Part 3
When they got upstairs, Jon introduced Jeremy to several of his friends, and Ben approached one of the mics.
"We've got a really, really big shooow for you tonight. Please give a warm welcome to a brother act direct from Burbank, California. Ladies and gentlemen...Scarlet Road!!!"
Rich was sitting at the drums. "Thank you for that introduction, Mr. Gould. With that Ed Sullivan schtick, we may just have to hire you full-time as our lead roadie."
"I'd be honored."
"On second thought, have a seat. Now that I've managed to track down my kid brother, he continues to be difficult. Jonathan Jackson, please report to the microphone."
At the other side of the room, Jeremy nudged Jon. "You better get up there."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I think my brother's patience is wearing thin." As JJ made his way to the makeshift stage, a loud cheer accompanied him.
"Ah, here he is. The man of the hour!"
Jon grabbed his electric guitar, flung the strap over his shoulder, and replaced Ben at the standing mic. "Whew! Thank you. You know, when Rich first brought up the idea of playing a few songs tonight, I wasn't exactly thrilled. After all, the other half of Scarlet Road, our dad and uncle, is not here tonight. During a subsequent conversation with my dad, he reminded me that before there even was a Scarlet Road, Rich and I used to jam on our own all the time. With that seal of approval, I agreed to do it."
Rich chimed in. "Oh come on, Jon, just admit it. We both know it was actually your overinflated ego at work. I mean how many guys actually get a chance to play rock star at their own birthday party?"
Jon played along. "I guess you got me there, bro'. What do you say we play a song for these lovely people?"
"I think you're onto something!"
They immediately railed into a couple of originals, including a rousing rendition of "Clash" followed by an equally rocking cut of "Bleak Sunrise". The conclusion of each was met with vociferous approval from the guests-turned-audience.
"Thanks a lot. A few of you may have recognized those two from our first album, Clash. We're currently putting the finishing touches on our second CD, which is called God Candy. Before we conclude our brief set here tonight, we'd like to play a few covers from some of our favorite bands."
As usual, Jon's voice sounded terrific, and his guitar work was outstanding. Rich was the perfect compliment on drums. After performing Bryan Adams' "Heaven", Jon switched to his acoustic guitar for a wonderful version of REM's "Talk About the Passion". Once again, enthusiastic applause was the order of the evening.
"Thank you very much. Although Rich and I don't seem to agree on very much, this last song is from a group that is undeniably number one in both our minds."
After he switched back to the electric guitar, Rich tapped his sticks three times, and Jon strummed the unmistakeable opening riff of U2's "One". Several couples began to dance. Jon pulled off a phenomenal double dip, mastering both Bono's lead and The Edge's guitar work. In fact, he made it look quite effortless.
He scanned the group for Jeremy, eventually finding him standing in the very back on the step to the foyer. Their eyes met, and they exchanged smiles warm enough to wipe away a winter's chill. Thankfully, "One" was a song Jon could sing and play in his sleep, and his voice and fingers went into cruise control. He was fully absorbed with the astoundingly handsome blonde at the other end of the room. His thoughts danced from the momentous events of the last hour to the tantalizing prospects of what lay ahead.
In the meantime, Jeremy's mind was also fixed. He felt as though he was the only other person in the room. Jon might as well have been serenading him below his bedroom window.
"We're one but we're not the same. We get to carry each other carry each other. One."
What a paradox...a cosmically romantic moment in the midst of such a large group of people! As the song came to its gentle close, everyone whooped and hollered, temporarily interrupting the intensely personal bond between the two boys.
"Thanks so much for letting us play a few songs for you", Jon said appreciatively.
Tyler began a chant of, "One more song! One more song!" that quickly enveloped the room. Jon was standing off to the side after setting down his guitar, but Rich remained seated at his drums.
"Now, Jon. You aren't going to disappoint your happy guests, are you?" Ben shoved him back to the mic.
"OK, one more. But this is definitely our last one." The brothers consulted briefly, and Jon grabbed the acoustic guitar. "This tune should be very appropriate for this point of the evening. I'd like to dedicate it to all of you, especially those I haven't seen in a while." He winked, and only one other person in the room knew exactly to whom it was directed.
Jon's fingers guided his guitar strings to the soft introduction of John Mellencamp's "Ain't Even Done with the Night". Jeremy just about flipped; Mellencamp was one of HIS favorites.
"You say that I'm the boy who could make it all come true. Well I'm tellin' ya that I don't know if I know what to do."
When the song ended, everyone gave the brothers the loudest ovation of the set. This time Jon left no doubt about the possibility of another encore by unplugging his mic. Instead, he shouted, "By the way, we are officially moving this party down and out. I had the opportunity to take a tour of the back deck on this place earlier this evening, and it's way too cool to pass up."
