by Scott Damon
“I don’t want to be a pain about this. I honestly couldn’t come up with a better idea anyway.”
“Cal, can we look at this as part of the job? Part of the role? You know how I feel about you. Being oiled up before running out on stage is not sexy. It’s nothing like when you touch me.”
“You’re so sweet sometimes. I know it’s not the same. I’m being selfish. I want you all to myself.”
The two embraced, which led to a long kiss, right in the school parking lot. For a moment, they didn’t care who knew about their relationship. Jason didn’t think Calvin was totally won over, but he seemed less anxious than he had been earlier.
Chapter 15 – Promotion
As soon as the photography and marketing groups met, selected the photos they wanted to use, and chose their media, they produced materials within days. The print shop helped print posters and students placed them around town, saturating areas close to school and extending as far out as they could. Jason and his family were amazed at how much he was displayed all over Edgewood. Derek commented, “At least he’s not on billboards yet.”
After a few days, Jason couldn’t go anywhere without being recognized. Dozens of students were selling tickets to the play, but he was one of the most prolific sellers because people approached him so often. He was a walking billboard.
* * *
Langley conferred with Principal Adams and Coach Bridges to talk about adding shows. Typically, plays ran four nights – Friday and Saturday on two successive weekends. That was not going to satisfy demand in this case. So many kids had been involved, the entire school was looking forward to it, plus their parents and friends. With word circulating through all of Edgewood, the first four shows sold out.
The coach said, “If you can fit more shows in before season starts, I’m okay with it. Just don’t wear everybody out. I have a lot of gymnasts in your play.”
Principal Adams expressed concerns about the precedent and how obligated they were to meet demand, “I know this is somewhat of a good problem to have, but let’s be sure we’re doing it for the right reasons. Will the students get more out of it by performing more? Will they feel more pride because of it?”
Langley nodded, “I have some of the same concerns. I agree. However, I think the answer is yes. They will be more confident as performers. It will be good PR for the school, and in some cases, that’s the only way some parents will be able to see the play. We have cast members who sold all their tickets before their parents got theirs.”
Adams looked sympathetic, “I see. That was a bit short-sighted. But you’re right. Let’s meet the demand. You can add four more performances if you can fit them in.”
Langley countered, “How about five? We’ll add one more weekend plus Sunday matinees each week. That won’t stretch it much further.”
Adams nodded, still in thought, “Yes, that can work. Teachers will have to be mindful and not assign much homework those weekends. Three performances each week is a lot to ask.”
Langley sighed, “Thanks, guys. We might as well ride this wave of success.”
The coach grumbled a bit but neither of the others asked him what he said.
The next day, Langley met with the cast and crew and discussed the extension with them. Some might have had private reservations, but all celebrated the news. Langley described it as a reward for the hard work they had been putting in. The ones who still needed tickets would also be given priority when new tickets were printed.
Langley cautioned the marketing team to not go into high gear to promote the new performances. Perhaps they should stick to medium gear to sell enough tickets but not create insatiable demand. If anyone in Edgewood was not aware of the Tarak shows, they must have been in hibernation for several weeks, because publicity was everywhere.
* * *
After a Friday rehearsal, Langley asked Jason to stay back for a minute. “Jason, I have a problem and I’m hoping you can help me out.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Well, I’m a bit overcommitted. About 50 of my friends are meeting tonight and I was supposed to go there to sell tickets. My youngest daughter is sick, so I need to go home and be with her. Would you mind taking a pack of tickets and show up at this meeting? I think it should only take you 15 to 30 minutes.”
“Yeah, no problem. Let me know the time and address.”
“Great, Jason! You’re a life-saver. 7:30 at this address,” handing him a slip of paper.
Jason and Calvin had planned to hang out that night but had no specific plans set. Jason explained Langley’s request and said he would let Calvin know when he was free. Calvin had a paper to write over the weekend, so he said he would work on that until he heard from Jason. Jason gave him a kiss and left for his errand.
* * *
Jason was not familiar with the address. He arrived at one of the statelier mansions in town, a crowd foreign to him. He wished Langley had told him and he would have dressed up more. But he was an errand boy, so he might as well be dressed like one, he thought.
He knocked on the half-open door and walked right in. A man whom he didn’t know came up to him and recognized him, but most of the town did by now. “Jason! Come in, we’re glad you could join us. I’m Bill Winger.”
“Thanks. Nice to meet you.”
As they entered the living room, the crowd looked huge without filling up the room. There was real art on the walls and expensive furnishings and decorations. Everything was so clean and orderly. The well-dressed guests distracted Jason immediately. All eyes turned towards him and many guests greeted him at once, some calling him “Jason” and others “Tarak”.
One man in his 50s feigned disappointment, “Oh, we thought we were meeting Tarak, but we’ll make do with Jason.”
Jason smiled, “Yes, it’s just me…although I’m wearing my loincloth under these shorts.” As those last words left his mouth, he thought maybe he should have stayed quiet.
Bill put his arm over Jason’s shoulder, “Wow, that would be a real treat.”
