Around the Pleasure Dome — season 1, episode 7 "Around the edges" —

Around the edges [season 1, episode 7] —

Monday morning — in Lou's bedroom, at the Pleasure Dome

  Guy was in bear cub heaven... It took him a few days to settle down in the hotel, get his start and learn how everything was run around him. He was hired as Lou's “private assistant”, which made Chris smile and tease his colleague — but it was the most accurate job description they could think of. It was more important that he could feel part of the team.

  Everyone agreed that Ryan was the one who actually needed help, in the kitchen, where an assistant or a second cook would be quite useful. Guy had every intention to cook a lot, just as much as he was ready to eat, but there were two objections to that plan... The minor one was that Ryan managed to cook for everyone, and he never complained about his daily workload. His friends knew better than to take it at face value. The major objection was that, no matter how hard Guy tried to follow Ryan's moves, what he cooked always tasted like soggy pasta.

  Even Lou couldn't fake it, when he tried to eat what his boyfriend had prepared for him. Then, when they got to enjoy some really tasty meal, Austin and Chris had a hunch that Ryan had done a lot more than just supervising or “adding the final touch” to his friend's dish... The blond cook didn't say a word. It probably broke his heart to see his friend fail like this — just as he couldn't get to teach him how it should be done.

  At the very least, it gave Lou a chance to comfort Guy after some late, well-deserved intimate pillow talk.

– “There's so much I need to learn...”

– “You can learn.”

– “I guess...”

– “You'll get this in no time, with someone older and wiser.”

– “I don't know...”

– “Okay, older and dumber?”

  Guy kissed Lou on the lips.

– “Sounds good to me.”

  Lou trusted him — he also knew that Ryan was there to help Guy and encourage him, both in the kitchen and at the gym.

– “It will get easier for you, I'm sure.”

– “Ryan thinks so... He told me again, this morning: “Don't skip second breakfast and don't skimp on your warm-up exercises.” That's how much he cares. I know he's doing his best, but it hasn't paid off yet.”

– “It can't be that hard...”

– “Honestly, Lou? If Ryan and you have taught me anything, so far, it's that most of the things I took for granted can be much harder than I had even dared to imagine.”

  The young man kept gently running his fingers around Lou's face, with a pretty mischievous smile.

– “It looks so simple when we see Ryan cook.”

– “He only makes it look simple... Then, when I ask him how much salt I should put into the casserole, his first answer is “About this much”. And how big is “a pinch of sugar”, really? Then how long should I wait before I reduce the fire under the frying pan? It's always vague... Ryan follows his instincts, and his instincts are just infallible!”

– “I see.”

– “It's like... He does all this without thinking.”

– “No surprise there...”

  Guy let out a deep but loving sigh.

– “I wish cooking with him was like...”

– “What?”

– “Like sex with you.”

– “Come on...” Lou blushed.

– “I know I can follow my instincts there.”

– “Definitely.”

  The two young men smiled, looking deep into each other's eyes.

– “You'll do just so well in the kitchen. You are quite a chef in bed.”

– “I still have a lot to learn. I'm in good company. You're...”

– “What, old or wise? I'm not sure that I'm ready to be both.”

– “You're hot! And for God's sake, you're hung...”

  Lou just burst with laughter. It felt fresh and playful for them.

– “I'm serious, Lou.”

– “Please... Hung Dong? You remind me of my uncle in Shanghai!”

– “He must be quite a wicked uncle... I would like to know more about this side of your family.”

– “Maybe you will, some day...”

  Guy wouldn't let his boyfriend go to sleep until they were both utterly spent and crushed, exhausted and panting in bed together... Somehow, the bedroom that had been attributed to him when he was officially hired only needed to be dusted now, rather than cleaned.

■ ■ ■

Monday evening — in Hawk's bedroom, in the lighthouse

  Austin was in hog heaven. After a few days, considering how Guy kept following what they could only describe as a “slow learning curve”, Ryan had come up with a surprisingly appropriate solution. He always started working very early, every morning, then Guy woke up and joined him in the kitchen. They could cut, peal and prepare vegetables and fresh fruits together, prepare large masses of dough and grease the pans, then Ryan started to cook while Guy kept it going to provide him more and more ingredients. When they were done with these first steps, the kitchen was just buzzing with so many pans, casseroles and ovens to look after, and it may be time for some cooking lesson — or what may look like hands-on cooking class for anyone sitting at the kitchen table.

  As a result, the amounts of food prepared for everyone's breakfast had almost doubled overnight... Even with a new guy taking his fair share of pastries and treats with an impressive, healthy appetite, Austin was just delighted to find himself surrounded with more and more plates, piled high with more food than ever!

