze. Adam climbed into bed and scooted up close to him. He felt the hair in John's armpit then John opened his eyes. He gave Adam a quick peck and said, "Good morning, stud.”

Adam smiled, "Good morning Korn-dog, with a K."

"Oh; so now that we're married, it's okay to say what you really think?"

Adam chuckled, "Something like that. Come on, breakfast is on the way get your arse out of bed."

"I will if you stop feeling up my armpit. I'm definitely drawing the line when you start sniffing it."

John slid his hand into Adam's underwear and felt his lover boy up. "That's how you feel someone up properly," he said then got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. "We’re supposed to call Chris and Rob."

"Oh yeah, I'll call them."

Adam placed the call and told them to throw on jeans and a T-shirt. He said they weren't showered and cleaned up either and it would be fine to come as they were. Adam put on a pair of shorts and tossed a pair into the bathroom for John. They joined Jim and Dave in the living room and waited for breakfast and their guests.

Adam was standing at the windows looking out at a sparkling Lake Champlain as the morning sun danced and reflected off the waves. He had a mild hangover making the view hypnotic. John approached him from behind, wrapped his arms around Adam’s waist, then rested his chin on Adam's shoulder.

"What ya thinking, Hon?"

"Wondering what we should do today."

John said,

"We could fly to the coast of Maine,

or take a cruise on Lake Champlain.

There's always Timbuktu,

anywhere as long as I'm with you."

"Good God. Knock it off, Wordsworth." Adam was smiling at his personal nut case whom he loved dearly.

"Where would we land near the coast in Maine? We can't get the King Air in and out of any ‘ol airport you know."

"Well, Bush senior used to go to Kennebunkport with Air Force One and you can't get that mother in and out of just anywhere."

"Jesus Christ, are you ever at a loss for words?"

"I'm a font of information; a boundless idea man, your personal walking and talking encyclopedia!"

"Wacko-pedia is more like it."

"Wacko for you, Hon." Then he gave Adam a peck on the side of the head and patted his butt saying, "So there.”

There was a knock on the door so Jim rose to answer it. He greeted Chris and Rob and let them in.

Adam turned around, corralled John by the neck, then hauled him over to greet Chris and Rob.

"Morning," Chris said, "What ya got there, Adam?" He was checking out a shirtless John and Adam liking very much what he saw.

"My ball and chain; it's my lot in life."

John wiggled free then clipped Adam on the back of the head saying, "Top of the morning to you, boys.”

"Thanks,” Chris replied, “And the rest of the day to us as well.”

John smiled at Chris' remark. It was a little on the trite side but so was his comment; the boy demonstrated promise. He made a mental note to give Chris another lead-in so he could exercise his wit.

Jim answered another knock on the door allowing room service inside. Adam signed the bill then they began to fill their plates. They were all hungry from drinking and the skimpy meal they had the night before.

While they ate, they discussed different suggestions as to what they should do for the day. They narrowed it down to two possibilities. The group was evenly split; half wanted to take the day cruise on Lake Champlain while the other half wanted to go to Maine. In an attempt to be impartial, they decided to let the parents break the impasse.

Adam knew his mother would probably want to go to Maine like he, John and Chris; which made John's parents the tie breakers so Adam asked, "How do you think your parents will vote?"

"No idea, Hon. I couldn't say one way or the other. I don't have a clue."

"I think Mom will vote for Maine,” Adam said, “She likes flying in the King Air and she's always wanted to go to Maine and the Gaspé Peninsula. Dad would never go because they didn't have any good golf courses there."

"Let's call them and see which one they prefer. We have to thank your Mom for the generous wedding gift, too."

Adam called his mother. When the phone rang, she picked up right away. John was on the extension in the bedroom so they took the opportunity to express their sincere gratitude for her more than generous gift. She said she was happy to do it saying the money would be Adam's eventually so why not put it to good use. Elaine opted for Maine, as Adam predicted, then said she would be up to their room in an hour and they hung up.

Next, John dialed his folks and told them what was happening. John asked for his father's vote first knowing he would not go against his wife if she said that she favored the boat ride, which was the option he and Adam preferred.

When the votes were in, Maine was in the majority. John went back to the living room and high-fived Adam; it was what they both wanted. It was their wedding and they were footing the bill. Neither one wanted to push it; though they were both grateful for the outcome.