“I suppose I could give you Tarak, if you want.” Many smiles lit up the men’s faces. “I’ll be right back.” Jason returned to the foyer, removed his shorts, shoes, socks, and shirt and laid them off to the side in a chair.
Jason strode back to the living room where men parted to allow him to make a grand entrance. He had never received a better welcome in his life. About 50 men in suits and ties, ranging in age from 30s to 70s, most with drinks in their hands, stood and watched as the teen Tarak walked to the center of the room.
They were respectful but their eyes ran all over him, relishing his muscular gymnast body. With his blond hair, he was smooth with the finest fuzz in places, his tan following the contours of his loincloth. The boy’s calves and thighs were perfectly proportioned and defined, leading up to his curved butt cheeks, peeking out of the skimpy loincloth. The front was covered, but some detected the slightest bulge. His torso, front and back, completed the look, with bulging but not excessive muscles layering his arms, shoulders, back, chest, and abs. Nobody could ask for a more convincing teen Tarak. Most of the men noticed his large nipples, with several whispering comments about them to the person standing next to them.
Tarak was shorter than many of the men in the room, but he commanded attention like he was larger, richer, and vastly more important than any of them. It was a strange power that Jason had only somewhat sensed before, but couldn’t shake at the moment. As much as he savored the moment, he wanted it to return to normal as quickly as possible.
Bill again placed his hand on Jason’s shoulder, but this time was touching bare flesh so he made the boy quiver. “Jason, I think you’ve made quite an impression on our group. Thank you so much for coming. Leave us all the tickets you brought. There’s no question we will buy them all. I’ll get the money to Rich Langley. Would you care for a drink?”
“Ah…yes...thank you. I’m overwhelmed, but thank you. A soda, if I could.”
“Ye
s, soda won’t be a problem. If you prefer a beer, or a mixed drink, wine perhaps…”
“No, with my season starting soon, I better behave myself.”
“Smart man.” A roving waiter handed Bill a soda and he provided it to Jason. “Here you go. Now feel free to mingle.”
“Thank you, I will.”
The crowd somewhat returned to normal, with everyone keenly aware of where Tarak was in the room and eager to talk to him if he was nearby. Jason felt completely welcome and never left out, like a spark that added a jolt to any small group he walked into.
Jason recognized a few of the men – the owner of the hardware store, a pharmacist, other teachers, and people he had run across at various times. He didn’t know most of the people.
He got to know quite a few of them in the briefest of ways. If he wasn’t circulating, they moved closer to him, each taking turns to talk to him. Some would caress his back as they talked or graze his bicep. He noticed every touch, but he wondered if it was because he was wearing so little. Several commented on his physique and asked him to flex a little, which he obliged.
Two men introduced themselves as Jeff and Brad, with Brad pointing to Jason’s erect nipples, “Those can’t be natural, are they Jason?”
“Yeah, all natural,” smiling at the odd question.
Jeff added, “Amazing. With your beautiful chest, they stand out perfectly. Brad has been working on his and can’t get them anywhere near that big.”
Brad held his hand close but not quite touching Jason’s left nipple, “Mind if I feel it?”
“I suppose not. Go ahead.”
Both men reached gently and felt a nipple, twisting it just slightly. Jason was surprised how his body reacted, very sensitive to the nipple touching, and exciting him. He noticed others watching, so he stepped back and smiled at the couple. Jeff and Brad thanked him and walked away talking between themselves, glancing back at the boy. Jason mingled more and got another soda.
Another man approached him. “Hi, Jason. I’m Wayne Phillips. You’re looking great tonight.”
“Thanks. You’re a banker, right?”
“Yes, I’ve helped finance most of the businesses in town.”
“Yeah, my dad has mentioned you.”
“Great. You know, there’s another room I think might interest Tarak.” Wayne gestured to a neighboring room and started to lead the way.
Jason followed to the side room, half the size of the living room with a huge variety of stuffed animal heads and other mountings. Many were animals you would see in a zoo, but others were unusual enough they wouldn’t even be found there. Jason suspected Tarak would be much more annoyed at this room than enjoying it. It was impressive, but it was full of dead captured animals.
Perhaps sensing Jason’s train of thought, Wayne said, “Well, maybe Tarak wouldn’t appreciate all these hunter’s trophies.”
Jason shook his head, “No, he wouldn’t. These are the animals he would fight to protect.”
Wayne looked down, “Yes, I guess that was insensitive of me. I really just wanted to be alone with you, Jason. I hope you don’t mind.”
Jason said, “No, it’s okay. Why did you want us alone?”
“You have the most perfect body. And I noticed how you quivered when guys touched your nipples. Is it okay if I show you something?”
“I guess so. What?”
“Close your eyes for a minute, Tarak.”
Jason thought about returning to the large group, but he was curious. He closed his eyes. Wayne lightly drew circles on Jason’s pecs around his nipples without touching them, inching closer and closer all the time. They grew harder, more erect. As Wayne got to his nipples, Jason’s loincloth bulged huge. Jason’s breathing grew heavier and he stood straight and proud, lost in the sensation. Wayne fondled them, rubbed them with the palms of his hands, pinched them a little, sucked them, and drove the young Tarak wild.
