Brody ran Dak’s comment, “I think I’m gonna miss you as soon as you shut the door,” through his head. Dak hadn’t said anything like that before. It was new, and it was more intimate. He wondered if he was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Dak’s private heart.
Cuddling up the entire evening was new, too. Brody shivered when he thought about it. The cuddling felt terrific, but he didn’t know what Dak would be like as more than a friend. He was handsome. He was undeniably sexy, but he had a checkered past in relationships.
Brody stared at the river again and pushed the last bite of the hot dog into his mouth. Softly, he asked the sky, “Are you thinking about things like this, too, Dak? Or is it just me?”
12
Dak
It didn’t take long for Dak to spot Leo on the tow. They ended up in the same boat about 50% of the time, and Leo always had a massive smile pasted on his face when they met.
Leo Hawkins called St. Louis home, but, like Dak and so many other deckhands, he belonged to the river. He was a straight man as far as romantic relationships were concerned, but he had an ongoing love affair with Dak’s cock. He liked to suck, and he kept the fact hidden from everyone except for the partners he found to indulge his desires.
They first connected in a sexual way when Dak made his way the short distance from the shower to his bunk room wrapped in only a towel. It flashed open momentarily to reveal a solid hard-on, and Leo commented, “You know, I could help you with that.” He laughed hard to try and cover up the comment as a joke, but Dak remembered. Leo wasn’t the first straight man on the boat who admired him.
Four days later, when their shifts off the deck coincided, Dak asked if Leo was serious. Leo stared into Dak’s blue eyes and asked, “Are you making an offer?”
A few minutes later, Leo was on his knees while Dak sat on the edge of a narrow bunk with the room’s door locked tight. Leo fumbled with the zipper on Dak’s jeans. After Dak assisted him with the zipper, Leo asked, “Are you really a gay guy?”
“I think that’s probably obvious. The better question is whether you are really straight. You’re awfully eager to get into my pants, and I don’t think it’s the first time you’ve done this.”
“Man, I just like cocks,” moaned Leo. “I don’t know why. I love tits and pussy, too, but she doesn’t have something that fills my mouth like this. I got cornered by a buddy on high school graduation night. He was drunk, and it turned out that I liked it. I guess I’m just a really oral guy.”
Leo knew what to do with the cock. Dak would have ranked his technique in the top five all of the men who had pleasured him in the past. Leo knew when to suck and caress with his tongue. He also knew when to let himself be skull-fucked. Dak never failed to cum with Leo kneeling between his legs.
As Dak stowed his belongings in the double room with one spare bed, Leo stood in the doorway and said, “Man, it’s always good to see you. How are things up here in the tiny little towns. I don’t think I could do it. I’ve gotta have the stimulation of the city when I’m onshore.”
“The town is great,” mumbled Dak. “How’ve you been, Leo? Are we gonna have a peaceful ride together?”
Leo shrugged. “That’s an interesting way of putting it, and you almost sound like you’re not that happy to see me. Maybe we can get together sometime in the next few days and melt a little bit of the frost.”
Dak ignored the comment and pushed past Leo to report to the deck. He was still thinking about Brody and the kisses on the sofa. He wasn’t ready to shift gears to encounters with Leo just yet.
Even after years of his six-week patterns of four weeks on the towboat and two weeks off, rejoining the crew was still a physical shock. Dak always told himself that he was going to go to a gym while off the river to keep the muscles active for those two weeks. However, his best-laid plans never came true.
Instead, his body ached and complained for the first several days as he manned the heavy equipment that kept a towboat and barges strung together while heading up or down the river. Chet, another one of the crew members, noticed Dak struggling and asked, “Were you a little lazy while onshore, bud? You’re gonna have a good ache in the morning.”
Dak laughed, “Yeah, like always. I should have been pumping iron the last two weeks instead of lounging like a slug in front of the TV.”
“That’s what the wife tells me, but she’s just happy to have me home. Trying to keep up with the little ones is a good aerobic workout. I figure it’s a nice break from the heavy work and the cardio keeps the body limber.”