Everyone dispersed to go about their personal business and agreed to be back in an hour or less. While John showered, Adam filed an IFR flight plan for Kennebunkport with FSS. When he finished, he gathered the plates and glasses placing them on the bus-cart then pushed it into the hallway outside their suite.

John finished in the bathroom and hollered to Adam, "I'm done. It's all yours.”

An hour later and the gang was on their way to the airport; John and Adam riding with the parents while Rob, Chris, Jim and Dave rode in the other minivan. At the airport, Adam used one of the computers in the general aviation terminal to check the NOTAMS and enroute weather advisories; everything checked out so he made a quick call to FSS to activate their flight plan.

Adam was first on board and took the pilot-in-command seat then began going through the pilot checklist. When everyone was inside, John retracted the steps and sealed the door then gave everyone seating assignments. He was trying to optimize the weight and balance of the aircraft; it was the first time they flew the King Air with maximum payload. He asked if anyone would like coffee and Ron, Chris, and Rob said yes so he prepared the coffee maker then started it before making his way to the cockpit.

On his way forward, he stopped next to Rob and Chris, "Are you guys going to be okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Chris said with enthusiasm, "Bring it on."

"Rob, you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"That doesn't sound very convincing. You sure you're okay with this?"

"I've never been in a small plane before. I'll be alright."

John looked at Chris, "Keep an eye on him. I’m going to get something for you guys."

John returned to the galley and withdrew an airsickness bag from a drawer. He opened another cabinet door and found a foil pack of Dramamine. That, along with a bottle of water, he presented to Rob. Rob popped the Dramamine into his mouth then washed it down with the water; John was glad he took the pills. He gave the airsickness bag to Chris and told him to keep an eye on Rob.

"Everyone okay? Anyone need anything?"

"It's tight in here," Ron said. His legs were bunched up in front of him.

"Call the office,” John said, “The crew doesn't want to hear it," then he chuckled.

He turned toward Jim and asked, "Do you mind using Adam's laptop and try to find something for us to do when we get there?"

"Sure.”

John retrieved Adam's computer from the cargo area and set it in front of Jim. He plugged it into the Internet port then asked him to wait until they leveled off to boot it up then made his way to the cockpit claiming his seat next to Adam.

"Everyone's all set.”

"Good. This is the first time we’ve had a full cabin."

"Yeah, I wonder how much it'll increase our ground roll. I guess we'll know soon enough."

Adam fired up the engines, one after the other, and the airplane snapped to attention as the prop-wash moved over the plane's control surfaces. Adam had a penchant for revving the engines a little too much when he started them. That wasn’t a good thing to do when the engines were cold but he couldn’t help himself. He liked the surge of power and the way the King Air responded.

John adjusted the environmental controls. Their flight would not exceed ten-thousand feet MSL (mean sea level) so they weren't required by law to pressurize the cabin; that would help conserve fuel. The flight was under an hour meaning the flight would be basically up and down; a blood run in aviation speak. Since the trip was a short IFR hop in controlled airspace, the workload for the pilot would be heavy, if sitting down could be construed as heavy work.

After they were handed off to approach and departure, John said, "Let's give them a thrill; nothing extreme, just a little something to get their attention.”

"Okay, what do you have in mind, Babe?"

"Nothing like pulling a lot of G's, we don't want Rob or Jim to toss their cookies in our baby."

"What if I were to feather the props and kill the ignition when we start our descent?"

"Oh shit, that would be perfect!" John said then laughed and slapped his knee. "That's perfect. That's it; let's do it."

"Okay," Adam said. He was smiling at his suggestion, too.

They both liked the idea so the plan was implemented. It was straightforward enough. When they began their cruise descent, Adam would enrich the fuel mixture then throttle back. At that point, he would feather the props then kill the ignition. That meant he would stop the engines then orient the propeller's leading edge parallel to their line of flight.

That would effectively freeze the props in place and they would cease to rotate. To anyone that looked, it would appear the engines were off and that would be true and accurate. To the casual observer, that should be more than cause for concern, it should inspire panic; so they both got excited over their scheme.

To restart the engines would be straightforward. In effect, it would be the same as starting a car with a manual transmission; all you had to do was pop the clutch with the car in gear when there was sufficient momentum. In the case of the King Air, it didn't need a push; its inertia—or descent to earth—would be enough to kick start the engines. It was a grand idea; one they were sure to savor for some time to come. They were sure it would elicit a reaction from everyone on board.

About twenty-five minutes into the flight, they reached cruising altitude then set their plan in motion. They wanted to have the ordeal over before the workload became too intense.

