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 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 its own. I thought I would do well to write the ten chapters. Now the story has passed 53 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 to read the last chapter of this story.

Tales from the Ranch Chapter 53: Tuesday in Williamsport

Frank was the first one to wake up on Tuesday morning. He heard the paper quietly hit the door as he walked through the living room where Joey was sleeping. Mitsy was at his feet and she wagged her tail, and then jumped off the bed so Frank could let her out.

This action caused Joey to come to and he snapped his fingers, not realizing that his Grandpa was in the room.

"It's okay, Joey. I'll let Mitsy out, then I'll start the coffee brewing."

"Okay," Joey said. He was still mostly asleep but needed to pee in the worst way. He had a morning woody and didn't want his Grandpa to see him in that condition. As soon as Frank was through the kitchen door, Joey was out of the bed and raced around the corner into his bathroom.

Forrest Ross had reached the ground floor as Mitsy came down the stairs from the fifth floor. She was glad to see him, but headed to the flowerbed to take care of her morning needs. Forrest stood and watched her. He thought she was a beautiful dog and wished that he could have a dog, but they cost money to properly care for and feed. Money that wasn't available as almost every dollar he could earn went to help his grandmother. Forrest had missed seeing Joey the last few mornings. He knew that Joey's grandparents were visiting and that changed the morning routine in that household. He'd really like to get better acquainted with Joey, but that didn't seem likely to happen - at least right away.

Mitsy took care of her needs and bounced across the lawn to where Forrest was standing. He knelt down to pet her and she immediately rolled on her side so he could scratch and rub her chest and stomach. He rubbed her for a bit, then stood up to get on his bicycle. Mitsy was hungry and immediately raced up the stairs for her breakfast.

Joey quickly shaved and got into the shower. He knew that his grandparents needed to use the bathroom, too, so couldn't waste any time in getting ready for school. As he showered he thought of the wonderful shower in his Dads' bathroom. He hoped that if they moved into a house he could have a shower like it, too.

So many things seemed to be happening in his life. He wondered if his grandparents would really move to Williamsport. He thought that would be neat, but knew that a lot hinged on some decisions presently in progress. Like the computer store. He hoped that if that came about, he would be able to work there, too. He was sure that his Dads would have no objection.

Then, he remembered that this afternoon would be his first Drivers Education class. It was so cool that he would be learning to drive. He knew that they were trying to restrict young drivers in Houston to where you had to be 18 to get a learner's permit and 20 or 21 to get a full license. The proposed ordinance was really being pushed by the police department and the insurance companies.

Joey also thought about the Bar-W Ranch. He'd like to have the opportunity to work there, too. Not having had the opportunity to be on a farm before, he was really interested in the cattle and horses. Certainly, he'd enjoyed riding around the ranch with Dale and Craig and his grandparents, too.

His shower finished, he dried himself, put on deodorant and a splash of cologne. He pulled on clean boxers to go to the living room and kitchen. The rest of the clothes he needed were on a chair next to the hide-a-bed. He went on into the kitchen. Frank was looking at the 'Austin American Statesman' and had a cup of coffee in front of him. Joey helped himself to orange juice and sat on the chair next to Frank.

"You smell good this morning," Frank said in greeting him, giving him a hug around the shoulders and squeezing his neck.

"Thanks. Did you sleep well?" Joey asked.

"I went to sleep right away, but woke up early this morning and started thinking about you and Dale and Craig and the computer store. There are a lot of decisions that will have to be made and quickly, too. And. there won't be any turning back once the decision is made."

"Are you and Grandma really going to move to Williamsport? I'd like it if you did."

"Well, it's a possibility. Certainly one that I hadn't even thought of until last night. We'll have to find out what Leland Stanton has in mind and if I would fit in. He may have other ideas.

"Then, there are decisions that your Grandma and I have to make. We've both always lived in the area between Dallas and Ft. Worth and have a lot of friends there. At our age, it's not always easy to simply pull up stakes and move elsewhere. I have to think about my present job and how it would affect the law firm if I were to leave. There is a person who could step into my job and do it well, but still I have a ways to go before I can collect Social Security. Then there's the matter of the computer company being able to pay the salary I've been getting. They might not be able to do it."

"And don't forget that we have two other adult children," Doris added as she walked into the kitchen. Joey got up from his seat at the counter. "Do you want some juice before your coffee?" he asked.

"That's fine. A glass of tomato juice would be good." Joey took a glass from the cabinet and filled it, then picked up the coffeepot to refill Frank's cup. On the way back he picked up his dirty glass and got a coffee mug for himself.

Frank picked up the statement that Doris had made. "Yes, we have to consider them even though they don't live with us anymore, but there is the possibility of other grandkids sometime in the future. But they probably won't be as adorable as you," Frank teased and gave Joey another hug.

Joey grinned his 1000-watt grin. He knew Frank was teasing him and he loved it.

About that time Dale and Craig came into the kitchen. They were fully dressed and ready for the day.

"Good morning, everyone," Dale said.

All of them exchanged greetings as Craig poured orange juice for the two of them. There was a pan of cinnamon rolls that Doris had baked the previous afternoon, so Craig put it on the counter and took five small plates out of the cabinet, then put salad forks out, too.

"If anyone wants their roll warmed up, there's the microwave," Craig teased, pointing to the unit in the wall as he sat down.

"I'll do it for you," Joey said. Then looking at Craig, he said, "Since Mom won't do it." It took a few seconds for Doris to process what Joey had said, then she started laughing.

"That's rich. 'Mom'!" she said, pointing at Craig. He turned about 3 shades of red as the rest of them laughed at him.

"Young man." Craig stated to say.

"I know, I'm pushing my luck," Joey laughed. Poor

Craig. He loved to be teased, but he was still embarrassed that Joey had called him 'Mom' in front of his parents.

Frank and Doris were still laughing. Joey was sitting there with a funny look on his face and it was Dale's turn to give them his 1000-watt smile. "I still like you better as a man," he teased in a deadpan voice. The laughter was rekindled.

"Not to change the subject, but what does everyone

have planned for the day?" Doris asked, still smiling. "I have my first Drivers Ed class after school," Joey proudly said.

"I'm going to scout out some possible locations for our store," Craig told them.

"I need to make sure the new house at the ranch is going to be ready for the crops crew to move into. Ray was supposed to have all of his equipment out of the house yesterday and we need to get a cleaning crew in there to get it ready for the furnishings. Then, I guess Frank, Craig and I need to talk to Leland again about the need for a business manager for the store and see what his ideas are.

"Leave me a car," Doris said. I want to do some shopping and I'll see if I can arrange to get my hair done." "Okay,

I'll leave ours. I think I'd like to ride out to the ranch with Dale and look around there for a while. Then maybe all of us can meet for lunch somewhere - all but Joey, of course," Frank told them.

"I need to get dressed for school," Joey said. "And, I

need to shower and get dressed myself," Frank said. "I'll have a cinnamon roll with my next cup of coffee."

Craig dropped Joey off at his school on the way to the office. They had agreed he would call Leland and then contact Dale on his cell phone as soon as he found out if Leland could talk to them.

