He squeezed him in his arms and kissed the blonde boy even harder.
– “Are you staying for dinner?”
– “I know Götz Wehrmer is looking forward to dinner.”
– “Oh... Then I have some cooking to do.”
– “I may have a tip for you.”
– “I'm not your waiter...” Ryan kissed him on the lips. “No need for tips.”
– “Come on, don't be the tip of the iceberg. I happen to know him well. I know what Götz likes to eat... a lot! I know what kind of dessert would drive him wild.”
– “Marzipan?”
– “How did you know?”
– “Just a hunch...”
– “Okay, now I have to be there and see this.”
Ryan slowly put his hands around Hart's hips.
– “Then, if you're staying for dinner, you could stay for the night.”
– “I've already packed my suitcase. You know... Just a little in advance.”
Hart had opened Ryan's white shirt down to the last button. The blonde cook put the same moves on him and responded with gentle rubs on his well-rounded, furry belly.
– “There's a lot more than your stomach that will get engorged...”
■ ■ ■
Monday, late at night — Hawk's bedroom, in the lighthouse
– “There you go, Austin. Eat!”
– “Hmmmph...”
Hawk wasn't done feeding and stuffing his boyfriend in bed. There was a big tray on his left side, and another on his right side, each with a small mountain of pastries — or rather mountains of little treats: tartlets and cupcakes, chocolate éclairs cut in half, pop tarts and brownies the size of tequila shooters, peanut butter cookies, gingerbread, miniature pies and all kinds of tidbits that Austin could be fed with a spoon, like dulce de leche and crèmes brûlées.
– “More food for you, Austin!”
– “Hmmmph...”
– “I have to say, Ryan is really treating you well!”
– “Oh? These were meant for the party today. Since no one showed up, it was better for me to eat them so we can start fresh tomorrow.”
– “That's right! We'd rather spoil you than let the food spoil...”
Austin was lying naked and spread all over the bed, backed against big, fluffy pillows with Hawk half standing on his knees, half sitting on his lap with his strong thighs against his hips, and towering over him as he fed him by hand or with his spoon.
Hawk had emptied a whole ice box in those trays, then there was food everywhere on the bed covers. It would have to disappear, down to the last chocolate chip, and it was too tempting to play “Giant” with Austin, pushing pies smaller than his palm to the young man's lips and telling him how he would turn the whole valley of treats into a mountain of lard.
– “I feel so heavy, right now!”
– “Eat some more and feel heavier.”
– “Hmmmph...”
– “Eat!”
– “Hmmmph...”
Austin could hardly breathe, stuffed and exhilarated as he was.
– “Hawk, what's the problem with me?”
– “What do you mean?”
– “I love to eat! I'm eating... Why am I not fatter?”
Hawk kneaded Austin's round belly, full but soft like a ball of dough.
– “I don't know. The way I see it, you've only been stress eating lately.”
– “Maybe...”
– “Stress eating doesn't count as eating.”
– “It shouldn't, if I'm not getting any fatter.”
– “You should be lazier, more relaxed... and eat more.”
– “I bet I can do that. Feed me, Hawk!”
– “There you go, Austin. Eat... Eat... Eat!”
In a moment of pure passion, Hawk leaned closer and kissed Austin's lips when he was done with another handful of pop tarts.
– “You're eating more and more, Austin. Better and better.”
– “Feed me more! Feed me butter... UUUUURRRRRP! better.”
– “You're not quite fat enough, but you're getting fatter. Then you'll grow fatter and fatter...” Hawk fondled the sides of his boyfriend's belly. “And I am going to feed you fatter... and fatter. Like a pig!”
– “Like a pig?” Austin whispered with twinkling little stars in his eyes.
■ ■ ■
Tuesday morning — Ryan's bedroom
It was a rough night around the Pleasure Dome... It started raining on the coast before midnight, the wind howled through the trees and the clapped shutters shook against the windows for hours.
It was also quite a rough night for Ryan. As the man in charge of the Fire Department in and around Pleasance, captain Hanson was a hard-nosed, strict disciplinarian, tough but dependable, a true leader of men. In the bedroom, Hart was just so tough, possessive and rough.
Ryan knew what to expect from that kind of man, of course, when he had more than one beer with dinner. By the time mister Wehrmer was gone, all rosy in the cheeks and praising his cooking with an unrepressed belch — that felt so out of character from the administrator sent by the mayor's office to restrain their actions — Hart had eaten a magnificent meal but he had also helped himself with three bottles of beer, which would take effect almost immediately.
