The Embarrassment of Riches

The Embarrassment of Riches Chapter Twenty-Five: The Only Way Is Exit

The people, places and events in this story are entirely fictional and any resemblances to real people, real places or real events is coincidental.

"He felt as if he were running away forever."

"That's it?" asked Sean.

"That's it..." said Martin; "I think that's how it ends."

It was early in the morning on the first Friday of June which officially the last day of the exam timetable, though Martin and Sean and the others had long ago sat their final exam. For this reason, Martin and Sean had agreed to work a Friday shift at the Pothos Emporium.

Martin had stayed over with Sean so they could go in together. Throughout the night they had cuddled and fooled around before falling into sleep; Sean was contented and Martin felt slightly less miserable within himself. There was still half an hour before they would have to get ready and their conversation had rolled around to Martin's travel plans. He found it hard to talk about going away and even harder to admit he didn't know when, if at all, he would return. His parents were hugely supportive – perhaps sensing that he was unhappy and needed to get away to find happiness elsewhere. Sean was equally encouraging but clearly wished Martin would stay to maintain their tryst. Martin had yet to break the news to E.J. and his uncle Frazer. But he would soon.

The question of how it ends had come about when Martin had shared his intention to write a substantially autobiographical story while he travelled the world.

Sean had laughed when Martin first told him; "What were you going to call it again... Cocks and Cum? It'll be an 18 certificate."

Martin had to admit, the last nine to ten months of his life had been filthy.

"I don't intend to publish it. I don't think Penguin books would be interested," Martin jested in return.

"Then why write about it all?"

"To sort things out. To see where I went wrong. To figure out who I am," Martin replied.

From there, Sean had asked how the story would end when Martin's own story was ongoing.

"Running away forever is kinda a downbeat ending, isn't it?" Sean asked.

"I prefer the word melancholy," Martin responded.

Sean giggled and gave Martin's shoulder a push.

"Call it what you like, it's too gloomy," Sean told him as he fought against Martin's own jostling.

"Maybe I'll add an addendum," Martin acquiesced.

They were both clad only in brief, legs entwined, facing each other and the play fight was becoming sensual; groping and stroking more than pushing and shoving. Martin was about to start stroking when there was a knock at the door and Matt walked in.

"Mum wanted to make sure you were..." he stopped when he saw what looked like, to the immediate eye, an intimate scene; "...awake."

"Yea, we're good," said Sean.

Sean deliberately turned to face Matt to make clear he was not actually being intimate with Martin, not at that moment anyway. Sean was however glad his sheet was still covering his groin because his cock was achingly hard inside his briefs.

Sean knew that Matt still disapproved of Martin. Matt was still deeply angry with Martin for hurting Sean's feelings. Sean had attempted to explain to his twin that he was just friends with Martin - friends who fool around and have sex... and so they returned to the place where Matt was concerned Sean would be the one who ended up hurt again.

"I know what I'm doing," Sean had snapped at Matt last week.

"You thought you knew what you were doing last time before you found him with two dicks up his ass," Matt had retorted savagely.

Sean hadn't replied to that. Matt was worried, Matt was probably right, or at least half-right. But it wasn't what Sean wanted to hear. He was a big boy who could make his own stupid choices and Matt could disapprove, but it didn't mean Sean was going to stop.

"If you guys want a lift to work, mum'll drive you. But hurry up," Matt said and then left the room.

"I'm gonna shower," said Sean as he hopped out of bed and left the room in his briefs.

Martin could hear Sean and Matt talking, followed by laughing - he was happy to hear them cheery together. Martin knew Matt's frosty reception was his fault. He swung his own legs out of bed and looked out his change of clothes, then checked the letter he had prepared was still there, tucked into his bag.

From his bag, Martin retrieved his mobile phone and thought about something he had been putting off doing for a while now: telling E.J. about his travel plans. Martin had put it off because he knew he was running away from E.J. – from his lover and father, also from his uncle Frazer and the whole complicated debacle. Martin had had a few Sunday dinners with E.J. and Frazer and they had been comfortable and amicable and left Martin feeling hollow inside the moment he left.

In E.J.'s company he would always feel what he was missing: the relationship they had shared and that now could never be. Telling E.J. about his plans to travel would be the final admission that he was moving on with his life – and that he could not move on while he stayed.

