Tales from the Ranch

Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. If you are offended by descriptions of homosexual acts or man/man relations, please exit this page.

TALES FROM THE RANCH Copyrightc 2004 by Tulsa Driller. All rights reserved.

This is a story of men who have two common interests. You will see that they love the land where they live and work, but it is also the story of young men who love other men and their coming of age in a culture of prejudice and misunderstanding. It is a story, which deals with difficult and often disturbing issues but, nonetheless, issues which must be confronted in today's world.

This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. Any similarity to actual persons or events is entirely coincidental. This work is copyrightedc by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author.

This story was to have lasted for 10 chapters, each dealing with a year in the life of Jason and Kevin Williamson from the time of puberty to when they were in college. Somewhere along the way, probably when Dale was introduced and then Craig, Joey and all the "supporting cast", the story took on a life of it's own. I thought I would do well to write the ten chapters. Now the story is up to 51 chapters and over 900 pages. I've loved writing every word and the characters have become almost real.

PLEASE: In a perfect world AIDS doesn't exist. My characters have unprotected sex. I hope you use proper precautions because I'd like you to be around the read the last chapter of this story.

TALES FROM THE RANCH Chapter 51: It Starts to Come Together

After having attended the Inquirer's Class at St. James, Dale and Craig and their family went back to the condo to relax, having a good visit until time to call it a day about 10:15.

Joey followed Mitsy downstairs and waited for her to take care of her needs before settling down for the night. Although the sleeper couch in the living room was comfortable and as much as he enjoyed his grandparent's visits, he was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed again

Monday morning dawned clear and cool in Williamsport. Forrest was making the rounds of his paper route, hoping to see Joey and be invited in to visit for a little bit. It didn't happen. Joey didn't hear the paper drop against the front door, although Mitsy did. She gave a little growl, rousing Joey from his sleep, but she didn't make any attempt to get off the bed. Instead, she used her right front paw to get Joey's attention that she wanted her stomach and chest scratched and rubbed.

As usual, Joey got up before everyone else and had made his trip to the kitchen to start the coffeepot and pour himself a glass of orange juice. Then he hurried into his bathroom from the hall door as Frank and Doris were sleeping in his room. While showering he was thinking about the shower in Dale and Craig's bathroom. He was going to ask for a unit like that if they moved to a new home.

Although Joey didn't really mind living in an apartment, and this one was certainly nice, he missed having a yard even if it meant mowing it every few days. He was sure that Mitsy would rather be outdoors more often, too.

Joey had laid clothes out for school this morning, so quickly dressed in the bathroom after drying his hair. He had decided on a pair of chinos, a maroon polo shirt, white socks and his favorite Nike shoes that were white with blue trim.

As he was folding up the sleeper sofa, Craig came out of their bedroom. He was wearing only his boxers and Joey thought that he might be slightly aroused. Joey was right, although he didn't know it. Craig and Dale had played around for a bit after they woke up

At Tom and Eddie's house Matt was already up and in the bathroom when Tom went to the kitchen to pour his first cup of coffee. Tom could hear the shower running, so didn't bother to call Matt. When he dressed and went to the kitchen, Matt was already sitting at the counter drinking a glass of orange juice.

"'Morning, Matt," Tom said as he went to the refrigerator.

"Hi," he replied. "Where's Mr. Thompson?"

"He's probably just around the corner on his way home from his morning run. He's pretty much on the same schedule everyday."

"Oh, I hope I can start running and working out soon."

"How do you feel this morning? Your face doesn't look as bad."

"Great. I slept well and my ribs and bruises seem better, too."

"Good. Do you want anything to cover the bruise on your face?" Tom asked.

"Does it still look that bad?" Matt asked.

"Well, it's a lot better than when you came here on Thursday night. The swelling has gone down and it just looks black now instead of red, purple, yellow and blue. You could have gone to the party as the NBC Peacock instead of Miss Piggy," Tom said with a smile.

Matt giggled. He really liked these two men. He and his brother and sister were never allowed to joke around at home.

Eddie came into the house at that time.

"Hello, men," he said as he hugged Tom around the shoulders, nuzzling him behind his left ear.

At first Tom was a little embarrassed as this was the first time they had shown any affection toward the other in Matt's presence.

Matt thought it was cool that Mr. Bryant and Mr. Thompson could act that way in front of him. He'd never seen his parents show any affection for each other. He wondered if they shook hands with each other instead of kissing. That thought made him grin.

"Sorry," Eddie said. "I have a hard time keeping my hands off this stud."

"It's okay. I was just thinking that I've never seen my parents do anything like that. I think it's neat."

Matt thought it was neat and he'd like to be able to try it, too. Just to see what it was like.

"Tom's a great guy," Eddie told them both.

"Both of you are. and I'd like to thank you for allowing me to stay here. I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't agreed to let Mr. Houser bring me here. He said that most foster parents wouldn't be able to deal with me. because. I'm. gay." He said this very carefully.

"That's probably true," Tom told him. "You just have to remember that this is a small town and you have to be careful what you say and do. There are students who won't be bothered by the fact that you are gay, but for every one of them there are two others who can make your life a living hell. You are lucky to have Joey Sullivan and Bret Jenkins as friends. They will look out for you and see to it that you are introduced to the right students, but you are going to have to be discreet about who you share your sexual orientation with."

"Guys, I've got to get shaved and showered. We can talk more about this tonight and hear about Matt's first day at Davy Crockett," Eddie said as he headed toward their bathroom.

Since Tom's schedule wouldn't allow him to help enroll Matt in school, Eddie walked with Matt to Davy Crockett High School. Eddie had talked to Betty Armstrong on Friday and she contacted the Mt. Olive Christian School for Matt's records, which they faxed to her that afternoon.

The two talked as they walked to the school.

"I guess this will be a new experience for you, where there are 250 students in your class rather than 19," Eddie said.

"Yeah, but I'm looking forward to going to a `real school' instead of the church school I've been going to. The principal and teachers are real bigots. You have to believe the way they think the Bible says you should believe. The funny thing is that when you take things out of context you can make the Bible say anything you want it to," Matt said.

"You mean they've written their own version of the Bible?" Eddie questioned.

"Something like that. At least certain parts of it, anyway.

"That could be hard for me to believe, but we've just been through an experience with the Rev. Jimmy Bob Jones here in Williamsport. He was against everything he didn't understand, especially homosexuals. Come to find out he was forcing young boys who were pre-puberty to have sex with him."

"That's sick," Matt said.

"Yes, it is. He told the boys that they would `burn in hell if they ever told anyone about what they had been doing'. There are a lot of confused boys out there and some did tell their parents but they refused to believe them."

"Wow," was all Matt could say.

By this time they were going up the front sidewalk of the school and went directly to Betty Armstrong's office.

"Good morning, Betty. This is Matthew Rhodes. He will be staying with Tom and me for a while."

"Good to meet you, Matthew," Betty said as she held out her hand toward him. Her thoughts were about the bruise on his face and she wondered how long ago it had been inflicted.

"Thank you, it's okay to call me Matt," he told her in return.

"I have your transcript from Mt. Olive Christian School. It seems that you may qualify to be an Honors Student here, but that will be up to the various teachers to determine when they test you to see where you fit in your studies.

"It looks like you have been taking Chemistry, Geometry II, English Lit III, Journalism, Computer Lab, Mixed Chorus and Phys Ed. Is that right?" she questioned.

