Episode # 419

   It was after midnight as Eduardo and Jake ambled softly up the flagstone walkway towards the B&B. The single porchlight shone bright against the dark, late summer night. A gentle breeze was blowing off the harbor, with a hint of coolness to indicate Fall was not far off.
   "Well, being that this is our third date now, I was wondering..." Eduardo said, grinning mischieviously, "...how do I rate?"
   "Rate?" Jake frowned. "Against what?"
   "Against all those wack job blind dates Richard set you up on," Eduardo cracked, beginning his ascent up the wooden porch stairs.
    Jake sighed, somewhat mortified that everyone in the house, including the guy he was now dating, was aware of the fact he'd been unsuccessfully set up on a string of bad blind dates earlier that year by a well-intentioned but extremely poor judge of character Richard. "They weren't 'wack jobs', Eduardo," Jake said, defensively.
   "Oh, yeah? I heard one of 'em pulled a shotgun on you."
   "That's...not quite accurate," Jake said, rolling his eyes as he recalled the chilling winter afternoon he'd spent with Dan, one of Richard's more egregious set-ups. "We went hunting together, but..." he paused, recalling the mortal fear he'd felt when Dan threw a raging temper tantrum on their date while brandishing a rifle, "...yeah, the guy had some anger management issues."
   "Must've been a wildman in bed," Eduardo offered, teasingly.
   "We didn't go to bed."
   "And now you regret that."
   "Ha!" Jake laughed. "Not in the slightest."
   "What about me?" Eduardo asked, the porch light casting deep shadows across his handsome face. "Any regrets you turned me down that first night we made out?"
   "Maybe," Jake hesitated, thinking about that first evening they'd connected while sharing some cold beers and warm conversation after yet another one of Jake's strike-out blind dates, "part of me regrets that."
   "Which part?" Eduardo inquired, reaching down and giving Jake's crotch a quick squeeze. "This part?"
   "Eduardo..." Jake groaned, taken aback by the younger man's bold move.
   "Uh-oh. Serious face."
   "C'mon, Eduardo...you know I like you."
   "Yeah. I think your erection establishes that."
   "I don't want to play games. And if this is all a joke to you...then maybe...well..." Jake stammered, not sure where he was going with this. Only sure that he was now feeling very much like he'd been thrown into the deep end.
   "Then maybe you should shut up and kiss me now," Eduardo whispered, pressing close to Jake's body to let him know he wasn't the only one with an erection.
    And at that moment, as their lips connected in a long, deep, electric, passionate kiss, all of Jake's concerns about age differences, compatibility, and awkwardness evaporated into the gentle late-summer breeze.

Episode # 418

    The combined whir of the washing machine and dryer bounced off the concrete walls as Richard strode into the laundry room. Clipboard in hand, he was on a mission. Directly in front of him were his first two targets... Lance and Brad, both casually dressed in their underwear and t-shirts as they tended to their laundry.
    "All right, gentlemen," Richard announced. "Kyle's put me in charge of organizing our annual pumpkin picking expedition next month."
    "How proud your mother must be," Lance said wearily, barely turning from folding his laundry to acknowledge Richard's presence.
    "Very funny, Lance," Richard said, undeterred. "Now, please... just check off on this list whether you'll be going." He shoved the clipboard in their direction, adding, "And you had both better be going!".
    Brad scanned the list of names on the clipboard. "Hey... how come Price isn't on the list?" he asked, his blond hair catching rays of sunlight through the laundry room window as he casually adjusted the bulge in his tight white briefs.
    "Um... because he's Price," Richard answered, arching his eyebrow.
    "He ain't that bad, Richard."
    "Please. He's the anti-christ," Richard said wryly. "Dressed in Lacoste with a Kentucky accent."
    Brad winced. "Maybe if you guys didn't harrass him so much... you'd see he's actually a nice guy."
    "How have I ever harrassed him?" Lance asked, incredulously.
    "Didn't you throw a wedding cake in his face?" Brad countered.
    "You... you actually think I instigated that ridiculous melee?" Lance stammered, still shocked that Brad... that anyone in the B&B... would be siding with Price Kingsbury.
    "Well, you sure didn't run away from it," Brad pointed out, his pecs pressing hard against his tight blue Captain America t-shirt.
    Lance and Richard glanced at each other uncertainly, mystified by Brad's sudden defense of the man who had once tried to illegally seize control of the B&B. And that was only the beginning of the list of egregious offenses he'd committed during his stay at the house.
    "Look, guys," Brad continued. "All I'm sayin' is, this pumpkin pickin' trip is for the whole house. N' Price lives here. Like it or not, he's part of this house. So... put him on the list... or you can cross me off."
    Picking up his laundry basket, he began walking towards the stairs, his white socks quiet on the concrete floor. "Anyway, I gotta' go get ready for baseball practice. Later."
    Richard and Lance both stared in disbelief as he ascended the staircase.
    "Oh, I do not like this at all," Richard declared.
    "Neither do I," Lance affirmed, smoothing his plaid boxers. "And things must be really bad if we're so easily agreeing on something."
    "I agree. I mean..." Richard stopped himself. "Oh, my, this is disturbing..."