Martin selected E.J.'s number and dialled.

"Hello? Are you ok?" E.J. answered brightly, then concerned.

E.J.'s voice quickened Martin's heart just before stabbing it; "Yea, I'm fine. Did I wake you, I know it's early."

"No, I was up anyway. I've got a full house at the moment so I'm planning to get out and maybe go for a swim or something," E.J. explained.

Martin's heart felt sore and he wondered if it was as hard for E.J. as it was for him.

"I was hoping you and Frazer might be free for dinner on Sunday? I know we normally plan it with a bit more notice but... I wanted to see you both," Martin said carefully.

"That should be fine. I'll call Frazer later... are you really ok?" E.J. asked - suspicious of Martin's "I wanted to see you both."

"Yea."

"Ok," E.J. let it go and Martin was grateful; "I'll text you once I've had a chat with Frazer."

"How are you two getting on?" Martin asked in a rushed voice.

He knew he sounded jealous and he wasn't even sure if they had anything to be jealous of. They were co-workers and friends certainly but was there more going on? Would he really want to know if there was?

"Fine, Martin. Just fine. I'll talk to you later."

Martin put the now-silent phone back in his bag and sat to ponder some things.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Martin's mind drifted to the bed he had shared with Sean. It was partly due to convenience – so they could go into work together; the other part was the strange friendship they now shared. It was that friendship that concerned Matt and made him frosty towards Martin.

Martin and Sean were not dating. They were friends who worked at the same place, had went to the same school, who socialised with the same people and who occasionally had sex and fooled around. No wonder Matt was worried.

Even to Martin it was obvious Sean still coveted the idea of a proper relationship and the strange thing was, so did Martin. He wanted to want Sean, so why didn't he? Martin indulged the idea of Sean being his boyfriend but it didn't feel right, it didn't fit. In his heart Martin was still hung up on E.J. and all the days they would never have – how could he still be stuck on that record?

Matt was right to feel animosity towards him, Martin thought. He was having sex with a guy who wanted him badly, perhaps blindly. It made Martin feel like a selfish shit to carry on with Sean - no matter how many times Sean told him, assured him, and reassured him that they were definitely just friends. He wasn't sure "just friends" had any meaning when one person felt as strongly as Sean did.

Sean came into the room wearing a fluffy white towel that showed off his smokin' hot body. It was hard to think about giving Sean up when he looked like that.

While Martin took his turn in the shower, he was still thinking about Sean. Sean was a sweet guy, a kind soul; Martin would be lucky to be with him, so why the reluctance? He knew Sean wished for a relationship, to call Martin his boyfriend; to date and make love rather than fool around or fuck. Martin just didn't feel that way but Sean made it clear he was comfortable with the unhealthy fooling around part of their friendship. Never the less, it made Martin feel cold and cruel – as if he was taking advantage. He felt like he was using Sean.

A while later, the boys were bundled into the back seat of the car and on their way to work. Sean's mum was nice and whatever she thought was going on between of her son and Martin, she kept it to herself. Martin and Sean chatted amiably as they entered the shopping centre on the edge of town; Sean's mum was headed into Stirling for the day so he would have to get the bus home.

Martin and Sean took the escalators up to the fifth floor; the view from the moving stairs was panoramic, offering a sight all the way back down to the main atrium. In half an hour the whole centre would be packed with people.

For the past few weeks at the Pothos Emporium, Martin and Sean had been wearing Tennis shorts and t-shirts. The grand slam tennis season was in full swing and since donning the shorts, a little shorter than those sported by Andy Murray et al, sales of the outfit had rocketed. Martin finished watching Sean, now wearing just his briefs, about to slip on his shorts when he slid out of the room in search of Graham. Graham was not in his office but Martin left something for him on the desk and turned to depart.

"Martin? Can I help you?" Graham seemed distracted this morning despite his query.

Martin started to answer but Graham broke in before he had the chance.

"Gordon has called in sick so I'll be on the shop floor most of the day, not in my office. Is it important, can it wait?" Graham asked.

Martin glanced back at the desk; "It can wait," he said uncertainly.

Martin met Sean in the corridor leading back to the main shop and Sean smiled as if they had not seen each other in weeks. Graham caught the smile and thought about the intimate liaison that had occurred between them three months ago; after they had had sex in the atrium outside the Pothos Emporium, things had seemed inhospitable for a while. They seemed to be back to being comfortable with each other – very comfortable.