  Chris agreed on this one hundred percent. It didn't hurt, of course, that they could also feast their eyes on two strong and strapping cooks, who wore very little clothes under their aprons.

  Austin smiled. He had seen Ryan cook almost naked, on a hot Summer day, back when they were the last two members of the hotel staff. It was only a few months ago... Austin had his first serious dates with Hawk. It felt like such a perfect, innocent time. He had already gained more than seventy pounds, thanks to his friend's delicious food and his boyfriend's determined encouragements.

  As a matter of fact, he was quite certain that he kept putting on weight faster and faster, somehow, in these last few weeks. Ryan's food always tasted so good. Now he would offer him substantially larger portions, at each fattening meal — which Austin had quickly grown to enjoy and get used to... As a consequence, all his shirts and pants were now too tight around the waist and chest.

  He wasn't too serious about his responsibilities, and he considered his position as CEO of the Pleasure Dome with a grain of salt, so he came up with a few mock policies.

– “Rule number sixteen: You're not too busy to read this.”

  Hawk was naturally thrilled with his boyfriend's progress.

– “It does look like you're eating better...”

– “I'm certainly eating... more.”

– “That's what I meant.”

– “It's not the same, Hawk.”

– “But isn't that a good sign? You're a big boy!”

– “I'm a big boy, all right. And, yeah... That's good.”

– “A big boy, with a big appetite...”

– “It has nothing to do with my appetite, at this point.”

– “How so?”

– “Ryan keeps cooking more and more food for me. Not just meals, but snacks like those amazing meatball sandwiches... I've brought these to show you. They're so tasty, but so rich! It's almost too much...”

– “How can this be too much?” Hawk asked, holding one in his hand.

– “I don't know... I guess I didn't expect Ryan to take such an interest in fattening me up. He keeps feeding me such filling, wholesome meals.”

– “There you go!”

– “Hmmmph...”

  Hawk couldn't deny that this meatball sandwich was huge.

– “It does look tasty.”

– “Of course! Marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and grilled cheese...”

– “Eat up, Austin! Eat well.”

– “Hmmmph...”

– “That's a good sandwich for you. Enjoy!”

– “Hmmmph hmmmph...”

– “You know what? I can understand why you're so surprised with your best friend's attitude. When was the last time we've seen Ryan make the right decision?”

– “Hmmmph...”

– “Exactly.”

– “Hmmmph hmmmph...”

– “This feels right.”

– “Oh, well...” Austin panted after he was done swallowing his last bite of sandwich. “I don't know if Ryan made the right choice, but you can count on him to make a big choice...”

– “You're not wrong.” Hawk rubbed his round belly. “This feels big!”

  Austin let out a deep, contented belch.

– “BUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRP...”

  Hawk couldn't be more pleased as he squeezed his adorable boyfriend's side. This black young man was growing noticeably larger and rounder... It looked too sexy for words, complementing his handsome features.

– “Austin...”

– “Hmmm?”

– “Have another one of those big meatball sandwiches.”

■ ■ ■

Tuesday morning — at Lou's desk, by the Pleasure Dome's gym & spa

  Lou was in gay porn Heaven. He could hardly get himself to work, once again, as he kept thinking about his boyfriend... Guy was just the perfect model for what he considered to be his “ideal man” — such a tall, broad-shouldered and hairy hunk of masculinity that it made him almost blush in shame, as if he was only indulging in his most secret guilty pleasure.

  There was a great deal more to Guy than met the eye, although there was quite a great deal for Lou's eyes to feast on... The redhead young man was actually just so reserved as he could be charming, just so shy at first glance as he could get wild, and passionate when Lou was alone with him. First and foremost, he was the most romantic lover one could ever imagine, and just so deeply sincere as he was fierce.

  It still made him sad that Guy didn't get the basics right in the kitchen.

  He was no longer struggling with scrambled eggs and big omelets. He was even able to serve some surprisingly tasty and spicy variations on Ryan's recipes, following his advice but also his own intuition — then he didn't dare to try something too adventurous yet.

  Ryan promised him to teach him some new tricks and help him stretch his cooking skills, but his friends approved Guy's decision.

– “I don't know...” Lou sighed. “Maybe stick to what you know?”

– “As long as it doesn't stick to the pan!” Chris warned them.

  Lou was still disciplined, so his work didn't get off track. If he wanted Guy to stay with him, at the Pleasure Dome, he had to get their business rolling. Then he kept holding daily meetings with Chris for that purpose.

  After the many slanderous attacks from mayor Cochrane had come to a loud and almost epic fight between father and son, with Guy potentially cutting ties with his own family as he saved his friends, Lou felt a bit uneasy around Chris when he mentioned his boyfriend... Chris had been leading that fight in the Press, and with miles of red tape, for quite some time now — and it wasn't over.