Since it was approaching midnight, several guests took advantage of the break in festivities to pass along their well wishes and say their goodbyes, undoubtedly hoping to catch the last couple hours of L.A.'s infamous club scene. Ben ushered everyone else downstairs and out to the veranda. After Rich and Jon completed the initial round of send-offs, they were the only two still upstairs.
"Great set, bro'! That was really fun. Thanks for agreeing to do it."
"Yeah, it WAS fun, wasn't it? But I should be thanking you for twisting my arm so hard. I had a great time. Well, how 'bout we go join our remaining guests?"
"Let's do it."
Jon had only one person on his mind. As a matter of fact, he was slightly surprised Jeremy hadn't waited for him. By the time the brothers made their way downstairs, the scene was opposite from an hour or so earlier. There were about a dozen people in the rec room playing every available game, and the patio had burst to life. The fireplace was still lit, and someone had flipped on the torchlights. Although it made for a spectacular setting, Jon was a little disappointed that he and Jeremy's private enclave was now quite public.
Rich quickly spotted Lindsey and Samantha and strolled over to join them. Jon continued to survey the entire deck for Jeremy, to no avail. Several people came up to tell him how much they had enjoyed the set. He was gracious, but his eyes wandered over their shoulders. His mind was elsewhere.
He soon came to grips with a very harsh reality. Jeremy had left the party! Jon's thoughts raced into a mild paranoia. How could he leave without so much as a simple goodbye? He replayed the events of the last hour in his mind. Had he said something to offend Jeremy? Even worse, had Jeremy suddenly realized the kiss was a terrible mistake? Jon's 17th birthday bash, flying high only twenty minutes ago, was rapidly headed for a shocking crash and burn.
Jon walked dejectedly to the edge of the deck and folded his arms on the railing. He leaned forward and closed his eyes. The irony was unbelievable! An hour and a half earlier, he had stood in this very spot, his heart fluttering, next to a boy he had dreamed about. His heart shriveled. Suddenly, a hand slapped his back. He stood up excitedly, assuming it was Jeremy. When he noticed Ben standing next to him, his hopes deflated.
"What's the matter, birthday dude? You look kinda down."
"No, not at all. I'm just a little tired, I guess", Jon replied, lying through his teeth, of course.
"Nice job with the tunes, by the way. You guys rocked! Everyone loved it. Hell, Torgerson liked it so much he wants to buy your CD."
Jon instantly roused himself from his doldrums. "He does? I mean...you thought we did a good job? Ah...thanks."
"Are you OK, Jon? You seem a little helter skelter."
"Did Jeremy leave?", Jon asked, ignoring Ben's question.
"No, he's still here. He said he was going for a walk on the beach or something. Look, I'm going inside to grab a drink. Do you want a beer? It sure looks like you could use one."
"Ah...yeah. That would be great. Thanks."
As Ben turned and walked away, Jon bolted toward the stairs and scurried down. Although he had no idea which way Jeremy might have headed, he crossed the path to a small set of concrete steps that led to the beach. Suddenly, he was jogging on the sand toward the ocean. When he reached the water's edge, he flashed a puzzled glance in each direction. Although there were no lights beyond the beachwalk, a bright moon illuminated a fair distance up and down the beach. There didn't seem to be any activity to the south. To the north, toward Hermosa Beach Pier, he could faintly make out some people walking along the water. He began to jog in that direction.
As he got closer, he realized two of the figures were a man and woman, and further along, a man was jogging with his dog. Jon slowed to a walk. Searching for a needle in a dark haystack was pointless. Too disappointed to head back to the party right away, he continued walking for a few minutes, hoping to clear his head.
On the contrary, it made things worse. As the waves crashed onshore in their rhythmic pattern, Jon could hear Jeremy's voice, see his dazzling smile, smell his Tommy Hilfiger cologne, taste his warm lips. Jon stopped abruptly and rubbed his face in frustration.
"Hey!", someone shouted. Jon jumped in his skin at the unexpected greeting. Actually, it scared him to death. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." The voice was familiar. "It's just that I've never seen anyone wearing shoes for a moonlight walk on the beach." Jon glanced to his right. Sitting on the front of an L.A. County lifeguard tower was Jeremy, his legs and bare feet dangling under the lower rail. What a sight for sore eyes! The gorgeous blonde was definitely the most irresistable hottie on a lifeguard tower since Hobie Buchannon.
A huge grin, one filled with equal doses of relief and excitement, swept over Jon's face. He walked over to the shed on stilts. "I thought your name was Jeremy Torgerson, not Jeremy Jackson. If you're auditioning for his job on Baywatch, you're doing a damn good job." The comment made Jeremy laugh hard. "I thought my singing might have scared you away."