Dak felt fortunate that he’d never sustained an injury on board a tow any more severe than a sprained ankle. Bumps, bruises, and pulled muscles came and went, but they had to be ignored. By a few days back in the groove, his body adjusted and didn’t report back much more than routine soreness.
“I’ve just got two more weeks left, and then I’m off the boat, but I saw you join at Zephyr,” said Chet. “Do you have a family waiting for you up there?”
Always careful about discussing his sexuality, Dak replied, “No, I’m single. I don’t know how you guys manage it. I’ve been in relationships when I hit the river, and they rarely survive the month. Is she okay with it? She doesn’t go crazy with you gone so much of the time?”
“I think it’s what we have to do. The money is decent, and the schedule is predictable. She loves that the kids can have two uninterrupted weeks with me. I take care of odd jobs in the house during the day while she works and they go to school. Then we all have time together in the evening.”
Dak nodded and said, “That makes sense.” He started to ask if she worried about her husband cheating on the boat, but Dak knew that would risk leading to a conversation about sexual orientation. No one was cheating with a woman on the boat. The only woman on the boat was the cook, and she was more like a grandmother to everyone on board. Instead, he added, “I guess they all just get bored waiting for me.”
Chet laughed, “Maybe you need to spice things up in bed if you know what I mean. Give her the ride of her life, and she’ll be happy to wait for you.”
Dak took a longer look at Chet. He was probably pushing forty, and he had a few extra inches around the waist. His rosy rounded cheeks were beginning to sag giving him the look of having jowls. Dak couldn’t imagine Chet having a spicy time in bed, but he knew it wasn’t fair to judge. “I’ll keep that in mind. Maybe I should do some research while I’m on the boat.”
Chet laughed louder. “You do that, Dak. Just don’t gum up the keys on your laptop computer while you’re at it.”
After his shift ended, Dak grabbed a quick bite to eat before he headed for his bunk. He was exhausted, and his muscles were aching. He wanted to catch as much sleep as possible during the shift. After a quick glance at his phone to check for messages, Dak crawled underneath the blanket.
About two minutes later, Dak heard a knock on the door to the room, and then the door opened only three inches. Leo’s voice filtered in through the gap. “Hey, Dak, can I come in. I missed you, bud.”
Although he realized it could be poor judgment to let him in, Dak said, “Sure, come on in. It’s always good to catch up with old friends.”
Dak was shirtless as he sat up and leaned forward on the bottom bunk. Leo said, “Damn, you look good like always.”
Dak grunted, “Remember, Leo, you’re the straight guy.”
“The straight one who’s a little bent.”
“How’s the girlfriend?”
Leo smiled. “We’re engaged. I popped the question a week before heading back to the boat. We’re getting married next June.”
Dak reached out a hand to shake. “Hey, congratulations, bud! I’m happy for you.”
While they shook hands, Dak knew that he had to end the physical relationship with Leo. He couldn’t be party to a guy cheating on someone who was soon to be his wife, and he thought about Brody, too. If something did start there in Brody’s living room, it was a relationship with the best m
an Dak had ever known. He couldn’t risk making it crash and burn before it ever started. He couldn’t imagine sucking another guy playing nice in his head along with thoughts about kissing Brody.
Leo asked the question. “Do you still need some action for that cock?”
Dak shook his head. “Man, I’m sorry, Leo. I really…just can’t.”
Even in the dim light, Dak could see that Leo was crestfallen. He said, “Oh, fuck, what happened? Did you up and marry some guy? You know I’m good with my mouth.”
Dak shook his head. He didn’t want to create hard feelings with Leo. The boat was a small place, and it never paid to make an enemy. He said, “That doesn’t matter. I really can’t. Let’s just leave it at that. My dick stays in my pants this time around.”
Leo frowned. “Yeah, you say that now. Let’s see if you still feel the same way a week from now. It’s gonna start aching. I know you, Dak. You’ve got a big cock, and it needs quality attention.”