– “No news from the mayor's office?”

– “None...”

  Chris was still playing cagey, when it came to mayor Cochrane.

– “Okay.” Lou nodded. “No news is good news.”

– “In this case, it is. I didn't expect him to get back to us anytime soon.”

– “Really? The mayor's team has been on our backs for months...”

– “I guess it's different, now.”

– “Now that... we have the mayor's son on our side?”

– “Come on, Lou. Guy is really on your side... or he keeps to his side of your bed, but that's close enough.” Chris smiled, teasing his friend a bit.

– “Well, yes. About that...”

  Lou felt that he had to defend his boyfriend there.

– “How does Guy fit in our little team?”

  Chris looked straight at him, as a friend.

– “Guy belongs to this team. He shouldn't be like our “secret weapon”... Am I right?”

– “That's right.”

– “As it stands now, the jackasses who hold power over the city council in Pleasance can't underestimate that we have the means to retaliate if they come at us again. Between you and me, I'm not even sure that we could prevent it. Your boyfriend fights like a wildcat!”

– “He certainly does...” Lou remembered with a certain fondness.

– “You know, I wouldn't be too surprised if mayor Cochrane's team was actually anxious about our next move. They should know about our line of business, but it's not like they were really paying attention when you did your presentation... What thoughts are going through their dirty little minds, right now, I can only imagine.”

– “So they're afraid of us?”

– “Or they're afraid of him. I certainly don't fall for the old “father knows best” scam, but mayor Cochrane may know his son better than you do.”

– “And their response is... what, “wait and see”? Do nothing?”

– “Just as we should keep it quiet.”

– “Business as usual?”

– “Cold War balance of terror. Whoever strikes first gets destroyed.”

– “I don't know...”

– “As long as we don't mention Guy to our friends in the local TV news and press, the mayor and his goons won't dare to attack us in another public statement or another article in the newspapers they control... It's that simple. Your boyfriend is more useful to us if we don't use him.”

  Lou thought about it for a second.

– “Did you just compare Guy with a Weapon of Mass Destruction?”

  Chris flashed him with a pretty devilish smile.

– “Well, isn't he just like a WMD?”

– “In the bedroom, he is!”

■ ■ ■

Tuesday late morning — in the hotel's gym & spa

  Lou also had to deal with their partner, doctor Tietsen-Nippels — Chris was right about keeping Guy out of her way, for the time being. Just as Ryan had seen Lou's future boyfriend at the hospital, once or twice, his doctor may have met the mayor's young son. Guy had studied for a few months with one of her colleagues, doctor Diego Arranoah, and she may be wondering why he was now cutting fresh strawberries while Ryan was kneading the dough for big, two-crust baked strawberry pies...

  Doctor Tietsen-Nippels had agreed to become their partner, maybe just to get back at the guy who had won the local elections against her, at first, but she was taking a keen interest in their business now. She came to visit them on a monthly basis, with her bag full of medical devices and her individual notebooks.

  She already had quite a library of them about Ryan — more specifically, about Ryan's physical and sexual activities — but the handsome dumb blond element of the team working at the Pleasure Dome had become a lot less interesting to her, as she was focusing on the boys' metabolism in general, following their weights and measurements.

  While Ryan barely managed to maintain his weight over a solid 210lbs, Austin kept growing bigger and fatter... Standing on the scales when his stomach was reasonably empty before lunch, he was recorded at no less than 288lbs, and his most recent weight gain could be traced in various strategic places all over his body.

– “That's another full inch around your waist, big boy!”

  The reluctant attitude Austin had shown during his early weigh-ins and measurements was gone. The doctor's comments made him feel proud. He couldn't wait to tell Hawk about it, just as he could hardly wait for his next check-up, which motivated him to eat even more!

  Chris ate well, but his weight was stable, around 178lbs.

  Lou had always made it clear that he wanted to gain weight — but his first efforts had failed to pay off... For a long time, no matter how much he pushed himself to eat, the poor young Asian man was the thinnest member of the team. His weight had barely gone up by fourteen pounds, from his initial 155lbs. Only now, with a boyfriend so eager to feed him and encourage him to eat even more, Lou was on the verge of becoming doctor Tietsen-Nippels' rising star.

– “I am so impressed, Lou... That's another five pounds you've gained.”

– “Five pounds, this last week?” Chris raised an eyebrow.

– “That's right. 186lbs.”

  Austin didn't mind applauding him for it, with Chris and Ryan.

– “And almost two more inches around your midsection.”

– “At this point, Lou deserves that you call his “midsection” a potbelly...” Chris commented with a teasing but friendly smile.