"Scared me away?!? Yeah, right! You and your brother kicked ass. I had no idea you guys were that good."
"Thanks." Jon blushed. "I panicked when I couldn't find you after we finished. I thought you had left without saying goodbye."
"There's no way I would EVER do that. I just thought I'd give you some space during the rest of your party."
"I see a trend developing. Rich and I caught you hiding out downstairs at the beginning of the party, and I had to practically drag you up to listen to our set. Did you also plan on hiding out here on the beach all night?"
"Not all night. Just until some hot guy on horseback came to whisk me away."
Jon giggled. "You would have been waiting a long time to see a horse on Hermosa Beach."
"Well, it looks like I got the most important part of the equation. And I wish he would come sit next to me."
"I thought you'd never ask." Jon walked up the ramp. When he reached the top, Jeremy looked up at him and patted the floorboard invitingly. As he sat down, he admitted, "You know, I couldn't stop thinking about you when I was singing those last two songs tonight." A magnificent glitter of reflected moonlight sparkled on the water.
"I have to tell you that Mellencamp is like my fav..." Before Jeremy could finish, Jon leaned over and kissed him. The last few syllables became garbled moans. This time, Jon had decided to make the first move. As their eyes closed, his tongue ambushed Jeremy's mouth. They tilted their heads in opposite directions and sucked thirstily at one another. Their tongues enjoyed an intense tug of war, and a battle arose as to who could probe the deepest. Finally, they broke for a breath of air.
"Wow! I've heard the second kiss is even more awkward than the first, but that was smooth as silk", Jeremy noted.
The anxiety that Ben had commented on must have blown away in the ocean breeze. Jon was more relaxed now than ever. "Has anyone ever told you that your smile melted their heart?"
"I've heard a lot of pickup lines from teenage girls, but I can't say that I've ever heard that one before."
"Well, allow me the honor of being the first. And it's no pickup line...it's true", Jon added. Jeremy blushed and grinned. "See, there you go again!"
As their mouths and tongues performed an amazing encore, Jon chirped when he felt a hand on his groin. Jeremy gently massaged the bulge. Although his dick was still protected by layers of denim and underwear, Jon was absolutely loving every second. JT moved his hand up and stealthily removed Jon's belt from the front loop. As his fingers fumbled to free the strap from the buckle, Jon pulled away.
"What's wrong? I'm going way too fast, aren't I?"
"No, no, not at all", Jon assured him. "I'm just worried someone is going to stumble upon us and call the police or something."
Jeremy pondered the issue for a moment. The proverbial lightbulb was followed by a mischievous grin. "I have an idea." He swung to the right, eased his legs through the gap, and stood up. He grabbed his shoes, black socks stuffed inside, and strolled over to the pad-locked door of the tower. He dug around in his pocket for a moment and pulled out a Swiss army knife.
Jon stared at him inquisitively. It didn't take him long to figure out what was happening. "Please tell me you're not going to..."
Jeremy cut him off. "You bet your ass I am."
Jon got up and joined his new ringleader. "Here I'm worried about the police, and your response is even MORE certain to get us arrested."
"Look, relax. They don't check these things at night. After we pop the lock, we just shut the door behind us. No one will ever know we're inside." He began jimmying with the lock.
"You actually think you're going to pick a padlock with a knife?"
"Well, sunshine, have you got a better idea?"
"Step aside." The casual tone accompanying the order surprised Jeremy, but he obliged. Jon pulled his keychain out of his pocket and selected a very strange looking piece of metal. It didn't even resemble a key.
"What the heck is THAT?"
"This, my friend, is a skeleton key. I've had it since I was a kid. Rich and I used to sneak around the neighborhood when we lived in Battle Ground and break into other kids' treehouses at night."
"I KNEW there was a criminal element in you!"
"Hey, that was a long time ago. I only keep it on me these days for good luck."
"Not anymore!"
"Very funny. Make no mistake. You're the brainchild behind this scheme. During our police interrogation, I will tell them you orchestrated the entire thing."
"Yeah, but they'll be YOUR fingerprints on the main piece of evidence."
"Ah, good point, Dr. Watson. I guess we're both going to jail." After some expert manipulation, the lock popped.
"Very good work, you scoundrel." Jeremy pushed the door open and tossed his shoes and socks in the corner. The small room was nearly empty, except for a chair, a stool, and some rescue equipment. It was equipped with a phone and two radios, a wall-mounted emergency version and a small transistor variety. "Hey look, we can order pizza and listen to some tunes." Jon chuckled as he followed his partner in crime inside and began to close the door. "Hold on! Let me see if I can find a light first." Sure enough, there was a ceiling bulb with a string attached in the far corner. "Ahh, here we go. Let's hope it works." He pulled it, and a faint glow illuminated the interior. "Excellent!"
