by Zane Menzy
Keegan shook his head, lying. He had checked it out every day with burning perseverance like a detective trying to crack a case.
Liam cleared his throat. “For someone who wanks as much as you do, I thought you’d need some new material by now.”
“Piss off.” Keegan laughed, skimming the water with his hand to splash Liam.
Liam wiped his face clean then lowered his voice so Damon and Keegan’s mum who were seated on the porch, didn’t hear him. “I watched one last night of this hot Asian chick right, and she had this dude tied to a bed and she grabbed a—”
“Turn this way, lads!” Damon yelled.
Keegan and Liam turned around and heard a beeping click. Damon stood on the porch holding his new camera. He looked down at its screen then back at Keegan and Liam in the pool. “I have two dashing men in front of me but only one photo in my hand,” he joked.
“I think you should vote this bitch off, Tyra,” Liam hollered back, splashing water in Keegan’s face.
Keegan wiped his face clean of water and saw Liam had swam to the edge of the pool, getting out to go join Damon and Keegan’s mum on the porch.
Keegan groaned to himself, and swam over to jump out and join them. He was annoyed to not hear the rest of Liam’s porn testimony. When he reached the outdoor table shaded by an umbrella, Keegan saw Damon showing Liam and his mum the photo he’d just taken.
“That’s actually a good photo of both you boys. Suits you, being surprised,” she said, sounding tipsy already after spending the past hour drinking with Damon, fending off his shameless flirting.
Keegan took a seat beside Liam and eyeballed Damon. The man’s mere presence annoyed him, making him feel prickly. Sure the guy was friendly enough in a try-hard sort of a way. It wasn’t that he was a bad dude at all, he was just a fuckwit. At sex-feet-two inches and a gym-trained body, Damon had a commanding presence and an air of confidence that rubbed Keegan the wrong way.
Keegan’s mum scrolled through other photos on the camera screen, her mouth gaped open and she started giggling. “Is this Matty?” She showed Damon the image she was talking about.
Damon laughed. “Yep, that’s old Matty kicking it back in Port Jackson.”
Keegan’s mum turned the camera round showing him a photo of his father. “Here is your future, darling.”
Keegan looked at the screen. There was his father, standing in a pair of tiny shorts on a gold sand beach. He was pulling a dopey look on his pink sunscreen painted face, his chest and soft belly were covered in a thick mat of curly dark hair. Too many beers were beginning to make themselves at home on his father’s gut, Keegan thought.
Liam peered over and started laughing. “The future ain’t pretty either.” He nudged Keegan with his elbow.
“No way am I gonna look like that,” Keegan said defensively.
“To be fair this is far from the most accurate or flattering photo of him,” Damon said as he took back the camera. “Matty’s still rocking it.”
“You’ll be fine, Keegan,” his mother said, ignoring Damon’s defense of her ex. “Just pray you take after me.”
“If only everybody could look like you the world would be a better place, Marie,” Damon said, sounding all too smooth.
Keegan cringed, watching on as his mum laughed at the amorous comment. “Thanks, Damon, you’re too kind. I guess poor old Matty can’t be as lucky as us two.” She flicked her long hair over her shoulder, playing up her attractive features.
Keegan groaned to himself, wishing his mother wouldn’t encourage him.
Damon patted his stomach, emphasizing his fit physique. “Yep, it’s good to still have a bit of tread left in these tires,”
Keegan had to grant him that; Damon did look good for being 37. But then the guy was a fitness nut, obsessed with gym and kick boxing, always chasing a new fad of sport or facial moisturizer to preserve his youth. He was an odd mix of kiwi bloke fused with city slicker.
Keegan’s mother smiled. “And hey, you’ve managed to keep all your hair—sort of,” she teased.
Damon ran a hand along his light brown hair which was shaved short all over. “I think you’ll find that’s my new haircut. Not baldness,” Damon said, a tinge of defensive vanity coming through his vocal chords.
Keegan’s mother simpered, looking pleased with herself. “I’m only kidding, George Clooney. Fancy another beer?”