The way he grabbed the blonde cook and pushed him against the wall, in the kitchen, on their way to his bedroom, didn't bode well for Ryan in the hours to come... Even as he moved in most limber and agile ways to avoid being slapped or hit, it was impossible to block all the blows when Hart kissed him so hard, trapped him in a grizzly bear hug, talked dirty to him and clenched his fists in a frenzy.
From the moment they had met, in the lobby of the General Hospital in Pleasance, Ryan had a hunch that Hart Hanson would be difficult. He was still married, as far as one could tell. His children were in high school. It had come as a surprise to Ryan when this highly regarded man took him to the side once, and kissed him so wildly that it now felt like dating a freshman linebacker — a deeply confused freshman linebacker.
Ryan had managed to handle this relationship, somehow... until now. He was always honest with his partners, in touch with their feelings and attentive to their needs. Hart wasn't looking for anything serious... As a matter of fact, he didn't mind “sharing” Ryan with the younger members of the team working for the Fire Department. Then, sometimes, out of the blue, he pushed everyone out of the way and took hold of him for a night of unbridled passion... Just the two of them. It was now assumed that Ryan was pretty much the “twenty-eighth Fireman” in Pleasance, or the team's unofficial mascot.
Following his instincts had saved Ryan from trouble, even from physical harm, on more occasions than his friends would ever believe... He could tell that something was missing in Hart's life. In the six months of their on-and-off relationship, he had got closer and closer to him. Hart wanted him to be a “bad boy” — he could play along. He wanted him to be raw and “ruthless” in bed — he could go for it. Of course, Hart expected him to be “dumb” like a “good little slut” — Ryan was so used to it, he could play that part in his sleep.
There was another side to those demands and desires. Ryan had taken it into account. Hart was truly impressed with his physique, even now — like a choirboy suddenly struck with a vision of the Divine, at the Holy of Holies, in a glory of golden sunbeams...
When Ryan got out of the bathroom, naked and taking a pause in front of him, pretending to pose as the “bad boy” he wanted to take to bed, Hart didn't even dare to touch him, at first, not for a few minutes... Then the same magic that kept him frozen in awe made him erupt into sudden bouts of rowdiness and carpet-shredding violence, like a blazing volcano.
Hart didn't just grab him like a hood would steal a teddy bear in a toy store... He almost pounced on him — he squeezed his waist and slapped his thighs. He spanked his buttocks so hard as he could. He punched him in the stomach like a wrestler... Ryan had to fight back, more often than not, and keep him in line with his own strength and resilience. And love.
It had to be Ryan's ultimate asset to save his own ass, surprising as it may be, his secret weapon to put an end to this secret war... Like any other man in his team, Hart only wanted to have sex. Ryan made love to him. Passionately. Savagely. He made him feel loved. As the night grew darker and darker, he went deeper into his partner's feelings. Each new round of sex was more brutal and more tender at the same time... Once Ryan was in command and Hart surrendered to him, the whole room was on fire. It may be raining hail and flaming embers, outside. Hart wouldn't know, and he couldn't care less until the sun would shine again — then he would leave this blonde burning bush behind, and go back to his normal life. The world may have been reduced to ashes, in his absence... Every day away from him felt gray like a midwinter afternoon.
There was no secret about it, certainly no secret weapon. Hart couldn't help himself, neither could Ryan... He was such a naturally gentle lover that any act of violence toward him was turned into kindness, then the boundless generosity he displayed toward his partner felt almost cruel — holding and rocking him in his arms, waves after waves of fiery pleasure burning through his body, until he made him come in an explosive rush.
It was so good... It was too much, and it only made Hart want more!
The silence that followed went beyond the limits of the horizon.
It was still pouring, outside the hotel. Hart listened to the rain, when he woke up. There was something strangely soothing about it. The weather was so bad, he could also hear distant waves pounding on the shore. It made him open his eyes, just as it reminded him that he was still in bed with Ryan. The blonde boy was silent, fast asleep.
Hart understood why he was feeling so comfortable right now, when the thunder and the lightning used to frighten him as a child. Sleeping in the arms of another man was a welcome change for him — he felt safe with Ryan, at peace with himself, far from the turmoil of the world.
He covered Ryan's left hand with his own, on top of his stomach. This young cook had such remarkable fine hands, so strong for his soft touch, and so large... or surprisingly small, compared to some other significant part of his anatomy. Hart let out a deep sigh.
– “Why me?”
– “What do you mean?”
Ryan was only whispering, not quite awake at the moment.