– “You're absolutely right.”

  Lou blushed again, but smiled, when the doctor patted his stomach.

– “You must have been eating really well, lately!”

– “Oh! yes, I have...”

– “Your friends are right. This is a well-fed, round belly.”

■ ■ ■

Tuesday afternoon — in the coffee corner, by the dining hall

  Chris was in PR Heaven... The war he kept waging against the bigoted, homophobic mayor of Pleasance, proud father of four children, including a flamboyant redhead gay man who was now more than their ally, but one of them, all the twists and turns they had already experienced made him dizzy and almost giddy with excitement.

  His previous life in New York felt like a distant nightmare, slowly fading away... In hindsight, he could only describe it as an agonizing slow death under corporate management. He was no longer suffocating, around the Pleasure Dome. The American dream was dead in the water. If Chris was drunk now, it wasn't with power or the illusion of power. Not anymore... What he enjoyed now tasted so much better, and felt so much stronger than power.

  Even as he agreed with Lou to keep Guy out of harm's way, he was still there for his friends so they could bravely stand their ground.

  Now that they didn't need to be so outspoken, or aggressive, their best strategy was to get closer to the local farmers who worked for them. For starters, Chris didn't forget that a majority of their tenants had voted for mayor Cochrane. Even the physical storm and the public storm that had followed may not be enough to make them change their political beliefs. They could always forget how disappointed they were with their elected officials, and vote just the same during the next elections.

  Chris didn't want to rush things. Lou agreed that such a victory, in the realm of soft power, required a more quiet approach.

– “We've treated a few of them with our first Bear Week.”

– “That was a good move...”

– “And we've all grown much closer together, as a team, when we turned the Pleasure Dome into a shelter for their families after the storm.”

– “It has also allowed them to see how we could work, and how it would be in their best interest to support us and provide us more food.”

– “They were already working for us, but they didn't know.”

– “That's true. Most of them weren't even aware that they paid the rents to us for their homes, and their farms.”

– “Of course. We own more than this place. We own the whole land.”

– “It may be better if you don't remind them about, it in an interview or a debate. The whole “This land is mine” argument is so double-edged...”

– “You're right. That's a political landmine.”

  They were also considering how to organize another Bear Week. Austin and Chris had worked on their “No leftovers, no refund” policy.

– “So...” Lou asked. “It's just “Show me the money” for our customers?”

– “Not quite so blunt but, you know... If they don't show up, they will only have themselves to blame. Remember the last group of guys who were supposed to stay for a week and flaked on us? We can't afford that kind of crap... Everyone should know why we'll cash their checks as soon as we get them. We need to cover all our basic expenses.”

– “Okay. Now, what if their checks bounce?”

– “We won't let them in.”

– “That's right...” Austin rubbed his full stomach. “After a few days with us, they will be so much more satisfied with a bouncing belly than with a bounced check!”

■ ■ ■

Wednesday morning — in the cold rooms, by the kitchen

  Ryan kept coming and going from the pick-up truck he had parked on the driveway, by the kitchen, carrying large sacks of flour on his back, as he was storing more food for their upcoming week-long party.

  Busy as he was, loading and unloading big bags of food and bottles of milk, he didn't pay much attention to his surroundings. It was still early. Hawk was on his way to the lighthouse, but he could take a short detour to the kitchen. He caught the blond cook off-guard.

– “Hey...”

– “Oh? Hello Hawk.”

– “It's not even 7AM, and you're already sweating?”

– “I know... I can't wait for the sun to do its job.”

– “The sun looks lazy, next to you and me. We're both early risers.”

– “Yes...” Ryan looked down, a bit short of breath, and focusing on the heavy wooden box full of potatoes he carried. “We are.”

  Hawk offered to help him carry some of the food from the pick-up trunk to the cold storage room. It looked like he was in no hurry to get back to work, for a change...

– “I have to say, you're doing a pretty good job.”

– “With these green peas and carrots?”

– “No! With Austin, dummy.”

– “Oh...”

– “He's been eating more and more, lately.”

– “He's a really good eater... And he's put on more weight.”

– “Exactly!”

– “Almost 290lbs? That's pretty big for him...”

  Ryan heard Hawk growl again. It sounded like good news to him.

– “You've followed my advice. Going for spicy, more fattening food.”

– “Austin seems to enjoy it...”

– “Oh, he sure does!”

  Hawk was almost temped to add “And so do I”. He took a sideways look at Ryan, who was now closing the trunk of his pick-up truck.

– “How about butter?”

– “What about it?”

– “You want to put more butter in his food.”

