The Pick-Up

by Gianni Holmes

  Marsh and Perry

  Episode 1: The Pick-Up

  Marsh is a secondary character in the novel Easy Does It Twice. He will feature more in the second book in the series, Ollie on the Out which is on pre-order on Amazon.

  Gianni Holmes

  Chubs and Hubs © Gianni Holmes

  All Rights Reserved

  This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic, in whole or in part, without expressed written permission. This is excluding brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental in nature.

  Acknowledgment

  Thanks to author Daniel Elijah Sanderfer who provided the photo for this temporary cover.

  Marsh

  Muttering under his breath as he fiddled with the radio, Marsh whacked the useless thing that sputtered before filling the truck with static. Before he did something as stupid as flinging the radio outside, he turned off the offending noise. Marsh was annoyed and sexually frustrated. Since Drew started hooking up with Gordon’s kid, Ollie, the sex life he had enjoyed with his friend had ended abruptly.

  Marshall wasn’t in love with Drew and never thought he would be. In a way, they were too similar. He and Drew had amazing sex, but that was pretty much it. Otherwise, they enjoyed spending time together as friends, drinking beer or going somewhere for ribs. Marshall wasn’t the forever kind of guy, and even while he had fucked Drew, he knew his friend wanted forever.

  “Like he’s going to find it with Ollie,” Marsh said aloud, hating the loneliness of the night. Being a trucker was a solitary life, one he should have grown used to. He had become accustomed to it, but that had changed when he started seeing Drew. Now he expected a warm body to be in his bed waiting when he arrived home from a long trip. He expected kisses to greet him at the door, a leg being thrown over him in the middle of the night and waking up to a hard dick poking him in the ass.

  He blamed Drew for the way he felt. After his teen boyfriend, Ryan died from tuberculosis years ago, Marsh had shunned everyone out of his life. He had friends and family who cared about him, but he didn’t let anyone intimately close in his life. He had enjoyed being a trucker for so long because he didn’t remain in one place for too long. He picked up random tricks on his trips, satisfied his hunger then continued on the path of his life with no regrets.

  At least he had no regrets until he hooked up with Drew. Now he wished he hadn’t. Drew had given him a taste of what he was missing whereas he never thought he was missing anything before. If anything, he always thought that others should envy him his freedom.

  He glanced at the time on his dashboard and was satisfied that he had made good time in getting to York, Alabama. Ten minutes later, he drove into the truck stop where he would stay the night. He would get up at the crack of dawn and continue the six-hour drive back to Lacovia. He couldn’t believe he missed the boring town where hardly anything ever happened. He knew it was the people he missed. He suddenly felt the urge to call his mother, but it was too late to wake her up.

  At the truck stop, Marshall rang Drew while he waited his turn to refuel. He could wait until tomorrow morning to do this, but he preferred to handle it now so tomorrow nothing would stop him from pulling out when he wanted.

  “Hi, man. What’s up?” Drew answered, sounding breathless.

  “I’m horny,” he replied. “Wanna help me take care of it?”

  “Come on, dude. Now’s not the right time to kid about stuff like that, okay?”

  Ollie had to be there. Marsh was jealous that his friend was having so much fun without him. “You know he’s not supposed to be there, Drew.”

  “I think I’m gonna hang up now. If you really need something call me back. Tomorrow.”

  “Don’t you…” He trailed off at the dial tone in his ear. “Motherfucker!”

  Upset, Marsh threw the phone onto the dashboard and steamed while he waited to refuel. An image of Drew fucking Gordon’s son wedged itself into his mind. He needed a distraction tonight. Drew was hardly his, and the truth was that he didn’t want the other man in that way either. Nevertheless, he hated Drew not being available to him.

  After refueling, Marsh washed up in the facility provided for truckers before he headed to the diner for a hot meal. He was at the point of starving. No wonder he was so goddamn upset. He would be in a better mood after he had appeased his appetite. It might not be sex, but it was almost as good.