Jon closed the door. "Now where were we?"
They kissed again, but this time Jeremy promptly moved down and used his tongue to caress the warm, buttery white skin of Jon's neck. Jon's gratitude consisted of erotic sighs and an occasional moan; he was in heaven. He hardly batted an eye when Jeremy pushed him onto the stool and began to flick open the buttons of his satin shirt. After Jon assisted by untucking it, Jeremy pushed both sides of the shirt away, and the slick material easily slipped off Jon's shoulders.
His white, tank-top undershirt was similarly powerless to resist Jeremy's sly hands. His fingers slowly lifted it along Jon's velvety stomach and chest. In an ultimate sign of abdication, Jon raised his arms, and Jeremy pulled the undergarment over his head and arms and tossed it aside.
Jon had the smoothest, most wonderful torso imaginable. It was free of hair and not tan at all. His deliciously vanilla skin accented a luscious pair of gently defined pecs and a washboard stomach. Jon's silver necklace glistened softly in the dim light. Jeremy's jaw dropped as he admired the splendid sight.
When he regained his senses, he leaned over and tasted Jon's right nipple with his tongue. Between lengthy intervals of licking, he playfully nibbled the pinkish jewel. This was certainly something Jon had never experienced, and it sent him into orbit. The sheer ecstasy of a warm, moist tongue on his tiny node was indescribable. Goose bumps dotted his flesh, and his spine tingled. It was a rather cool night, but these reactions had nothing to do with the air temperature. In fact, Jon was sizzling with pleasure.
After Jeremy serviced the other nipple, his tongue traveled south from Jon's chest, leaving a faint trail of saliva that traced a route to his belly button. He circled the cute opening several times and eventually dove his tongue inside. Jon simply tilted his head back and writhed in a delirious state of bliss.
With the progress Jeremy had made earlier, the end of Jon's belt dangled halfway out of its buckle. He took this opportunity to resume his mission and successfully pulled the strap away from the pin. Only one hurdle remained, but he had no trouble sliding it completely out of the buckle.
With Jon's waist now defenseless, Jeremy unfastened the button of his jeans. He eased the zipper down, and the two corners of denim fell away. Jon's dick felt like it was going to explode, and it nearly did. A tent large enough to "sleep two" had formed in the front of his Calvin Klein boxers, topped off by a damp collection of pre-cum.
Jeremy paused. Before continuing, he leaned over, grabbed Jon's right foot, and untied his shoelace. After loosening it further, he removed the Doc Marten and pulled up the leg of Jon's jeans up with his index finger, exposing the top of his sock. Inch by inch, he carefully unrolled the fabric and eventually pulled it off, unveiling Jon's beautiful foot. He then applied a similar snail's pace to the other shoe and sock.
Jon's feet were perfect, probably about a size 10. They were an ever-so-slightly lighter shade of cream than his chest and were well-shaped, rather narrow with nicely curved arches and long, straight toes. Jon curled them nervously onto the lower bar of the stool.
Before Jeremy had a chance to continue undressing his partner, Jon took the bull by the horns. He slipped his hands under JT's collar and whisked the already-unbuttoned flannel shirt off his shoulders. After Jeremy pulled it off the rest of the way, Jon yanked his black t-shirt from its tucked-in position. As soon as it was free, he began to lift it away. Just like Jon had done earlier, Jeremy raised his arms so the garment could be more easily removed. As Jon got the Polo over Jeremy's head and arms and flung it to the floor, he caught his first full glimpse of an absolute slice of heaven.
Everything about Jeremy's drool-inducing chest was just right. Neither pale nor overexposed to the sun, it was an ideal shade of tan. Although he wasn't ripped by any means, a set of highly lickable biceps and pecs, along with an extremely flat stomach, indicated either a perfect regimen of weightlifting or an astounding collection of God-given features. A thin, black leather necklace supported several pewter charms, including a star and a Roman numeral ten. Jon stood up from the stool and took Jeremy's hands, helping him to a standing position.
The two of them made a mind-numbing pair! Jeremy, about 5'10", held a meager advantage over Jonathan's 5'9" frame. Their physiques were nearly identical as well, although Jeremy maintained a slight edge in the muscles department. Regardless, two of the hottest boys on the planet were now standing face to face, shirtless and barefoot. Jon's hard-on, still protected by his boxers, protruded at a sharp angle from his unzipped jeans. Jeremy glanced down at the obvious bulge, and looked back at Jon. All he could do was smile and flash those flawless teeth and adorable dimples. He knew exactly what was next on his agenda.
*** End of Part 3
Sorry it took so long for a new chapter, but I've been really busy. Hopefully, Part 4 will be completed much more quickly. I'd love to hear your comments.