"Yes, Ma'am," Matt said.

"Good, there are openings in each of those classes here at Davy Crockett. I'll give you a schedule and I need to remind you that it is up to the instructors to test you to make sure you can handle the work of that class," Betty told them.

"I understand," Matt answered.

Eddie wrote a check for Matt's enrollment and textbooks. None of the books he had been using were in use at this school.

Betty gave Matt a map of the school and had circled the classrooms where he was to report each period, along with the admittance slips he would need for each class.

Eddie gave him a hug around the shoulders and said, "Do good. We'll expect a full report when you get home this evening."

"Thanks, Mr. Thompson. I'll see you later."

Eddie was off to his office at Stephen F. Austin Middle School.

Matt looked at his schedule. His lunch was the same time as Joey and Bret's. He would later discover that he and Joey shared the same schedule for Mixed Chorus, Computer Lab and Phys Ed.

Dale drove Joey to school and dropped him in front of the building before going on to the Bar-W Ranch to start his week. Craig was going to call Leland Stanton's secretary after 8 o'clock to set up an appointment for Dale, Frank and himself to see Leland.

Jason and Kevin were early getting to the road this morning as they were waiting for the bus when Dale drove into the long driveway. He pulled over and hopped out of the driver's seat so they could visit.

"Hi Guys," Dale said in greeting. "Are you all ready to start a new week at school?"

"Yeah," Jason enthused. "We have to start our 9-week tests today. The first semester is almost half over."

"I'm sure both of you will do fine, you're both good students."

Kevin spoke up. "Jason helps me study and checks my work. Sometimes he's a better teacher than the one at school."

Jason proudly responded, "I took those classes two years ago and passed with no problem. Kev's a good student; he just needs to be more confident. He can do the work with no problem."

"I'm sure that's true, but you guys are great together and it's neat that you depend on each other all the time," Dale told them.

"Do you and Craig have to help Joey study?" Kevin asked.

"No, not really. He has questions from time to time that we can usually answer, or help him find the solution, but he's a good student and is on the honor roll all the time. He'll probably be taking Advanced Placement courses starting next year.

"Cool," Jason said. "Do you think he'll join our Boy Scout troop? He could probably be in our Patrol. Scott Maxwell is such a neat Patrol Leader."

"I don't know, he hasn't really mentioned Scouts much. I know he has one friend who is in Scouts," Dale replied.

"Do you know who it is?" Jason questioned.

"I'm not sure. I've met all of his friends but I really don't know which one is the Boy Scout. By the way, how's the house-breaking project coming along?"

"The dogs can stay out of their cage if we are at home and in our room, but otherwise they have to be in the yard during the day if they aren't with us, "Jason responded.

"Yeah, it's neat that they have learned this quickly and we haven't had an accident in the house, but it seems like we have to take them outside about every 15 minutes," Kevin giggled.

"It's longer than that, silly," Jason said, Kevin still giggling.

About that time they heard the bus approaching and saw it coming around the curve, slowing to a stop for their boarding.

Both Jason and Kevin gave Dale a big hug, which made him feel really good that the boys were comfortable in doing that, especially in front of other boys already on the bus.

"Bye Dale," they called as the door opened and they got on.

Dale gave them a big wave, and then got in his vehicle to continue his way to work. He noticed that Pat's car had to stop for the bus and had to wait for two cars behind the bus to move after it started up so he could make his left turn.

Of course, there were boys on the bus who gave both Jason and Kevin a hard time about hugging a man who wasn't their dad. They probably would have given them trouble if they had even seen them hug Marty. Some boys just didn't understand that it's okay to show affection to those they love.

As Pat parked his car so John, Michael and he could get out, Ray Evans drove in the driveway, headed to the new crew quarters. He stopped and hollered at John, who went to the pickup to find out what he wanted.

"Do you have time to talk for a few minutes?" he asked John.

"Sure, we're early this morning and everything should be ready for us to go to the field to work as soon as we get ice and water for the day. If we need any supplies, Pat and Michael can load them in the truck."

"That's okay. I don't want to keep you, but after talking with you the other evening, I want to offer you a job."

Even though John was elated, he had mixed emotions about working for Ray. In the first place he didn't feel that he had worked at the Bar-W for very long and hated to quit, as it was a good place to work. The Williamson family really treated their help well and he was looking forward to moving into their new quarters with Pat and Michael.

Then there was the problem of Nolan. He really liked Nolan and knew that he couldn't spend the nights with him at the Bar-W. It would look funny if he didn't move from the Starlight Motel with the other two fellows he worked with.

And. he was afraid that whatever his decision was going to be, that someone would find out he was gay and he'd be out of a job either place. He didn't think Dale would look too kindly on that aspect of his life, nor would Ray if he were to quit and go to work for him and was found out.

"I think you and I need to talk about this again," Ray told him. "I have a definite offer for you and if we could meet this evening, I'll buy dinner again. I'll outline what I have in mind and the salary my partners and I could pay you."

"Well, yes. I'm interested. I don't want it to look bad that I'm quitting without having stayed on this job very long."

"Look John, I have every confidence that with some training, mainly working on one of the construction crews for a short time that you will love this job. Dale and Marty can't fault you for taking a job that has a good future with a growing company. You don't have an employment contract, do you?" Ray asked him.

"No, but one is supposed to be offered for full-time work. They just haven't given them to us yet."

"Are you paid hourly or salary?" Ray asked, knowing the answer.

"Hourly," John responded.

"Then a contract is a formality that only outlines benefits and the job description. I doubt very much that it's a guarantee of continued employment should the Bar-W business take a downward plunge. I don't think that's likely, but you never know."

"Maybe you're right," John said. "This is just so sudden and seems too good to be true."

About that time, Michael yelled, "Are you going to work today?"

John turned around. "Be there in a minute," he yelled back. Then turning back to Ray, "I've got to go to work, but I'd like to talk to you again."

"Okay, why don't you be at my place about 6:30? We can have a beer and then get a bite to eat somewhere. I'll have all the information for you to look at tonight."

The two men shook hands. It was almost as if an electric spark was generated. Each felt it tingle in their groin as they touched.

"Okay. Thanks, Ray. I'll see you this evening."

Marlene Jones arrived for her doctor appointment a few minutes ahead of her 9:45 scheduled time. She was just getting into a good story in Redbook when Dr. Vandean's nurse called her into the examination room.

"Good morning, Mrs. Jones. How are we feeling today?" Peg Martell, the nurse smiled.

"Just fine," Marlene replied.

"You are here for an exam so the prescription for your birth control pills can be renewed?" the nurse asked.

"That's right," Marlene answered.

Peg thought this was the widow of the Rev. Jimmy Bob Jones and that it was odd she needed birth control pills, however, the appointment had been made before his death a few days earlier.

She felt sorry for the woman, but decided not to say anything, as she didn't know for sure this was the same person.

Doctor will want to do a full exam, so you need to undress and put on this gown. I see that he has scheduled you for a mammograph. That's probably a good idea since you are 38 years old. Just step behind the screen and change into this. Dr. Vandean will be in soon as he's running on time this morning."

She handed her a plastic cup. "I need a urine sample and there is a restroom through that door. You can change in there."