EPISODE # 417

    The sun was just setting as Jake and Eduardo stepped onto the dock for an after-dinner walk along Northport Harbor. The sky was painted with breathtaking shades of red and magenta, and the very air seemed to be suffused with a warm pink glow.
     Jake marveled at how easily the conversation had flowed over dinner; any nervousness about going on a date with such a significantly younger man as Eduardo had evaporated as they shared stories and jokes and laughter. Even the dinner itself had been surprisingly delicious. Why couldn't any of the blind dates that Richard had set him up with have gone this smoothly?
    Only now, as they walked along the water, a certain quiet settled over them. Perhaps both felt some apprehension about what was to come next. Jake searched his mind for something to chat about, some subject they hadn't covered over dinner.
    "So, Nick and Dave are thinking about setting their wedding date for next Spring," he offered, confident in the fact that Eduardo would share his interest in their mutual friends nuptials.
    Eduardo frowned. "Wonder if they'll even invite me, " he said, scowling.
    "Why wouldn't they?" Jake asked, surprised at the notion that Eduardo would be left off the guest list.
    "Nick and I aren't speaking lately," Eduardo said, looking down. "We had a little difference of opinion."
    "About what?" Jake asked.
    "About you, actually."
    "Me?" Jake said incredulously. "What about me?" He couldn't fathom what there could possibly be about him that would cause Nick and Eduardo to stop speaking.
    Eduardo looked off across the harbor as a warm breeze played with his short, spiky black hair. "Nick thinks I have, like... Daddy issues. Or something."
    Jake felt a slight sinking feeling in his stomach. "Do you? Have 'Daddy issues' ?"
    "I'm not even sure what that means," Eduardo said, rolling his eyes. "Nick brought up the same crap when me and him were...um..."
    "You and Nick were dating?!"
    "Almost," Eduardo hesitated, searching for the right description. "It didn't really...get off the ground."
    "Man. I need a scorecard to keep track of all these B&B relationships, " Jake said, adjusting the brim of his Chicago Cubs cap.
    Eduardo stopped walking and fixed his gaze directly into Jake's eyes. "Look, Jake... I like you. But it's got nothing to do with your age... or about any of this 'Daddy' stuff. So can we forget about that... and just enjoy our date?"
    "Fine with me," Jake answered, relaxing his shoulders a bit. Whatever the trouble was between Eduardo and Nick, well... that was between Eduardo and Nick. And, frankly... it sounded to Jake like Eduardo was the more rational one. Still, while they were on the subject, perhaps now Jake could ask the question that had been in the back of his mind ever since he and Eduardo had began their... whatever it was they were doing together.
    "Can I ask you, though, " Jake inquired, as they resumed walking along the dock. "How old is your father?"
    Eduardo cocked his head to the side and thought for a moment."Um...55, I think."
    Jake breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Ah, good... at least I'm younger than your father... even if it is only by a couple of years." For some reason, this had been weighing on his mind. The thought of dating a man whose father he was older than, well... it just didn't sit right with him.
    "You look older than him," Eduardo said, his words hitting Jake like a bucket of ice.
    "Okay, we can change the subject now," Jake said, frowning.
    "Maybe 'cause you're heavier," Eduardo continued.
    "Great."
    "Or bald," said Eduardo, chuckling lightly.
    "So glad I brought this up," Jake said, finding it hard to avoid chuckling along in spite of himself.
   

