by Trina Solet
"Fine," Cory said grudgingly.
"We might even have time for..."
"No!" Cory grabbed his hand to get it off his ass and to get him to move.
"We're holding hands now?" Alec said as they walked.
Cory let go quickly and Alec laughed. It sounded strange and loud in the dark forest, kind of creepy. Cory jumped when Alec slipped an arm around his waist.
"We'll trip over each other walking like this," Cory complained and pushed his hand away.
Alec still stuck close to him and sometimes stopped to kiss him.
Chapter 18
Rosa had stopped by Clay's Hardware on her lunch break. She brought a meatball sub to share with Cory. They were eating it when Alec walked in with Teddy carrying lunch. Teddy was delighted to see Rosa. Alec was not.
"Lunchtime," Teddy announced from the door.
Hearing his sweet voice was all Cory needed to make him smile.
"You hussy," Alec said. His voice had the opposite effect.
"Me or her?" Cory asked.
"Both," Alec said then looked down at Teddy who was confused.
"Alec is jealous," Cory explained.
Teddy shook his head and then looked at Rosa and smiled.
"If I'd known you were coming, I would have brought lunch for you too," Rosa said to Teddy.
"That's better," Alec said as he set his lunch on the counter loudly.
"Not for you," Rosa told him.
"Then you don't get dessert," Alec told her. He had brought pudding cups.
Rosa made a face like she wanted one, and Teddy said, "You can have mine."
"You're so sweet," Rosa said.
"He's so straight," Alec whispered to Cory.
"Stop accusing him of being straight," Cory whispered back.
"You're the sweetest," Rosa said to Teddy. "But I have to go back to work. You enjoy it for me." She kissed Teddy on the cheek before she left.
Alec was still staring daggers at Cory until he reached for the sandwich Alec had made him. Then Alec smiled and said, "You don't have to. But next time save your appetite for me."
Cory's eyes widened, and Alec laughed.
"You'll get your chance this weekend," Alec said.
Cory was afraid to ask what he had in mind.
"We can go to Linden Beach tomorrow and stay over until Sunday. You and me and Teddy. Mom can't make it."
"I have a store to run," Cory said. That wasn't the real reason he didn't want to go.
"It's closed Sunday, and you can take Saturday off. It's only an hour and a half away if we don't take the scenic route or follow the rules of the road. As my mother likes to say, we are practically a seaside town."
"I can't..." Cory started to say.
"Are you afraid of water?" Alec asked him, noticing that there was something fishy about his refusal. He narrowed his eyes at Cory.
"No!" Cory said defensively.
"Oh, my God, you don't know how to swim," Alec realized.
Cory made a face.
"You'll pick it up in two seconds. Trust me," Alec assured him.
"You and Teddy can go..."
"Are you telling me you're going to disappoint your little brother?" Alec put his arm around Teddy, who looked at Cory questioningly.
"Are you using Teddy to guilt me?" Cory asked.
"Yes. Liza's store sells swim trunks, go get some. I already got some for Teddy. I wanted to be ready. I was just waiting for warmer weather, and you, I guess."
Teddy had been following their conversation avidly.
"Yes, we're going," Alec assured him. "Do you know how to swim?"
Teddy shook his head.
"Then I'll teach both of you," Alec said.
Happy to hear it, Teddy looked at Cory, who was horrified.
"I guess we're going," Cory had to say.
Early Saturday morning they got ready to go. Cory packed up some snacks while Teddy bustled around like a little bee. To keep him occupied, Alec showed him the route they would be taking on a map that was torn in a few places along the folds and taped.
"The GPS is more fun," Cory said.
"Is not," Alec claimed.
The old map reminded Cory of the cloth bound books in the den. Some of the covers were fraying with mangled spines. Inside, the pages were loose. Old, well worn things didn't get thrown away in the Benchley house. How many family trips to the beach did that map represent? Nothing could replace that. It made Cory feel a little ashamed for trying to skip out on going to the beach for the first time with Teddy. So what if he didn't know how to swim? Teddy didn't either. The brothers were going to learn together.
