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Thanks for all the emails. They really keep me motivated. Feel free to drop me a note at pnskid61@cox.net. Also check out my website at www.cruisense.com if you are thinking about seeing what a cruise is like.
Happy reading, Dan
Sojourn Chapter 49
The evening had gone better than either Rick or Ethan had expected. Ruth was a nervous wreck but seemed to become more comfortable as the evening progressed. Adam was so busy being the center of attention that, at times, he seemed to forget Ruth was even there. When it came time for Adam to go to bed, he made the rounds getting hugs from everyone. When he had managed to bid everyone good night in the room, except Ruth, Rick was unsure what was going to happen. Adam went up to Ruth and, looking at the floor, simply said goodnight to his granny. Ruth, with a tear in her eye, wished him a good night and a Merry Christmas. Neither made an attempt to hug.
Sensing the awkward moment, Sean asked Ruth out to the balcony for a smoke. They seemed to be having a good conversation and when they came back in and rejoined the group, Ruth seemed to be in better spirits. Soon the group dispersed. Brent was the first to leave, followed by Ruth, Kevin & Sean, and finally Dan, Sarah, and Jane. Sarah and Jane were staying at Rick's house in Destin. This allowed them space but the real reason was that it was much closer to Dan. Ethan had arranged for another condo on the 7th floor for Mark and Alice so they could have extra space. That left the three guys alone in their condo. The way they liked it.
Ethan took Rick in his arms as they got into bed. Ethan was bursting with pride and love and was eager to show Rick how he felt. Gentle touching led to kissing which soon led to Rick taking Ethan. Ethan loved feeling Rick inside him but tonight it was special. Rick really was becoming more and more his own person. His confidence was showing in many aspects, including love making. Ethan could not remember feeling such passion and energy as Rick made love to him. Ethan came without touching himself as he felt Rick's cock throb and unload inside him. Even though it was December, they were covered with sweat as they collapsed together. After a quick clean-up, they spooned together in each other's arms.
At 7am, Adam jumped on the bed announcing it was time to get up - Santa time. Wearingly, Ethan and Rick stumbled out of bed. After a quick shower and an attempt to have breakfast, they couldn't contain Adam any more. Alice and Mark came up and joined for the big event. Adam ripped into his packages. Games, clothes, coloring books, shoes, and a remote control car were sprawled around Adam. The car was a big hit and soon it was crashing into walls and furniture. Adam was lost in fun as the adults watched with joy.
Ethan and Rick gave Alice and Mark some clothes, a new purse for his Mom, some placemats and candles from Pier One, and a set of Craftsman tools for Mark. Alice and Mark gave the guys Nautica sheets, some English Teas, a set of new kitchen knives, and a wireless keyboard and mouse. Nothing extravagant, not a lot of money, it was like Christmas at homes all across the world.
The guys gave each other some clothes, new sneakers, Ethan gave Rick some new sunglasses, and Rick gave Ethan some new floor mats for his newest girl, Bertha.
"Rick, I do have one more present for you. I think the gift I cherish the most is the one I wish I had more of sometime. That is time with you. Just us. My life is so full now and I have you to thank for it. But dang it, I want you all to myself for a little while. So, we are leaving on the 28th for St Thomas. We are going to spend 5 days there - just the two of us. Afterall, that is where we spent our first day together, Magens Bay, shopping in town, running along the waterfront. It was a day that I will remember forever."
Ethan explained that Alice and Mark would be staying in the condo with Adam. Ethan had talked with Adam about it and he was excited to spend time with Miss Alice and Mister Mark. Ethan had asked Adam not to tell his Daddy about it and he kept the secret like a good boy. Adam beamed telling his Daddy that he knew all along. Ha Ha Ha Ha. Then the car stole Adam's attention and he was off. Skipping of course.
Dan joined Sarah and Adam for a Christmas brunch at Rick's house. Jane was a tough cookie but she was warming to Dan and even gave him a quick hug when he arrived. Sarah stood and smiled knowing that it was a big step. Jane and Sarah had made the call back to England and gave Christmas greetings to Sarah's sister and her family. Jane was missing England and her home. What her future held was unknown. Her home had been destroyed. Now she was living thousands of miles away. The one comfort she had was that Sarah seemed happy, surrounded by people that really cared for her.