Marlene had just barely put the gown on and was sitting on the end of the table when Dr. Vandean knocked and walked in. This wasn't the same Dr. Vandean she had seen before. The other Doctor Vandean was surely close to retirement age. `This fellow was probably his son and, what a stud he was,' she thought.

"Good morning, Mrs. Jones, how are you today?"

`At least he didn't say "we" like Nurse Martell did,' she thought.

"Just fine," she replied.

"Are you having any discomfort, or any problems?" he asked as he pulled up a stool to sit in front of her.

"No, Doctor," she replied.

"Any tenderness in the genital area?" he asked, going down his list of questions.

"Well. maybe a little," Marlene answered. She thought it was just because of the number of times a day she and Scott had intercourse.

"I'll check that out during the exam," he told her.

About that time, Nurse Martell came in to collect the urine sample and took it to the lab.

The next question dealt with her last menstrual cycle. She had to think about that.

"Well, I've never been very regular, but I guess it's been over a month," she said.

"Have you been taking birth control pills all the time since your last exam?"

"Oh yes, of course," she replied.

"And, you are wanting the prescription refilled?" he quietly asked.

"Yes."

"I hate to pry, but I have to ask this question." He paused.

"Yes?" she said hesitantly.

"Didn't your husband just die in an accident the other day?"

"Yes, on Saturday morning," came the weak reply.

"Is there any reason why you want to continue on the pill?" came the next question.

"Uh. I. my. Oh hell, you might as well know. My husband and I never slept together. After all his problems started and he was arrested, I moved out of the house and in with my boyfriend. He makes me very happy. At this she burst into tears, her body wracked with sobs.

Dr. Mark Vandean was used to this; women who were having emotional problems caused by either stress or the onset of menopause. Finally, after she had cried for a couple of minutes, he cleared his throat.

"Mrs. Jones, I'm sorry for the things that have happened to you the last couple of weeks, but we need to get on with the exam. Are you ready for me to continue?"

Marlene gave one last sob and gathered her dignity. "Yes, Doctor, I'm sorry that I lost control of my emotions, but you need to know this. Jimmy Bob and I never had a relationship. He was a wonderful provider, but I was only a trophy wife that he could call forward to smile when he introduced me. We never really had successful sex. Quite frankly, at the time we got married, he was good looking, but then started gaining weight until he became quite obese. We never even slept in the same bed and always in different rooms." She still had tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Jones. The rest of the examination won't take long, so please bear with me so I can stay on schedule for the rest of my patients today. I want you to lay back and put the pillow under your right shoulder so I can do a breast exam."

Marlene complied. Her breasts were sensitive and Dr. Vandean noticed that. He had her switch positions so he could examine the other one more closely.

Nurse Martell came back in the room and handed Dr. Vandean a slip of paper. "Urine sample for pregnancy test positive," it told him.

Geeze,' he thought to himself. On top of all her other problems.'

Gently he examined her breasts. They were great looking and firm, probably because she was pregnant. That showed in the sensitivity she was showing.

"Okay, Mrs. Jones. I need to you lie on your back and put your feet in the rests so I can examine your vagina and uterus. She complied; lifting her legs as he slid the supports in place, then moved them out to spread her vagina open.

He started the pelvic examination, asking questions as he felt her vulva and vagina to check for signs of irritation. His first thought was that she must have been experiencing a lot of intercourse. While not sore, the lips were red and puffy.

Dr. Vandean warmed up the metal speculum and placed it in her vagina after lubricating it.

"You may experience some discomfort as I open this up," he told her. "Just relax and the pain should go away."

He didn't see anything abnormal, but took a swab for a PAP test and gently scraped the cervix. She definitely was pregnant and he would guess that conception had taken place about two months ago.

He changed his gloves for a fresh pair, lubricating two fingers of the left one.

"This may feel a little cold, but try to stay relaxed," he told her as he gently inserted two fingers into her vagina. He used his right hand to press down on the pelvis.

`Yes, she is definitely pregnant,' he thought as he completed the exam. He hated to break the news to her, but he was a doctor and that was his duty.

"Okay, Mrs. Jones. There is one more procedure and I need to insert my fingers into your rectum to check for any possible tumors located behind the uterus and in the rectum. Just try to stay relaxed and this will only take a few seconds," he told her.

Soon he was through.

"Okay, you can sit up now. I need to check your blood pressure, thyroid gland, heart and lungs. I think it would be a good idea for you to have a blood sample taken." He put his stethoscope in his ears and continued the exam, having her breathe deeply. He pushed and pulled gently around her neck and shoulders, finally completing that part of the exam.

"Okay, the only things left are the blood sample and mammogram and they can do both of those just down the hall. Then you can get dressed and we'll talk about your exam. I'll look in on another patient in the meantime while they are doing that, then I'll be back to see you in this room. My nurse will come get you in a couple of minutes and bring you back here so you can dress."

"That's fine, doctor," Marlene said.

Dr. Vandean left the room. Marlene was in good health, but he was concerned that she wasn't aware of her condition, although she said that her periods had always been erratic, but to go two months without one and not be concerned? Well, he had seen patients before who were in the delivery room before they realized they were pregnant. It was impossible to educate the women to know what was going on with their bodies.

Dr. Mark Vandean examined two more patients before returning to the room where Marlene was. She had put her clothes back on and was sitting in a straight chair.

He entered the room and sat on the stool at the foot of the examination table, then rolled it over to where she was sitting.

"How long did you say it had been since your last menstrual period?" he asked.

"At least a month. I've never been very regular and the birth control pills made them even more erratic."

"Birth control pills are not foolproof in all cases. It may be that your prescription should have been changed to another type of pill, but that's not important right now. What we need to deal with is the fact that you are about two months pregnant."

There was an audible gasp and Marlene paled.

"Are. are you sure?" she questioned.

"Yes, the pregnancy test came back positive and the examination backed that up. Have you had intercourse with anyone other than your current boyfriend in the last three months?" he asked.

In a soft voice, she said, "No, he's been the only one since last spring."

"Well, then we don't have to go through the process of establishing paternity if you are sure about that."

Marlene burst into tears again. "What am I going to do? I'm 38 years old and he's only 25. He's not going to want me. ever again." She continued sobbing.

Dr. Mark Vandean was uncomfortable. Sure, he'd dealt with unwanted pregnancies before, but somehow this one seemed different.

"Look, you need to discuss this with your boyfriend. Maybe it won't be as bad as you think." He handed her a packet. "Here is some information from Planned Parenthood and also some of the social services that are available both locally and in this area of Texas. I suggest that you read them together and contact the various agencies with any questions you might have."

"Oh, doctor." she wailed.

"I've asked the receptionist to schedule an appointment for you a month from now. Your health seems to be good, but at your age a first pregnancy can sometimes be complicated, so we need to monitor this closely to make sure there are no problems. Okay?" he asked.

"What am I going to do? I don't have any insurance." she continued.

"I'm not an expert on insurance, but check with your boyfriends' employer. You may have some benefits there even though you aren't married. Now, Mrs. Jones, I need to see other patients. If you have any problems, discomfort or anything happens that you don't understand, call my office immediately for an appointment. That's what I'm here for."

The tears were still pouring down Marlene's face. "Thank you. Doctor. I think."

"You'll do just fine, Mrs. Jones. Just continue taking care of yourself." He left the examination room and gently shut the door behind him.