"I was hoping to recruit you two for a little promotion today," Graham said as they got to the main store.

"Oh, yes?" asked Sean; there was something in his voice that told he was already suspicious and or wise to the forthcoming request.

Martin, naive as ever, wore a more quizzical face; "What promotion?"

Graham grinned widely; "Massage oils."

It was a few hours later and the shop was busy, despite the early summer bringing plenty of sunshine to Stirlingshire. A large contingent of the clientele were young men in shorts and t-shirts and Martin indulged his predilection for looking at legs. It was a new fascination but he just loved legs, legs and more legs. Faces, lips, eyes, great bodies, nice bums and big bulges were still a predilection too of course.

Graham had been behind the cash register all morning just like he said and seemed glad of the opportunity to take a break to organise the demonstration.

"Sean, would you like to do the honours of massaging Martin?" Graham asked.

Plenty of people had heard him and looked around to listen in, sensing an imminent exhibition.

"Sure," Sean readily agreed.

That left Martin looking up to see Graham smiling at him; "Martin, would you mind stripping off?"

He had done it so many times before but Martin still got a tingle of anticipation and a sinking feeling of embarrassment as he was about to expose himself. Martin kicked off his shoes to make himself barefoot and then pulled off his t-shirt to reveal his enviable body. Without ceremony, Martin dropped his shorts and underwear with one fell swoop and let his long flaccid penis hang out. The people in the shop were all taking an interest now and Martin somehow did not get fully hard under the gaze of many eyes.

"Oh silly me," said Graham; "I haven't even got the supplies out yet. Or the massage table."

Graham gathered up all of Martin's clothes, leaving him naked and asked him to just carry on working. "I'll get the centre of the store set up for the promotion. I'll only be half an hour or so," Graham reported.

Sean chuckled at the manoeuvre of making Martin bare arse naked half an hour early but said nothing as he knew Graham was just as able to manipulate things to Sean's own detriment. Twenty or so minutes later and all was ready, Martin was invited to lie face down on the massage table and a towel was draped over his bum.

It was a small towel, low enough to show off the top of Martin's smooth arse crack. Martin's thighs were delicious and his calves curved and relaxed as he lay stretched out on the table.

A variety of oils were arranged on a stand near the massage table; scented with orange, lavender or black pepper; infused for "sensual and aphrodisiac" or "energy and vigour" and; muscle recovery or anti-aging.

Sean had never read so much shite in his life but was delighted by the opportunity to touch Martin's skin while slathered with oil whatever its purported concoction. Martin felt oil dribble onto his back; the oil, even at room temperature, felt warm and Sean's hands heated it by another few degrees. Sean's hands started at Martin's shoulders, kneading the muscles with slick hands. Sean was both inexperienced and inexpert but he made such a good effort that Martin felt himself genuinely relax. Slippery hands roamed all of Martin's back and teased the towel down a bit as Sean's fingers threatened to expose Martin's arse. But they didn't.

Instead, Sean moved lower, working his hands up Martin's legs; claves and the back of Martin's thighs were soon warm and slick – headed by the overhead lights and the breath of the enthralled audience. This time, Sean teased the audience as well was Martin by sliding his hands under the towel and touching the cleft between Martin's buttocks; the watching crowd could not see Martin's arse but they knew it was being set upon.

Finally Sean moved the towel to expose Martin's gorgeous bum which, without oil on it, was the only part of him that wasn't shiny. Yet. Sean upended the bottle so a stream of oil could drip onto Martin's exposed buttocks followed by slippery hands that rubbed the oil all over Martin's slippery globes. Oil allowed Sean to easily slide a finger between Martin's arse cheeks, tempting the hole between them with glancing passes.

The gathered crowed delighted as Sean pulled Martin's cheeks apart as he massaged the glutes; Sean concentrated all his massaging efforts on the back of Martin's thighs and his buttocks while the audience waited for the inevitable frontal exposure.

Martin's cock was rock hard and sandwiched between his own body and the table beneath him; occasional subtle motions allowed him to hump the table slightly and to rub his cock against the firm surface. Pre-cum was leaking from his cock and making a sticky mess of his stomach.

Martin was away in a world of his own, so it took a few seconds to register Sean's instruction.