– “More butter?” Ryan shuddered. “I don't know, Hawk... It won't taste so good, even if I spice it up with fine herbs. Austin deserves to eat tasty food, not just fatty food.”

– “Fatty makes it tasty...”

– “It can also ruin a dish.”

  It looked like Ryan was ready to suggest that Austin should eat healthy. Hawk saw the opportunity for him to make things clear with their dumb blond cook... As they were both entering the cold room, he jostled Ryan with his elbow, closed in and almost lunged toward the young man with fierce determination, backing him in a corner.

– “Hey, watch out!”

– “Listen to me, Ryan... When it comes to Austin, you want to butter him up. Okay? Butter him up like he's your boss.”

– “Well... I see your point. He is our CEO, after all.”

  Ryan didn't feel good about cooking like this for his best friend... Hawk could tell. Even as he had to insist on it, he let him catch his breath, and he lowered his voice to sound more gentle.

– “You want what's good for your friend, right?”

– “I do. He's my friend... Isn't that what friends do?”

– “Austin knows. You're his best friend. He trusts you.”

  Hawk put a hand on Ryan's shoulder... He had such large, strong bear paws, but that was a well-muscled and meaty shoulder for him to press.

– “You're a good kid. Your heart's in the right place.”

– “Well...”

  Ryan didn't know what to say. His heart was actually racing a bit, now.

– “You keep cooking large and tasty, fattening meals for Austin... Every day, five meals a day, with snacks and treats. The tastier, the better. The fatter, the better!”

  Hawk took a sharpie on the wall, and drew a heart on Ryan's apron: ♥ on his chest — then he went out, leaving the blond cook speechless.

■ ■ ■

Saturday afternoon — in Austin's office

  Lou had come up with an interesting new idea.

– “I have sent a letter to all the magazines I know in the United States, who deal with gainer issues.”

  He had spread a collection of those on the coffee table for his friends. As they flipped through the pages, Chris and Austin saw articles about some mostly underground events at local gay bars or restaurants, a few pictures and personals, short stories and illustrations in black and white. 

  Ryan raised an eyebrow when he read some of the recipes and cooking tips... The whole thing did look familiar. It was not unreasonable to think that the Pleasure Dome could be featured in one of their next issues.

– “This is what you've been working on, all week...” Chris pointed at the various newsletters on the table. “How many guests would that be?”

– “Not many, of course... Consider the number of businesses, how small they are but also how influential they can be. These are the first people we need to talk to... They will understand what we offer at the Pleasure Dome, then they will spread the word to our future customers.”

– “I agree.” Austin nodded. “This is good strategy.”

– “This is brilliant.” Guy looked up from one of those articles. “I didn't even know that there was such a thing.”

– “Most people call it “fat fetishism”, some form of gay subculture.”

– “Call it whatever you want, it's what we want and it's what we do.”

– “It feels so out there!”

– “There's nothing particularly new about it. It started in the '70s...”

– “And it's been growing ever since!”

  Lou was pleased to see his friends ready to launch this new project.

– “How many answers did you get?”

– “Thirty-six.”

– “That's not much...” Chris commented, a bit disappointed.

– “How many letters did you send?” Ryan asked.

– “Thirty-six.” Lou answered with a broad smile.

  The invitations sent to the reporters who would be willing to take a trip to Pleasance had been well-received. Everyone sounded at least curious, even intrigued, by what the Pleasure Dome had to offer.

– “So that would be thirty-six guests?”

– “Yes, they can't afford to send more than one guy.”

– “Did they pay in advance, as we've asked?”

– “They agreed to pay half. I'll explain.”

– “So you've been talking to them?”

– “Please... The phone's been ringing off the hook!”

– “If it was off the hook, how could it be ringing?”

– “Ryan, I swear...”

  Lou's plan was to host their first American Bear week.

– “What makes it... American?”

– “It will last two weeks.”

– “So it's a “double patty burger” kind of deal?”

– “Something like that... I have received their checks, and cashed them yesterday. Everyone has already paid for his first week, so we're good.”

– “Keep in mind that these guests will show a much bigger appetite than the people we have entertained so far, and they should expect a lot more food!” Chris commented, throwing a look at Ryan and Guy.

– “More food sounds good to me...” Austin concluded.

■ ■ ■

“American Bear week” at the Pleasure Dome — 

  In the kitchen, Guy suspended the framed sign on the wall, in front of the door to the dining hall. As CEO, Austin had suggested another policy, which was immediately adopted by the team.

– “Rule number two: Don't bite the hand that feeds you.”

  Ryan and Guy had prepared a lot of food in advance. Chris had to deal with all the activities at the gym, in the sauna and spa, around the pool and the tables in the dining hall. Lou was in charge of the buffet, and he would work as their bartender again.