“Personally, I consider myself a younger Brad Pitt.” Damon sculled back the last few drips in his bottle and nodded. “Another beer would be grand. Cheers, Marie.”
“How about you two?” she asked looking at Keegan and Liam.
They both shook their heads politely.
Keegan watched his mother get up and disappear inside to fetch the fool another drink. Her summer dress fluttered in the light breeze exposing her golden legs, Damon’s eyes quickly pounced on her exposed pins before he turned and faced Keegan and Liam. “How was the swim?” he asked.
“Wet,” Liam answered, lifting his shoulder in a half shrug.
Damon rubbed his chin, smiling. “Gee, you don’t say, Liam.” He shook his head then focused his attention at Keegan. “So did you sort your little problem earlier, K dog?”
Keegan rolled his eyes. Why the fuck would you bring that up? “Yep, all taken care of.”
“What problem?” Liam asked, a look of confusion tainting his attractive face.
“Oh, nothing.” Keegan muttered. “I was having trouble zipping my bag back up.”
“Yeah, poor Keegan here was yanking it hard but it just wasn’t doing the trick.” Damon winked at him discretely.
Had anyone else said those words, Keegan would have burst out laughing but because it was uttered by such a schmuck he chose to ignore it.
“How you been anyway, Damon?” Liam asked. He ran his hands through his wet hair, pulling his fringe up from his face before shaking his fingers free of clingy drips of water. He made it look sexy and easy like he was in a commercial.
Keegan attempted the same trick but his hands misfired, flinging water over Damon’s front.
“Cheers for the shower, K dog,” Damon patted the front of his singlet down. “And I’ve been good, Liam. How about you? You look like you’ve bulked up since I last saw you.”
Liam nodded confidently. “Yep, I been doing the gym now for six months, taking my protein shakes.” He raised his arm up and flexed his biceps, showing off his results.
Damon leaned forward, honing in on Liam’s arms. “It looks like it’s paying off, you’ll end up looking like me shortly.” He relaxed back in his chair, spreading his legs wide as if his balls needed to breathe.
Keegan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn’t sure if Damon was joking or suffering from a moment of severe vanity. He suspected it was the latter. Liam continued nodding though, as if becoming more like Damon was an achievement.
For some reason, Liam and the rest of Keegan’s friends thought Damon was awesome. The cool adult who enjoyed partying with the younger crowd. Keegan just thought this made Damon come across pathetic but the guy seemed to impress anyone born after 1996. Mind you, Damon had been useful through the years, always on hand to buy them all booze if they asked for it. But in the past year with Liam and Keegan’s other mates—and now himself—turning 18, Damon’s adult status would no longer be needed for an easy supply of booze.
“How’s the photography going?” Liam asked.
“It’s been going good. Never as much work as I’d like, but enough to keep the gallery going and a roof over my head.” Damon crossed his arms over is chest.
Liam smirked, his face lighting up with curious trouble. “You still taking pics of nude models?”
Damon’s lips curled into a wolfish smile. “Pretty much. That is my field.”
Damon had managed to make a name for himself in certain circles with his “fine art” images. The few times Keegan and his mum had been to visit Damon in Auckland, his apartment was awash with hanging framed black and white pho
tos of naked women. It was the best part of visiting the guy, you always got a free show of tits. Keegan just labelled it classy porn but Damon would have a fit if anyone said his art was anything less than tasteful.
Liam’s eyes glistened with envy. “You have the dream job, man. Fuck, I wish I could get paid to take pics of hot naked women. Shit… I’d probably do it for free.”
Damon took a cocky breath. “I hate to break it to you, but not all of them look like Stella Maxwell, buddy.” He unfolded his arms, reached into his pocket and fetched out a packet of cigarettes; he plucked one out and sparked it up. “Some days I might have the hottest woman you’ve ever seen in your life, standing naked in the middle of my studio, the next day I could have a pair of pensioners with saggy tits and grey, saggy balls.”
Liam’s face screwed up in revulsion. “Eww, that’s gross.”