Dan and Sarah went out to the beach. Bundled in coats they walked the beach for hours, hand in hand. The time was filled with conversation but also long periods of peaceful silence. As the sun began to set they headed back for a dinner with Jane. The day was special as it is when two people are in love. Dan longed to spend the night with Sarah, and she wanted to feel him in her arms, but it wouldn't be. Not tonight. Not with mum in the other room!
Kevin and Sean got up early on Christmas morning. Sean headed to Destin to spend the day with his family. Kevin was headed to Tallahassee to do the same. While Sean was anxious and looking forward to his day, the same could not be said for Kevin. This was going to be a tough day. Questions would abound. Digging comments would be made. And religion would be omnipresent. Kevin loved God and his faith was strong but it was simply overbearing with his family. Kevin so hoped they could find a balance. But no. Everything had religious overtones. The turkey would be God's gift to the family. The gathering would be God's wish and blessing. Any problems anybody had would be God's test. Gay people were Satan's powers at work. And so it would go. Kevin wondered why nobody in his family ever took responsibility for anything.
Ruth spent the day thinking about the evening before. The friendship, love, and normalcy of the evening was more than she ever expected. The one thing that kept playing in her mind was Adam and the look of terror on his face. It cut her to the bone. She had to make amends. It wouldn't be easy, in fact she had no idea how to do it, but do it she would. She called and wished the guys a Merry Christmas and thanked them over and over again for the great evening. She hoped there would be more.
The day after Christmas Ethan had some errands he wanted to run. He asked Rick not to shave and to put on jeans, old sweatshirt, and baseball cap. Ethan was dressed the same. They went out and greeted Bertha. Her cracked grill and sagging bumper making it look as though she was frowning. The doors squeaked open and closed with a loud thud. After a few attempts at resistance, Bertha came to life and they were off. Over the beach bridge, through Gulf Breeze, over the 3 mile bay bridge and up I-110. Bertha was now cruising along at 60 mph. This was the fastest they had ever had her going. She seemed to be managing just fine. In fact, Ethan could swear the wanna wanna wanna was sounding more like a content purr. He could tell that he and Bertha were going to be good buddies.
Soon they were in the heart of car city. About 10 car dealerships are gathered together on Hwy 29 and the area has become known as car city. The first stop was the Chevrolet dealership. Bertha pulled up to the dealership and after a few emphysemic coughs finally came to a rest. Ethan and Rick got out and began looking at some of the Chevy Trailblazers. Looking like scruffy rednecks with a shitbox car, the salesmen were not pouncing. Ethan spotted a vehicle he liked and wanted to go for a test drive. He tracked down a salesman and asked for a test drive.
"Well sir, we aren't having any low interest rate specials on the Trailblazers at this time. They are one of our best sellers," the annoyed salesman volunteered before any mention of financing had occurred.
"I'd like to take it for a test drive before we talk about any deal," Ethan offered.
The salesman actually sighed, "let me get a copy of your driver's license and your social security number and then we can go for a quick drive."
"Why do you need all of that for a test drive," Ethan asked with a bit more southern accent than normal. The salesman replied that is was required for all test drives. "What you really mean is that you will run a credit check on my social security number and decide if you are wasting your time, isn't that right," Ethan asked.
"It is our policy before a test drive. If you don't want to supply what we ask then we can't go for a drive, it is that simple," the salesman stated matter-of-factly. Rick was now shuffling from side to side awaiting a nasty scene.
"Oh, I see. Can I speak with your manager about this policy? I really don't think you've been very eager to sell me a car," Ethan replied with a calm tone. Soon the manager joined them. Ethan explained what had happened and the manager confirmed the policy.
"OK then, lets go together and run my social security number. How about that," Ethan asked. They went to the manager's office, the social security number was input, and a few seconds later the information appeared on the screen. Faces fell. Color drained.
"Gentlemen, I could buy every single car on this lot if I want. And trust me, a low interest loan isn't what I would need. You made assumptions about me based on my appearance and other things. Sir, that is discrimination and bad business. There is an old cliché about not judging a book by its cover. I guess you might think about that now," Ethan said, turned, and with Rick in tow, they left. Almost as though she knew, Bertha started on the first try and made no resistance. As they exited the lot Bertha back-fired. One last salute to the assholes. Ethan was starting to really love the old girl.