  Guy would have to stay in the kitchen — looking after the timers by the ovens, the pans and the cookpots. There was no need for a third waiter, with only thirty-six guests. Chris and Ryan could wait the tables.

  Austin had suggested something that was somewhat overlooked by Lou and Chris, up to that point... Like any teenager born and raised in Texas, he knew everything there was to know about firearms.

– “We need a cloakroom. When our guests come in and sign their names on the register, I will use our lockers to keep their guns in store for the duration of their stay.”

  His friends agreed that it was the smart thing to do. Austin was right — when their first guests stepped into the lobby, they reluctantly gave him all the guns they carried in their coats or under their jackets, close to the chest or attached to their belt... They asked to sign individual lists with the precise references of their weapons, in order to prevent loss or any kind of confusion between them. One of those large men carried no less than eleven guns of different calibers, more or less discreetly placed all over his portly frame!

“It makes me almost feel like home...” Austin thought.

  He had made another comment to his friends, about the hotel's special arrangements for their American Bear Week — but it wasn't something so special that their customers needed to notice...

– “Whose big idea was it to put the condom distributor in that corner of the hall, by the kitchen, right next to Ryan's bedroom?” 

  There was a moment of silence, as they exchanged a puzzled look.

– “Well...”

– “I guess he has outsmarted us all, on that one.” Austin concluded.

  As new guests kept coming to the stone steps of the Pleasure Dome in small groups sharing a taxi from the airport, or alone and driving their own cars, the whole team lined up in the lobby to welcome them.

  The boys introduced themselves, shook hands with every journalist or columnist, or culinary critic as a few of them described their jobs with a hearty laugh, and escorted them into the dining hall for a first glass of champagne. They looked pleased with what they found waiting for them.

  It was also an opportunity for those guys to meet other people with similar tastes and interests, working in the same field... A few of them may have attended some previous Gay Pride events or demonstrations together but, in most cases, they had only read each other's articles.

  And they looked ready to party.

– “I didn't expect to spend these next two weeks without my guns... I already feel naked without them.”

– “So do I, and it may be the whole point!” Another guest chuckled, as they threw knowing looks at Chris and Ryan in their waiter suits, with tight white shirts and black pants, neat waistcoats and silk bow ties.

  As the last guests entered the lobby, Austin was busy with the registers for their bedroom keys and their guns to be locked away. Ryan was there to welcome the new young man and help him with his suitcase.

  Only when they took a better look at each other, as they were about to shake hands, there was a moment of silence — and Ryan felt something like a draft of cold air around him. He looked frozen on the spot.

  The other guy called him out of his stupor.

– “Ryan? Is that you?”

– “Hunter?”

– “Hunter Harden. Boy! I could hardly recognize you, for a moment.”

– “Well...”

  Austin looked up from his register, as he heard their new guest laugh out loud in front of everyone. He saw him grab Ryan by the shoulders.

– “Fuck me, you got FAT!”

  Considering that this guy wore jeans in size 46, and how snuggly they fit around his waist, his comment sounded rather strange. Ryan tugged a bit at his waistcoat, blushing and looking away.

– “It's not like you're pencil-thin either.”

– “I know! I've put on more than a hundred and thirty-five pounds... It's not like we were such pencil-pushers anyway, you and me!”

  Hunter wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, and followed him into the dining hall. Austin was still puzzled with what he had just witnessed. He wondered if Ryan and this Hunter guy already knew each other.

“Well... Duh!” He commented in his head.

■ ■ ■

Wednesday evening — in the dining all

– “Happy hour!”

– “Yay!”

  Lou was quite busy again, as the Pleasure Dome's bartender.

  On one of his trips to New York City, Chris had brought back four pairs of platform shoes and boots for him, with thick soles up to five inches, so he could stand behind the bar, take their customers' orders for drinks and talk to them pretty much face to face, no matter how tall they were. Most of the guys partying all night during this American Bear Week were quite tall, large and portly...

  And they just wouldn't stop eating.

– “Okay, we're no longer playing Little League with these guests!”

  With all the food coming from the kitchen to the different buffets in the dining hall, Chris and Ryan were almost running back and forth like busy bees, but they had to take some time to respond to their guests as they ordered something more to eat or drink. After the first two or three rounds around the buffets, those guys wouldn't leave their tables until they were full or they had to be escorted to the restroom. The waiters also had to listen to their comments, praise or flirt, about the service. Then those guys would slip another five dollar bill in the waistband of their Playboy bunny jockstraps. 

  They could almost feel like chrome steel balls — bouncing off bumpers, ramps and flippers in a giant pinball machine... After a few days and nights of endless feasting and partying, Chris and Ryan had found their marks and how to handle the guys in their half of the dining hall, but it had to be exhausting. Lou felt dizzy, just looking at them.