– “Why me, Ryan?”
– “Why not you, Hart?”
– “You could have called anyone else in the team.”
– “It was better to call you, and I knew I could count on you.”
– “To call the others?”
– “I was hoping that you would answer my call. And you did.”
– “Of course.”
– “Adam, Brett, Cecil, Danny and the others... They're married. They're newlyweds, or they're about to get married. They have girlfriends. They have kids. Their girlfriends are pregnant, or they're working on it. Then I thought... Maybe you wouldn't mind spending the night, even on such short notice.”
– “I love them. And I love my wife.”
Hart felt Ryan hug him a bit tighter.
– “I know. You do. Only you didn't have to come up with an excuse to spend the day here, with us... and I thought that you wouldn't mind staying with me, instead of coming back to an empty nest.”
Ryan's last words startled him. Hart turned to face him.
– “How did you know about...”
– “I didn't know. I just guessed.”
– “No. You didn't. Did someone tell you... at the hospital?”
– “Never. We all know how to keep a secret.”
– “I never really trusted them... Who told you? Tell me.”
– “No one told me anything. I just figured it out...”
Hart was about to grab him by the shoulders again, suddenly, when he looked into Ryan's eyes — and he burst into tears.
– “You don't know about my appointment, next week?”
For a long moment, Ryan comforted him without saying a word... Hart was still sobbing and holding on to him like a child.
– “How could you do this to me? How can you be so good to me?”
– “You're the Devil... You're the worst! You know that?”
– “It's okay, Hart. It's okay.”
– “We've been over this. You care too much. You feel too strongly. You're the dumbest boy I know! You shouldn't even be allowed to think...”
– “Okay.”
– “They should have thrown you out of Thinking 101 at school.”
– “Okay...”
– “Look dumb! Be dumb. Act dumber. That's what we all want from you.”
Hart was poking at Ryan's forehead as he told him so, then he noticed the light bruises on his cheek, then the bruises on his shoulders, on his chest and on his abs. In the dull morning light, they looked like serious blows. Hart's fingertips froze as he touched him.
– “Did I... do this to you?”
– “What do yo think? Even I am not that clumsy.”
– “Ryan...”
– “Don't say it.”
– “No... I'm sorry.”
Ryan stopped him just in time, with a long and tender kiss.
– “It's okay.”
– “It's not...”
– “I'm a gay boy from Virginia. I can take a hint and I can take a hit.”
Hart was already out of breath when Ryan pulled in closer, and slowly wrapped his hands around his head... He kept whispering to calm him down. His soft kisses made Hart's eyelids flutter like butterflies.
Ryan didn't break their embrace, but his hands went down to massage his partner's neck, his shoulders and his back.
When he started rubbing his belly with both hands, Hart blushed — he had put on no less than sixty-eight pounds over the last six months, and it was more and more difficult for him to ignore his weight gain.
– “Damn you, Ryan! Why are you such a delicious... cook?”
– “We've been over this. I have a thing for a man with a big... appetite.”
– “I bet I can't even close the buttons on my shirt now.”
– “You'll get a new shirt. You look fine.”
– “I look fat! I can't even suck it in.”
– “Please don't. Sucking in just sucks.”
– “Oh, well... Okay.”
Hart enjoyed the attention. He put his hands on Ryan's hips again, and looked deep into his eyes. Ryan knew that look — Hart knew that impish smile... They were both ready for it.
– “Maybe you can go... gently on me, this time?”
Ryan nodded. Then he reached for the plate he had left by the bed.
– “Have a few more of my pot brownies... It will help you feel better.”
Hart slapped his own belly with both hands and a big laugh.
– “Most guys ask for a reefer, after such great sex... You're the only guy I know who offers a refill!”
■ ■ ■
Bear week at the Pleasure Dome
The list of requirements and “demands” from the teams of firemen who came up, and parked their fire trucks in front of the hotel, was just so reasonable. Chris and Lou wouldn't believe that they were serious about it — of course, they could eat all the food they wanted, drink as much as they wanted and have permanent access to the gym, the spa and sauna, the pool and all places on the hotel resort.
Their only “special” request was that Ryan should spend as much time with them as possible, when he would be done cooking in the kitchen. Everyone agreed that there would be a big BBQ feast outside, when the weather would be a little sunnier... or just a little less rainy.
As a result, from the moment everyone arrived, Ryan was at the center of their tightly knit group. They asked him to work-out as their personal coach, but it soon turned into them pushing him to lift heavy, pump iron and sweat as much as they did. Then they spent time with drinks around the pool, swimming or splashing, taking a steam bath at the spa, coming and going to the bar and to the buffet with piles of food on their plates.