"Are you ready?" Adam asked.

"Yup, go for it."

Adam feathered the props then killed the ignition and, shortly thereafter, they ceased to rotate. As soon as the props were still and the engines silent, everyone on board became aware of the lack of engine noise and vibration. They began to look out the windows at the stationary propellers in disbelief.

Adam opened the intercom to address their passengers, "Good afternoon everyone, this is your captain speaking. As you may have noticed, we have lost power to the port and starboard engines—please remain calm. We have declared a Mayday to air traffic control and received their best wishes for a safe and uneventful landing. We're going to ditch it on the Interstate highway below us. John will be back there momentarily to lower the landing gear manually. Again, I repeat, please remain calm."

John and Adam were laughing their asses off at the imagined scene in the passenger cabin. They wished they could witness the look on everyone's face, especially Jim's.

Mary and Elaine immediately made the sign of the cross then looked at their lap with folded hands making their peace with the powers that be. Jim and Rob went white as a sheet and looked close to passing out, Rob's eyes began to roll up and out of sight as his head bobbed on his shoulders like a listless jack-in-the-box. Chris leaned over the table separating him and Rob and hugged him as tight as he could; he was on the verge of a panic attack but decided he wanted his life to end in Rob's arms.

Ron was sitting upright and stiff as a board, as he looked from one engine to the other for a sign of life or some kind of hope. He had one arm across Elaine's chest who was sitting on the other side of the aisle and one arm against the window trying to brace himself.

Dave was sitting with his back to the cockpit. He calmed down and prepared for the worst, should the landing not go well. In their surreal predicament, the only sound he heard was the woosh of air moving over the fuselage and wings of the aircraft. He heard some noise coming from the cockpit, too; it was laughter accompanied with, "Oh my God," and "Oh shit," and something else he couldn't quite make out.

John and Adam were very nearly in tears and close to wetting their pants with glee and self-pride; they were the Lords of the Pranksters, loving every minute of it. Every time they looked at each other, they would commence another round of gut wrenching, belly laughs. As their guts ached, they began to wind down from the lack of air and stomach cramps. They began to regain some degree of composure when the cockpit door swung open and Dave stood there grinning. He said, "It didn't work, dickheads."

John and Adam started laughing again. After a moment John said, "How come you're white as a ghost then?"

Adam kick started the engines and they roared to life with a reassuring hum; the props spinning in visual defiance of their, not so fateful, fate.

Adam opened the intercom again, "Good afternoon everyone, this is your captain speaking. We..."

He had to stop and laugh; he was having trouble talking. There were shouts coming from the cabin like, "Asshole," which was Jim's observation and, "Which idiot did that?" came from Chris since Rob was too peeked to respond. Then Elaine yelled, "I'm taking my building back," which made John and Adam laugh hysterically; it was too much.

Ron wanted to pound that little shit, Adam, but decided to wait until they were safe on the ground; he was relatively sure that John wouldn't pull a stunt like that. And Mary, well, she was too exasperated to react and not all together sure they were in the clear; she thanked God for his Divine Providence.

Dave clipped Adam then John on the back of the head then turned to go, smiling as he made his way to his seat. What he really wanted to do was bang their heads together.

Another twenty minutes later and they were parked outside the general aviation terminal at Kennebunkport. John rose to open the cabin door and extend the stairs to the tarmac. With the stairs in place, he climbed down then waited for the women so he could assist them in their descent. One by one, the group exited the airplane.

Adam was last and paused at the top of the stairs. He was surveying the crowd. All eyes were on him. Dave was the only one smiling and it was a foreboding one at that.

"What?" Adam said with a wan grin on his face.

John started grinning then let out a chuckle; he knew his boy was going to suffer for their little escapade. He found it funny as hell that Adam was going to pay the price and he was off the hook; he wasn't sure why and not about to question it.

"Get your ass down here, Son," Ron said. He was actually grinning.

"Yeah asshole, we're waiting," Jim said.

"Come on yo-yo, we don't have all day," Chris added.

Elaine was watching the scenario unfold and waiting to get her licks in on her son, too. She was pissed that Adam scared the hell out of her and more than eager for redress.

Adam was getting worried. He pushed the button to retract the stairs and started smiling and waving at the group. When the stairs were almost fully retracted, he reversed the action and they extended to the ground again. He took a deep breath, then let it out and descended the stairs one by one.