`Geeze, just when you think you've seen everything,' he thought.

Craig called Leland Stanton's secretary at 8:15 while he was sitting at the kitchen counter visiting with his parents and drinking coffee. She gave him an appointment time of 9:45 so he called Dale on his cell phone and he agreed to meet them at the bank at that time and they hung up. Each could tell of the apprehension the other felt. This was a giant step in their lives.

Frank asked Craig, "What do you think about this possible venture? We've never had a chance to talk about it alone - well your mother is here, but within our own family."

"I honestly don't know, Dad and Mom. It seems almost too good to be true and I keep thinking there must be a catch to it, somehow. My gut feeling is that we should do it and it's probably a great way to make a lot of money. Then I keep coming back to the thought that if it fails, then we've failed those who put up the money."

"I know, son," Frank said. "Leland is a smart man and has impeccable credentials when it comes to putting together business deals and starting new companies. The fact that he insists on being on the board and having input as to how a company is run is a big plus factor in his favor. There have been no failures of the companies he's helped start."

"But, why us?" Craig wanted to know.

"Who knows?" Frank answered. "Maybe you were the people with an idea that was at the right place at the right time."

"That was Dale. Joey was having problems in a new computer class he was taking and wasn't getting any satisfaction from his instructor. Dale was getting Joey's money situation taken care of by establishing some accounts here at the Bank of Commerce. Marty made the appointment for Dale to see Leland. He mentioned that maybe Williamsport had need for a computer store and it took off from there. Leland jumped at the opportunity to set up a company, find the right people to run it and secured the startup capital to do it with - all in about two days time," Craig told them.

"Look, Leland is well-known across the country. The Bank of Commerce is lucky to have him and I'm sure that he can bring a lot of growth to that bank. I've made inquiries about him. Smith-Barney was foolish to let him go, but they insisted he move to Houston. Leland didn't want to live there and Williamsport and the Bank of Commerce has gained expertise and leadership that he can provide."

"Would you do this. I mean start a computer store if you were offered the same deal?" Craig asked both parents.

"Yes, I wouldn't hesitate at all. I don't know who is willing to back you and you will probably never know, but take advantage of it. It's a win-win situation," Frank told him.

"Yes, Craig. It's a great opportunity for the three of you," Doris added.

"I know. It just seems like a deal that's too good to be true. Do you have any idea how much involvement Dale and I will have? Do you think we will have any say as to the way the business is run?" Craig asked.

"Probably not much in the beginning," Frank answered. "You have to consider that Leland is going to find the right people for each of the management jobs. They will all have to work together and Leland will see to that. After all, he's got his own reputation to look out for. He doesn't want a failure and this will probably be his first effort that directly affects Williamsport. The others have all been ventures in other areas of the state."

"Dad, Mom, I feel better about this now. I know we've discussed it before, but I just have a hard time believing that it's happening. I don't want to screw it up and yet I want to be part of it, instead of just being the person who has his name on the loan agreement. It's scary for me and I know that it's even more so for Dale."

"Just listen to what Leland presents today. As I told you, one of our junior partners is conducting business in Austin today. He'll be glad to look over any paperwork and give an opinion. I think he can spot any problems that might exist, but I doubt if there will be any. The Bank of Commerce isn't going to back a bad deal and certainly Leland isn't going to allow one to happen," Frank told Doris and Craig.

"Thanks, Dad. Mom, you too. You've always been great parents and I'm proud of you for accepting me for who I am and also loving Dale and Joey. I'm just so lucky not to have had the problems that Bret Jenkins and Matt Rhodes have had with their parents."

"Look Craig," Doris started. "The fact that you are gay has nothing to do with our love for you. All three of you have been exceptional kids and were always the leaders of the pack of kids you ran with in school. We always knew we could trust you to be where you said you would be and you were good students, always involved in a lot of outside activities.

"You found Dale and he's good for you, too. And then Joey came along. You took him into your home with no hesitation. He's a great kid and is lucky to have you both to help him. True, he was raised in a good home and had a fine man for a father. It's too bad Dale never knew Joe, but that's life. Joe had his own issues to deal with, but they have been resolved with his death.

"Your father and I have never seen you happier that you are now. You've had success in starting a business with Don and now this is another opportunity that has come your way. Just sit back, help where you can and make the most of it."

"Thanks Mom. I really appreciate your confidence in me and the fact that you love Dale and Joey as much as me, too."

He looked at his watch. "I need to call Don to tell him that I won't be in the office until later, and then I've got to get cleaned up."

"I need to take my shower and dress, too," Frank told them.

"I'm going to play in your wonderful kitchen this morning," Doris said. "I need to make a trip to the grocery, but it's only for special things I need to prepare lunch and dinner for my boys."

Matt's day started off well. Only one person asked him about his black eye and he simply replied that it was an accident. No further questions.

He liked his teachers and was thrilled to be part of a large class where there was discussion with the instructors instead of just simply being assigned to read the next few pages and prepare for a test. Also, the textbooks seemed to cover a lot of material that was left out of the "Christian Education" texts that he had been using.

He was looking forward to lunch, to meet Joey and Bret and their friends.

The Journalism class actually had a school newspaper to publish each week instead of the `once a month newsletter' they had at his previous school. He was proud to be assigned to the general reporting team that was made up of two groups of four students each. The first assignment was for his team to interview four new teachers that were new to the faculty at Davy Crockett High School. One was to be profiled each of the next four weeks.

Matt was pleased to find out that he was right up with the other students in Chemistry, Geometry and English Lit. He was confident that there would not be extra reading assignments to catch up. He couldn't wait to give this report to Mr. Thompson and Mr. Bryant and also to Joey and Bret when he saw them at lunch.

Joey enjoyed his morning classes and was looking forward to meeting Matt for lunch. He hoped that their schedules would be the same so Matt could meet all of his friends. He was concerned that Matt didn't have anyone to help him around the school and hoped that he made friends quickly. He and Bret were the only high school students he'd spent any time with.

Frank was at Craig's office by 9:30 and, of course, wanted to see the equipment he used to draw plans. Craig had told him of the computer program and the plotter but this was the first time he'd had a demonstration. Craig had made further changes in the plans for Warren Collin's project and they were being printed when Frank came in.

Don arrived at the office from checking on a job site. He hadn't seen Frank for some time and immediately started heaping fun insults on him and Craig. Frank, of course, had known Don since he and Craig were in college. Don was from the Kilgore area and frequently accompanied Craig to his parent's house for meals and sometimes for short holidays from school. Don had always been treated as a second son and Frank and Doris were thrilled when Don and their son established an architectural partnership together after finishing college.

After their good-natured banter with each other, Craig gave Don the updated page to Don as he had a meeting with Warren Collins at ten o'clock.

After Don left, Frank and Craig were sitting in his office. Craig still had a million questions and as many reasons to be hesitant.

"Dad, do you think we are crazy for even considering this venture? We don't know anything about running a business like that or even much about computers."

"Craig, I think this is an opportunity that if it were offered to me, I'd jump on it. I realize that you think it's a lot of money and risk, and granted it is, but the computer business is probably among the fastest growing in the world. There is new technology being perfected everyday and people are always going to be upgrading to the newest and fastest computers."

"I know that, but it just seems like such a risk using other people's money. If it was our own money, I would hate to put it at risk, but then nobody else could blame us if it fails."