On the drive, Teddy got to hold the map. Alec would call out the name of a place they were passing through, and Cory would help Teddy find it on the map. It only served to amp up his excitement. They saw a big handmade sign that said Dunsky Family Reunion, and Cory read it for Teddy's benefit. In a field behind the sign, they saw a makeshift camp with tents and RV's spread out among other vehicles. About a dozen kids were hanging over the fence and they waved to them.
"What a big family," Cory said, a little sad that he could only give Teddy a family of two.
"Cow family!" Teddy yelled as they passed a pasture with several cows.
Looking out the car window, Teddy took in the whole countryside. They read the signs and Teddy called out what he saw. His wide open eyes, eager for new sights, made Cory happy even if swimming lessons were in his future.
Their first view of the ocean was from a hill rising over the town of Linden Beach. The town clung to the coast while the ocean stretched out forever. Cory could see some sailboats and pointed them out to Teddy. Teddy was in awe of the view and a little frightened.
"It's big," he said. "Are we going there?" He pointed toward the horizon.
"Down there," Cory told him pointing at the beach. They could see people and colorful beach umbrellas. That didn't worry Teddy as much.
Driving down into the town, they lost sight of the ocean. Linden Beach was a nice town, not too big or fancy. It seemed like a modest vacation spot. There were a few high-rise apartment buildings and hotels closer to the beach. Smaller, older buildings were interspersed between them. Coming out onto the road leading to the beach, they saw the ocean again. The beach was hidden by vegetation, but the view in the distance was clear. They could see waves cresting, racing each other to the shore.
Now it was just a matter of finding a good parking spot, but Alec was passing up all the available parking spaces.
"Not good enough?" Cory asked.
"Metered parking. No way. We're going to be here all day."
They had to park further away from the beach, but they weren't the only ones. Other people were walking toward the beach, loaded down with chairs and beach umbrellas. Two girls went by with surfboards. When Teddy looked at them, Alec again claimed he was straight.
"He was looking at their surfboards," Cory told him.
"Sure he was."
The beach wasn't too crowded and they found a good spot easily. As they set up their things on the beach, Cory eyed that monstrosity called the ocean and then Alec.
"Promise not to embarrass me," Cory whispered.
"I promise to embarrass you," Alec said. "Now let's slather each other with suntan lotion."
Cory hoped he wasn't blushing as he turned away. "I'll be busy making sure Teddy doesn't burn."
"Teddy is tiny. I have way more square footage to worry about," Alec told him.
"You're on your own."
It didn't take long to put lotion on Teddy. Cory was now preoccupied with not knowing how to swim, not thinking about putting suntan lotion on Alec, and not looking while Alec put suntan lotion on himself. He gasped when he felt Alec's lotion slicked hands on his shoulders.
"I had some left. Didn't want to waste it," Alec claimed as he smoothed it over Cory's shoulders and down his arms. "Want me to keep going?"
"If you do, I'll have to sit here for a while with a towel over
my lap," Cory whispered.
Alec laughed.
"Can't have that. Plus, I'd probably have to join you," Alec said.
That was good to hear. Cory hated to be the only one getting worked up.
They couldn't keep Teddy waiting. He was already squirming, glaring at them to hurry up. Alec made him even more impatient by making him stand still for pictures. Finally, Cory took Teddy's hand and they went to the edge of the water. The ocean was a miracle to Teddy. He stared at it as if no matter how big it was, he could grab it and run away with it, like all that endless blue was a treasure he could stuff into his pocket.
The three of them stood side by side where the ocean lapped at their feet. Teddy looked down and wiggled his toes.
"Want to go in," Alec asked him.
A moment ago, Teddy had stared at the ocean with wonder. Now he looked at the water like it was a monster that would swallow him. Cory understood perfectly. He kind of felt the same way. In fact he had the urge to pick up Teddy and carry him away from all that scary water. But he knew that wasn't what Teddy wanted. And if Teddy went in the water, Cory was going too. He and Teddy were inseparable now. Cory took his hand more firmly and said, "We'll let Alec go in first and see how it goes."