Dale and Frank were ahead of the school bus by about 10 minutes. Jason and Kevin were almost out to the highway, so Dale parked his vehicle. He and Frank got out so they could both talk to the Williamson boys.

Jason and Kevin were always thrilled when Dale stopped to talk to them. He really seemed to be interested in their activities. They had met Frank before, but hadn't talked to him other than to greet each other.

Kevin was excited about going to Houston to attend the acolyte-training program at the cathedral in a couple of weeks. Of course Jason would be going, too, but Kevin was making it sound like he'd never been anywhere or done anything that important.

They had to tell Frank and Dale about Ginger and

Brandy, their collie dogs and that they would be taking them to some obedience classes in Austin.

All too soon, they could hear the bus coming up the highway. It was time for them to get to the road so Wade didn't have to wait for them. After exchanging good-byes, Frank and Dale got back in Dale's Blazer and drove on to the barn/office. Dale parked in front of the building.

As he was unlocking the door, two cars drove in. Michael and Pat were in Pat's car and John was driving his own vehicle. Dale wondered about it, but decided that John must have a need for separate transportation today.

Dale was just opening the book the timesheets were kept in when the three men came into the office. Dale greeted them, and then introduced Frank as a friend who was visiting from Arlington. The four of them shook hands.

Dale noticed that John was unusually quiet, like he had something on his mind and he hadn't gone into the other room to help with the preparation of the ice chest and thermos bottles of ice water. Finally, John cleared his throat.

"Dale, could I. unm. talk to you. in private?" he asked.

"Sure." Dale looked at Frank, then back at John.

Frank spoke up. "I'm going outside for a little bit to get some fresh air and walk around."

"What's up?" Dale questioned as the door closed. John

looked at his feet. He couldn't look Dale in the eye. "I. need. I want. well, Ray Evans has offered me a job with his company. He thinks I could either be a foreman, or maybe a Project Manager. He says his company is growing and they need more help." John trailed off.

"That's a great opportunity. Ray and his partners are good businessmen. They have a good company and they have made slow, but steady growth. Their reputation is excellent and I know they've recently gotten some business they didn't even bid on. You couldn't do better," Dale told him. "You're not mad at me? I mean. I haven't been here

very long and I like working for you."

"Why should I be mad? You've done good work here and I have nothing but praise for your ability and attendance. I'm sure that Ray is able to pay a lot more than you could make here and the work is probably going to be a lot easier," Dale smiled.

"He wants me to start out on one of the crews to see how the work is done, then work for a while as a crew foreman. He said that if I worked out there, he would make a position of Project Manager, which is kind of like a material manager over all the crews. My job would be to troubleshoot and see to it that supplies and materials are always where they need to be so the men can keep busy."

"I'm sure that you can do the job. Certainly it's more interesting than riding around on a tractor, or hay baler or stacking bales of hay in a barn," Dale told him.

"I was afraid you'd think I hadn't given this job a good try." John was relieved that Dale was supportive. "Look,

there isn't a lot more that I could offer you to stay here. I don't know that I will need a crop foreman right away. Maybe if we keeping adding land, but that won't happen real soon. I can handle that job as well as Mort's job right now. I have Michael and Pat and they are good workers, but with slowing down a little for the winter, I may not hire someone to work with them until we start the spring work here."

"Thanks for being understanding," John said. "Not a problem. How soon does Ray want you to start

• today?" Dale asked with a grin.

"Yeah, actually he does," John told him.

"Then I have no problem with that. Ray is a good friend and he's an honest businessman. You won't be sorry you've taken a job with that company."

"Thanks, Dale. I really appreciate your

understanding," John told him.

"You are more than welcome. You've worked hard here and haven't missed a day of work. I'll see to it that you are paid for today through Thursday as a little bonus. Good luck to you," Dale said as he held out his hand to shake.

John shook his hand. Dale hated to see John leave but he knew he would do well working for Ray and his partners, Keith and Andy. John left the building and Dale was watching him get into his car as Frank came back in from outside. "Problems?"

Frank asked.

"Not really. John was offered a good job with the construction company that built the house for our crew quarters. He's a hard worker and will do well working for Ray Evans."

About that time Michael and Pat came back into the office area. They were in time to see John leave in his car.

"Is John leaving?" Michael asked. "There isn't a problem, is there?"

"He didn't tell you?" Dale questioned.

"About what?" Pat asked.

"Ray Evans offered him a job working for his company. It's a good opportunity for him and I have no fault with him quitting here. He works hard and he will do well there," Dale said.

"I've seen him talking to Ray several times, but I didn't know anything like this was going to happen," Michael told them.

"He never gave us any indication that he was

even thinking of making a change," Pat said.

"I guess that just the two of you will be living in that huge new house by yourselves," Dale told them. "You can each have your own room, at least until we hire a couple more men to work here." Pat almost panicked at that thought. They'd have to be careful Dale didn't catch them sleeping in the same bed. A similar thought passed through Michael's head. "Are you going to be hiring someone else right away?" Pat asked.

"Not right away, but at least one other man in the spring. Maybe two. It will depend on what crops we decide to grow and if Marty acquires more land for us to work. I think we can get by with just you fellows until February, but if either of you know anyone who doesn't mind hard work and good benefits, I'll be glad to talk to them."

"I don't know of anyone right now, but if I hear of anybody, I'll let you know," Michael said.

"Great," Dale said. "Now I guess we'd all better get started. I may have to be away from the ranch for a little while this morning, but you have my cell phone number. Don't hesitate to call me if you run into a problem or need help."

"Right," Michael said.

He and Pat gathered up the things they would need and walked toward the pickup they would drive to the field where they were plowing.

John Sterling was relieved. His meeting with Dale had gone much better than he expected, although when he thought about it, he realized that he didn't know what he expected. Certainly Dale wasn't mad at him for quitting and the fact that he paid him for three extra days was an unexpected bonus. He had driven halfway back to the Starlight Motel when he remembered that he was supposed to call Ray on his cell phone. It was easier to go to the motel rather than finding a pay phone. He needed to use the bathroom anyway as he realized that his stomach must have been a little upset due to his being nervous.

John picked up the telephone in his room, punching 9 for an outside line, then punched in the number for Ray's cell phone. He heard it ring twice, and then Ray answered. "Hello, this

is Ray Evans."

"Ray, it's John Sterling."

"Hey bud, good to hear from you. How did your meeting with Dale go?"

"Just fine. I didn't have to give any notice and he paid me for the entire week as a bonus for working hard and not missing any days since I'd worked there," he proudly told Ray.

"See, I told you that Dale was a good guy, didn't I?"

"Yes, I just thought he might be upset.

That's all." "So, you're available to start

today?" Ray asked. "Yes. What do I need to do?" John

asked.

"Why don't you meet me at our shop? Do you know where it is?" Ray asked.

"No."

"The address is 810 North Lexington. It's on the west side of the Santa Fe tracks, just north of 8th Street."

"I know how to find that."

"Right now my partner's, Keith and Andy are still here in the office. You can meet them and then ride around with me today while we decide which crew you'll work with for the next few days," Ray told him.

"That sounds good to me. I should be able to be there in about 10 minutes."

"Okay, bud. See you then," Ray said as he clicked off the phone.