"Son, from what I've understood when we've talked, Leland is going to search for a person to run the company and he's going to be on the board of directors. Leland has an excellent track record and is unique in the hands-on method he takes in the startup of a company. After all, he's putting his reputation on the line that it will be successful. I don't think he would be trying to put a package together for you boys if he wasn't confident it was going to fly."

"I know, it just sounds too good to be true. It's like someone is giving us the money to start a company, then going to allow us to buy it once it's up and running. Things like that just don't happen. at least to me."

"Craig, you and Dale are probably the two most honest men I know. An idea was born and Leland took it upon himself to decide it was a good one. He's probably having a great time putting a package together and thrives in the challenge of a successful business. I know you think this is too good to be true, but don't forget that one of the partners in our law firm is going to go over anything you are asked to sign with a fine-tooth comb. If there are any gray areas, you may be assured he will address them and clarify them before any contract is signed by you."

Craig laughed. "And all Dale and I wanted to do was to help Joey pass a Computer Lab class in school. This seems like an obvious overkill for a simple solution."

Frank joined in the laughter. "Yeah, you and Dale would do anything for that boy and so would Doris and I. He's a winner and I don't know how you lucked out in getting him."

"Yeah, we both love him and he's already a leader with his own pack of friends who really look up to him - and most are older than he is, too."

"Indeed you are lucky, all of you. You three guys make a great family and your mom and I are very proud of all of you."

Craig glanced at his watch. "We'd better start for the bank. By the time we get parked and inside, it will be time for our appointment."

As they were going to Craig's car, Frank asked. "Did what I have to say help you any?"

"Yes, I'm more comfortable with this than I had been. All the signs point to `go' I guess I'd better collect my $200 and pass to the next space on the board. I feel like I'm about to buy Park Place and the Boardwalk and build big hotels on both of them."

"Good, let's see what Leland has to present to us this morning."

Dale was waiting in the lobby as they got off the elevator on the floor of the Financial Services Department.

"Hi, I just got here. Leland's secretary told me he was on the phone and would be with us in a couple of minutes."

Before Dale could finish speaking, Lois Grant appeared from around the corner. "Mr. Stanton is ready for you gentlemen. May I get you some coffee or a soft drink?"

All three opted for black coffee as she led them to Leland's office. "Go on in and I'll bring the coffee shortly.

Leland stood to meet them as they entered, shaking hands as he gave them a big smile. "Sit down over here," he said, pointing to chairs around a coffee table. Leland had a big smile on his face. He waited until they sat down. Lois was there almost immediately with coffee mugs and a pot of coffee on a tray. She efficiently set the tray, which was loaded with cinnamon rolls, on the coffee table and asked if there was anything else before closing the door as she exited Leland's office.

Leland was thinking that he liked this family better every time he saw them. Of course he thought Dale was a hunk, along with his younger brother, Joey. Frank and Craig certainly looked enough alike to be the father and son that they were. He envied the relationship and support they gave each other.

"Frank, I'm glad that you could come along this morning. I'm sure that Dale and Craig appreciate your legal expertise on this."

"I'm no attorney," Frank laughed. "I'm just the lion tamer in the jungle that we call our office."

All the men laughed with him.

Leland continued. "Frank, I'm sure that you probably know as much law as anyone working in your office."

Frank was flattered. Leland was probably close to being right. How could he have worked for that firm for 25 years and not know most of what went on behind the closed doors of the attorneys and the clients they worked with?

"Maybe, not as much, but I can hold my own on simple cases and procedures. I might be able to settle a dog bite case, if I was lucky."

Leland laughed. Frank was a funny man and what little he had seen at the Halloween party the other night; he enjoyed telling stories and jokes.

"Those can sometimes involve a lot of money. Be sure to get your fee," Leland said. All of the men laughed.

Leland turned serious. "I want to answer any questions you have, but first I have some good news. Just before you came in to talk to me I visited with a potential manager for the computer store."

He saw Dale raise his eyebrows, then a question form in his eyes.

"Unnn." Dale started to speak.

Craig stepped in with his reply. "You are moving quickly on this, aren't you?"

"I have to. Some of these good people are snapped up immediately, sometimes before the headhunters post their resumes. In the case of this person, his name came to me from a mutual friend in a bank in Kansas City, Missouri. He has just put out some feelers and won't have any trouble finding a position and I hope it will be with you fellows."

"Wow!!" was all Dale could say.

"Now before I go any further with this, I need a decision from you as to proceed with this venture. The money is available, it's just hinging on your `go ahead' or that you don't want to do this?"

Frank started to interrupt then realized that Leland had finished. "May I ask a question?"

"Certainly," Leland replied.

If Dale and Craig don't do this, is the person who is backing this venture going to look for another person to back in a computer business?"

"That's hard to say as we haven't discussed that. I can say that the person is very interested in the computer business. He thinks there is a lot of money to be made in the business and he's willing to fund the startup costs."

Craig looked at Dale, raising his eyebrows as if waiting for him to say something.

"Is there a contract for us to look at?" Dale questioned, not able to come up with another question.

"Yes, there is a working copy that is fairly standard in the world of venture startups. Frank is welcome to take it with him. I believe that he said one of the partners in his law firm is in Austin today for depositions. He may have some specific things he wants to address and they can probably be added to any contract we use for the agreement."

Dale spoke up. "Leland, exactly what is expected of us on this deal? Do we have any say at all in who is hired, the running of the company? You know what I mean." He stopped speaking.

Basically, here's what I have in mind. You fellows are officers of the corporation as Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer. You can determine which titles you want. I'm on the Board of Directors as Vice Chairman and managing partner. This is just until we have management in place and probably would remain in that position for about 3 months. At that time the management team will be in place, you should have a pretty good feel for what is happening with the business and can decide at that point if you want the board expanded or reorganized."

"Will you still serve as a consultant?" Frank asked immediately.

"Oh yes. Just because I'm not on the board, doesn't mean that I won't be looking at all the financial reports and giving advice," he laughed. "You aren't going to be rid of me until your loan is repaid."

Dale and Craig looked at each other. They each detected a slight affirmative nod of the other's head.

"I know that there is a lot of money to be made in the computer business and I'm sure that what you are planning will be successful beyond our wildest dreams, but I can't help but wonder why the mystery investor has decided to back us. Can you give us some insight?" Dale asked.

"All I should probably say is that this person thinks you are both people who have a lot of potential. You are respected in the community and this person is confident you have the ability to do what is needed to make this venture successful."

"That's the big mystery," Craig said. "We don't have that much business experience and know next to nothing about the computer business."

"That's where you are wrong," Leland told them. In the first place Dale is the General Manager for a large business. He's shown his expertise in management at a sub-level and now as the person in charge. Craig, you and your partner have been successful in your company, which is starting to grow. Both of you have proven that you aren't afraid of hard work, either in a physical or supervisory situation. You've earned the respect and trust of this person, so it's a win-win situation for all of you."

Craig's first thought was "Marty Williamson".

Dale was sitting there, emotions running wild. He was proud that Leland had given both him and Craig the accolades they had just heard. It was a lot of money and he was sure there were risks that none of them could even begin to think about, but with Leland's excellent track record and Frank's positive feelings about this, he felt this was an opportunity they had better pursue.

"Dad, are you okay with this?" Dale asked.