Dak leaned further forward. He knew that he was stronger than Leo, and he had a couple of inches in height on him. A physical fight would get them both thrown off the boat, but it didn’t hurt to push back with a threatening attitude. With his jaw firmly set, Dak said, “You’ve gotta find a different dick to suck if you’re doing it on this ride. Lay off me. I told you what’s what, and I’m not changing my mind.”
13
Brody
Lacey wore her long, caramel-colored hair tied back in a ponytail. Although he knew she was in her late 40s, Brody thought she carried herself like a woman at least ten years younger. The hairstyle was a change from the usual when it simply draped over her shoulders. Brody chuckled to himself while he watched her reach up to brush the hair back that wasn’t there. She muttered, “I can feel you watching me, Mr. Sexton, and yes, I know it’s all in my mind.”
Brody laughed. “It happens to everyone. You change one thing, and the rest of your brain has to play catch up. Besides, I can’t concentrate, and I can’t get anything done. Maybe I should just go out back and see if Seb needs any help stacking bags of mulch.”
Lacey spun her desk chair a quarter turn to face Brody’s desk. “Something’s up, isn’t it? I mean, I understand it might still be that big grief monster, but you haven’t added to the stack of paper on my desk all week long, and by Wednesday afternoon, I’m usually grumbling.”
“You are?” asked Brody.
“Oops. That’s another of those things I wasn’t supposed to share.”
Brody waved a hand and said, “No, you get a free pass for today. You’re right. I’m too wrapped up in myself. I guess part of it might be my mom.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
Brody stood up and walked to the door of the office. He closed it tight and returned to his chair. Leaning forward, he asked, “Is it okay if I share something personal? I don’t have that many people to talk to, and I’ve seen how you talk some of your co-workers back from the ledge here.”
Lacey reached up for the invisible hair again and said, “Well, they aren’t that bad off, but I guess I’m helpful sometimes.”
“This conversation is off the record as far as work is concerned. Does that make sense?”
Lacey glanced at her computer screen and said, “We’ve only got an hour left in the work day if you want to just save it for later. We can go have a drink downtown if you want.”
Brody shifted in his chair and asked, “Do you think I’ll get anything productive done in that hour? Is there anything urgent for you?”
Shaking her head, Lacey said, “No. I’ve been trying to stay caught up because I figured something big was coming my way from you. I was ready for a huge order, or new software that I needed to learn. I can call it a day. Just don’t tell the boss.”
Brody snickered, “I’ll keep him in the dark.” He leaned back in his chair and asked, “You have a big family, right?”
“Oh, I’ve got a crazy big family.” Lacey leaned forward with her hands on her knees. “I’m one of ten children. My mom came from a group of eight, and my dad is one of twelve. That means anywhere you walk downtown; you’re likely to trip over one of my cousins. We joke that we make up half of the congregation at St. Anthony’s.”
“So relatives occasionally die.”
Lacey laughed. “One of my dad’s favorite comments is, ‘Don’t expect to plan a vacation because you won’t have any time left after you’ve gone to all the family weddings and funerals.’ And he’s got a point. We’ve spread out on both sides of the river as far east as Chicago and as far west as Wyoming. When somebody gets married or dies, everybody goes, and that often means at least one day off work. They are like family reunions.”
“Well, I’m curious. Have you ever had a close relative die, and then they left behind something you didn’t know about?”
“Of course. Who doesn’t do that?” asked Lacey. “I bet I’ve got some things in my closets that would make a few of the cousins blush. Was your mom not as innocent as you thought, Mr. Sexton? You’ve got to watch out for those librarians.”
Brody shook his head. “No, it’s nothing like that. She knew something big about another family member, and she didn’t tell me. In fact, she hid it from me. I don’t understand why. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“There is privacy,” said Lacey. “If my sister Ellie knows about those things I’ve hidden away, I hope she doesn’t tell all my brothers about it.”