Next stop was the Ford dealership, then Chrysler. They were practically ignored at both but they really didn't find anything they wanted to test drive so a scene was avoided. Rick was grateful. They left car city and headed towards NAS Pensacola. On Navy Blvd there were a few more dealerships. Soon they were at the Mitsubishi/Volkswagen dealership. Ethan made some comment about needing an Italian brand and they could rename it Axis Cars after the WWII alliance. Sometimes Rick just didn't get Ethan's humor.
They wandered around the lot. Mitsubishi had three different SUV type vehicles, the Montero, Endeavor, and Outlander. VW had one, the new Touareg which was more expensive than the Mitsubishi models. Ethan loved the look of the VW and had a thing for German cars. Rick could tell which way this was going. At the door the salesmen were clustered together like vultures but nobody was making a move. Soon a young guy approached them with a smile and a handshake.
"Hi, my name is Tyler, how can I help you guys today?"
"I am interested in this Touareg. It is possible we can look inside and perhaps take it for a drive," Ethan asked.
"Sure let me right down the VIN and get the keys. Be back in a jiffy," Tyler replied and was off.
Ethan loved the Touareg. To Rick it was just a vehicle but Ethan noticed all the small details. Tyler was going on about transmission type, torque, ABS, airbags, mileage, wheelbase, wheel size, ratios of some sort, etc. Rick's eyes glazed as he realized he was facing a car version of Ethan. Ethan, on the other hand, was soaking in all the details and asking what seemed to Rick to be trivial questions.
"Would you like to take it for a spin? This baby handles like a dream. Solid as a rock," Tyler gushed.
"Do you need anything from me before we go for a drive?"
"Nope, lets go," Tyler said as he got in the back seat leaving the two front seats for Ethan and Rick. Ethan took the wheel and they set out on their drive.
"So, Tyler, how long have you been in the car business," Rick asked.
"Is it that obvious that I am new? Well, I have been doing this for 2 months now. I just moved to Pensacola and decided to put my love for cars to work for me. I am not really the salesman type but I hope I can make a go of this. Oh crap, I shouldn't have said that to you. Guess I lost the upper hand already and we haven't even started negotiating," Tyler said laughing nervously.
"What brought you to Pensacola," Ethan asked.
"My mother lives here. She actually works here in the office. She helped me get on. The other sales guys don't like me too much because I am new, and young, and cuz they think mommy got me the job. Well, she did, but it is up to me to make it work. I moved here from Montgomery with my little boy. His mother left us and I felt he needed to have some family around him. My sister watches him while I am at work."
"What is your little guy's name?" Rick asked.
"His name is Josh. He wouldn't like it if you called him a little guy. He is 4 and all grown up if you ask him. He is such a good kid but he is a handful."
Ethan and Rick laughed. "You don't have to tell me. I have a 4 year old as well. It is so amazing how grown-up they can be sometimes," Rick said.
Ethan was taking the Touareg over some rough bumps and doing some rapid turns to test the stability. A loud growl emerged from the backseat causing Tyler to blush.
"Sorry about that guys. I haven't had anything to eat today. I am so embarrassed. I was just about to go to lunch when the guys made me," Tyler stopped in mid-sentence realizing he had said too much.
"So, let me guess Tyler. They didn't want to help us and since you are the newbie, you got sent out to help us. You kind of drew the short straw," Ethan said.
"I don't feel I drew the short straw. I don't like the games they play and I am happy to be here and working with you," Tyler said with conviction.
"Hey, we haven't eaten either. Have you got a few minutes? We can pop into Mickey D's and get something to eat if you are up for it."
Three Big Mac super combo meals later, and some hilarious stories about raising boys, they were on their way back to the dealership, this time with Rick behind the wheel. After parking in front of the showroom, Ethan did a walk around and approached Rick.
"What did you think hun? Do you like it? Do you think it would suit our needs," Ethan asked unaware that Tyler was nearby and heard the term of endearment.
"Babe, you know I don't care about cars. I think this is fine. Anything would be fine," Rick applied.
Tyler blushed and was suddenly nervous.