"Yeah, guys, I am. Leland needs to come up with a contract for us, but I know it's a deal I'd go for if it was offered to me."

"Craig, what about you?" Dale asked.

"Yeah, I really am. We are certainly going to have to rely on Leland for guidance and seeing to it that this is done right. He has my vote to do this."

Leland was pleased that this was going to happen.

"I won't disappoint you and I think you are going to be two very wealthy men in a few years. If the store goes well, and I know it will, the next step is a mail order catalog for parts and even manufacturing some of your own components down the road. There is a company in Austin that's doing this and the market is wide open for this concept as there are a lot of people who want to build their own computer system and save a few dollars. Of course, you can then charge them for straightening out their messes," Leland said with a big grin on his face.

"What's the next step?" Frank asked.

"Finalize an agreement and sign it. I told you that I talked to a fellow who has good potential this morning. I want to bring him here in the next few days so that we can all meet him and see if he has what is needed to get this business started off on the right foot. Is that okay with you?" Leland asked.

"Wow, we don't even have anything signed and you're ready to hire him?" Craig asked.

"No," Leland said. You are going to be the one to hire him. I'm just setting up the interviews," he smiled.

"I think you'd better do the hiring, too," Dale said.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hire anyone you two don't feel comfortable with, no matter what their qualifications are.

Leland handed each of the men a form that Commerce Bank used as a Venture Capital Agreement. "Read this agreement and list any questions you might have. Frank, in your case, have your attorney look this over and add whatever clauses he feels are necessary. We'll reach an agreement that all of us are happy with."

"Okay," Craig answered, taking the paper Leland handed him. "What do we need to do next?"

"Find a location for the business," Leland said. There are two properties available right now. Both of them look huge, but when you consider what is needed in the way of inventory storage, a service department, sales department, offices, training room, sales floor, office furniture sales, the place will get crowded pretty quickly."

"Wait a minute. What kind of timeframe are we looking at?" Dale asked. "I thought it would take time to put all of this together."

"I'd like to open the retail sales the day after Thanksgiving. This is the Christmas sales opportunity and a lot of merchandise should move in the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The service department and other areas will follow as soon as people are hired to staff them."

"I had no idea it would happen that quickly," Dale said. He couldn't believe it. His thought was that they would be several months putting everything together that was needed.

"Boys, it looks like you are going to be having a Grand Opening to plan for," Frank told them, with a huge smile on his face. "Congratulations".

"I'm like Dale, I never thought about Christmas sales," Craig said.

"Even if we have to rent a temporary location, we just can't pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the sales season. The big dollar items are the gifts a lot of people buy for Christmas. If we miss the opportunity, it's like throwing money away," Leland told them.

"He's right," Frank said. "Besides, I may want to buy your Mom a computer for Christmas," he grinned.

Craig laughed. "I'll have to talk to our financial advisor and put in a good word for a discount for you."

"Seriously," Leland said. "Do you think we could hire Dennis away from the Electronic Home? He's been running their computer department and seems to be selling for them."

"Yes, very definitely," Craig spoke up. "He told us that the owners of the Electronic Home don't feel comfortable with selling computers and don't think it's a business they want to pursue. If they have any competition start up, they will drop the computers completely. Dennis talked to us about a job the other evening. He definitely is interested and available. Otherwise, he may be without a job."

Leland rose to indicate the meeting was over. "I'll get an interview set up with the fellow from Kansas City. If we're lucky, I can arrange for him to be here Wednesday or Thursday."

The men shook hands with each other agreeing that Leland should pursue the meeting with the potential general manager and that all of them would meet to talk to him.

Matt met Joey, Brett and their friends for lunch in the cafeteria.

Of the group, only Bryce seemed cool toward Matt, but none of the others really noticed that. There was too much else to talk about. Daniel and Forrest seemed to be the ones who were most interested in Matt and really made him feel welcome. Of course, Joey and Brett were glad to see him and hear about the morning classes. They would have a chance to be in the classes together in the afternoon.

Bryce was very quiet, wondering about the bruise on Matt's face. It reminded him of the problem he'd had with his father a year ago and the reason that his mother had moved the family back to the United States, leaving his father to serve his current assignment in Germany alone. Bryce wondered if his situation and Matt's were the same. He'd like to talk to Matt about it, but didn't want to pry too much. The memory was still painful to him.

The only classes that Joey and Matt would have together would be Mixed Chorus, Computer Lab and Phys. Ed.

Joey hoped that Matt would pass the audition for mixed chorus as well as the one to allow him to sing in the choir at St. James. Joey could handle helping Matt in the Computer Lab, but was not sure that he would be of any help to him in Phys. Ed. except to warn him that Coach Dennison was abusive and that nothing you did pleased him.

Joey, Bret and Pam Thomas were waiting for Matt outside the door to the Mixed Chorus room. The three took him inside to introduce him to Mrs. Morrison, who was her usual stiff self with a new student.

"Do you have any experience in singing in a mixed chorus?" she demanded of Matt.

"Yes, but not one of this size," Matt answered.

Anne Morrison was put off - but only for a minute, as she didn't know if Matt was comparing this chorus to a smaller or larger group. She quickly ascertained that Matt had been a member of a much smaller chorus.

She told Joey, Bret and Pam that she would give Matt a quick audition to see if he qualified to be in the mixed chorus. She thought to herself that he would be the last person to join the chorus until the next semester, as there was so much to learn for the upcoming Christmas program.

Matt passed the audition with flying colors, but was placed in a different section, the basses, so he didn't even sit close to Joey and Bret.

The next class they had together was Computer Lab and Daniel and Joey took Matt "to be presented" to Kent Korte, who was in a dismissive mood.

"Let me handle this," Daniel whispered to Joey. "We can get him a password and help him get acquainted with the programs you and I are working on."

"That's cool," Joey told him. "We need to help him as much as we can."

Computer Lab was a whole new experience for Matt. They had computers at the Mt. Olive School, but it was a basic DOS commands class, and he hadn't been exposed to the "Basic" language aspect of this class. Joey felt sorry for Matt, as he remembered his own experience just a week or so before.

He vowed to give Matt as much help as he could supply and hoped Daniel would, too.

The last class of the day for Joey was Phys. Ed and he and Matt walked together from the Computer Lab to the Gym. Bryce walked in the door at the same time and greeted them. Although Matt had a doctor's statement that he should not be involved in any strenuous exercise, he thought he was probably up to going to Phys. Ed.

Eddie had warned him about Coach Dennison's treatment of the boys. "Just do as he says and don't start an argument," was all Eddie would say.

Joey got the basket containing his athletic wear from the racks, and then introduced Matt to Tyler Phillips who was responsible for keeping the dressing room clean and neat. Tyler gave Matt a basket and lock to go with it.

"What kind of a mood is Coach Dennison in today?" Joey asked.

"His charming, cheerful, asshole self," Ty snickered.

"Great," Joey replied. Then to Matt he said, "Just be prepared to run lots of laps and take them slow, otherwise you'll end up on the track squad if you're speedy."

"Gotcha," Matt replied

Bryce was already dressed when Joey and Matt returned from the basket racks. He decided to sit and watch rather than go to the gym floor for the usual basketball warm up. As Matt was changing clothes, Bryce saw the bruises on Matt's body. He knew immediately that he had been the victim of a beating and knew it wasn't just from fists, either. As he looked at Matt's body while he was dressing, he wondered what had happened and who had inflected the welts and bruises.