  The food at the diner was better than most places Marsh had eaten which was one of the main reasons he had opted to stop here. The second reason was the hookers that usually slipped into the truck stop at night. One or two times he had discovered a man was under the guise of a woman, and tonight he wouldn’t mind running into one. He wasn’t even in a mood to be picky. All he wanted was a guy on his knees, spreading himself for Marsh’s eager cock. He was so fucking hard already just thinking about it.

  He groaned in a different kind of satisfaction as his waitress returned with the mountain of food he had ordered. He was especially looking forward to sinking his teeth into the steakhouse burger since that was the only thing he would get a bite of tonight.

  “I get off in thirty minutes,” the waitress whispered, biting her lips.

  “Good to know.”

  Now if the offer had been made by the cute guy at the cashier’s desk Marsh would have considered the offer. He had made the mistake of trying to sleep with a woman only once, and he had no desire to repeat that mistake. His cock had never shriveled up as fast as it did that night. Not even doing it in the dark had been enough to camouflage the curves that were beneath him and the wrong body part.

  As the waitress walked away, pouting, he dug into his food.

  Marsh

  Marsh was halfway through his meal when the boy walked in. He couldn’t be a day over eighteen. It wasn’t his looks that drew Marsh’s attention. As someone who took care of his form, he didn’t have any particular interest in overweight guys, and this guy was leaning toward the chubby side. He wasn’t necessarily fat, but he wasn’t toned either, and Marsh enjoyed a man’s muscled chest either beneath or above him.

  Carrying a knapsack over one shoulder, the guy glanced around the diner until his eyes swept over Marsh. He did a double-take when he saw Marsh, heat flooding his pale cheeks when he realized Marsh was looking back at him. Marsh could have looked away and made things easier on them both, but for some inexplicable reason, he was drawn to the guy. Maybe it was the innocence in his wide eyes or the blush in his face. Marsh couldn’t remember the last time he had made anyone blush. He usually found experienced men to spend the night with, leaving virgins and vulnerable hearts alone.

  He found himself looking at a blond head as the boy walked toward an empty chair in the opposite direction. Marsh couldn’t blame the kid. If the raw look of hunger he was aiming at the guy’s nice round ass was any indication of how he had been observing him earlier, he wouldn’t be within ten feet of himself.

  He chewed on his food mechanically, ignoring the flavors that exploded his taste buds. He watched the guy take a seat, choosing the chair that would have him face Marsh. The guy glanced up and their eyes met and held again before he dropped his gaze to the counter and took up the menu to hide how red his face had become.

  To Marsh’s dismay, as soon as the guy ordered, and the waitress delivered his food, he was on his feet. Marsh wanted to stop him, to ask what his name was, but then the vain side of him gave up the ridiculous quest. He didn’t want a chubby buddy. He wanted a ripped guy with muscles that tightened in a show as they fucked.

  So he allowed t
he pink-cheeked boy with the really nice round ass to slip through his fingers.

  Trying to push the guy from his mind, he turned his attention back to his food. When he found himself pushing the foot around on his plate, he groaned and put down the fork. He knew what it meant to be this restless about a guy. He wouldn’t have any peace of mind now until he caught up with the blond that had ingrained himself in his mind. He summoned the waitress and rushed through the billing process.

  “I got your point, you know,” the waitress grumbled when he handed her what he considered a decent tip. “You don’t have to rush on out of here like I’m going to follow you or something.”

  Usually, Marsh wouldn’t give a fuck about her pout and the despondent expression on her face. He flicked her chin so she looked up at him. “You’re a pretty girl, sweetheart, but I’m just not into women.”

  Her mouth fell open in surprise. “You’re gay?”

  He nodded. “Yup, so don’t go beating yourself up. I’m sure plenty of truckers will be walking here soon.”

  “That’s such a bummer,” she remarked though she smiled. “Well, I’m sure you’ll make some bloke’s night.”

