NOTE: This is the fictional coming of age story of Jake Grimke as he matures through high school, into college and eventually into adulthood in the Baltimore, Maryland region. It contains and embraces accurate representations of life in Baltimore and its suburbs; Maryland's traditional sport of lacrosse and the career path a firefighter might follow in his profession. All of the characters in this story are fictional and resemblance to any one person whether dead or alive is purely coincidental.
If you liked this installment, please send me some feed back; I got a rough idea where this is headed but I am always open to suggestions. Needless to say, if you are offended by handsome athletic young men growing up gay and the obstacles they will encounter as well their personal triumphs, you should use the BACK button on your browser forthwith.
The guests for Jake's New Year's Eve party began arriving just before 8 pm, the girls dressed in cocktail dresses and the boys in suits. Everybody snapped digital images with their cell phones to upload to their Facebook page or send to their friends. Will arrived a few hours early to help Jake set the table and decorate for the party while Emma worked her motherly baking magic and turned out a perfect New York style cheesecake.
With most of the food prepped and a few last minute instructions from his mom, Jake went upstairs to shower and change, Will following him and keeping the door open as his friend prepped down the hall in the bathroom. As Jake finished dressing, Will helped him put the finishing touches on the double-Windsor knot of the tie he wore with his button down collar shirt and suit. "I took the last few days to think about what I said on Christmas Jake," Will started, "maybe I jumped the gun too fast, maybe we could be more than friends if you want. And if you don't, I understand; I screwed the pooch."
"Like I said on Christmas, I admire you a lot Will, I think you helped me find the strength I needed to stand on my own and stand next to you and with you," Jake replied, "I got a lot of questions and if you help me answer them, well then, who knows what could happen."
Will smiled, relieved that his window of opportunity to be close to Jake had not been slammed completely shut; opened his arms and welcomed Jake into them for a brief more than friends romantic kiss before the doorbell broke their concentration.
Annie and Evan Harmes arrived first, with Evan's girlfriend Jackie and just after that, defenseman Aaron Beecher and his girlfriend Shelia Downes arrived. And without any fanfare, the black Chevrolet Suburban staked with antennas dropped off Erik and Anna and remained parked in front on Lakenheath Way with the plain clothes trooper sitting at the wheel and another unmarked SUV parked less than half a block away; just in case.
Annie Harmes along with Emma and John Grimke chatted with each youthful couple as they enjoyed virgin margaritas and some snacks while Jake slipped out of his suit jacket long enough to sear the filet mignons on the double burner grill pan on the stove while the crab imperial finished in the oven. Will enjoyed his role as co-host, plating and dressing the salads for the table while most of the guests wondered what Jake couldn't do.
With a little coaching from Emma, Jake perfectly executed the dinner which everybody raved about while Annie and John rationed out three bottles of Malbec and began to ice down the champagne for midnight. Erik quickly tired of all the attention being focused on him and made Anna talk about her family and school and friends back home and what they might be doing for the new year. And as the meal progressed, each young couple offered a toast, first thanking their host before wishing all great success in the new year and acknowledging in some way that this might be the last time that they are all together to celebrate something together, knowing that in six months, their commencement from Severn would send them all on new beginnings.
After the dinner and dessert, the Mohawks reviewed their lacrosse schedule for the spring, their first game a week before Valentine's Day and culminating just before the end of the spring term in early June. If Severn made the state finals, then they would play right up to the day before graduation in mid June. After that, it would be Senior Week in Ocean City and then Evan would be the first one to leave for college at the end of June, reporting for Induction Day at the United States Naval Academy to start his plebe summer.
Just before midnight, John got four bottles of champagne out of the icy cooler and gave a bottle to Jake, Evan, Erik and Aaron to open a few minutes before midnight as Annie and Emma passed out the champagne flutes to be filled for everybody. The champagne was properly opened, Jake showing each of his band mates how to do it with six twists of the wire to loosen the cage while the cork was gently worked out with the traditional "pop" and the glasses topped off just in time to watch the big ball drop in Times Square on the flat screen TV in the family room.
After the singing of the traditional Auld Lang Syne and lots of hugs among friends and family and anybody else, Will Hurley got everybody to sit down in the Grimke family room and listen to his idea. Will began by reminding everybody that they were seniors and the last few senior classes had always done a senior prank at school. "This year, no senior prank, instead," and with a strong look at each member of the Mohawks, "a surprise senior concert. Just like Christmas, only longer and better. A chance to give back to Severn for everything its given us."
Will continued, half making up his plan as he spoke to them, "I know we got the spring show to do for the band and choirs but this could be kind of a farewell to Severn, from us, for us, for everybody. If it can be done, I know the people to do it are in this room."
All eyes jumped to Aaron, usually the first to say anything negative, but he answered, "Keep going Will, this could be fun."
"It could be like a flash-mob thing," Will suggested, not sure of all the mechanics and logistics necessary.
"Could use the stadium, it's usually set up a few days before graduation," Erik thought aloud, "it's going to have sound and all the media stuff set up. Will, you know people on the stage crew who have access to all that stuff."