Ray was really pleased that John was going to be coming to work for the company. He hoped that John would work out as well as he planned.

Craig called Leland Stanton's secretary, asking if Leland had some time open so the three of them could meet with him again.

She checked the schedule and made room for them at 10:45, telling Craig that she was squeezing them in. She knew that the 10:30 appointment was simply going to drop off paperwork and probably didn't even need to see Leland in person. Regardless, he wouldn't be there long.

Craig called Dale to update him on the meeting and they agreed to meet at Leland's office as they had yesterday.

Dale had plenty to keep him busy at the Bar-W Ranch. He had Frank help him check the parts inventory so he could order supplies they always needed to have on hand. That included belts, fuel filters, grease, oil, hydraulic lines and fluid, as well as hoses. Then they checked the fuel tanks. Dale ordered both diesel fuel and gasoline for the farm equipment to be delivered that afternoon.

He and Frank walked back to the crew quarters as he'd seen a couple of vans drive past the office and go that direction. Sure enough, one was a cleaning crew that was washing windows, mopping floors and getting rid of the construction dust. The other van belonged to the company that had sold the appliances. The men were hooking up the washer and dryer as well as the dishwasher and icemaker in the refrigerator.

The hardware for the vertical blinds at all the windows was already in place but the man wanted to wait until the windows had been washed before hanging the blinds. Dale thought that Chris had ordered curtains to hang at the windows, too.

The furniture would be delivered and set up on

Thursday. Dale was thinking that it was ironic. When

they had the meeting to plan this place, there were to be four men living here, himself included. Now he and Craig lived together and John Sterling had quit to take another job. The Bar-W had built an expensive house for the remaining two crop employees to live in by themselves. He hoped that the house would soon be filled as had been planned.

Doris took her shower after the men left for their various destinations. Craig had suggested that she check the beauty shop at Wyler's Department Store to see if she could get an appointment there. Wyler's was a very up-scale small town department store that had not lost any business when Dillard's opened a store in the shopping center on the highway. While they weren't really a "full department store" they carried several lines of designer clothes for women, fine accessories for men, shoes and fine piece goods for those wanting better than average cloth to make their own clothes.

In addition, Wyler's carried good crystal and silver along with tableware. They also stocked several top lines of kitchen appliances, pots and pans and gadgets that people didn't know they needed until they saw them on the display rack. Of course, one of their drawing cards was the cooking classes they offered for all levels of aspiring chefs. It was almost like a WilliamsSonoma offering.

Doris felt good about being able to get an appointment for 10:45 for a shampoo, set and manicure.

Joey had a good day at school. It seemed as if there was a 'pop test' in every class. He knew that he had aced them all.

He met his cronies in the cafeteria and was pleased to see that Matt's bruises had faded even from yesterday and certainly from what they had been when he first met him the previous Saturday evening at Tom and Eddie's house. Matt had worn pancake makeup to cover them for his costume, but Joey now knew they were there.

The group had a good lunch along with the usual banter of teenage boys giving each other a bad time. Joey certainly felt that he was lucky to have joined up with this group, not really realizing that the group had come together only because of the various friendships he had formed since moving to Williamsport. He also didn't realize that he was the assumed leader even though he wasn't the oldest. Although all the boys didn't know each other that well, there was a sense of camaraderie among them. They would do whatever it took to help the others, if possible.

Matt seemed to easily make friends with the

other young men and was accepted by them without anyone really knowing anything about him. He was smart, good looking and fit in with the others.

Other than seeing Matt in Mixed Chorus, the only other classes he had with him were the Computer Lab and Phys Ed classes Joey was in. Joey was determined that Matt was going to get all the help he and Daniel could give him as Kent Korte had already treated Matt to his usual cold shoulder and attitude that if he wanted to learn anything in that class, he would either have to do it himself or Daniel and he would have to help him.

Joey hoped that the computer store his family was talking about would become a reality. He wanted to become involved with it and had a willing mind to learn as much as he could to help make it a success. He couldn't say anything about the plans right now, but maybe next week he could talk about it.

Frank and Dale met Craig in the lobby outside Leland's office. Lois Grant had already greeted Craig, assuring him that Leland would only be a few minutes with his current appointment.

By the time she was ready to take their

refreshment orders, Leland was in the lobby to greet the men. "Well, this is a surprise. I hope you have good news for me," he said as a way of greeting them.

The men shook hands and Leland directed them to his office indicating they should seat themselves around the large coffee table.

After they were settled, he smiled at them. "What can I do for you today?"

Dale got right to the point. "We have been talking about the management of the company and wondered if there was a position available for a 'business manager' to run the day- to-day operation of the company?"

Leland thought carefully before answering. "You mean other than the position that we want to interview David Perkins to fill?"

"Yes," Craig spoke up. "We thought that if he was hired, he would be developing the overall concept of the company and where it was going; deciding what products to carry, how to market them and so on. Will there be a need for someone who is in charge of the daily operation, payroll, employee staffing, budget and benefits?"

Again, Leland was cautious in his answer. "I think I know what you mean. I haven't looked in that direction yet because I thought maybe David Perkins would have someone he thought he could recommend. Why?"

Again Dale spoke. "We talked about this last night and Frank might be interested in the position, depending on your consent and what we might be able to offer him in salary and benefits."

Leland was surprised.

"You mean you would be interested in running the business end of the company for Dale and Craig. and Joey, too?" he asked.

"Yes. I've worked for the Stevens-Simmons group for 33 years. I've been there longer than anyone as the founding partners are both dead. I can retire with good benefits at anytime and I have stock in the company that would net me a considerable amount of money, too. I'd like to help my boys here if you think I would fit in and be able to do it for them," Frank told him. Leland was surprised. He hadn't considered the fact that Frank might be both interested and available. This could certainly be a key factor in determining how the company was going to proceed, and give a management position to a highly qualified person that both Dale and Craig could trust. Yes, this could be the catalyst to everything coming together, he thought.

"I've talked to David Perkins. He's definitely

interested in talking to all of us. He's flying into Austin this evening and I'm going to pick him up at the airport at 8:30. The connection through Dallas isn't very good and he has almost an hour and a half between planes there. I'm afraid that it will be 9:30 or after before we get back to Williamsport." "That's a little late for an interview," Craig said, sounding disappointed.

"It will give him and me a chance to get acquainted and talk about business concepts. Then all of us can meet in the morning and have lunch together at noon. I can make reservations for us in the executive dining room on the top floor of the building," Leland said.

Dale, Craig and Frank were agreeable.

"Look, I have a fairly light day today. There really is only one meeting that requires my being there and it's at 3:30 this afternoon. Can the three of you join me for an early lunch while we talk some more? Then, Frank, if you can, I'd like us to spend most of the afternoon together. I have a lot of things that I've thought of that we can talk about. We can talk about salary and other fringe benefits that will be of great concern to both of us. Then we'll have a go at a basic presentation for our meeting with David Perkins tomorrow morning."

"That would work for me," Frank said.

"I'm available," Dale added, looking at his watch. Nothing was terribly pressing at the ranch.