The entire time, Wayne complimented the young man. “You are so responsive. Very nice.”
After ten minutes, Jason was embarrassed about so much pleasure with this man he barely knew. Wayne had overwhelmed him with stimulation. Wayne leaned forward and kissed the boy lightly. “Okay, young man, open your eyes.”
Jason opened his eyes, smiled huge, and haltingly thanked Wayne.
“I can take care of that bulge for you too if you want,” Wayne offered.
Jason blushed. “No, we better not.”
“Here’s my card. If you ever want more of that, or just want to go out and have a good time, give me a call. I’ll treat you right.”
“That felt amazing, sir.”
“I’m glad you liked it. I loved it too. Pleasing you made me fantastically happy.”
“We better get back to the group.” Jason’s head was spinning.
The two walked out, Jason leading the way. His red and excited nipples betrayed the good time the pair had been having. Nobody said anything while the boy was present.
Jason mingled a little more with the men. They continued to caress and fondle him. When one tried to touch Jason’s nipple, he eased the man’s hand away. He was in a daze.
He decided he better leave. He moved to the door, despite several men urging him to stay longer. He put his clothes on, gave all the tickets to Bill, and made his way out. Looking at his phone, it was far later than he expected. He texted Calvin right away and told him he would be there in 15 minutes.
When they met up, Calvin complained it was so late even though he made good progress on his paper. Jason described the place and group without talking about the strange but stimulating experiences with Wayne and the other couple. He remarked at how at ease he was mingling with a large group of strangers, far greater than his typical level of interaction.
Jason told Calvin he wasn’t much in the mood for making out. Calvin grimaced for a moment. Jason left shortly after and went home to sleep.
The next day, Langley told Jason he hadn’t expected him to wear his costume to the meeting. Calvin overheard and snapped a quick look in their direction. Jason said he was happy to do it and believes he sold more tickets because of it. He offered to do more parties – or “meetings” as Langley called them – if he needed him to. Langley thought for a moment and said he would consider it.
Chapter 16 – Camping
As Calvin and Jason grew closer, their time together reached a crescendo. One frustration was having limited opportunities to be alone together. They could make out in movies, steal kisses in the park or in their cars, or take a chance they wouldn’t be discovered at homes. At Jason’s house, his parents and Derek were seldom all gone at the same time. Calvin had two brothers and one sister and the house was rarely empty.
Calvin suggested they go camping on the weekend. Jason already felt overwhelmed with everything going on in his life, but he thought it was a great idea. Derek begged to be able to go along, but Jason told him they needed time alone and they would consider taking him next time. Derek was older than Calvin’s siblings and Calvin often told Jason Derek was fun to be around but he agreed with Jason this time.
The boys worked ahead on their homework as best they could. One benefit that arose from the play was that Neil tried to make Jason his partner every chance he could in chemistry class. Having the best science student in school pair up with him made the experiment write-ups and reports a breeze. That allowed Jason to focus more on other subjects.
They knew nothing was going on with the play that weekend and they figured they could take time off from the gym and sports. They were sure they would stay active anyway, as the state park they were going to had a lake with swimming and boating, along with hiking trails.
The weather turned out perfect for camping, with highs in the 80s and nighttime temperatures in the low 60s with no rain. Evenings were cool enough they could build roaring fires and not feel too hot. Both families had some camping gear, so they combined their resources and had plenty to use. They took a lot of food with them, cooked over the fire
for some meals, and ran into town or the small campground store for sandwiches at times.
During the day, they dressed in swim suits or shorts with no shirt. At night, they felt bolder and wore their loincloth and warrior costumes. Calvin’s costume wasn’t much more than Jason’s, so they felt wild out in the woods. They knew in the bright firelight they could be seen, but their site was off in a secluded corner and they didn’t care if people saw them. A few people out walking noticed and gave them a thumbs up, commented positively, or simply turned away.
Sitting around the fire, the flickering flames illuminated their bodies in ways that stirred thoughts in both their minds. Jason’s smooth, muscular body was shining and tight, with his nipples standing out semi-firm as usual. The skimpy, bulging loincloth hugged his trim waist. The little hair he had on his thick thighs and calves was nearly singed being so close to the fire.
Calvin’s lean lanky body reclined enough that his defined abs showed, as well, with strong pecs and arms drawing Jason’s attention. His dark skin hid the little hair he had, so the muscles of his toned body were highlighted. He didn’t wear any of the shoulder covering or jewelry from his costume, sharing a pure loincloth moment with his boyfriend.
They sat opposite each other at first and talked of past camping trips, the stars, childhood stories, siblings, and a wide range of whatever else came into their heads. At times, they argued about small differences in opinions, but it was more playful than serious. They broached subjects like their different races and cultural impacts, but generally stuck to less weighty topics.
As fire consumed more of the logs, the light dimmed and Jason moved his chair next to Calvin’s. They held hands and looked at the thousands of visible stars and guessed at which planets they saw. Jason stroked the curves of Calvin’s forearm and bicep, moving on to his shoulder and the part of his chest he could reach. Calvin let him explore at first, but then turned more towards Jason and started his own exploration.