Lou was quite busy at the bar. Austin helped him from time to time. Chris enjoyed serving more cocktail drink and waiting the tables, moving among that rowdy bunch of handsome young men. They spent the whole week shirtless, only wearing their swimsuits sometimes... or just a large bath towel around their waists.
It came as a real surprise when Ryan and Chris served appetizers and shooters for their first party night at the Pleasure Dome. Captain Hanson must have told them to bring as much cash as they could, so they could slip dollar bills all around the waiter's waistband.
Once again, Chris was delighted, and he took the opportunity to tease Ryan even more than during their first Bear Week.
– “Honestly, Ryan! Do they always behave like that?”
– “I feel like I'm... I don't know! AMISH.”
– “Come on, Chris. You can be just so rebellious and unruly as they are.”
– “I meant Alpha Male Independent Stripper Host.”
Austin joined them with more cash he had collected on the way.
– “This Bear Week looks even better than the last one we had!”
– “Please, cousin...” Chris scoffed as if he was about to scold him. “These are Canadian dollars. It's like Monopoly money for strippers.”
– “There are more green leaves than the all-mighty dollar.” Ryan nodded.
– “Having a queen on the dollar bills, that's not my idea of money.”
– “Money with a woman on the notes? That would never happen in the United States...”
– “Not with the people we have in the White House.”
– “Guys!” Austin cut them off. “Keep in mind we are US citizens... I have no complaints with the people we have inside the White House, as long as they don't turn it into the White Supremacist House.”
After a few days, and a very successful party by the swimming pool, with more beer bottles and barbecue meat than Lou had ever seen, it was clear for everyone around the Pleasure Dome that they could rely on more local people to book rooms for a week or get special invitations.
Austin had commented on a funny thing about the parties they were hosting for these young firefighters.
– “I didn't notice, at first... Then I thought about the fact that they are two teams of twelve with the truck drivers. Captain Hanson has twenty-six men under his responsibility, and their first names go full circle from Adam to Zoltan!”
– “Okay, now we know for a fact that Ryan knows his alphabet...”
There was no doubt that all the guests had enjoyed the company of their blonde cook, most probably more than once... Now that they were staying at the hotel for a whole week, he would show them a good time again — each and every one of them, and definitely more than once!
Lou saw the way they kept gathering around Ryan, always keeping him within hand's reach. While Chris had some fun on his own, flirting with one tall young man or another, their behavior was downright predatory when it came to the one who was there to cook their meals, coach them, rub or massage their backs and keep them excited at all times.
Ryan didn't flirt — he didn't have to. There was no need to flirt with him either... If you took one look at him, you could already tell that he was there for you. If you talked to him, you knew that he was there for you, and no one else.
Chris also enjoyed taking a well-fed, rough and uncouth firefighter to bed, of course... They kept showing a really healthy, big appetite! Then they would take a peak into the kitchen, “where the magic happened”, and they behaved like the most innocent children before Christmas.
– “Did you know Ryan is Rain spelled backwards?”
– “I... huh... I had never thought about it.”
– “Wicked, right?”
– “Wicked...”
Lou happened to step into the kitchen, as their guest was going back to the dining hall with his plate all cleaned up.
– “What's wicked, Chris?”
– “Something like Kiwi spelled backwards, according to these boys.”
– “It does sound backwards to me...”
The rain was coming and going. The wind was sometimes howling in a most sinister way... They wouldn't change their plans to go for a walk to the coast with large picnic baskets and ice boxes. It could count as some welcomed time off for Lou, Chris and Austin... The music was always too loud when they were dancing, and they made even more noise, a lot less less tuneful, around the buffet.
– “Let's be honest. This is better than our original plans.”
– “More money?”
– “Not quite, but I'm sure that we'll make a profit again.”
– “That's good. We were facing real disaster here...”
– “Did you get a call back?”
– “No... And you were right. Their check bounced.”
– “We have to be more careful... You can't get out of such a mess more than once, even when you pull up a trick like this one.”
– “I know... I agree, that was a close call.”
– “We need some sort of screening process. Maybe you can work on it, on your computer?”
– “I could do that.”
– “Make sure that the people who come here know what they want. And that they are serious about it.”
– “And that they won't leave without paying.”
– “And that they won't bring half their bodyweight in guns.”
– “Good call, Austin.”
– “We're definitely better off with these firefighters. Loud as they are.”
– “Fire over firearms, anytime!”