"You can turn over now, Martin," said Sean.

In a gesture of discretion, Sean held the towel over Martin's midriff as he turned but no-one failed to see his massive cock flopping onto his stomach with a satisfying slap. The towel was draped over Martin's penis and balls but the hard-on eked a gap from which the head of his dick threatened to emerge.

Sean applied generous amounts of oil onto Martin's chest and rubbed it over his shoulders, pecks and nipples and then his abs. Fingers teased under the towel and Martin feared he'd cum before he had even been properly stroked off.

"You looked hot, Sean. Maybe you should take your t-shirt off?" suggest Martin breathlessly.

Martin reached over and cupped the back of Sean's knee then slid his hand up the bottom of Sean's shorts to stroke the back of his athletic thigh. Even without oil on his hand, Martin's caress was warm and damp with sweat. Sean responded appropriately and pulled his t-shirt off, lifting his arms as he did so and then tossing the garment aside with disregard.

Sean remained the master of the cock-tease because, having removed his hands from Martin's abs and pubis, he left the penis covered and moved onto Martin's legs again. Within minutes, all of Martin's body was shiny – front and back – and under the hot shop lights, Martin felt like he was baking. Sean resumed his teasing just above Martin's dick, the tips of his fingers sliding beneath the towel to glance the head of Martin's cock. Martin's erection trembled and sought to escape its concealment, a bare centimetre peeked out from beneath the towel before retreating back beneath its hiding place.

At last, Sean could take no more and put himself, Martin and the expectant audience out of their misery by whipping off the towel and completely exposing Martin's seventeen year old body to everyone.

Sean applied oil to his hands and then brought them to Martin's quivering erection. With greasy slides of his hand, Martin was trembling with excitement but Sean knew just when to stop and give a respite to prevent him from cumming.

Soon, Sean was holding Martin's big dick with one hand and sliding a single finger from the other hand along the perineum; when Sean reached Martin's arse-hole, his finger slipped in with ease. It was another sensation with which Martin had to endure because Sean was still not for letting him cum. Everyone watching was enjoying the show, but Martin was reaching the end of his tether.

Martin finally advanced things by reaching over and tugging at Sean's shorts. Two good tugs and the shorts released Sean's own erection. Martin shuffled his body up the massage table a few inches until his head tipped over the top end; without prompting, Sean moved to the head of the table, shuffling as the shorts fell to his ankles. With Martin's head tipped back and his mouth open, he could probably have taken nine inches of cock down his straightened throat. As it was Sean's circumcised penis topped out at six and a half inches but it was thick with a nice head and Martin's throat bulged visibly as the cock pumped in and out.

Sean's view of Martin's magnificent body was... magnificent. Martin's long creamy-skinned body continued to glisten under the shop lights, his navel sank inward and his cock throbbed untouched against his belly; Martin's long legs and bare feet trembled restlessly as Sean filled up Martin's mouth.

Cock-muffled mumbling brought an end to Sean's absent-minded admiration; "What?" he asked, after extracting his cock from Martin's mouth.

"Get on my fucking cock," Martin said breathlessly.

Sean excitedly stepped out of his shorts and kicked off his trainers so that he too was totally nude. Then, Sean moved back to the side of the table. A conveniently placed condom lay waiting for him and in seconds the ultra thin prophylactic was wrapped snugly around Martin's dick. As Sean climbed onto the table the analytical part of his brain wondered if it was strong enough to support two strapping boys but the primal sex-driven part of his brain was yelling "get it up you."

Sean faced Martin as he squatted over his lover - his strong thighs held him above the cock that belonged to his heart's desire. He and Martin had fooled around and even occasionally had sex, but Sean still wanted Martin: body, mind and soul. He knew he was settling for the body as he lowered himself onto Martin's cock. Martin had held his cock up for Sean's arse to receive it and the boy lowered himself onto it with delight. The sensation through Martin's body was enchanting and by the time he was all the way inside Sean, he was aching for an orgasm.

Sean sat straddled atop Martin, leaning forward to kiss Martin's lips; it was, perhaps, a pretence of intimacy but it was enjoyable all the same. With some effort Sean hoisted himself up and then back down again; fucking himself on Martin's dick was a workout at the best of times, but on this occasion it involved squats that caused his legs to burn even as he felt his cock reach its climax.