"I can do it," Craig told them. "I'd planned to scope out some available space for us this afternoon." Then he added, "I've made some sketches and it looks like we'll need a minimum of 25,000 square feet for sales floor, offices, training rooms, shop and warehouse space."

"There are two places available and they are both in good locations with plenty of parking," Leland told them. "I agree, that's about the amount of space we need - to start with."

Craig was pleased that he was on target.

Leland looked at his watch. "Let me have my secretary make arrangements for a table for us upstairs. Guys, we have a lot to talk about."

Doris enjoyed her "day alone", treating herself to a shampoo and set, along with a manicure and a facial. It was relaxing. Wyler's had a noon luncheon, mostly soups, salads of various kinds and sandwiches. She decided to take advantage of that when she was finished with the beauty shop about 1 o'clock. The manager of the dining room always made it a point to visit with the customers and greeted Doris as she arrived to request seating.

"Good afternoon, Madame, may I seat you?" Kyle asked with a fake French accent.

"Yes, thank you. I'll be dining alone," she replied.

"Very good, I have seating available immediately."

Doris almost laughed as the noon rush was over and there were at least a dozen tables where she could be served.

Kyle led the way to a table on the edge of the room in a corner where she could observe almost everything in the room. He pulled out a chair and helped her arrange herself, and then handing her a menu before telling her that 'Marc' would be her waiter.

Doris had to smile at herself. In the first place, few large city department stores still had a dining room and yet this didn't seem like the typical department store for any city. She observed that all the customers were women and were generally better dressed than most who would be out shopping. She was thankful she had worn a dress instead of a pants suit.

As she was getting settled in her seat, Marc arrived at her table to pour a glass of ice water, then place a roll and butter on her bread plate.

"May I get you coffee, tea or a soft drink?" he asked as he deftly placed the items on the plate.

"Iced tea will be fine, with a lemon wedge, if you don't mind," she replied.

"Yes, Madame," he said. "I'll get that while you look at the menu. I can recommend the salmon croquettes, or the veal chops. Our special club house salad has our own Caesar dressing." With that statement he took his leave to procure the iced tea.

While Doris was looking at the menu, Kyle appeared again at her table.

"I've not seen you in our dining room before. Is this your first time here?"

"Yes, I'm visiting Williamsport," Doris told him. "Ah,

a very nice small city. I welcome you." Doris wanted to laugh at his solicitous manner, but quickly determined that he was trying to be genuine and not making fun of her.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Wyler's is a unique store. There are not many stores like this anymore, even in the big cities. We try to maintain a lifestyle as it used to be - and still should," he told her. "We have a fashion show during the noon to 1 p.m. time each Tuesday. I'm sorry you missed it today."

Again, Doris had to smile. There was no way that Kyle could be as old as her own son and he was talking about lifestyle "as it used to be". Well, he was right. When she was a young girl, her mother used to take her shopping and treat her to lunch in a place much like this. In those days, all the women wore hats and gloves, yet. Kyle was right, those days were long gone.

"My son took a cooking course here, I think it was the basic food course."

"Oh yes, we offer three courses, the basic course where we teach the proper use of appliances and utensils. And, that course is aimed toward men. The second course is an advanced course and the third is a gourmet course which is really complicated, but very useful to anyone who entertains a lot."

"I've conducted my own school for him while

visiting," Doris proudly said.

"Our instructor will be leaving as soon as the current classes are completed. He has been accepted into a cooking school in New Orleans. The position is open and I'm hoping we can find a qualified person."

That statement gave Doris an idea. She certainly was sure she could teach the two courses he had mentioned, the basic and advanced course. The "gourmet" course would depend on what the store wanted to offer and certainly, the proficiency of the instructor. She filed that information away for future thought.

Kyle excused himself as Marc came back to the

table with the iced tea.

"Have you had a chance to look at the menu and decide?" Kyle asked.

Doris ordered a club sandwich along with a luncheon salad. Both were delicious and well presented on the plate.

She reflected on the possible change in her life as she ate. Craig had done quite well for himself. He had a great business partner and their business was starting to take off. He had met Dale and together had taken the responsibility for Joey. There was the possibility of a business venture for them, especially if her husband was serious about taking command of the daily operation of the business and, of course, the right manager. Susan Frances, Craig's older sister, had done well for herself as a planner for the Dallas Street Department. She had met her fiancee-tobe, Chuck, who's name was Charles Barrett Abbott. This seemed to be a good match for each of them and she knew they would make their marriage work. Chuck was a planner for the Dallas Flood Control Project. She wasn't sure what he did, but the department was somewhat like the Army Corp of Engineers on a city level.

Becky, Rebecca Arlene, was another problem all together. She was 23 and working on a Masters Degree in Social Work. She had always been very independent, but a part of her seemed to march to a "different drummer". Becky had never caused any problems, but her friends always seemed to be a bit different from those of Craig and Susan. She had never had a boyfriend that seemed to have his feet on the ground and know what life was about. Yet, she was determined that she was going to be married by the time she finished her masters' degree. Both she and Frank had watched in horror at the parade of men Becky dated. Each seemed to be worse than the previous. Doris had tried to talk to Becky about the men she dated, but she refused to discuss the subject. Well, she wasn't going to worry about it. It wasn't right for Frank and her to interfere. It would only make matters worse and could lead to difficult times between all of them. Becky was between boyfriends again, but that wasn't unusual. Her thoughts turned to her marriage with Frank. They had met when in high school and dated a few times, but then didn't see each other until Frank graduated from college. They started dating about the time that Frank went to work for the law partners who started the Stevens- Simmons group. Frank thought the job would be temporary until he found what he really wanted. It turned out to be the only job he'd ever worked and the two senior partners treated him like the son neither of them had. They each had made provisions for him to be treated as a fullpartner rather than the business manager. As the company grew, Frank continued to draw more and more perks and benefits, to say nothing of an increasing salary and bonus. The stock options Frank received had been icing on the cake. Frank and the nowsenior partner controlled the company.

But, the "law business" wasn't what it had been even a few years ago. It wasn't about representing an account that had been wronged or needed an attorney to protect them. It was about trying to find a way around the law. Truth and honor didn't exist anymore. It was like the accounting field. CPA's didn't audit the books; their only purpose was to find tax dodges that fit under the IRS guidelines.

Frank had become more and more disenchanted with the direction the legal business had turned and there wasn't anything he could do about it. With 75 lawyers on staff, at various levels of partnership, the business was heading out of control. This might be an excellent opportunity to bail out with maximum returns and to help their sons.

Sure, she would miss her friends and the house they had lived in for most of their married life, but Williamsport was a friendly town and well above average in their offerings for shopping and lifestyle.

Coach Dennison had a really bad day. He'd received a letter from a pal of his who served as a drill sergeant at the same time he was busted and court-martialed for taking a platoon of recruits through a closed course at night with one being badly injured.

Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Resnik seemed to be rubbing it in Paul Dennison's face when he told him that he'd been promoted. Coach Dennison didn't consider Resnik to be officer material. Maybe that was because he'd expected Resnik to testify in his behalf at the hearing. Instead, Resnik dumped on him and the coach received a dishonorable discharge. He was lucky that he didn't have to spent time in the brig before being unleashed to spread hate and discontent among the civilian population he unwillingly joined.