Matt had his admission slip, along with the doctor's note, excusing him from any activity that would put stress on his cracked ribs. Joey decided that he would see to it that Coach Dennison had both pieces of paper before gym class started. There was no need to put Matt through the same harassment he had received when he came to this class the first time.

Matt got his eyes full when Joey started stripping off his clothes to change into his jockstrap, t-shirt and shorts. `What a stud!' he thought to himself, having a hard time believing that he was a year older than Joey, who looked like a mature man with all the hair he had on his chest and body.

Bryce couldn't keep his eyes off Joey, either, and felt himself getting hard.

The three boys made their way to the gym floor, Joey explaining that the total "gym experience" here was playing half- court basketball and running laps for punishment. Joey decided that he wasn't going to warm-up and told Matt to come with him as he planned to meet the coach as he came out of his office and give Matt's papers to him before he had a chance to start blowing his whistle.

They had barely gotten to the corner of the gym when Coach Dennison came storming out of his office. Coach started yelling before Joey could speak.

"Why aren't you playing basketball?" he yelled to Joey.

Joey knew the routine. "SIR, we have a new student in our class today. Here is his admission slip for the class and a doctor's letter that states he has internal bruises and two cracked ribs, SIR!" he said.

For once, Coach Dennison didn't know what to say. He took the papers offered, glanced at them, and then ordered the boys to get in line so he could take roll. As soon as he blew his whistle the first time, he was back to being his always obnoxious self.

True to what Joey and Bryce had said, the entire class was spent playing half-court basketball. Matt enjoyed having a chance to play, although his ribs were sore and he soon was content to stand on the sidelines and watch.

Joey and Bryce were on the same team and Matt enjoyed watching them play, although Joey got his attention more so than Bryce. He wondered if Joey was gay and what his chances were of being able to find out.

The class passed quickly and soon it was time to shower. A number of the boys in the class saw Matt in the showers and winced at the sight of his bruises, wondering what had happened. Word got around quickly that he had just moved to Williamsport from Austin, but no one seemed to know what had happened.

Bryce was mum about the subject. In the first place he didn't know anything other than he had been told; that Matt was a victim of child abuse and would be living in Williamsport with Mr. Thompson and Mr. Bryant. Bryce had heard the rumors that the men were homosexuals, but that's all he knew - just a rumor. He wondered why Matt was living with them, if that was the case.

John Sterling was at Ray Evans house promptly at 6:30. As he was getting out of his car, Ray's pickup turned into the driveway. Ray hopped out and greeted John.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. You can see why we need more foremen in our company. Too many bases for me and my partners to cover and it's going to get worse until I find good men to hire. Come on in and I'll get you a beer. Then I need to shower before going out to dinner."

John greeted Ray with a handshake. He really liked Ray and not just as a sexual attraction, but because Ray seemed like a genuine down-to-earth person who was honest. He followed Ray into the house and stood in the living room as Ray excused himself to the kitchen, coming back with two bottles of Coors premium beer.

"Thanks," John offered.

"Hey, I'm ready for the evening to begin," Ray said. "Now, if you'll excuse me for about ten minutes, I need to get out of these clothes, run through the shower and find something clean to wear. Make yourself comfortable," he said.

As he started up the stairs, John couldn't help but admire his body as he stripped off his shirt. John sat down on the couch and decided to look at the magazines on the coffee table. No surprises here. Architectural Digest, Kitchen Planner, Better Homes and Gardens, Furniture Source, a Sherwin-Williams magazine, International Male, Undergear. Wait a minute. Undergear'? John thought. He pulled the issue out and started flipping though it. Wow!! Hot hunks in all kinds of revealing underwear, swimwear and not much else. Why did Ray have magazines such as International Male and Undergear on his coffee table?'

He was confused and. intrigued. He didn't know that catalogs of this sort existed and by the time he got to the middle of the magazine, he was totally hard in his boxers behind the button fly of his Levis.

He leaned back on the couch to adjust himself into a more comfortable position as his cock was caught in the left leg of his Levis and boxers. He brought his cock to a vertical position and discovered that it was leaking a little precum. He'd have to think about his discovery of the two catalogs on the coffee table. As he slid them back under the other magazines he picked up the kitchen magazine and had just opened it when Ray came back down the stairs, pulling a polo shirt over his head. This gave John a good view of his hairy pecs and stomach, which didn't help his hardon any.

"Ready for another beer?" Ray asked as he crossed the room toward where John was sitting.

"Pretty close to it. That really hit the spot," John answered.

"I'll get us each another. Do you mind if I order a pizza from Tony D's?" Ray asked. "I'd like to be able to talk without having to compete with a room full of other people eating and talking."

"That's fine with me," John replied. "They have the best pizza I've ever eaten."

"Good, I'm going to order their `Chicago style' with extra meat and cheese, if that's okay with you. Do you want their Italian salad or a garden salad?"

"The Italian salad will be great for me," John answered. By this time his hardon had deflated and he felt comfortable in standing up and taking his empty beer bottle to the kitchen for Ray to dispose of.

Ray exchanged John's empty bottle for a new one, then turned to the phone and punched in the number for Tony D's delivery, giving his order to the person who answered the phone.

"Let's sit at the table in the dining area," Ray told John. "It will be about 45 minutes before the pizza will be here and I want to find out what you know about construction, if you can read blue prints and what my partners and I will need to teach you, if that's okay with you."

"Okay." John was a little hesitant because he was pretty sure that he didn't know as much as Ray thought he knew. To his surprise, Ray had three tests that he and his partners had designed to give to potential workers.

"Let's start with the easy one. This involves basic math used in construction, figuring square feet, cubic area, board feet and things that a framer needs to know. The second test is a little more complicated, but is still a test of your knowledge and abilities. The third test deals more with structural knowledge, building codes and also heating, air conditioning and electrical problems. I think we can work through all three while we're waiting for the pizza," Ray told him.

"I'm not sure I'm that smart about things that are on the second and third tests," John honestly told him.

"In the first place, my main concern is not necessarily what you already know, but what we need to teach you. Try to work each problem and what you do with each will point out your strengths as well as your weaknesses. I just need to get a better feel as to where your abilities might fit in with our company."

"I understand," John told him.

He started through the first test, which was general construction knowledge and dealt with questions about framing, cutting lumber, a little about electric, insulation, sheetrock and wall coverings. It seemed to be a breeze, he was surprised that he could easily answer almost all the questions.

He finished the first and gave it to Ray.

"I'll look this one over. You go ahead and start on the second one, okay?" Ray asked.

The second test was a little more complicated, but John was good at math and was easily able to figure a bill of material and answer the questions with only a little hesitation. He finished that test in about 10 minutes time.

"Ready for another beer?" Ray asked.

"Yeah," John said. "These tests aren't that complicated.

"You only had one bad answer on the first test and I think that your answer was due to the way the question was worded. You probably were closer to being right than what we were trying to convey in the question. We'll talk about it a little later."

Ray traded bottles with John, who then started on the third set of questions. These were a lot more complicated, but he had been told he could use the calculator on the table and made good use of it as he had on the other two sections of the test. Again his math skills were very necessary to complete the test.

Just as he was finishing up the last section, the doorbell rang and Ray went to get the pizza and salads.