Sean sat down on Martin's cock as it erupted and he minded not when he felt Martin's cum leaking out of his ass; whether the condom had burst of Martin's cum had simple leaked from where it rolled around the root of his dick did not matter. Sean stroked his cock to a quivering end and blew his cum all over Martin's chest, one shot landed on Martin's chin, and as the orgasm subside Sean squeezed the last drops out until the blobs congealed in Martin's pubes.

Both boys were panting and watching the stunned spectators; many would have seen their previous displays but it was still quite a treat to observe a live show of teenage sex - surely that never got old? Sean leaned forward again and kissed Martin; their tongues tangled and Martin was just as willing as Sean to snog. One was motivated by love, the other by lust but both by the desire to be accepted and desired.

They were still trying to get their breaths back, wondering how the rest of their day would unfold, when something unexpected happened.

The fire alarm sounded.

Johnnie was tidying up after Calvin and Daniel while they did a final check of their luggage. Johnnie could hear them playfully jest and tease one another and there was a brief feeling of melancholy that this time last year it was he and Cal that had flown off for a week in the sun.

Times had changed and Johnnie had gone from realising his feelings for Calvin to realising they could never be returned. But that was ok – Johnnie had discovered a desire to be wanted and loved and he felt he had probably found that with David De Sotto. Johnnie was reluctant to count his chickens though, especially after what happened with Dean. He had been too eager, too keen, too desperate. This felt different though – David wanted him and wanted the same things as he did and, if he were asked to predict the future, Johnnie would predict `...they all lived happily ever after.'

University was now over until autumn so Cal and Daniel were taking a week Ibiza. Johnnie had been coerced into putting them up for the night, which involved him beseeching E.J. for use of the spare room. The room had become spare only because Victor was moving out having been offered a job in Glasgow. Victor wasn't leaving for another few weeks but the room was more often vacant than engaged as he hunted for both men and a home closer to his new employer.

Johnnie repeatedly pointed out that he couldn't drive, so why were they staying with him and who did they expect to drive them to the airport? The fact that Johnnie could not drive was deemed to be a minor snag and they suggested that David could drive them. Johnnie realised it was a `subtle' rouse for them to finally meet his new boyfriend.

"Sorry, you were saying?" Calvin said as he came back into the kitchen.

Johnnie left the cereal bowls and plates to dry beside the sink.

"I'm thinking of joining the police force," Johnnie reiterated.

"Hmmm..." said Calvin.

"Hmmm..." agreed Daniel.

"What?" demanded Johnnie.

"Policing? Is it coincidence that that's what your new boyfriend does?" asked Daniel carefully.

"And is it a good idea to get into the same job as a guy you've only been dating for five or six weeks?" asked Calvin with equal delicacy.

"I mean what if you break up?" Daniel's turn again.

They were looking out for him, trying to protect him – they cared about him.

"This isn't about David," Johnnie answered; "He didn't suggest I join him. He didn't print off an application form or put in a good word for me... I mean, I might not have had the idea if we hadn't met but we did meet. And this has come from me. It's what I've chosen, it's what I want."

Leaving University had bothered Johnnie for months – he had had an expensive education even before going the King James VI (Scotland) University and was afraid of wasting his life. Even this career choice was, probably, below his parent's expectations of him.

"I can go back to Uni some day if I want to. But only if I want to and right now, that's not the right place for me. But I don't think cleaning up after sweaty people is the right place for me either," Johnnie expanded.

He had made this point to E.J. in a more eloquent and polite way but E.J. was a clever man and knew quite nicely what Johnnie meant. Johnnie would always be grateful to E.J. for giving him a place to stay when his life fell apart at the seams and a job while he struggled to find direction in his life.

"As long as you know what you're doing..." Calvin said supportively but there was doubt in his voice.

"You don't think I can do it?" Johnnie asked.

"No, no way," Daniel said, saving the conversation. "I can totally see you in a uniform and putting handcuffs on people..."

"Thanks."

"...and also becoming a policeman."

Calvin and Johnnie laughed and the tension left the room; Daniel proffered his hand for a high five from Cal which was dutifully given.

"I hate you guys," Johnnie said.

"No you don't," Daniel said as he left the room to brush his teeth.

Johnnie and Calvin shared a quiet moment.