EPISODE # 416

    Price Kingsbury strode down the hallway at a leisurely pace. It was his day off, and he'd planned on working out and then... perhaps a drive out to the Hamptons? Even on his day off... even though he was dressed in workout clothes... Price always managed to look... regal. His raven-black hair swept back Mad Men-style, Price wore an expensive green sleeveless v-neck Dartmouth sports shirt that showed off his impressive shoulders and hairy pecs, along with silky white medium length shorts and top-of-the-line sneakers. Even his mid-calf length black workout socks were of the highest quality. A Kingsbury always dressed to impress, and Price was certainly no exception.  However, as he neared the basement stairs, he was puzzled by the sound of... hammering? Who would be doing such a thing in the gym... especially when he was planning on working out? That was damned inconsiderate, to say the least!
    As he descended the stairs, his irritation softened as he saw that Brad was the source of the hammering noise. Brad, who lately was becoming somewhat of a friend to Price, was crouched at the bottom of the stairs, hammering nails into what appeared to be a newly constructed wooden wall frame of some sort. He wore a navy blue t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and workboots with short white socks. His short blond hair was tousled and unstyled, and beads of sweat appeared on his brow and muscular arms.
    "What's all the hammering about?" Price inquired as he stepped off the bottom stair onto the concrete floor.
    "Didn't Kyle tell you?" Brad answered in his somewhat gruff Long Island accent, his focus squarely on the nail he was pounding into the crossbeam in front of him. "I'm buildin' two new guestrooms. Kyle n' I figured out if I... whatchamacallit," he paused, searching for the correct word, "...consolidated all the exercise equipment, there'd be enough room down here on the lower level to add two new guestrooms. Considerin' how full the house has been lately, we definitely need 'em."
    Price surveyed the room. Brad was right; the gym equipment certainly didn't need to be spread out the way it had been previously. By consolidating it all into one half of the large space, Brad had cleared enough room to build two medium-sized guestrooms, which he'd already framed out roughly with beams of fresh lumber.
    "Hmm... a wise business move on Kyle's part, " Price observed, thinking of how two new guestrooms could potentially  increase Kyle's rental income by 120 percent. "How can I help you?"
    Brad stopped hammering and stood up, a smile forming on his face, his blue eyes crinkling. "You... wanna' help me?" Brad laughed, incredulously. "Haha... seriously, Price?"
    Price placed his hands on his hips, decidedly unamused. "Why does that strike you as humorous?" he said sharply. "I helped you once with yardwork, didn't I?" He recalled the sunny Fall day when he and Brad had raked the entire lawn together, which perhaps had been the beginning of what Price thought was a budding friendship. Only now...
    "Yeah, but..." Brad countered, "...construction work's a lot different. Did you ever even lift a hammer down on the Kentucky mansion?"
    Price winced. So many times in his life he'd been teased, admonished, criticized, judged, and simply insulted because of his family's moneyed status. But Brad had never taken him to task for that. Brad had always been different. Accepting. Until now.
    "If you don't want my help, just say so. You don't need to ridicule me, " Price said defensively in his light Kentucky accent, his blue eyes like lasers boring into Brad's. "I thought we were becoming friends. My mistake."
    Brad put the hammer down and walked over to Price, placing his arm around Price's broad shoulders. He hadn't meant to hurt Price, and now he could see that he had. "Hey, Price.... I was just bustin' on you. That's what friends do, " he said, softly.
    Price would normally have been put off by a sweaty construction worker placing his hands on his expensive clothing, but this wasn't just any sweaty construction worker. This was Brad. And maybe... just maybe he was a friend to him after all. Whatever he was... it felt good having the blond man's muscular arm encircling him warmly.
    "C'mon... I'd be glad to have your help, " Brad continued, sincerely. "Why don't you grab a coupla' those two-by-fours?"
     Price stared around the room blankly as Brad released him and knelt down to continue hammering.
    "What's a two-by four?" Price asked.
    Brad smiled. "Haha... good one, " he laughed, impressed by Price's quick display of sarcasm.
    "No, really," Price said, without a trace of laughter. "What's a two-by four?"
    Brad rolled his eyes. "Holy Crap," he muttered. It was going to be a long day...