Alec saluted them and walked in. When he was deep enough, he dived in. As he came up, Teddy stared at Alec like he was the bravest man he ever saw.
"Hey, it looks like fun," Cory said as they watched Alec splashing around.
"Let's do it. But not too far," Teddy said.
"OK," Cory agreed and tried not to let Teddy see that he was nervous.
It wasn't bad though. It was nice to feel the water surrounding him. Teddy was wide eyed as he looked down through the water at his feet. Alec came up to them, rising out of the water wet and smoldering. Cory expected to see steam coming off his unbelievably hot body.
"Ready to try swimming yet?" Alec asked.
Cory froze, but Alec was talking to Teddy. Teddy agreed to give it a go. Cory stayed close and watched carefully. First thing he noticed was that Teddy had complete trust in Alec, as did Cory. He wouldn't let just anyone teach his little brother to swim. Alec held Teddy's hands and told him to kick his feet. Keeping his head up, Teddy looked scared at first but then he laughed as his feet kicked and splashed. Once he had that down, Alec held him around the middle and told him to dog paddle and kick his feet.
Cory decided to try out swimming for himself and maybe save himself from the humiliation of Alec teaching him. He went deeper and tested out what it would take to keep himself from sinking.
"You want me to hold you up?" Alec said to him, grinning.
Cory just glared at him. He was already getting the hang of it, feeling the buoyancy of the water lift him. The ocean only needed a little help to keep him afloat. He did the breast stroke and improvised a sort of frog kick purely by instinct.
"It told you you would pick it up fast. Look at him go," Alec said to Teddy.
Cory still wasn't sure he was doing it right, but it seemed to him like the ocean was working with him, not against him.
"I want to try by myself like Cory," Teddy said.
"OK," Alec agreed, but he only moved his hands away a little, ready to catch him.
Cory stopped so he could watch. Teddy dogpaddled desperately, and Alec took hold of him again.
"That was good. Remember to kick your feet too," Alec reminded him.
"Again, again," Teddy said kicking his feet, excited by the feeling of swimming on his own.
"How do you do that one," Cory asked Alec and mimed the move he had seen.
"The freestyle. When you kick, picture flippers on your feet. Minimize splashing when your arm hits the water. Try for a fast, smooth entry. You know how that's done." Alec leered.
Cory gave him a warning look then he tried it out. It wasn't perfect, but it got the job done. Teddy insisted on trying it out too while Alec held him. His version was all splashing, no forward motion.
After practicing for a while, Cory got out with Teddy so Alec could swim further out on his own. Alec looked amazing as he cut through the water like some gorgeous, blue eyed shark. Teddy clapped as he watched him.
Cory took a seat on the rise on the beach and let Teddy play where the waves splashed over the sand. He waited for Alec to come out of the water. There he was, wet and gorgeous. Water streaming down his body, Alec walked toward the shore. He came out onto the sand like a man who needed to be licked from head to toe. Cory had to banish that thought. Turning away from Alec as he lowered himself next to Cory, he watched Teddy playing on the wet sand smoothed by waves. Teddy was drawing shapes and watching the ocean wash them away. He tried to finish each picture before the next wave. Sometimes he clapped, sometimes he stomped his foot like a sore looser.
Cory dug his heels into the sand and kept his eyes averted from the tempting sight of the nearly naked Alec so close, wet and warm.
"The way you were teaching Teddy, is that how your parents taught you to swim?" Cory asked to distract himself from sexy thoughts.
"Actually I don't remember learning. But Ian and I were always trying to drown each other so I can hold my breath under water for a long time. It's a useful skill," Alec said with a wink. "I guess you never went to the beach as a kid."