Will nodded as Jake's mind raced before he offered, "This can't be all Mohawks, it's got to be a chance for us to get as many people involved as we can, to get as many people who want to be involved, involved."
Evan added his two cents, "Who do we include in the planning? If this gets too big too fast, there won't be any surprise. Hell, we might all get expelled before we graduate."
"Start with Miss Birdsong, she's the senior class faculty advisor," Jackie said, "we use the stadium like Erik suggested. The only thing is sending out the message on social media on when to be there but we shouldn't do that more than 3-4 days in advance."
"And organizing who is going to perform," Shelia added, "this is going to require an immense amount of coordination as well as keeping the lid on everything."
"I want a chance to perform something," Anna blurted out, not wanting to be omitted, "promise I will keep the secret surprise."
Will Hurley had planted the seed for the show and it was already germinating ideas on how it would be executed. Everybody in the room, despite the initial reservations they held felt it was a worthy goal. Just after 1 am there was a brisk knock at the door startling everybody, "That's my ride I bet," Erik announced after looking at his watch and getting up to escort Anna to the front door as John Grimke opened it.
"Good evening sir, I'm Trooper Evelyn Marsh, I'm here to take young Mr. Syms and his date home."
"Of course Trooper," John answered.
Anna and Erik were the first to leave the party followed by Aaron and Shelia after John was assured they were sober enough to drive home. Annie Harmes left last, dropping off Jackie at the Pence residence before taking Evan home.
With only a few straggling glasses and dessert dishes that didn't fit into the first load of the dishwasher, there was very little left to clean up from Jake's party. Emma and John each hugged Jake and Will since the boys had elected to stay up and watch TV in the family room before they trooped upstairs.
"I like the idea of a concert a lot Will, when did you come up with that?" asked Jake.
"After watching all of us at the Christmas concert, there's a lot of talent, but I don't want you to worry about that now,' Will answered with a devilish grin, "I think we have some unfinished business."
"Do we," Jake wondered quietly aloud and with an equally evil grin on his face.
"Yes Jake Grimke, we do," Will said, bringing himself in close for a long passionate kiss.
Jake was immediately receptive to the kiss as Will imposed his weight on top of him on the couch as the Times Square revelry began to wind down on the TV. With the suit coats off after dinner, Will loosened Jake's tie and began to make out with him in earnest, clicking off any light with in reach until there was only the glow of the TV illuminating their intimacy.
Will slowly undressed Jake, from the feet up, shoes off, socks off, pants off, shirt off, tee shirt off until he was in just his black boxer briefs with a defined rigid hardness straining for release in the center. Once Jake was almost naked, Will stripped himself and laid on top of Jake again, kissing him from his forehead to the tops of his feet, making Jake writhe in pleasures he never experienced before. Will took great pleasure in this, in eliciting the soft purring moans Jake let out before he took Jake's tie and gently bound it around Jake's wrists.
More kisses by Will relieved any apprehension Jake had as Will pulled the shorts down completely and once again engulfed Jake in his mouth completely. Jake flexed and relaxed his legs in sync with the bobbing of Will's head, his tied hands on top of Will's head as he raised and lowered his hips to meet Will's lips.
With his hand on Jake's leg, Will could sense the inevitable and eased the intensity of his mouth's action, leaving Jake without a climax. He stood and dropped his tighty-whities and let his own shaft out and bent his knees low enough to that it aligned with Jake's mouth that he gently entered.
Steadying himself his hands on the back of the couch, Will kept his knees bent just enough and began to rhythmically thrust his midsection a little further and little faster until he was pounding all the way back into Jake's mouth. Jake stared up at him, not fighting it while Will took one free hand and caressed the almost hairless defined pecs on Jake's chest before going lower and stroking Jake gently, eliciting a large drop of nectar that he used to swab around the glans of his friend's erection.
"Like that jock?" Will asked in whisper.
Jake nodded yes as Will entered and retreated from his mouth.
"More jock?" Will asked again.
Jake nodded yes again and Will proceeded to inundate his mouth faster and deeper, holding himself in as deep as he could until he could just feel Jake begin to cough before withdrawing completely and letting Jake catch his breath and swallow all the saliva he generated.
"Happy New Year jock," Will said.
"Happy New Year friend,"Jake said with a smile as Will turned Jake on his left side and laid down next to him on his own left side, each with their heads aligned to each other's midsection. Not a word had to be spoken, mouths were just opened and the action began again in earnest, except that Jake's hands were still tied while Will's weren't.
One of Will's free fingers worked its way inside Jake in a very intimate way, arousing Jake and stimulating him to pleasure Will with his mouth even more. Will's finger probed, learning Jake's internal anatomy and pressed on the almond sized gland short circuiting Jake into a euphoric bliss he never experienced before. And as Jake erupted, Will clamped his mouth and formed a perfect seal so that none would be lost and tensed his own legs, not unlike Jake was used to doing when release was imminent and gripped Jake's head between his runner thighs before thrusting in deep one last time as he felt the flood of release leave inside him and enter Jake.