Damon dangled a smile from the corner of his lips. “You know, there is more than just one type of beauty in the world, Liam.” He took a puff of his smoke, exhaling confidently.
Liam squirmed in his chair, shaking his head. “I’ll take your word for it.”
Keegan’s mum returned to the table with a fresh glass of wine and a cold bottle of beer she passed across to Damon. “Are you boring the boys with your tales of art again, Damon?” She sat down next to him and flicked his shoulder.
“I am guilty of many things but most definitely not boring people,” Damon answered.
Liam nodded. “Yeah, he wasn’t boring us. Just grossing us out.”
Keegan’s mum laughed, fanning her face with her hand. “Yes, Damon has a long history of grossing people out.” She looked at Keegan, her brows knitted into a frown. “Shouldn’t you two boys go get changed. Everyone will be turning up soon, won’t they?”
“I guess so,” Keegan sighed.
Liam stood up excitedly from his chair, the announcement of new people coming was a riveting prospect. Keegan had been enjoying the sun warming his wet skin, he begrudgingly rose to his feet, following Liam inside to get changed.
“Don’t wet the floor,” Keegan’s mum called out after them, all too late.
They raced through the ranch slider, quickly stepping across the lounge carpet as their still damp feet left a trail of footprints to the hallway and the blue bedroom were their clothes lay on the ground. Keegan stepped over Liam’s pile of clothes, casting a split second look of guilt at the orange briefs he had smothered across his face just an hour before.
“Where’s the towels at?” Liam asked, standing beside his clothes.
“Just one sec,” Keegan replied, he walked out of the room and marched down the hallway ‘till he came to the airing cupboard and retrieved them a fluffy, white towel each. When Keegan entered the room again his jaw nearly fell to the floor when he saw Liam standing naked, his shaved, trimmed bits on full display. Keegan found himself staring a little too long at the v shape of his mate’s abdominal muscles that pointed down to his drooping dick.
Liam noticed his friend’s eyes honing in on his manhood. “Yes, Keegan, it’s called a penis. If you check between your legs, you’ll find you’ve got one too—even though you never use it.” He smiled letting Keegan know he was joking and held his hand out for the towel.
“Uh, sorry I umm…” Keegan rambled, unable to string a sentence together.
“No worries, I sometimes check out the competition in the gym locker room too,” Liam said, very matter of factly, like it was nothing. He raised the towel to his face before lowering it and drying his torso. “It’s not like your queer so it’s all good.”
“Exactly,” Keegan mumbled. He stripped off his own clothes and begged his cock to stay still.
Liam took his turn looking at Keegan standing naked, he lowered his head and pretended to be holding a magnifying glass. “Yep, there it is. I told you that you had one.” He laughed and went back to drying himself, snaking the towel through his legs and rubbing his balls and arse crack dry.
“Funny guy,” Keegan said with a smirk. From what he could tell they were pretty similar sizes in the pants department. Liam’s cock though did appear a little longer but then that meant nothing Keegan tried to tell himself. It’s all about when it’s hard. Isn’t it?
“Seriously though, buddy. You should start shaving down stairs.” Liam bent down and grabbed his underwear, sliding them up his legs till he was all covered. “You can’t have poor Tess coughing up a fur ball.”
“Fuck, you’re a laugh a minute today, Liam.” Keegan shook his head and chuckled, trying to hide this shame for not being tidy enough down there. “Should I do it now… like go home and quickly shave?” the words came out feeble and quiet.
Liam slapped him on the shoulder. “Nar, you’ll be fine. Besides you don’t want to rush that sort of thing. You might cut the poor fella right off.” He saw that his joke did not calm Keegan’s nerves. “Look, you’re a good looking guy, and well… I honestly don’t think she will mind.” He gave Keegan’s shoulder one last tap, following it up with a reassuring rub with his fingers. Liam put on his jeans and shirt, leaving Keegan the only one naked. “I’ll meet you back outside, okay?” He picked his shoes and socks up, quickly glancing over his shoulder at Keegan before walking out the door.
Keegan stood there dumbstruck, he knew it was just an objective comment but he couldn’t shake the words from his mind. You think I’m good looking!