"Are you happy, Johnnie?" Calvin asked worriedly.

Johnnie knew this question was born out of guilt; Calvin had moved on from having sex with Johnnie recreationally to having a successful relationship with Daniel that would be six months old come the end of the month. Johnnie on the other hand had moved onto a man who had cheated on him after a few weeks and a relationship that hadn't even gotten physical yet.

"Cal, you know I love you... and always will," Johnnie said.

It took Calvin by surprise and the multiple, often confusing, often overlapping uses of the word "love" caused Calvin some anxiety.

"And you love me, I know," Johnnie added; "You're my best friend. And yes. I am happy."

Calvin smiled before wrapping his arms around Johnnie in a hug that made them both feel great. The doorbell sounded and Johnnie insisted he got it. Johnnie would rather David did not meet Cal or Daniel without him making the introductions. E.J. would usually have answered the door, it being his house after all, but he had departed early to go the Symposium. It was E.J.'s day off and for one he was using the facilities rather than managing them.

"Good morning," Johnnie said to a bundle of balloons.

"Morning," said the voice behind them.

David's head peeked out from behind them.

"What's the occasion?" Johnnie asked of the bright smiling balloons that floated between them.

"No occasion," answered David; "Too soon for fruit, too late for flowers. You don't really seem like the flowers type."

"He likes pansies," Daniel quipped.

David smiled indulgently and was assisted into the house with the bunch of balloons; then he kissed Johnnie and shook hands with Daniel.

"Nice to meet you, Daniel. Johnnie speaks very sarcastically about you," said David.

"That's nice," Daniel deadpanned. "Thank you for the lift, you didn't have to do this," Daniel said as he shook hands with David.

"Yes I did... Johnnie told me I had to," David said but couldn't keep his face straight while saying it.

"You never said he was funny," Daniel said to Johnnie. Then to them both; "I'm going to check up on Cal. We'll get the cases outside."

"The car's unlocked," David said.

"Cheers," thanked Daniel.

"What are the balloons for?" Johnnie asked.

"It's just a gesture. Guys get girls flowers, I just thought..." David blushed.

"You are the sweetest thing," Johnnie told David.

"I know," David answered.

"So you're David?" Calvin said in a friendly rhetorical tone.

David and Johnnie were kissing when the question came and when they both turned to look at Calvin, he was smiling.

"And you must be Calvin," David said; "I've heard lots about you. Most of it a criminal offense under the Sexual Offences Scotland Act, 2009. Indecent exposure for example."

Calvin turned green and stopped smiling then Johnnie and David started laughing and Calvin realised David was joking.

"You were right, that was a lot of fun," David said to Johnnie. Stepping towards Calvin, he offered a hand to shake; "I was just messing with you. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Calvin answered and shook the proffered hand.

"Cuppa tea before we go?" suggested David.

Johnnie nodded and pointed through to the kitchen – while David went to put the kettle on, Calvin stepped up to Johnnie.

"I like him," Calvin said.

David and Johnnie had some time to themselves while Calvin and Daniel were left to get their cases into the car and argue over who was having the window seat on the outbound flight.

"So there is something I've been meaning to ask you..." David said as his opening gambit.

"Yes?" Johnnie replied suspiciously.

"Do you want to go to a Formal with me tomorrow?" David asked.

"Huh?"

David chuckled; "My sister Lucy is going out with a lad who goes to the Earl of Lennox Boys School and they're having their end of year Formal tomorrow night. I've volunteered as a chaperon. I know its short notice but it would be really nice if you wanted to come with me."

Johnnie could just imagine the shenanigans that the likes of Martin, Connor, Sean, Kazuo and Matt could get up to in formal wear. Or maybe for once they would be well behaved and civilised.

"Are you sure it's ok? I mean, it makes sense for you to be allowed chaperon `cause you're a police person but I'm just a random bloke turning up to hang out with a bunch of school boys..." Johnnie said.

"That's very responsible of you," David said commendably. "But one, you're thinking about joining the police force. Two, it's a purely volunteer job – you don't need a PVG to chaperon. Three, I spoke to your old head master..." David paused and grinned through his best impression of an angelic face. "Do y'know... he happens to remember you?"

"Is that so?" Johnnie replied innocently.

"There really is no problem with you coming. I really will be working though – stopping the underage from drinking, watching out for drugs, unsafe behaviour, unwanted advances..." David had turned serious but the underlying gesture was still there.