“We'll all need to take a month off, when this Bear week is over...”

  Chris didn't hesitate to tease and flirt with his guests. He had a way of looking straight at them that felt like he was naturally looking down on them. Even dressed in a white jockstrap with a light waistcoat and bunny ears, he was in command of the situation.

  Ryan wouldn't talk back to his customer. As a waiter, the comments he received didn't call for an answer anyway... From the moment he had taken his place at the table, Hunter had been playing with him like a fox going after this Playboy bunny. The men sitting at his table asked a few questions about their dumb blond waiter, then they started adopting the same attitude.

– “Who did you say he was?” One guy looked up from his plate.

– “Easiest pushover you'll ever meet! Let me show you...”

  From behind the bar, where he was mixing cocktails with a shaker in both hands, Lou noticed how the men sitting around Hunter were much louder and rowdier than the guests eating at the tables waited by Chris.

  They didn't eat any less that the others, who had no less fun than they had, but there was a strange quality to their bursts of laughter... Lou didn't get to clearly hear what they said, with their mouths full most of the time, and he wondered about it.

  He couldn't ignore how Hunter kept an eye on Ryan, however — with such a predatory grin on his face. There was a secret behind that smile.

  As he felt the need to take a brake, Lou chose to bring the drinks to his guests, who happened to be sitting rather on the edge of the groups of tables, by the bar. They had to be heavier drinkers than most of those guys... On his way to the kitchen, he heard Hunter saying something to another guy sitting at a table next to his. 

– “Softest doormat you boys will ever tread on...”

  With all the food that was devoured in the dining hall, it wasn't much easier for Guy than it was for Ryan or Chris... Standing by the kitchen counter and looking after four ovens at the same time, the tall redhead bear was busy cutting more potatoes to be spiced up and fried. 

  Lou coming to see him was just the breath of fresh air he needed.

– “Way to make us feel like pig farmers when it's feeding time!”

– “It's always feeding time, with those guys.”

  Guy was swiping his forehead. He deserved a break.

– “What, are you feeling jealous that they get to eat so much?”

– “I would feel much better if all this food was meant for you.”

  Lou came to hug his big, caring boyfriend.

– “These guys sure know how to eat like they mean it.”

– “They really do... And they really are.”

– “What do you mean?”

– “Just that. They're not lean, but they're mean...”

  Guy looked worried about something. Lou didn't understand.

– “Is there anything wrong?”

– “I don't know... Maybe? I didn't expect our guests to be so...”

– “What, greedy? loud?”

– “They're not just loud. They're... obnoxious.”

– “Well, they're American.”

  Lou had to agree with his boyfriend... Of course, Guy was a Canadian boy. He may have a few American friends from Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire, well-educated people with that New England personality, just so polite as he was. Lou couldn't help sharing a few of his views about their American guests.

– “I wouldn't call them “obnoxious”, really.”

– “Okay... Just leave the door opened and wait for it.”

  Sure enough, as soon as Lou opened the kitchen door, they both heard a loud, long and proud belch over the chewing sounds and laughs of the party in the dining hall.

– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!”

  It sounded much closer, however. Austin entered the kitchen just then, as if Lou was holding the door for him.

– “Ooof, guys...” The black boy contentedly complained. “I'm stuffed!”

  He was shirtless now, like all their guests, and rubbing his belly.

– “How are you holding up, big boy?”

– “Honestly? Better than I thought.”

  Lou and Guy saw him holding his heavy, full belly with both hands.

– “Hungry for more?”

– “Aren't we all? They're asking for more spicy fries and sausages.”

– “Okay. Ryan will be on it in a second.”

  Guy considered Austin for a second.

– “I was just asking Lou... Do you always let out such a loud belch when you come back to the kitchen?”

– “I don't understand your question.”

– “I mean... It's only been a few days, and it's become a bit of a habit for you, eating with our guests.”

– “Oh? Well, I'm a well-fed American boy. What do you expect?”

  Austin went back to his table as soon as Ryan entered the kitchen, in a rush. He was almost out of breath, at this late hour. There were so many dollar bills around his waist, with such a suspicious abundance of them in the front that his crotch looked like a big bouquet of green leaves.

  He only had time to get rid of them by the handful, take a deep breath then cook what their guests had ordered and go back to them with a huge tray covered with rich, tasty dishes... It was all done in a matter of minutes, and the kitchen was perfectly quiet again.

  Lou didn't feel like going back to the bar so soon.

– “So you see, Guy? Our guests are just like Austin.”

– “I guess... The good ones are like him. They're okay.”