CHAPTER SIX:
Kiss It Better
The party began like the fire in the field. A dimness that became a roaring bright affair as the hours passed. The guests had begun to trickle in a little after 5 o’clock but by the time it got dark, Keegan had over a hundred people stumbling around drunk in his grandparent’s paddock. Most of the guests were people Liam knew, and half of them probably had no idea it was actually Keegan’s birthday.
Keegan tended to fade into the background at school or any social gathering through his reticent nature. Liam on the other hand knew everybody in town, or as he liked to say everybody wanted to know him and because of this magnetism any event Liam attended, people would follow—especially the girls.
It was thanks to his status as Liam’s best mate that Keegan probably had to thank for the honor of dating Tess.
Keegan used to go watch Liam play football every weekend; he wasn’t a fan of soccer but he enjoyed the after match ritual him and Liam shared. They would drive down to Burger King, order a ton of greasy burgers and fries, and wash them down with creamy thick shakes. It helped make up for the boredom of watching a bunch of pimply guys kick a ball around a pile of grassy mud, Keegan thought. It was at one of these matches, bored out of his mind, waiting for the final whistle that he spotted the pretty, blonde Tess in the crowd. They swapped sneaky looks in one another’s direction ‘till after the game Keegan introduced himself.
It turned out she was only there because her two friend’s had big crushes on Liam Corrigan and had come to perve at the school stud in his football uniform. This was no surprise, Liam had plenty of admirers. Keegan assumed Tess was probably one of them but this didn’t stop him from asking for her number and within a few weeks after some flirty texting and outings in town together, they became an item.
Now, nearly two years on, they were still together and he was only hours away from going all the way with her. The drawn out torment of virginity was finally going to come to an end. Tomorrow he would wake up a different person—he hoped. A guy who knew what sex felt like, no more wondering what her wet warmness would feel like swallowing around his dick.
His birthday so far had been a sexual overload for his brain, on one side he was juggling images of Liam’s cock and the smell of his briefs while the other side was occupied with bedding Tess. He briefly mixed the fantasies, curious if he could ever get the two of them together. The best of both worlds. His mouth alternating between licking Tess’s nipples and sucking on his best mate’s member.
Tess had arrived early with her friends Asha and Cherry. She turned up looking especial
ly stunning, her normally wavy blonde hair was straightened and fell like a golden waterfall to her shoulders. She wore a short white dress bordering on skimpy, showing off her slim frame and bronzed legs. The material narrowly faint enough for his well-trained eyes to detect a hint of nipple.
When Keegan had answered the door to his smiling girlfriend, she greeted him with a long sloppy kiss. The deep twisting of tongues had elicited a groan from Liam and giggles from Asha and Cherry.
“You two will need gills to breath soon,” Liam moaned.
They kept mashing their lips together, ignoring Liam’s attempt at humor. When they pulled their tongues from each other’s mouth, Keegan couldn’t control his smile. His eyes widened with premature expectation. When will she give me my present?
Tess didn’t waste time in telling him herself what his gift would be. The very first moment they had alone, walking holding hands down to the soon-to-be-lit bonfire, she had nuzzled into his shoulder and whispered into his ear, “Tonight’s the night.” The words had an intoxicating effect that washed over him, her warm lips backed up her offering with a kiss on his cheek.
He had done his best to act surprised, dropping his mouth open and tumbling out with, “Are you sure?”
Tess nodded, crinkling her cute, button nose.
Keegan’s mouth slipped out a hungry question. “When?”
Tess had laughed at his eagerness. “Be patient. Sometime tonight. When it’s a little quieter and just us two still around.” She patted his stomach and warned him. “So don’t drink too much!”
Keegan took Tess’s advice and had been careful not to get too wasted. He had drunk steady but slow—cautious as to not suffer from brewer’s droop when the sometime tonight arrived.
Now that the party was a swirling mess of people, and his mind hooked on Tess and their impending entanglement of limbs, he had lost sight of Liam. The only moment—since Tess’s arrival—that he gave his best mate a thought, was simply one of relief.