As soon as his foot touched the tarmac, Ron grabbed him and wrapped his arms around Adam's chest and arms holding him firmly in place. Jim punched him in the arm repeatedly so Adam bent forward as far as he was able to shield himself as best he could. Adam was hollering to be let go but Ron wasn't having any of it. Ron placed his hand on the back of Adam's neck and forced him to the ground while Chris kicked him in the arse and Dave clipped him on the back of the head. Elaine was pounding his back with her fist, albeit lightly.

Adam was laughing loud between “Ouches” and “Damn that hurt,” and other expletives. At one point, he yelled out that it was John's idea but no one believed him causing John to laugh.

John had seen enough of the punishment his boy was enduring and decided to intervene on his behalf. He walked over and positioned himself between Adam's redressers and his boy. He bent down to shield him from the blows then helped him to his feet. With Adam upright, and everyone more or less happy with their recompense; they turned to walk inside while Adam brushed himself off and John combed his hair with his fingers.

John had his arm around Adam as they brought up the rear.

"Geez Babe, what a bunch of spoilsports." Adam was grinning as he said it.

"You're telling me! I guess they can't take a joke."

"And it was your idea in the first place; how come they didn't go after you?"

"Cause they know I could never do something like that,” John grinned as he spoke; it was the farthest thing from the truth and they both knew it.

"Horseshit,” was all Adam said then they both laughed again.

After a short taxi ride into town, they split into three groups with the parents as one, Jim and Dave on their own, and Chris and Rob accompanying John and Adam.

They wandered through town browsing the shops and galleries, window shopping, and stopping to buy on occasion. Chris remarked how much Kennebunkport reminded him of Annapolis and the rest were silent. They had no idea. At one gallery, Adam spotted an original oil by a local artist and pointed it out to John.

John studied it for a few moments then said he liked it, too. He looked at the back of the painting and noticed the work was entitled, "Lowlands". It was a captivating landscape of a pasture surrounded by mountains with a farm in the distance and a stream meandering through the picture. The colors were deep and rich against a beautifully depicted sky conveying an overall sensation of serenity.

"You want to buy it?" John asked Adam.

"Yeah, I do."

"Where do you want to hang it?"

"In the living room, it would look great where the poster is now and the poster can go in our bedroom."

"Fine with me, Hon. I really like the picture and I think you're right. It'll look good in the living room; a lot better than the poster."

Adam found the shopkeeper and bought the picture.

Chris and Rob were impressed with the casual way the guys made the decision to buy such an expensive piece of art. While the clerk wrapped the painting in cardboard, she gave Adam some history about the work and artist.

It turned out the artist had a nationally renowned reputation, which didn't surprise John. He knew his boy had discerning taste, thanks to Elaine.

The rest of the day was leisurely and the flight back to Burlington was smooth. Adam had to promise Rob there would be no shenanigans before he would board the plane while Jim promised to kick his ass if there were. Elaine reminded them that the deal for Fischer Aviation's building was still pending forcing the guys to swear up and down the flight would be uneventful.

They made it back to Burlington safe without incident and the group was grateful for that. At the hotel, they left their vehicles with the valet and agreed to call each other in the morning. John and Adam wanted to depart for home by noon and so it was acknowledged and agreed to by the others.

Chris and Rob thanked everyone for the fun and good time then they exchanged coordinates and parted company. John and Adam offered them a ride home but they said they would go commercial; their tickets were non-refundable. That was fine with them, welcomed actually. The King Air was much more comfortable when not fully loaded and the plane would be much easier on fuel without them.

After stopping in Chicago to allow Ron and Mary to deplane, they arrived in Springfield and then their apartment early that evening and both were happy to be home. It had been a long, expensive, and tiring weekend; worthwhile yes, but tiring nonetheless. It was comforting to be in familiar surroundings.

"Babe, it was a great weekend but it's nice to be home," Adam said then sighed a sigh of relief.

"I hear ya. I'm glad to be home, too. I’m tired."

John slumped onto the couch then lowered himself to his side. He rolled onto his stomach then pulled a pillow under his abdomen and lifted one leg on the sofa as he lie with his head hanging over the edge. He was thinking about the weekend, all that had happened, and how much it meant to him.

Adam climbed on top of him and kissed his hunk on the side of the neck. He raised his hand holding his ring in front of the two of them. John raised his hand with his ring holding it next to Adam's and smiled, "Till death us do part, Hon."

"Yeah, till death us do part."

To be continued...

Posted: 07/01/11