"I only had one chance to learn to swim," Cory told him. "My foster parents took me on a trip when I was six. We stayed one night in a motel with a pool. In the morning, we were sitting poolside. I was kind of afraid of the water, but I saw some other kids splashing and playing in the pool, and it looked like fun. I wanted to learn to swim, but my foster mother, Grace, wasn't feeling well. My foster father went to get her something from the drugstore. Her brother was there. I don't remember why. He said the best way to teach me to swim was to throw me in the pool. Grace said no, but he picked me up and threw me in anyway. She jumped in and got me out. I had swallowed a lot of pool water. She cursed him out and he left. I didn't want to go into the water after that."
"Sorry," Alec said.
"I'm glad we came here," Cory reassured him. "Teddy is having a great time."
"And you?"
"Me too, despite your teaching methods," Cory said, remembering his teasing.
"At least I didn't throw you in."
"I can't see you doing that," Cory told him. Alec had waited until Teddy was more than ready to swim on his own before he would let him go. Even then he was always ready to hold him up again.
"Sink or swim, that's no choice to give a kid," Alec said.
Cory agreed. It sent a bad message. He liked Alec's approach. I'll hold you, and I won't let go until I know you can hold your head above water. Cory wondered if that's how long Alec would stick around, until Teddy was settled and secure, and Alec didn't need to worry about him any more.
They only left the beach to eat lunch then came right back. Teddy couldn't get enough of it. In the evening, they stayed until it got too cool to swim. That's when they had dinner then made their away to the Sugarsand Hotel.
"This little hotel is owned by an old friend of Mom and Dad's. We'll get a friendly rate," Alec said as they walked up the steep path.
With two stories and only a dozen rooms, Sugarsand was one of the small establishments a short walk from the beach. Sand was tracked into the lobby through the main entrance. Otherwise the place was shabby but clean. Mr. Snyder, the owner, checked them in.
"I only have one room left. If you boys will share, it's yours," he said.
"We'll share," Alec decided for all of them.
"I'll bring in a cot for the little one," Mr. Snyder said.
The room was small and plain with two beds. Cory wasn't sure if he was glad or disappointed that there wasn't only one. The window faced the ocean, but even on the second floor, the view of the ocean was blocked by a taller building. Though Cory volunteered to take the cot Mr. Snyder brought in, Teddy looked at it kind of possessively. Cory let him have it. Teddy was happy that they were all sharing a room.
"Teddy l
ikes a slumber party," Alec said.
They had packed Teddy's drawing supplies, and Alec set them up on a small, rickety table. Teddy got busy drawing the ocean, and Cory decided to join in.
"I want to draw too," he said and took up a crayon and a piece of paper.
"I thought you said you wanted to draw," Alec said as he looked over Cory's shoulder at what he had on paper.
"I am drawing," Cory insisted.
"Where?" Alec said. "This?" He pointed at Cory's paper. "Teddy, is this drawing?"
Teddy both shook his head and said no.
"I'm not done yet," Cory told them. The truth was, ever since he was a kid, people looked at his drawings with confusion. The rude ones asked, "What's that supposed to be?"
"So what is it supposed to be?" Alec asked him.
"It's a cow like those we saw when we were driving down here," Cory explained.
Teddy frowned over the drawing and looked at Cory skeptically. Otherwise, he had no comment.
Cory's drawing ability gave Alec an idea. "Let's play a game. We'll call it What's Cory Drawing?"
"Hey, that's not a game. That's just another way to make fun of me," Cory objected.
"Yes, it is. Now hurry up and draw something so we can make fun of you," Alec told him.
With a new piece of paper in front of him, Cory drew really fast. He could barely tell what it was himself. He wanted to make sure to challenge them.
"OK, that could be anything, literally anything," Alec complained.
"Just guess," Cory told him.
"A ball of yarn," Alec said.
"How...?" Cory started to ask. "Never mind. Teddy, your turn."
"A cow," Teddy said.
"It's not always going to be a cow. Where do you see legs?" Cory asked him.
"It's sitting down," Teddy said.
"Give us a clue," Alec demanded. "Is it a living thing?"
"No," Cory told him.
"A cow," Teddy said.
"Not a living thing means not a cow," Cory informed him.