"Good timing," Ray said as John sat back in his chair. "I want you to know that you only had two bad answers on the second section and that may be because of the way the questions were worded. I want to talk about those questions, too. Maybe we need to clarify them."

"Okay. Maybe I didn't understand the question, either," John said.

"I think you worked the problem right, I just need to look at it again," Ray answered. "Don't worry about it. I think you have better abilities than I hoped."

"May I use the bathroom before we eat?" John asked.

"Sure, there's a stool and lavatory just inside the front door, next to the guest closet," pointing to the front of the room.

John peed a big stream. The beer had quickly filled his bladder. As he was peeing, he noticed a large picture of Michelangelo's "David" on the wall. John was interested in the picture because he had never seen a large copy like this one. Certainly "David" was much more stocky and well muscled than he'd ever thought. He also thought it was interesting that Ray had a picture like that hanging in his bathroom.

Ray was just setting things on the table as John returned.

"Need any help?" he questioned.

"No, I think we're ready to eat. Are you ready for another beer to go with the pizza or would you like some Chianti to wash the food down?"

"Some of the wine would be fine. The beer tastes good, but the wine might be better with the food. The pizza sure smells good," John told Ray.

Go ahead and sit down. I'll pour the wine and we can eat," Ray told him.

John sat at the table and Ray immediately sat down after he brought the glasses and wine jug to the table. He poured two glasses and handed one to John. He wanted to say, "Here's to us," but thought better of it. Instead, he continued the conversation.

"As I told you the other evening, my partners and me are getting spread too thin. We have completed the crew quarters project at the Bar-W and that will free up one crew for a new project starting this week. However, we've received the contracts for two big construction projects that we didn't bid on because of not having the manpower to staff a crew. In the case of one job, they didn't want the company with the low bid to do the job as they are not dependable and the owners were afraid of them. They called us and basically told us to name our price. It's a little unorthodox, but we agreed to a time and material plus 30% profit for us and they couldn't sign the contract quick enough."

John whistled through his teeth.

"Yeah, you got it. We've always tried to beat our estimates and usually do. Sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate, but we always manage to turn out a quality product and get a lot of return business and recommendations because of it. Now all of a sudden our reputation is paying off, but we don't have the people in place to take care of business."

John was listening, still wondering if Ray was really serious about hiring him, although he realized he had more knowledge than he thought.

"I'd like to hire you and put you through a quick course in construction. My partners and I want you to work with a couple of our crews for the next week to get a feel for what we're doing, how the company is run and to get acquainted with the men already working for us. Then, we would want you to be a foreman for a short while - and you'll really get your feet wet then. After two or three months, if everything goes as I expect, we're going to need a project manager to oversee several foreman and visit all the job sites several times a day. Hopefully any problems can be headed off before they happen, like material being delivered on time, equipment in the right place at the right time and enough workers - and the right ones - where they are needed. Are you interested?"

John didn't hesitate. This sounded like a dream job and he thought he could handle it, but he still had some questions.

"I like the idea, but what if I don't have what it takes to do the job you've offered?" he asked.

"I understand your concern. If the worst happened, you could still be part of the construction crew. The pay for that isn't bad, $12 and hour to start, but if you can do the job of a foreman, that pays about $17 an hour and as project manager, we can pay you about $40 thousand to start and the sky is the limit with bonuses for finishing ahead of time and keeping costs down."

John's head was spinning. He was getting $9.50 an hour as his base pay at the Bar-W. "I tried to get on with a construction company where I grew up. They wouldn't hire me because I didn't have any experience. Yet, you are willing to hire me and I still don't have any practical experience?"

"Didn't you tell me the other day that there wasn't very much work in your hometown?" Ray asked.

"Yeah. There isn't."

"Think about it. They can't hire people if there isn't any work and lack of experience' is a good excuse, just as we don't have enough work to keep our present crew busy'."

John smiled. "I hadn't thought about that. They didn't want to admit that they didn't have need for additional people."

"Right."

The meal continued. As always, the food from Tony-D's was excellent.

"So, are you interested in coming to work for our company?" Ray asked.

"Yes, definitely. I had planned on moving to the Bar-W when the new house is ready, but guess I won't be. I'm not going to stay at the Starlight though, it's clean but not a place I want to live, even though it's cheap."

"Do you know where the River Park Apartments are?" Ray questioned.

"Yeah, above the lake, just west of downtown."

"I lived there for several years before I built this house," Ray said, not revealing that he owned the complex. "You might check it out. There are efficiency units as well as one and two bedroom apartments available." Ray made a mental note to let the manager know that John might be looking for an apartment there and to give him a good rate on the rent.

"How much notice do you need to give at the Bar-W?" Ray asked.

"I don't know," John answered honestly.

"If you are interested, you have a job with Construction Specialists as soon as you can give notice and start work. Deal?" Ray asked.

"You've got a deal. I just hate to quit at the Bar-W after such a short time," John affirmed.

"I understand and so will Dale and Marty. There isn't a lot of chance for advancement there with your boss only being a few years older. Even if they made you foreman over the crops area, my company can pay you better and advance you further up the ladder," Ray told him.

"I'll give notice in the morning. I may be available immediately or have to work out my notice," John told Ray.

"Just ask Dale how much notice he needs when you tell him that you are going to work for me. He knows that our company is expanding and, depending on the work to be done, may release you right away."

"Okay," John said, feeling really good about this chance.

By this time they were through eating and Ray stood up to clear the table and take dirty dishes to the kitchen. John stood, too. Ray couldn't help himself. He grabbed John by the shoulders and hugged him to himself. "You won't regret this," he said into John's ear, almost kissing him as John squeezed him back.

Both dicks quickly rose to full tumescence, but they were standing far enough apart that neither realized the other's reaction to the hug.

"Call me on my cell phone after you talk to Dale in the morning," Ray told him, releasing him from his hug.

"I will. And. thanks. I know I'll enjoy working for you," John told Ray, thinking other thoughts of his new boss. The feeling was mutual.

• • • • • Author's Note: Thanks for the overwhelming response to previous chapters. I have received positive replies from all over the world. My special thanks for proofreading help to Paul Daventon, who has taken time to help me catch obvious errors. Also to two other "on-line pals", Joey Tuvok and Thomas from Austin who have been giving me encouragement and their friendship the last few months.

I have to apologize for the long delay between Chapter 50 and Chapter 51. I realized the other day that the first 50 chapters were written while I was unemployed and it was my "therapy" for the frustration that I was enduring, wondering what was going to happen (or not happen) next. I love my new job and the people are great to work with, but terribly demanding and most evenings I'm too tired to sit down and try to make sense of my thoughts.

To those of you who kept hounding me about the continuation of the story - Thanks a lot. It really means a lot to me that the story has caught the attention of so many people who want to read about real people instead of an "instant jerkoff" story. (Not that I don't enjoy those myself.

Thanksgiving weekend I moved to a new apartment in a high-rise south of downtown Tulsa. I'm on the 18th floor and have a wonderful view to the west of the Arkansas River and all the activity along Riverside Park; biking, joggers, the Tulsa Rowing Club activities and beautiful sunsets on the evenings when there are clouds. If you are interested, let me know and I'll send some of my favorite pictures to you.

Comments are appreciated and you can reach me at TulsaAuthor@aol.com.