The coach had taken his frustrations out on the other coaches that day, making rude remarks about Eddie and the two women coaches with whom he shared an office. The rude remarks were thinly veiled references to their sexual preference. No one challenged him. Why argue with a bigot and get him even more riled up. He would just take it out on the kids in his classes and the young people needed motivation instead of haranguing.

By the time of the last period Phys Ed class that Joey, Bryce and Matt shared, Paul Dennison had yelled so much that he could barely make himself heard. That didn't stop him from blowing his ever-present whistle and trying to yell at the boys. It was a disaster in the making.

Bryce and another boy, Jimmy Hardesty, were playing on opposing teams - the usual half-court basketball game. Jimmy fouled Bryce as he was trying to pass the ball to Joey. Both boys landed on the floor and the ever-present whistle blew loudly.

That surprised both boys, as the coach generally didn't pay any attention to what the boys were doing. Phys Ed was more like a "supervised" play period. The basketball had gone the wrong direction and was picked up by a member of the other game and put into play. They had two balls and Joey's group was standing there wondering what to do next. All action stopped with the whistle. It was almost like everyone sensed the impending doom.

Coach tried to yell, but could only be heard by those standing close to Bryce and Jimmy, who had just stood up after landing on the gym floor. "All right you prissy-assed faggots, can't you control yourselves on the court?"

Both boys started to say something as the whistle blew again. "Forty laps, each of you and don't let a play like that happen again."

There was some murmuring among the other boys, who quickly found themselves joining in the parade around the perimeter of the gym floor. Joey and Matt were standing there in disbelief, as were five other boys.

Coach seemed to regain his usual loud, obnoxious voice. "I'm getting fucking sick and tired of having to babysit a bunch of candy-assed faggots. Can't you cocksuckers understand a command? Get with the program, only make it 60 laps and if you aren't done by time this class is over, you can run 20 more."

Joey and the others had just started running when three whistles of varying pitches sounded, one right after the

other. Eddie and the two women coaches had

been standing at the end of the gym, but hadn't been seen by Paul Dennison. Eddie

took charge.

"Alright, men. That's enough laps. Return to the floor. NOW!!!" he ordered. Turning to Paul, "Go to your office, I'll be there in a minute with Joyce. Carol can watch the class for you."

To say that Paul Dennison came unglued would be an understatement. He lunged at Eddie, who sidestepped him, and Paul landed on the floor.

There was much laughter, at least as much as anyone dared, from the members of the boys Phys Ed class. This turned Paul Dennison into a raging bull, worthy of a bullfight in Spain.

Dennison unleashed a barrage of foul language, calling Eddie, the two women coaches and the class names that most Marine Drill Sergeants didn't use on their platoons. Coach Dennison's already fragile voice gave out completely and he couldn't make enough sound to be heard.

Coach Eddie Thompson and Coach Joyce Bressler took Paul Dennison back to his office.

Coach Carol Holmen took charge of the class. "Okay,

men. Let's make two lines and practice free throws at either end of the court."

That was something different for this Phys Ed class; except for the time the Phys Ed group won a full- court basketball game over the Varsity squad.

That was still a school joke.

What Coach Paul Dennison didn't realize was that the Principal Joe Daniels, had asked the other three coaches to observe the Phys Ed class and report back to him. There had been reports of verbal abuse from him by other faculty as well as students and their parents.

It was going to be an interesting meeting.

Joey was waiting in front of the school, along with 3 other students who were signed up for the same Drivers Ed course. He was excited, as were all the others, to be given the opportunity to learn to drive. He was disappointed when a van that had "Stanley Driving School" painted on the side stopped to pick them up. This wasn't a "cool car" to learn to drive. What he didn't realize was that there would be four weeks of classes, with instruction on traffic laws, how to handle a car and care of the vehicle before they ever touched a steering wheel. Needless to say, he was disappointed.

• • • • • The luncheon that Leland had arranged for Dale, Craig and Frank was one of the most productive lunches Leland had ever hosted, or attended for that matter.

Dale and Craig mostly listened, asking a few questions here and there. It was the conversation between Leland and Frank that held their interest as Leland told them exactly what he had planned for the new company. All were surprised that he had already arranged for several major manufacturers to provide inventory, although David Perkins would have final say on that, should he be hired.

Leland made the following presentation to the other men. First, he was determined to have a temporary store ready to open by Thanksgiving weekend and there would be a big ad in the Austin paper on Thanksgiving Day. He planned to have the mayor of Williamsport present to "cut the ribbon" to open the new company and hoped to have all of the local media cover the event including a couple of the Austin TV stations that made it a point to cover Williamsport happenings.

He wanted to start hiring and training staff immediately as soon and Dale and Craig signed the Venture Capital agreement. "Do you think Dennis Masters will come to work for you?" Leland asked. "He seems to be the logical choice and probably is the most knowledgeable local person for computers and programs."

"Definitely," Craig said. "We've had a little bit of a discussion with him. He told us that the Electronic Home" would immediately close out their computer merchandise if any competition came along. Dennis would be out of a job as he doesn't want to sell refrigerators, washers and dryers."

"Great. Maybe we can buy out what merchandise they have and use it for door prizes to be given away at the Grand Opening."

"Good idea, clean off their shelves and buy

something for promotion," Frank said.

"Exactly," Leland replied. He went on to tell them that he thought they should arrange to become a service center for several manufacturers of computer hardware, as well as building computers to custom specification and offering their own warranties.

The next topic mentioned was about eventually building their own system boards, by buying the component parts from the most reliable supplier and then doing the assembly work. "I want to eventually get into the mail- order business. We can sell everything from a modem card to new motherboards, system boards and a case to put it in for those wanting to build their own computers, or we can assemble and test the computer for them. "In other words, whatever they want to buy and in what form, we can supply it."

All three of the men were surprised at Leland's plan although he had given some indication of it before. Just not the details.

"I can envision that if this is done right, we will be successful and you gentlemen will own the largest computer company in Texas - and a few surrounding states, too."

Frank spoke up. "You've certainly convinced me. The more I hear, the more excited I'm becoming."

"Good, I think that your expertise in the general operation of the company will be very valuable. Let me ask this, Frank. If you should decide to do this, how soon can you be in Williamsport and ready to go to work?"

Frank didn't hesitate. "Next week. I have almost 15 weeks of leave and vacation time accumulated. I have an assistant who is very capable of taking over. He might have to call me from time to time, but he'll be good at the job. He'll just be in a position to get promoted faster than he thought possible."

"That soon?!" That's great," Leland said.

"Let me just give them notice that I'm taking my leave time. By the time we get to Christmas, I'll know for sure that this is what I want to do although I can tell you that now. Then I can make arrangements to leave the firm and Doris and I can figure out what to do about selling the house and moving down here."

Craig was almost shocked. He knew his Dad was

interested in this venture, but he could tell that he, himself, was really excited about this. He certainly felt a lot better about entrusting the operation to his father, knowing that Frank would make sure he and Dale understood what was going on and that they were a part of it instead of simply being responsible for the loan agreement. Craig was becoming even more excited, too.