– “Hose before hoes!”
– “Guns and hoses... Right.”
– “I'll drink to that.”
The three of them raised their mugs of hot cocoa.
All these young men, gathered around Ryan and coming back from the woods in a tight pack, gazing up toward the sky with T-shirts hanging from their belts, looked sweaty like athletes coming from a game, fresh like boys coming home from a school trip, their faces radiant, their eyes glowing like early stars — and no one could tell what this happy bunch may have done out there.
Lou was fascinated by them. It wasn't so easy to tell if Ryan was the bottom bitch or the alpha male of the pack — until you saw them dance around him, all drenched in their own sweat... Such a sheer display of masculinity left no room for doubts. There was something both tribal and comforting that felt so perfectly natural that it brought tears to his eyes.
Nothing unpleasant could ever happen on that dance floor... Time was passing. It was raining outside, and some distant thunder found its way into the bass line of the music they danced to. Lights went out and back, unnoticed to the men who kept dancing around Ryan. People were mean somewhere else in the world... There was no history, weather, politics or prejudice for these young men, who danced together under multicolored spotlights.
Late at night, Lou would dream about them as he kept his teddy bear close to his chest in a tender hug.
– “The rain keeps getting worse...”
As a rule, Ryan had to take a nap when he was done serving breakfast and cooking most of what would be served for lunch. Austin saw it as an opportunity and asked him to join him in his bedroom — since he was done eating his breakfast when almost half of the food meant for lunch or brunch was ready. Then his friend could get some rest but also hug him, rub his belly and nurse him to sleep... Ryan didn't just provide bear hugs and long, soft rubs all over Austin's full stomach. He encouraged him to take deep, long breaths. He praised him when the fat boy let out a booming belch. He comforted him and he told him how great he would look with another ten pounds on his frame, and another twenty pounds, and another fifty pounds...
When Austin woke up after his first breakfast, however, he was alone in bed. It was only about 9:30 AM — Ryan didn't need such long naps. He had to be busy elsewhere again, with someone else.
– “I wonder which fireman got lucky, this morning...” He thought, before he rolled over, buried his face in Ryan's pillow and lazily stretched out.
He had his king-sized bed all to himself now. He felt pretty lucky about it too... Then the phone rang. It was Hawk.
– “Austin?”
– “Hey! good morning, big bear.”
Hearing his boyfriend's voice over the phone made him smile... It felt like something out of a romantic comedy. Hawk had never called to wake him up like this.
– “Austin, pack your stuff in a duffel bag and come to the lighthouse.”
– “What's the hurry?”
– “Get your widening ass over here or you won't know what hit you!”
– “Okay, okay...”
So much for that romantic comedy feeling. Austin let out a sigh.
– “What's wrong with the clouds, this morning?”
■ ■ ■
Friday morning — on the grounds of the Pleasure Dome
The hurricane had started slowly — with peripheral winds rustling the trees all night... By now, anything light that wasn't secured down was blown away in clouds of dust. The rain kept pouring heavily. Hawk heard a report that the wind was already peaking at 100 mph in some places.
There were waves higher than fifty feet by the coast, power outages everywhere around Pleasance. Roofs were torn off, windows shattered... Trees would be uprooted soon. All roads were cut, bridges would collapse — while Austin, Chris, Lou and Ryan were huddled together, going into the basement of the lighthouse.
Austin had banged on Lou's door to wake him up. Then he had come to see his cousin, who had not slept alone. Ryan was the last one to leave the hotel. He was in the kitchen when the power went out. There were two firemen still asleep in his bed... They had enjoyed a relatively quiet early morning together, and he was already cooking brunch for them.
They had walked all the way up to the lighthouse — without thinking about the things they should bring. Lou had not let go of his teddy bear, for instance. Ryan had told his bedmates about the situation, but they refused to follow him to an underground shelter... They had everything they needed in their trucks, and they would be more useful to the people who were now stuck in their homes on the coast: the farmers who lived and worked on the grounds of the Pleasure Dome were also in danger.
That was quite brave of them. They were used to face danger and fire, while their hosts had a hard time facing the gale.
– “What, no bunk beds in this bunker?”
– “It's not really a doomsday bunker...”
– “Good. It's not doomsday, after all.”
Lou and Austin weren't in the mood to laugh. Hawk told them that he would come back soon. He wanted to know how everything was going on, outside... It was better for him to stay in his office with the radio still on, and to make sure that the lighthouse was working.
They were all drenched, and shivering.
– “It may be time for us to hibernate...”
