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 some 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.
Jose Valdez was 100% correct. By the fourth day of their six day senior beach week in Ocean City, Jake had had enough of the drunken craziness that was taking place left and right. Will sensed that Jake was tiring of it and offered, "you're ready to go home aren't you?"
Jake just nodded his head with, "yep, Jose was dead on."
They settled up with the front desk and got a refund for the two unused nights and their security deposit was also refunded since Jake and Will didn't mess up their room. Jackie and Evan stayed on one more day because so many of the Severn cheerleaders were still in Ocean City.
After dropping Will off at his house, Jake made it home a few minutes later and found his dad assembing a new gas grill on the patio. He ran up to John Grimke and hugged him, "hey Dad, missed you so much."
John hugged him back, "missed you to Jake buddy. How was the trip?"
"Just pure crazy," Jake replied, "seems like the only sanity was the day Will and I were on the beach and I helped rescue that swimmer."
"Your mom and I are proud of you Jake," John said, "our phone rang for 24 hours after that!"
"So, is it like that when you rescue somebody at a fire?" Jake asked, daring to go somewhere he never went before in talking about his father's work.
"Similar I guess. The research suggests that a firefighter gets a huge adrenaline dump into his system when he goes to a fire. And while most of the time, its dissipated and metabolized as he works through the stages of the fire, there can be some lingering physiological effects," John Jr. said, reciting some of the information he read in the fire service trade journals.
"Sounds deep, professor," Jake said whenever his dad spoke in scientific terms.
"Well, I'm guessing it's a lot like when you score in one of your lacrosse games," Jake's dad continued, "it's euphoric, right, you are on a high from your effort. And your body dumps in the adrenaline to power you to the goal, you score and then there is a dump of endorphins that makes your body feel good, right?"
"Yeah, I guess that's pretty much the same feeling I had on the beach," Jake said, recalling how his foot was shaking after the surf rescue and handing his dad a bolt to help put the new grill together.
"So, even though you score at a game, you keep playing, right?" John continued, "and you are running and passing and all that other stuff associated with playing lacrosse, right? That burns off the chemicals your body dumps just like we burn them off when we do things after a rescue like ventilate, check for extension and overhaul the structure."
Jake and his dad finished putting together the new grill before John changed the subject, "What's up with you and Jose?"
"I don't know. I like him and all and we connect well but not sure how I am supposed to know if he's the one," Jake said, not hiding his feelings from his father.
"Trust me, you'll know, your body will set off all sorts of bells and whistles," John said with a smile, "mine sure did when I met your mother."
"Oh yeah?" Jake inquired.
"I met my share of girls, in high school and college and while I had feelings for all of them in varying degrees, I just kept kicking the can down the street, saying to myself, `this isn't the one or this isn't the time'."
"There's some paternal advice in there, isn't there," Jake asked.
"Of course Jake," John replied, "there are wants and needs, just balance them without being stupid; I know you are smart enough for that; just think past the next 5 minutes and most things will work out."
Jake undid the propane tank from the old grill and moved it over to the new one without being told before asking, "Think we can have a cookout for Ev and everybody before he leaves?"
"Of course," John said, testing out the new grill by igniting each of the burners and continued with, "and are you ready to go to Charlottesville to register and meet with the lacrosse staff?"
"Yeah, sat on the beach and picked out most of my classes based on what was laid out in the course catalog," Jake replied.
"And some more advice," John continued, "don't be afraid of 8 AM classes and try to be finished by three at the latest."
Jake acknowledged the advice with a positive nod, "Before we go to UVa, may I go to New York City for a couple of days with Jose?"
"What's up there?" Jake's dad asked.
"He wants to take me to see the hit musical "Book of Mormon" while he is on break between summer sessions. His brother is an artist up there and can get us a deal on tickets and we can stay at his penthouse apartment. Maybe we will do some some sightseeing too," Jake replied.
"I got no heartache with it but you know you have to ask your mother too," John said tentatively, "and she likes Jose so I think you are in, just be responsible."
Jake almost whined, "I know, I know, the `R' word; what would you and Mom say if you don't have that word to throw at me?"
"Trust me, we would find one, but in all honesty Jake," John said as pride began to fill his voice, "you've never given us a reason not to trust you. Your mother and I have always said you will do the right thing more often than not. Now, what do you think we should do for a send off befitting of a future midshipman?"
"A little bit of everything," Jake offered, "there isn't anything he won't eat."
"Your mother and I know that for a fact," John exclaimed recalling how many Grimke meals were shared with Evan Harmes.
"Just lucky that Annie and Mom are almost as close as Evan and I," Jake remarked.
"When's Induction Day again?" John asked Jake.
"June 30th," Jake reminded his father, "family only."
"So, how about on the 28th? I imagine he's going to want to spend time with Annie and his sister's before he goes in that gate. And don't forget, you are going to cut their lawn until you leave for school yourself," John said.
"I know," Jake said with a roll of his eyes but remembering the promise he made.
John and Emma Grimke laid out a backyard barbecue spread that anybody would have been excited to attend. John had smoked pork shoulder the day before the picnic while Emma made sides of baked beans, sweet and sour coleslaw and bacon blue cheese potato salad to go with the ribs, chicken, brats and burgers that John was grilling all washed down with Sam Adams from the tapped beer keg.