  Marsh hoped so too as he quickly walked out of the diner. He glanced around, disappointed when he didn’t find the mystery guy anywhere. Just as well, he thought. He was way out of his element here. This guy was not right for him. He scowled as he made his way to his truck. When had he ever cared about who was right for him? All he needed was a Mr. Right Now, someone who wanted to let off as much steam as he did, someone who wouldn’t mind how horny he was and how much he wanted to fuck.

  He reached his truck and was about to swing himself up when he heard talking that caught his attention.

  “-j-j-ust l-l-leave me al-alone.”

  “Come on. You’re just sucking my dick. I swear I’ll pay you.”

  “I’ll cry f-for help.”

  Marsh froze as the argument escalated. Deep inside his gut, he had a feeling the stuttering guy being harassed was the same person he had been searching for. Something about the smooth quiet tone trembling in fear just reminded him of the boy’s innocent face.

  Marsh’s ire rose when he heard the sickening impact of a body hitting into metal. “Get down on your fucking knees or I’ll cut you.”

  Having heard enough, Marsh rounded his truck and took in the sight of the young chub being pushed roughly to his feet. The man who threatened him was big, but he had nothing on Marsh. He unzippered his pants and tugged out his cock as he glanced up at Marsh and grinned.

  “You gonna have to wait your turn, fucker. I call first dibs on this fat fuck.”

  Ignoring the aggressor, Marsh glanced down at the guy who looked miserable being caught in this situation. His backpack was on the ground by his feet. He looked a hot pathetic mess. There, Marsh admitted it to himself. He must have gone without sex for too long because staring down at the blond head with the rosy cheeks, he thought the boy was hot.

  “I’ve no problem if you wanna watch,” the guy with his dick in his hand stated. Based on the lineup of the trucks and where they were positioned, it wasn’t easy for them to be spotted.

  “You okay, kid?” Marsh asked the teen.

  He nodded, then shook his head. “N-n-no.”

  Marsh extended his hand to the boy to help him to his feet. “Come on. I’ll help you.”

  “What do you think you’re doing?” The second the guy trying to force himself onto the boy touched Marsh’s arm, he flipped. He had been trying to handle the situation with calm because the last thing he wanted was to have an altercation here at the truck stop. He couldn’t afford to be banned from using this stop. All that sensible thought flew right out the window. He grabbed the offending arm and twisting it slammed the guy hard against his truck.

  “You lay another hand on me again motherfucker and you’ll fucking lose it.” Marsh twisted the arm higher.

  “Fuck man, that hurts! Let me go!”

  He flailed to get away but Marsh had him pinned down to the truck. “I don’t want you bothering this guy again, understand?”

  “Yes, yes. I understand. You don't have to be so sensitive over a piece of ass, man.” When Marsh released him, the man rubbed his arm and scowled at the guy still on the ground. "All you had to say was that your ass was already taken."

  Marsh

  Glaring at the man’s back as he scampered away, Marsh’s gaze shifted when he heard shuffling. He turned back to face the boy who rose to his feet, taking up his bag. Up close, Marsh got lost into his deep blue eyes with the flecks of amber. He saw the boy’s mouth moving but didn’t hear a word of what he was saying. He was busy contemplating how full and red his lips were. When all the blood flowed south he was barely a functioning man.

  “What’s your name?” he asked, interrupting what the boy was saying.

  “I-uh Pe-Pe-Perry.” His stuttering caught Marsh off guard. Earlier he had thought Perry was frightened which accounted for the stuttering, but now he recognized it as just another flaw. Perry was a chubby guy with a stutter but still a fine ass and a pretty face.

  “Shouldn’t you be home tucked into bed by your mother, Perry?”

  Fire flashed in his eyes, and he rose to his full height. He couldn’t be more than five feet ten inches.

  “I’m nineteen. Who are you?"

  Marsh raised an eyebrow. “I'm Marsh, and what's your point?”