"So you want me to be your date to the prom?" Johnnie asked.

"Pretty much, yea. What do you say?"

"Pretty much, yes."

Their kiss was again interrupted by Calvin's arrival.

"Me and Daniel are ready to go when you guys are," said Calvin.

"Righto. Let's go then," said David as he stood up from the kitchen table.

"The dive to Glasgow airport will give us plenty of time to get to know you better," suggested Calvin.

"I'm an Aries," David said facetiously.

"Huh," replied Cal, then: "What's your favourite colour?"

"Blue."

"Favourite animal?"

"Dog."

"Boxers or briefs."

"Nope..."

E.J. was drinking coffee and watching the swimmers in the Symposium pool. His hair was still damp from when he had been in the pool a half hour earlier. He stretched out his legs and enjoyed the sight of shirtless young men in swimming sorts - plus a few braver men who were in Speedo.

"Pervert," said a voice that dragged him out of his distraction.

E.J. turned his head to see Frazer standing over him, he smiled and then chuckled at being caught ogling the clientele. "I was just enjoying the view," E.J. said.

"Grey Speedo boy?" Frazer asked, nodding out the observation window and back towards the pool.

"Pervert," E.J. replied jokingly.

This time Frazer chuckled and invited himself to join E.J.'s table.

E.J. relaxed back in his chair as he explained: "I had to get out of the house, Johnnie had friends staying over and I didn't want to..."

"Get in the way?" Frazer suggested.

"Make them breakfast," E.J. retorted.

"Johnnie was telling me he's thinking of reducing his hours and or quitting?" Frazer said, become aware that they were both talking shop on their day off. Did they have nothing better to say to each other?

"Yea, I know. Keep him on as long as he wants - he's become a good friend. To be honest, I like having him around," E.J. confided. E.J. suddenly realised the same thing Frazer asked - talking about work on their day off so he asked: "I thought this was meant to be your day off? Why are you here?"

"I could ask the same thing," replied Frazer; "I was in body attack."

"I was swimming," E.J. replied. "Listen, I was going to call you anyway. I was wondering if you were free for dinner on Sunday?"

"Oh..." replied Frazer, momentarily surprised before brightening; "Yea, I'd love to."

E.J. realised too late that it sounded awfully like he had asked Frazer out on a date.

"Martin called me this morning. He wanted to have dinner with us..." E.J. started to clarify.

"Right. Yea, yea... of course," Frazer said while looking faintly embarrassed.

"It's not that I don't want to have dinner with you," E.J. said.

"But you have to be there for Martin," Frazer tried to say without sounding jealous.

"I suppose so," E.J. replied cautiously. "Not because of me-and-Martin, though. Because... he's my son. I only just found him but for as long as he wants me in his life, I owe it to him to be there for him."

"My sister would want that too," Frazer admitted.

"I also want you in my life," E.J. said, taking Frazer's hand.

"So... What's for dinner?" Frazer asked.

The fire alarm was so unlikely as to be a cliché so Martin and Sean pretty much ignored it. Sean dropped to his knees to take Martin's unspent cock in his mouth while squeezing the last drops of cum out of his balls. The two lads were dimly aware of the rising commotion coming from just outside the shop, which was quite a feat given the sound of the alarm.

Then Sean felt a hand take him under the arm and a voice spoke with legitimate urgency; "Sean, get up. C'mon, you two."

Martin's sloppy cock slipped from Sean's mouth as he looked up to see a genuinely concerned Graham. However a genuinely concerned Graham could still be devious and manipulative. The shop really had emptied but the crowd of people trying to leave were still jamming up the threshold. Graham led Martin and Sean got to the back of the line, still naked and barefoot – Martin still slippery and glistening with massage oil. Once outside the shop they realised the reason for the continued alarm and the continued alarm (pun intended).

Black and acrid smoke was rising - billowing - from the floors below and from the sounds of things, the entire shopping centre was being evacuated.

"Shouldn't we get some clothes?" said Sean in distress.

"No time," Graham answered.

"We're totally naked!" Martin said.

Wonders would never cease: Martin of all people expressing worry over being exposed.

"I had noticed," Graham said devilishly. Graham leaned close to Martin's ear; "I got the letter you left on my desk."