EPISODE # 415

    There was a light breeze blowing as the three figures sat on the deck overlooking the harbor, finishing their breakfast. Lance Powers...handsome, African-American, 30-ish... crisply attired in tailored business wear. Drew Danvers, his boyfriend... Alabama-born, blue-eyed, medium-brown windblown hair with a neatly trimmed beard, in his mid-twenties... what some would call a "muscle bear" ... also wearing a shirt and tie, although his clothing not nearly as expensive as that of his boyfriend Lance. And finally, Morgan St. Cloud... transgender, of undetermined age, wearing a full-length, flowing bright red ensemble with a matching hat, her face made up with artfully applied cosmetics.
     Drew stood up. "Well, it was real nice meetin' ya' Morgan, " he said, placing his napkin on the table. "But I gotta' get to work."
    "Oh, must you, Drew?" Morgan protested. Like just about everyone else at the B&B, she'd been quickly enchanted by Drew's rugged southern charm.
    "'Fraid so, " he replied. "How long are ya' in town for?"
    "Only for the weekend," she said, regretfully. "I need to be back at the London office by Monday morning." She'd been away in London for months, and was realizing how many things she'd missed at the B&B while she'd been gone. Not the least of which was the fact that Lance Powers, of all people, now had a boyfriend. And an incredibly captivating one, at that.
    "'Kay, then, " Drew said, caressing her shoulder gently with his strong hands. "We gotta' take ya' line dancin' on Saturday night."
    "Ooooh....I'll be there with spangles on!" she purred, enthusiastically. She wasn't sure which astounded her more; the fact she was going to be going country line-dancing with a real cowboy the following night... or the fact that Lance Powers was actually dating a real cowboy who liked to go country line-dancing. And who'd somehow wrangled him into going, too.
    As soon as Drew had kissed Lance goodbye and was off to brush his teeth, Morgan leaned forward to give her assessment. "Lance, he's wonderful. But then... I'd expect no less of any man capable of enticing Lance Powers into an actual relationship."
    Lance smirked. "I suppose it had to happen eventually."
    "I'm happy for you. Truly. Although..." Morgan hesitated, before continuing. "I know you well enough that I need to ask."
    "Ask what?" Lance said, sipping his coffee.
    "How does he tolerate your sleeping around?"
     Lance raised his eyebrows. "Who says I'm sleeping around?"
    "You mean--" Morgan began, incredulously.
    "We're monogamous. For now," Lance said, nonchalantly. "And out agreement is to remain that way... until either one of us feels the need to renegotiate those terms."
    "That all sounds rather formalized," Morgan said, still reeling from that fact that Lance had even uttered the "M" word, let alone was in a relationship that was supposedly characterized as such.
    "It needs to be," Lance continued. "At heart, Drew's a somewhat traditional Alabama Christian boy... who requires assurance of my fidelity. And I need to know I have an out... should circumstances change."
    "Oh, Lance," Morgan said, wistfully. "I just hope you don't go breaking that hairy-chested cowboy's heart."
    Lance frowned. "How do you know he has a hairy chest?"
   "Richard e-mailed me some  photos," Morgan answered, smiling, recalling the unexpectedly explicit set of black & white nude photos that Richard had surprised her with several months ago. Pictures Drew apparently posed for while in college, for some sort of art project, that showed off every detail, every single orifice of the boy's body in graphic detail. Those photos had certainly warmed her up on a cold, wintry London afternoon!
    Lance sighed. "Of course he did," making a mental note to have a talk with Richard about discretion. And realizing that his boyfriend's body was always going to be subject to leering and ogling as long as those pictures were out there.
   

EPISODE # 414

    It was a hot June morning as the two men stood in the driveway outside the bed & breakfast. The older man, Jake... 50ish, heavy, a light brown goatee & mustache, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, with a Chicago Cubs baseball cap covering his bald head... was working intently with his tools on the door of the younger man's car. The younger man, Eduardo... early 20s, lean, spiky short black hair, wearing purple gym shorts and a tight black t-shirt... stood watching Jake pensively.
    "There you go. Unlocked," Jake announced, as the car door clicked open.
    "Wow. Awesome," Eduardo offered. "Sure is cool having a locksmith living at the B&B." He paused for a moment. "How much do I owe you?"
    "Don't worry about it, " Jake said, dismissively.
    "Are you sure?" Eduardo asked.
    "Positive," Jake replied, again with an air of dismissiveness.
    "Jake, um..." Eduardo began, not sure how to break through the wall of ice Jake seemed to be erecting between them, "...I'm really sorry I wasn't able to go to that Sam Sparro concert with you."
    "Not a problem, " Jake said, casually. "I gave the tickets to Richard and Delia. They had a good time."
    "If it's not a problem, then how come you're giving me the stone cold treatment?" Eduardo asked, his frustration growing.
    "I just unlocked your car for you, didn't I?" Jake shot back, angrily. "What more do you want?"
    "Just tell me what you're really feeling," Eduardo said, almost pleadingly.
    Jake paused for a moment. Looking away from the younger man, he finally spoke. "I'm feeling like a fool, Eduardo. I completely misread what happened between us that night we... you know..." he hesitated, "...kissed, " he continued. "And now you obviously want nothing to do with me, so....yeah. I'm feeling like a fool."
    Eduardo frowned. "If I wanted nothing to do with you, then why the hell would I purposely lock my goddamn keys in the car?!"
    Jake stared at him blankly, taking a moment to register what he had just heard. "Wait. What? You did that?"
    Eduardo smiled. "It was the only way to get you to talk to me."
    "Oh, " Jake responded, a smile beginning to form on his face.
    Now Eduardo stared him squarely in the eyes. "So, do you wanna' go out to dinner at IHOP with me?"
    "Um...yeah, OK," Jake said, still a bit incredulous.
    "Good," Eduardo said, firmly.
    Jake chuckled. "IHOP? Really?" 
    Eduardo shrugged. "I have a coupon..."