  “My po-point is that I’m no-not a kid. I ca-can take care of myself.”

  Marsh nodded in the direction the other guy had run. “You call that taking care of yourself?” When Perry didn’t reply, Marsh sighed. “Where are you going? Perhaps I can get you there safely?”

  He shook his head.

  “What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t have a place to stay.”

  There he went shaking his head again.

  “What? Why not? Where are your folks?”

  His shoulders slumped. “I ran away.” He glanced up at Marsh and amended his statement. “I mean I left home.”

  Marsh frowned at him distrustfully. “What happened to your lisp?”

  His cheeks fired up again. “It is le-less obvious when I-I’m not agitated.”

  “I see.” He wasn’t sure he believed the kid, but he had nothing to refute the boy’s claim. “So what are you doing here?”

  “I-I thought maybe I could f-find a trucker to take me where I wa-wanna g-g-go,” he answered. “I-I’d pay them for their time.”

  Marsh scowled at him, thinking maybe he had interrupted something Perry had actually been courting.

  “Money,” the boy said as though reading his mind. “I was talking about mo-money. I do-don’t have much, b-but I can pay a little.”

  “And where exactly are you going?”

  “Louisiana. My aunt lives there. She said I could stay with her while I tr-try to g-get a job.”

  He was going to regret it. Marsh knew he was, but there was no way he could leave this guy here to approach truck drivers with his proposition. Not everyone was as honest as Marsh was, and even he wanted to fuck Perry’s sweet ass. Some of these guys would rob him blind and leave him on the streets.

  “I’ll take you.”

  Perry’s eyes widened. “Really? You will?”

  No, sorry, I spoke too soon. I can’t take you because I’m worried I’ll never stop thinking about how your lips would feel wrapped around my cock.

  “Yes, I will,” Marsh confirmed, ignoring what popped in his mind to say. “Do you have a place to sleep tonight?”

  “I can sleep on one-one of the benches.”

  Marsh groaned. There was no way he would be able to sleep comfortably in the sleeper berth with the warmth of the interior of the truck, nestled in a sheet while this youngster slept on a hard bench.

  “You can sleep in the truck. There’s enough space.”

  “Um I-I don’t mind.”

  “But I mind,” Marsh all but snap
ped at him. “Let me give you an honest opinion of the situation, kid. You’re going to sleep on that bench and you’ll have your ass tapped so often through the night you’ll forget how many times. From the looks of you, you’re naïve and a walking advertisement for people to take advantage of you. Now get in the bloody truck so I can get some shut-eye. I have to be on the road by five the latest tomorrow morning.”

  “B-but how do I know you won’t umm…”

  Marsh scowled at him. “While it may be true that I may want you just as much as that bloke that just left here, unlike him, I have self-control. I’d never do anything to you that you that wouldn’t want to be done.”

  Marsh

  He was a fucking saint, Marsh thought as he sat up front in the uncomfortable seat of the truck while Perry slept in the sleeper berth. If he didn’t get into heaven after doing such a selfless act, Marsh refused to believe such a place existed. He hardly believed anyway. He shifted and turned so often in his seat that he started to entertain the idea of leaving the truck to stretch his legs.

  He eventually gave up on the idea of sleeping, and cursing Perry for foiling his plans, he left the truck, being considerate in locking up as quietly as possible so he didn’t wake his guest. He walked over to the smoking area of the truck stop where a bunch of other guys sat, laughing and drinking beer. Marsh didn’t drink when he was on the road. He used to, but the day he got an entire shipment of chemicals stolen from under him while he was deep in his cups, he refused to touch the stuff while working. Thankfully, the police had apprehended the suspects.

  Marsh lit into a fresh pack of cigarettes, calmer with each pull into his lungs. He didn’t make a habit of smoking and could go for weeks without touching the stuff, but he would never completely swear off cigarettes either. Like many things he didn’t have use for on a daily basis, cigarettes came in handy.