Martin looked back at his boss – he had forgotten he had left it there at the start of the day.

"Your resignation is accepted," Graham added.

Martin and Sean were pressed onto the escalator taking them down to the fourth floor. They were each contemplating the consequences of what was transpiring: being naked, hard and even sexed in the Pothos Emporium was one thing but this? The Pothos was a haven of gay men and paraphernalia – it was safe and the like-minded people was a guarantee of discretion. Now, descending from the fourth floor to the third, they were travelling another floor farther from their clothes and another floor closer to total exposure in front of more people than they could imagine. The average Marks & Spencer shopper was not ready for the sight of two hot naked seventeen year old boys; one cum-covered and the other whose ass had just been pummelled by an eight inch dick.

"I sure hope the security cameras don't pick us up," Sean said with a look halfway between worried and delighted.

"Big brother is watching you," Martin said sinisterly.

"I figured our lives were more like TOWIE," Sean said insincerely as they stepped onto the next escalator to go from the third floor to the second.

"The Only Way Is Exit?" Martin suggested.

There was a long pause as Sean considered this before replying, "...That's clever."

Graham could hear the boys giggle at one another but his mind was elsewhere. As Graham enjoyed the view of their perfect arses, he recalled his thoughts on Martin from when they had first met nine months ago. Even then, Graham had been contemplating exposing and embarrassing Martin, the rich boy who wanted a job. The embarrassment of riches – that had been the phrase that had come to mind that day; today, Graham wondered if this was the moment when the embarrassment of riches simply became embarrassing.

They were lucky that the lower floors had evacuated first so they were still surrounded by the homosexual clientele of the Pothos and, to give them their due, they had started to rally around the boys. Martin and Sean found themselves literally surrounded by their gay patrons and therefore hidden from view as they reached the first floor where the smoke was much less thick.

"What the fuck are we going to do?" Martin asked Sean over the din of alarms and voices.

"I dunno," answered Sean but he could not help but think about Martin greasy and surrounded by men in a very public place.

As Sean's cock rose, it was some consolation to see Martin's dick was also thickening again. On the ground floor, Martin and Sean could see hundreds of people pressing through the atrium in an effort to get out of the building. Panic was barely suppressed and the uncertainty and tension caused by the alarm and the smoke took most people's attention forwards towards the exit rather than back to the escalators they had just descended.

The only exception was a group of seven or eight teenage boys who spotted Martin and then Sean and gawped at the sight of the naked teens with unsuppressed amazement. Moments later they were pushed out of sight, not towards the main entrance through which everyone else was fleeing but into a concrete service corridor. Sean felt himself pushed against Martin; his front pressing into Martin's back and his cock pressing against the crack of Martin's arse.

Martin looked back and grinned.

At the end of the corridor sunlight blasted shadows into nothing and the naked teens squinted against the sun. They became aware that the gay mob that had so far protected them had dissipated with alarming speed and completeness so only two or three men, Graham among them of course, remained.

Before them was the service car park where deliveries for all the shops arrived and departed from. Looking left gave a view of a nearly vacant concrete lot, delivery vehicles having been and gone for the day. Meanwhile, looking right took the eye to the front edge of the shopping centre and the throng of people waiting for further instruction or searching for lost friends or family. No-one had seen them yet, but the sheer numbers were still alarming.

Martin and Sean looked back to Graham.

"Ok," said Sean. "So where's our clothes?"

"Upstairs," Graham answered.

"But you brought us something, right?" Martin implored.

"There was no time," Graham said innocently.

"But..."

"Graham..."

"What's wrong boys?" Graham asked. The way he said "boys" was so deliberate and innocent that it made them feel even more exposed and every bit their seventeen years.

"You can't just stand here with us like this!" protested Martin.

"Of course I can't stand here with you like this," Graham replied as he indicated their naked bodies.

Then Graham walked away.

Abandoned naked in public? This was getting to be a habit for these boys.

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Next week will be the final chapter, which I hope you will all enjoy reading as much as I have writing it. It's been great to hear from readers who are enjoying the story - many thanks if you've emailed. You can still get in touch to comment or say nice things and I reply to all messages: niftyencomiums@gmail.com

If you are enjoying this story, I have also written:

School Exhibitionism - http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/school-exhibitionism

The Symposium - http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/the-symposium/