"Tyler, we'd like to look at some numbers," Ethan stated. They went into the showroom into a cubicle and Tyler was busy gathering the data for the car. The other salesmen looked on with amusement. What a goober Tyler was wasting his time.
"Will you be trading anything in today? What type of financing do you need?" Tyler asked.
"No trade-in, no financing, lets just get to the bottom line and see where we go from there," Ethan responded. When Tyler asked for name, address, business contact, and social security number Ethan said to work the numbers first and then he would give that information. Tyler was now feeling like this wasn't going well. He really needed to close this sale. He hadn't had a good month and was sure the axe would fall soon. After a lambasting from the manager about wasting his fucking time, he did manage to get some numbers to present to the guys.
"Ok, listen. You take another $500 off the price, throw in a cargo net and cover, and we may have us a deal," Ethan offered. Off Tyler went again. The manager practically laughed at Tyler and said sure, go ahead - laughing and saying something about look at the little boy playing car salesman. This was a deal that wouldn't happen.
"OK, listen Tyler. I will take it. I also want the white one over there at the same price."
Now even Tyler was thinking this was a joke. "So, you want two at $34,000 each, is that right?"
"Yes."
After a few seconds of silence, and a firm look from Ethan to Tyler it was agreed. "OK, great. Now I just need some details from you."
Ethan gave this information. "Oh my God!" You are Ethan West? And you are Rick Stephens? Oh my God. I read about y'all in the paper. Oh my God. Y'all are sitting here buying cars from me? You guys are friggin heroes. Oh my God," poor Tyler was almost hyper-ventilating.
"Yes, I am Ethan and this is Rick. And yes, we are buying cars from you. And no, we aren't heroes. We are just regular guys," Ethan replied.
Tyler stood with the paperwork and returned to the manager's office for approval. Rick could swear that Tyler was walking just a little bit taller. Ethan and Rick watched as recognition hit the manager's face. Soon he was on his way over to the cubicle.
"Mr. West, Mr. Stephens, I am Jeff Pogue the manager here. Thank you for coming into today. I'll be finishing up here with you and then we can have you on your way."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Pogue. But we are working with Tyler and we will finish the deal with him. That is the way it is or no deal," Ethan stated firmly. Rick smiled. God he loved this man.
A beaming Tyler then took his seat at the desk and began the final paperwork. A confused, and not amused, Mr. Pogue reluctantly left. Within 30 minutes the deal was done and Tyler had a check in his hand for $70,256. Mr. Pogue had the clean-up crew working frantically to get the cars ready. Ninety minutes after they arrived, Ethan and Rick had a Silver and White Touareg in the family.
"Ethan, babe, why two?" Rick asked.
"One is for our family. The other will be for the company. We are going to have a lot of people coming and going over the next few months with all the construction and other projects. We will keep the white one at the Compass office and Sean can provide it to people as they need it."
"You are always thinking ahead." Rick leaned in to kiss Ethan and then realized they were in public and pulled back. Ethan knew what had just happened and felt his heart expand.
Tyler returned with the keys and stated proudly that both vehicles were ready to go and had full tanks of gas. After spending $70,000, two full tanks of gas didn't seem that significant
"Thanks Tyler. Listen, there are only the two of us and we have 3 vehicles. I was wondering, are you and Josh busy tonight? If not, how about you two come out and join us for dinner. I know Adam would love to have someone to play with. We can drive you home afterwards. That way we have all the vehicles at home tonight. I understand if you are not comfortable with it but we would love to have you come out. My parents are here too so it will be a nice night. Hey, bring your mom too if you want."
"Mr. West, that is so kind of you. I don't want to impose."
"First, it is Ethan and Rick and our little guy is Adam. Second, I offered and it isn't an imposition. Perhaps we are imposing on you and your plans."
Tyler said he didn't have any plans. He didn't have any friends in Pensacola and that he'd love to come out. He'd check with is mom to see if she could join. Ethan set the time for 7pm and gave directions. Rick got in the silver Touareg and glided effortlessly towards the beach. Ethan had a conversation with Bertha who had suddenly decided to be stubborn. Finally she gave in and graced Ethan with starting. Moaning and groaning they too were soon on their way back out to the beach. Wanna wanna wanna.
It had been a good day.