Dale, of course, felt very comfortable in knowing that Frank had their best interests in mind, where they would be able to better understand the business. To say he was elated was an understatement. He really felt that this was the right thing to do and was no longer afraid of disappointing whoever was providing their Venture Capital.

After the luncheon was over, the men parted ways with Frank agreeing to call Craig to come pick him up after he and Leland were through with their meeting that afternoon. Leland assured him that someone from the bank would probably be able to take him home, if need be.

Leland suggested that Craig look at two properties. One was the Metcalf Plaza where a Cloth World store had been. It had ample parking, was in a good location. It hadn't been vacant long and wouldn't need a lot of work to make it ready for occupancy. It was located just south of the downtown area.

The other place was on the opposite end of the downtown area, next to the Majestic Theatre. That building had been an appliance store and warehouse before the Electronic Home had opened, forcing them out of business. There was adequate parking and the place would need little remodeling to get it ready for their business. Leland told Craig that he thought either could be rented for a reasonable price, probably for so much a square foot for the first year and then an over-ride of a percentage of sales after a year when the store became stable and, hopefully, was producing a profit.

John Sterling arrived at Home Builders Construction Company, co-owned by Ray Evans, Keith Jackson and Andy Nelson. The three men had gotten acquainted in high school when taking a woodworking shop class. Later Ray and Keith had worked for the same construction company for two summers. Andy came to work for the same company after high school, then the three started painting houses and doing some light remodeling work. Now, twelve years later, the company was either going to have to grow or start turning down work.

Ray greeted John as he walked into their office. Behind the office area, which was controlled by Pete Rowland, their accountant, office manager (one person in the office) and estimator. Pete had worked for the partners for five years and was invaluable as he could do anything needed in the office or shop.

"Do you want a cup of coffee? Or maybe a soft drink?" Ray asked.

"A Coke would be fine," John replied as Ray walked to a refrigerator in the "kitchen area" of the office, where there was a microwave, along with a twoburner cook top and sink next to it on the countertop.

"Any of the soft drinks and coffee are free to employees and customers. There are all kinds of snacks and candy in the cabinet, along with canned soup and other things for a quick lunch, so just help yourself to whatever," Ray told him. It's all free for those of us who work here. If there is something you need and we don't have it, let Pete know and he'll see to it that it's here the next time you want it."

Ray introduced him to Pete, who looked to be about 25-years old, or so. "Pete can do anything needed in this company, whether it's ordering supplies or going out in the shop and sawing up 2x4's and building something you need this afternoon on a job site."

Pete stood up and offered his hand for John to shake. John thought Pete held onto his hand a little longer than necessary, but didn't really think anything of it. Next, Ray took him into a large workroom where there were three desks, a computer system on a workstation desk and a drawing board in another corner.

Ray's partners occupied chairs at two of the desks. Ray introduced John.

Keith, who had thick brown hair that he kept fairly short, was the first to stand and offer his hand. "Glad to have you with us. Ray has had some nice comments about you. If he isn't able to explain what a 2-by-6 or a 16-penny nail is, just ask me and I'll tell you."

The other person started laughing as he came over to shake John's hand. "Hi. I'm Andy. and what Keith said is true. Ray doesn't know the difference between a molly bolt and a brad. Pete, who had followed Ray and John into the other office, joined in the laughter.

Andy had dark, but definitely red hair that was cut in a flattop style. His mustache was more of a brown color and the hair peeking out of his polo shirt was more brown than red, too. Then John realized that all four of the men, Pete included, had plenty of hair showing either above the band of their t-shirts or in the open neck of their polo shirts. He felt his dick twitch a little.

After the five men visited for a little bit, Keith's cell phone rang and after talking to someone he told the rest that he needed to visit a job site. "I hope you can get up to speed pretty quickly," he told John, "because you'll be taking care of problems like this instead of me having to jump up every time material isn't delivered on schedule."

The other three men made sounds of agreement.

"Are you ready to go?" Ray asked John.

"Sure, lead the way."

"I need to meet with people representing two new contracts this morning. Then after we have lunch, I have to drop in on two construction sites that I'm responsible for. Keith and Andy will join us for our second appointment today, as this is the new warehouse and distribution center between here and Austin. This will be our largest project to date. I want you to get a feel for what we do and the fact that we have to act quickly and make sure all material is on hand when needed. This directly impacts our profit, good performance and ultimately, your bonus if we come in under bid or contract price - and on time."

John was pleased to hear this, but at the same time wondered if he was the right person for the job.

"My partners and I are getting spread too thin and we don't have time to check in with the foreman of each crew and those guys don't always let Pete know if there is a problem coming up. That's where you'll come in. Pete can stay in the office. Andy, Keith and I can devote more time to planning and figuring bids. You will be circulating among the various job sites, talking to the foremen, checking supplies of lumber and building materials and report back to Pete - at least to begin with as to how a job is going. Later, you can take over the ordering of some of the materials for construction sites. Then at a later time, you can check on the sub-contractors, like the plumbers, electricians, heating and air conditioning people and the other trade groups and keep them on schedule, too. Right now that will remain the responsibility of the three of us and Pete, to a certain extent."

John was soaking up the information. It sounded like a

lot to learn, but he was elated that Ray trusted him. He hoped he was up to the job. Certainly it was a lot more responsibility than riding a tractor around a field as he'd been doing for the last 2 months. He couldn't help but wonder why Ray had hired him.

Frank had a really good, in-depth meeting with Leland. The two men had hit it off with each other the first time they had been introduced at Tom and Eddie's Halloween party. Leland thought that Frank's expertise in the management of a company was what he was looking for, but was totally dumbfounded when Frank told him that he was willing to take an "early out option" to help "his son's and grandson" as he put it. Leland, was surprised at Frank's acceptance of Dale and Craig and their lifestyle and of Joey, who was a part of this "three-some" but he was also sure that the only sexual activity was between Dale and Craig. By the time Leland was ready for his 3:30 meeting, he and Frank had covered a lot of ground. They found that they were in almost total agreement with the other as to how the business should be run and the expectations each had for goals to be reached.

Leland knew that Frank would make his job much easier. Although he would still be the overall chief financial officer, Frank could be trusted to carry out his ideas to make this company grow and become a reality - which was to make a lot of money for all concerned.

True to his word, Leland arranged for the bank's transportation department to take Frank home. He was glad that Craig had extra keys to give to them because Doris wasn't home yet. Mitsy greeted him at the door and Frank followed her downstairs where she found her usual place in the flowerbed in the corner of the lawn. After taking care of her needs, she went back to where Frank was standing and rolled on her back to indicate that she wanted her chest and stomach rubbed. Frank was happy to accommodate her and knelt to give her the attention she desired.

Doris drove in and parked while

Frank was playing with Joey's dog.

As she got out of the car, she called to Frank. "I have groceries and some other packages to take upstairs, do you want to help me?"

Mitsy, upon hearing Doris' voice, rolled to her feet and ran to Doris to greet her, hoping to get more attention.

Frank had to laugh to himself. Mitsy was a neat dog and was ready to receive attention from anyone who was willing to give it. He started across the lawn to their car and Doris started handing him sacks of groceries, along with the purchases she'd made at other stores. It was a formidable task, taking Frank a second trip back down the stairs to bring the rest.