Brody sighed. “I’m just taking you off on tangents. I guess I’d better tell you the specifics of what I’m talking about.”
Before she could reply, the phone rang. Brody listened to the one side of the conversation. Lacey said, “Oh, Seb, honey, I’m sorry. Yes, she called just after lunch and said she was going to stop in today instead of tomorrow, but she would be running it tight. She didn’t know if she would make it before five, but she was going to try.”
Lacey was silent as she listened to the response. Then she said, “I’m really sorry. It just slipped my mind. Do you need some extra help? I could send Mr. Sexton out.” After one more round of silence, Lacey said, “I will owe you a drink downtown. I agree. Thank you so much. You take good care of the customers. I’ll remind Mr. Sexton of that.”
As she hung up the phone, Brody said, “I think I already knew that he takes good care of the customers. Was that Mrs. Neely who called?”
“Yes, it was, and it slipped my mind after she called. In fact, she’s one of those cousins I was talking about. She’s my mom’s first cousin on her dad’s side. She’s scatterbrained. The first thing I thought when she said she would come today was that there was about a thirty percent chance of it happening. I guess I was proven wrong.”
“And Seb wasn’t too happy,” said Brody.
“No, he’s feeling blindsided, but you know Seb, he’s a sweetheart. He won’t be mad for long.”
Brody returned to the previous topic and asked, “Is there any chance you’ve got a cousin named Clyde Miller?”
Lacey leaned her head back and reflected for a moment. “No, I don’t know of any Millers in my family tree. They are your folk, aren’t they, Mr. Sexton? Your mother was a Miller?”
“She was, and I had a great-uncle named Clyde. After my mom died, I found photos of him kissing another man. It wasn’t just a friendly peck either. The men in the pictures were a couple.”
Lacey clapped her hands. “Oh, that’s sweet. You aren’t the only one in the family. If you were, I think that’s rare. Two of my cousins are gay. They are the youngest brothers in a family of seven.”
“And everybody knows?” asked Brody.
Lacey nodded. “Oh, of course. Billy was a freshman in college when he came out, and Steve, the youngest, was a junior in high school. He came out the day after his older brother. I could have guessed they were gay. They’re both so handsome.”
“Well, my mom told me I was the only one.”
Lacey furrowed her brow. “The only what?”
“She said I w
as the only gay person she knew about in the family. I found the photos of Great-Uncle Clyde in a box with other family snapshots. She always said they were the leftovers that didn’t make it into the albums. I went through the albums many times with my mom when I was growing up. Great-Uncle isn’t in the albums. I never leafed through the box of loose pictures. I trusted her that they weren’t worth my time.”
“Maybe it’s something she forgot?”
“He was close enough that I remember going to his funeral.”
“And no one said he was gay?” asked Lacey.
“Not that I remember.”
“How young were you? It isn’t something you discuss with little kids out of the blue.”
Brody said, “I asked her when I was a teenager if I was the only gay person in the family. It was important to me. I didn’t want to feel alone. If there were more like me, I wouldn’t have felt so much like an oddball.”
“And she said no?”
“She said no. Seb remembered him.”
Lacey nodded. “I’m not surprised. Seb knows everyone. He really should work for the historical society, but then we wouldn’t have him. He has so much information about people tucked away in his head. When I ask him questions, I can almost see him leafing through the folders in his head until he finds the right person. What did he have to say?”
Brody sighed. “Not much. He just said that he remembered hearing about my great-uncle going for weekends in the Twin Cities a lot.”
“He was looking for people like him?” asked Lacey.
“That would be my guess.”
“Why don’t you ask other relatives?”
Brody said, “I’m a little nervous about that. I mean, I wonder if my mom kept it a secret for some reason. I like to think she wouldn’t keep something like that from me without good reason. If she just hid it from me, that’s hard. It makes me wonder what else she hid? When you figure out that your ideas about one of the parts of the family were wrong, then you start to wonder if it’s all going to unravel like a sweater made of yarn when you tug on a loose end.”
River Town Box Set Page 8