And all of Jake's friends were there joining with Evan's mother and sisters to wish him good luck at the start of his Plebe Summer. The Mohawks somberly tossed the lacrosse ball amongst themselves one last time while Jackie, Shelia, Will and Jose made conversation with all the assembled the parents and of course, Trooper Marsh. Coach Dase stopped by for a few minutes to wish Evan luck and stayed long enough to eat dinner with everybody and enjoy homemade peach ice cream for dessert
As the evening's festivities began to end, everybody began to say their good byes and good lucks to Evan and wished him all the best. >From a distance, Jake watched everybody take their turn hugging Evan including Jose and Will before Jake stepped up, first hugging Evan's sisters and then Annie before he got to Evan.
"I can't thank you enough for the last four years Jake; if there was to be picture dictionary with an entry for `best friend', that picture would be you. Thank you, bro, thanks for everything you've done," Evan started, "I think I am leaving you in good hands here with Will and Jose and everybody else."
"Godspeed friend," Jake said loud enough for only Evan to hear within his clutch, "Go Navy!"
As their embrace ended, Jake watched Evan stride down the long driveway to Annie's car, Evan never turning his head to look back. Will and Jackie had helped Emma and John with much of the clean up before everybody started to leave. The assembled Grimke's and Jose watched and waved as Evan waved one last time, flashing his smile as the family car pulled away.
With Jake's parents in the kitchen putting away the last of the dishes, Jose confided to Jake, "you are very lucky to have a friend like Evan; he reminds me of Bryant and I bet he will be your friend for life."
With terse nod of acknowledgment, Jake said "I know."
"I talked it over with your mom and dad, they are cool with you coming to New York with me. Might be good to get away for a few days and see something different," Jose added, moving in case Jake needed a hug for a change.
Jake acted a little surprised and then smiled, "Yeah, you asked them?"
"We can take the train up and then won't have to worry about a car in the city. My brother's already scored us some tickets for `Book of Mormon' at the O'Neill Theater and said we could stay at his cool penthouse in Manhattan. We can just make a long weekend of it, throw in some sight seeing if you like."
"I think you read my mind, this would probably be the hardest weekend of my life without my wingman around," Jake added, smiling, nudging up next to Jose in the kitchen.
"Good night boys," came Emma's voice as she and John walked upstairs for the night.
"G'night Mom, G'night Dad" Jake replied before launching into a powerful kiss with Jose as soon as he heard the door close upstairs.
The almost full moon shone its blue-white light into the kitchen window as each man loosened and removed the other's shirt. Short black hair was visible on Jose's pecs as Jake broke the kiss and kissed downward, until he was on his knee at Jose's navel and then worked his way back up with dozens of light kisses on the front of the FIJI man's athletic body forcing the Jose to make long gentle moans as Jake's mouth returned to his mouth for another long powerful kiss.
As they kissed, Jose reached across and gently undid Jake's jeans, reaching in and finding Jake's engorged member which he roughly jacked inside, almost hurting Jake in the process but arousing him even more until Jake broke the kiss and watched his lover's muscled arm work while the other reached across and gently punched his pec. Seeing no resistance, Jose smiled as he continued the rough play until Jake pleaded quietly for him to stop since he was on the verge.
Jose paused, long enough for his strong right arm to reach out to Jake's left shoulder and rather forcefully encourage him to his knees while his left hand undid his own button fly jeans to let loose his own rigidness which he forced into Jake's waiting mouth.
Jose cupped his hands on Jake's head and repeatedly thrust his midsection in and out of Jake's face, to the point of making Jake gasp and gag and then pulling out long enough for Jake to regain control of his mouth and throat before taking it away anew.
The roughness aroused Jake, it was the lacrosse of the sex he craved: hard, vigorous, forceful; not soft and slow or gentle like some of his initial experiences with Will. Jake could feel the saliva drain out of the corners of his mouth as Jose humped in, feel it drip down his chin until Jose stopped long enough, lifted Jake by his armpits until he was standing again and licked the spit that had dripped down and then kissed it back into Jake's mouth.
Jose broke the kiss and smiled in the moon light as Jake stared at him with his mouth half open, "more?"
Before Jake could finish nodding yes, he was on his knees and Jose was buried deep, Jake's nose in his patch of black hair while Jose's finger's worked through the bristle short hairs on Jake's head. Jose never let the thrusting be the same, never letting Jake know whether it would be short or deep or fast or slow.
"Does my sexy lacrosse player like it rough?" Jose asked, pulling out long enough to hear Jake's response.
"Fuck yeah FIJI-man," Jake answered, looking up at the Adonis.
Jose teased him, slapped his hardness on his cheeks, on his chin, on his neck before putting it back in his mouth and repeating the randomness of the thrusting. Jake took it, kept up with it and adapted to it, learning to accommodate it and enjoying it, happy with it and finally, aching for it. And while he was thrusting, Jose made a promise to him, "we are equals, we are peers, I'm no better than you and you no better than me; I won't ever ask you to do anything to me that I wouldn't do for you. Sound fair?"
Jose backed out of Jake's mouth long enough for an answer and instead, Jake leaned forward, took it in again as deep as he could and squeezed Jose's hands tight as Jake felt the back of his throat get splashed with Jose's seed.