As he was helping Doris take things out of the sacks so she could put them away, they discussed their day.

"How did your meeting go?" Doris asked. "Actually there

were 3 meetings," Frank replied. The morning meeting was in Leland's office with Dale, Craig and me attending. The second was the same group eating lunch in the executive dining room at Commerce bank and the afternoon meeting was just Leland and me."

"Sounds serious," Doris said.

"It is serious and you and I are going to have to make some major decisions fairly quickly."

"What kind of decisions?" Doris asked, knowing full well what they were.

"In the first place, are we willing to pull up stakes, sell our house and move to Williamsport?" Frank told her.

"I'd kind of figured you'd already made up your mind."

"This isn't a decision for 'me' to make. It involves

both of us. In the first place, Leland would be very pleased to hire me and at a salary level equal to what I've been paid, but with a profit sharing and bonus plan. Those would probably be less than my present deal with the law firm, but should surpass it quickly. The next thing is that with that salary level, I wouldn't have to tap my retirement until I'm forced to at age 70. And. don't forget that the sale of my stock should net us over $700,000 gross. There are some big capital gains there, but it wouldn't be as large as waiting until later."

"I've thought about this all day. We don't really have anything that demands we live in Arlington. Sure, we have a great house and Susan and Becky live there, but we only see them about once a month, anyway. Williamsport isn't really that far away for us to go visit them or them to come here," Doris replied.

"I'm excited about working for a start-up company. The law business has gotten flaky the last few years and the firm is being exposed to more and more of a 'malpractice' risk. There are too many willing to sue you for everything you have because they want to claim they didn't get good representation and at least a hundred other reasons, most inspired by greed."

"I know you've been doubtful as to the way business was headed," Doris said, coming around the counter to share a hug with her husband.

"I'd love the opportunity to help our boys. They don't have the expertise yet to ask the right questions about what is going on. I think I can guide the company in the right direction and give them the answers they need," Frank told her.

"Yes, I know they would be a lot more comfortable and I know you would see to it that they understood everything that happens."

"You realize, don't you, that this hinges on our meeting with Leland and David Perkins tomorrow morning?" "Yes, but you have my blessing for whatever decision you make that you feel is right," Doris said.

"Leland is okay. He and I pretty much share the same business philosophy and I know that we would not be fighting each other. He seems to trust me, and I share that same respect for him."

They exchanged a kiss and hug.

"So, not to change the subject, how was your day?" Frank asked.

"If anything, shopping is better than in Arlington and Austin probably has a lot to offer that one would find in Dallas or Ft. Worth. There are some nice stores of various kinds here and Wyler's Department Store is a real gem. They definitely cater to the old 'carriage trade' and do it quite well. They have a wonderful, small dining room that is open for lunch and they have fashion shows once a week. They are also looking for a cooking instructor, for classes like Dale and Craig took there. The present instructor is going to New Orleans to a chef school after the New Year."

"Are you going to apply?" Frank teased.

"Not right away. Certainly if we were to move here, there is a lot of packing to be done and also to get that house ready to go on the market."

"Speaking of that, we will need to contact a realtor to look for a place here. We just need to decide the type and size of a house or condo we might need," Frank said.

Vernon Ernst was just locking the condo that his mother had lived in when she was alive. He greeted Craig warmly, telling him that he'd gotten a sale lined up with the two women Craig had recommended, Paula Hunter and Carole Stanhope, and that they would be starting that Thursday morning.

"Are you going to sell the condo unit or lease it?" Craig asked.

"Probably try to lease it for at least six months, maybe longer. My wife and I are thinking of moving back to Williamsport. Her mother isn't in good health and my sister is showing some signs of problems, too. I always thought she was just eccentric, but now I'm convinced that her problems are deeper seated than that. She blames herself for our mother's death and won't let go of the fact that she hadn't been checking on her everyday as she should have been."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Craig said, feeling that Vernon was still having to deal with things he'd rather not face.

"I'll be eligible for early retirement from the government in another year and, hopefully, we'll know what we need to do by that time. Stay in El Paso or move to Williamsport, Vernon told him.

"It would be good to have you as a neighbor," Craig sincerely told him.

"Thanks, this seems like a great place to live and it's quiet, too."

"I enjoy it a great deal, but now there are three of us living in my unit and my parents visit a lot, so we'll be looking for a larger place, or maybe build something that better suits our needs," Craig said.

Vernon told Craig that tonight would be the last night he would be staying in his mother's place, as he would move to a motel for a few days, and then return to El Paso.

They shook hands and Craig went on up the stairs to their 5th floor unit.

Frank and Doris were still talking about everything that was going on in all of their lives when Craig walked in, greeting his parents and Mitsy, who demanded to have some attention, too.

"How did the day go for you?" he questioned. Frank gave

him a thumbnail sketch of his afternoon with Leland and Doris did somewhat the same, as both knew they would have to repeat the story for Dale and Joey.

Craig told them about the two buildings Leland had suggested he look at. Again, he didn't give them a lot of detail, as the story would have to be told again.

The subject soon turned to the fact that Frank and Doris would probably be moving to Williamsport and what would have to happen with their house and the process of finding a place to live if they moved.

"Vernon Ernst was just leaving when I came home. He told me that the women who conducted the estate sale for Dale are opening his sale this Thursday morning. Then he will rent out that condo for a year, as he and his wife will probably move to Williamsport after his retirement."

"Is that unit like this one?" Frank asked. "I've never been inside. Remember that the building

was just a shell when it was completed. Each owner was able to arrange their own unit to suit them. Actually, I've not been inside all of the other units," Craig told them.

Frank spoke up. "We are going to need a place to live and it might be easier to rent a place for a year while we look for something which better suits our needs."

Doris agreed. "This isn't going to be an easy move. We moved to our home in Arlington shortly before you were born, so there are a lot of memories there, as well as things to pack up and move."

"How soon do you think you will make a determination as to moving?" Craig questioned. Frank spoke

up, as he thought the question was directed to him. "As soon as we meet with David Perkins tomorrow. If he and I 'click' then it's a deal that will probably happen. Then, by Christmas we should all know for sure if this will work for me and I can make the final arrangements to leave my job at the law firm. If it looks like this isn't going to work, then all that has happened is that I've used up a lot of my leave and accumulated vacation. That's not going to hurt anything and it will just seem like your mother and I've had an extended vacation."

Doris shook her head in agreement.

"Why don't you look into renting Vernon's condo, along with renting what furniture you need and you don't have to worry about the house in Arlington until that time. Nothing has to be moved from there until we are all sure about this venture," Craig told them.

"Oh, I'm sure about the computer business," Frank said. "It just that after two months everyone should have a good idea as to how well we work together and that we can resolve any problems we have."

"That sounds good," Craig said.

"Look at it this way. It's a chance to check out a new job and work for the company without having to give up my present job and then find out that it was a bad decision," Frank told them.

Dale came in the door at that time, greeting

everyone and giving Craig a light kiss on the lips. Mitsy greeted him, rolling over on her side to have her stomach and chest rubbed.

While they were all exchanging greetings, Joey came

through the door.

"Hey, bud, how was driver's Ed?" Dale asked. Mitsy greeted Joey, again wanting to be petted. He knelt down to play with her. We have to learn all about traffic laws, how to make sure the vehicle is okay to drive and a bunch of other stuff. We don't even get to touch a steering wheel for 4 weeks," Joey said, showing his irritation. "I thought you knew that when we signed you up for the course?" Dale asked.

"Well, I knew we had to learn all that stuff, but I thought it would happen while we were learning to drive."

"It's all a part of learning to drive. Hanging onto the steering wheel is just going to be a better experience because you'll know what you are supposed to do in any situation," Frank said.

"I guess you are right, but I thought we'd start driving right away," Joey said, still not pleased.

"Hey, bud, life is tough," Dale teased. "Did you want to withdraw? We've paid for the course, you know." "No, I can

handle it. I was just annoyed because I thought we were going to be driving a 'cool car' and this van picks us up and takes us to a classroom. I guess I just wasn't expecting that," Joey told them.

"If it makes you feel any better, I attended the same school and trust me, you'll be a better driver because of it," Dale said, giving Joey a big smile.

"Okay, if you say so," Joey grinned back. He knew the rest of them were right.

"So, not to change the subject, what happened to everybody today?" Dale asked.

Doris and Joey were working in the kitchen while everyone told the rest what had happened to them that day. Craig was

interested in the fact that John Sterling had quit to go to work for Ray Evens and his partners. He made a mental note to talk to Dale about that in private later.

Joey, of course, was excited that his grandparents might be staying in Williamsport, but living in their own house. He was anxious to reclaim his bedroom and the things that were in it. And, there was the fact that since he was sleeping in the living room, he was afraid to masturbate because someone might walk through the room while he was pleasuring himself. And a 14-year old boy needs to relieve tension as needed.

"Can I tell my friends at school about this?" Joey

asked. "No, not for a couple of days," Craig said. "We

need to see if David Perkins is the person we want to hire and I think we also need to be able to nail down a lease on a building so we can actually tell people where the business is going to be located."

"Maybe you can tell your friends on Friday," Dale

suggested. "This is so cool," Joey said. "Will I be

able to work there, too?" "I don't know why not, after all this is going to be your company, too. You can't legally be an owner, but I'm going to see to it that you sign all the papers, too," Dale told him. "After all, this is a family enterprise."

"That reminds me," Frank stated. "We need to come up with a name for the company."

"Dad's right, I hadn't thought of that," Craig said as he was fixing drinks for everyone.

"Well, we're going to have to jump on that," Frank said. "The business will have to be incorporated and regardless of that, it will have to have a name." "How about 'Texas Computer Center'", Doris suggested. Dale

thought for a moment. "What about 'Computer Centers of Texas'? That would allow us to expand and have facilities in other places."

Frank came up with a suggestion. "Central Texas

Computers". They all kicked around various names using

the word "computers" as well as all of their initials in trying to come up with something that was easy to remember.

Joey, who loved word games, came up with another one. "How about 'S-A-B-E-R Computers'," he asked. "That uses all three initials of our last names and the word 'Saber' means something like 'cutting edge'," he stated.

Doris liked that idea. "I think I've heard the term 'cyberspace' in referring to data exchange between computer systems. 'Saber and Cyber' are somewhat similar sounding." "I like 'Saber' better," Craig said. "'Cutting edge' is a good term to associate with it. We could use a slogan something like 'Saber Computers, the cutting edge of computer technology'."

The rest clapped their hands. Joey was really proud of

his idea. It seemed to fit their need.

Discussion of everyone's day continued through dinner, which was a delicious meal of spaghetti and meatballs with Marinara sauce. Doris had fixed her light and fluffy baked meatballs. There was an Italian Salad, along with soft bread sticks and Italian-style green beans with green peppers, onions in a sweetsour marinade. Dessert was vanilla custard. Dale and Craig were impressed.

"I hope your grandmother taught you how to do all this," Dale said. "It's great!"

Joey was sitting at his place, grinning from ear to ear. "Grandma makes it look easier than it really is." "Oh, Joey, you'll do okay in the kitchen. Just give me a little more time," Doris responded.

• • • • • Later as Dale and Craig we laying in bed, wrapped in the other, they talked about their day. Craig remembered Dale telling that John Sterling had quit to go to work for Ray Evans.

"Do you think something is going on there?"

Craig asked Dale.

Dale's 'gaydar' wasn't particularly well developed and it probably wouldn't have picked up any vibrations from John, anyway.

"Oh, I don't think so," he replied. "Why?"

"I don't know. Ray told us at the D/I meeting that he had only admitted to himself a year ago that he was gay. I just thought maybe he was trying to make up for lost time," Craig giggled, giving Dale a kiss on the lips as he rubbed his fingers around Dale's ears, which were really sensitive tonight. I've never

gotten any vibes from any of the men who work for me. Other than the fact that all three of them live at the Starlight Motel, I honestly don't know anything about their personal life," Dale returned, giving a more urgent kiss to Craig.

"Are you okay with this business venture?" Craig asked.

"Yeah, now that your father is willing to come help us,

I feel really good about it. Frank is excited and I sense that he really wants to make a change and help us. I guess it all hinges on our meeting and interview with David Perkins tomorrow. Has Leland set a time for that?" he questioned, pushing his groin against his lover.

"You push against my cock one more time and I won't care what Leland and David Perkins want to do," he said as he urgently tried to swallow Dale's tongue and buck against his cock, too.

This was the thing Dale loved about their

relationship. They both loved the physical aspect of their relationship, but what they had together wasn't just about sex. They really respected and loved each other. They didn't have a set agenda for what they did with or for each other. It was seldom that they went to bed with a predetermined thought of who was going to do what to the other. They each loved to feel the other inside themselves, regardless of if it was down the other's throat or up their love chute. It just happened and felt good regardless of who was in charge - if either really was.

Dale really felt good about what was happening in their lives. He couldn't believe that this whole thing had started because of a somewhat casual remark he'd made to Leland about the possibility of starting a computer store in Williamsport. Leland had taken the idea and immediately turned it into a bona fide offer of venture capital money and then had taken it upon himself to bring this to reality. He realized that this was Leland's first effort that would directly effect the economy of Williamsport and that he would do everything that he could to make this a success.

Although both their thoughts might not have been totally on what they were doing to each other, they still brought the other to a rousing climax that left them breathless, just as always.

Poor Joey. He needed to bring his raging hormones under control. He was afraid that someone would walk through the living room where he was sleeping.

The next best thing happened. He had a very wet dream that night. He woke up on Wednesday morning with wet sheets and cum in the hair around his cock and stomach. He didn't have any memory of what triggered it, but did feel less stressed when he woke up.

He quickly made his way to the bathroom to shave and shower, hoping that nobody else noticed the strong smell of cum on his bed. He turned around, pulled the sheets up tight and closed the hide-a-bed, hoping the smell wouldn't be as noticeable and that the cum would dry before he slept there again that night.

• • • • *.

Author's Note: Thanks for the overwhelming response to previous chapters. 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.

To those of you who kept questioning 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.)

Comments are appreciated and you can reach me at

TulsaAuthor@aol.com.