– “So you've spotted a few “bad” ones among our guests?”

  There was a moment of silence. Guy mumbled a bit.

– “I have...”

  Lou had to ask. His boyfriend may be on to something.

– “Okay... Would you tell me?”

– “It's that guy, Hunter.”

– “What about him?”

– “I couldn't say, but Ryan looks nervous around him... And he's always on his back, for some reason. It's like that guy knows everything about him, but he's certainly not acting like a friend.”

– “What do you think, old boyfriends? Bad breakup?”

– “I can't even imagine them being friends in the first place.”

– “Maybe they were. People change.”

– “Maybe...”

  Guy didn't look convinced.

– “You're right, he does have an attitude. I can only imagine that his parents had a hunch about the man he would become when they named him Hunter...”

– “I couldn't agree more. That's the first thing that comes to mind when I see him talking to Ryan or grabbing him by the waist.”

– “When did you see him behave like that?”

– “I caught them on a few occasions. Here, in the kitchen.”

– “Okay...”

– “And his grip on him looks just... vicelike.”

– “I see...” Lou nodded. “I don't like how vicious it looks.”

  On his way back to the bar, Lou took a good look at their guests.

  They were still eating, but it was past midnight and he wouldn't be so surprised if he saw their bellies suddenly turning into pumpkins... Austin wasn't the only one in the room who was dangerously full. 

  They could hardly eat any more... They had to force themselves to stuff their faces but sitting with other big boys, like a wild bunch of big-bellied gluttons, encouraged them to keep it going.

  Lou saw Austin get up. He had just come to an agreement with a few guests, who were interested in interviewing him to illustrate the articles they promised to write about the Pleasure Dome. 

  The five men sitting at his table were all journalists from New York City, and obviously living by the famous words of Alexander Woollcott: “All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral or fattening”.

  Austin came back from the buffet with another plate heavily laden with an assortment of cupcakes, macaroons, chocolate éclairs, slices of pies and tartlets, crèmes brûlées and other rich treats.

– “I am learning so much from you, guys...”

■ ■ ■

Saturday afternoon — in the kitchen

  Food kept coming to the dining hall, so much that meals ran in to each other and Austin could hardly tell when one was ending and another was beginning.

  Guy worked alongside Ryan. There was always so much for them to do, he was beginning to wonder how his quiet blond friend didn't collapse... They didn't have much time to talk, or share their thoughts. Ryan was there to help Guy learn how to cook like a chef. He was patient with him, but he couldn't stay with him more than a few minutes when he had to wait tables, do the laundry or mop the kitchen floor.

  When he was left alone with a mountain of ingredients to mix together, according to Ryan's rather vague recipes and instructions, Guy would try not to brood over what was going on, around the dining hall... He saw Chris coming and going with a broad smile on his face, beaming as he caught handfuls of money from his somewhat leafy jockstrap.

  Guy let him boast about it, rearrange the bunny ears on top of his head and go back to his playground. He didn't comment on it, but he couldn't help thinking that Ryan didn't brag like this. Most of the time, he looked downright embarrassed with all the dollar bills he left, like a pile of dead leaves on the kitchen counter.

  When Lou joined him to take a break during the afternoon, or late at night, he told Guy about the endlessly on-going feasts, the pool parties, the games around the gym and the huge buffet dinners he didn't get to attend. This American, two-for-one version of their Bear Week offer was a big success, to put it mildly... Then they quickly moved on to the thing that was beginning to haunt their minds.

– “I've been thinking about it. You may be right...” Lou nodded.

  A few days earlier, it had dawned on Guy that the most simple, the best and eventually the only explanation for Hunter's behavior was that he and Ryan had worked together in the past — doing porn.

– “It would make sense, but... I don't know.” 

  They had kept this theory to themselves, so far. Lou was reluctant to imagine Ryan shooting a dirty movie with Hunter but he couldn't ignore what he saw, day after day, and what he already knew about his friend.

  Guy was willing to admit that Hunter may have been directing such movies, with Ryan in front of the camera — full front, as it was bound to be done... Lou hated this idea, but what really made him hate it was that he couldn't find anything to prove that his boyfriend may be wrong about the whole thing.

– “Do you think we should... ask him?”

– “That's not something you ask one of your best friends!”

– “Well, it would be just so awkward to find out about it.”

– “I know. “Hey, Ryan! didn't you star in this four-stars porn version of Star Wars? This All-Hands Solo looks just like you...” I would rather be struck by lightning!”

  Lou chuckled. He wasn't in the mood to laugh about this.

– “Do you think we should tell the others?”

– “You mean... Tell Chris?”

– “Maybe?”

– “Oh, I don't know.” Guy scratched his beard. “I'm afraid that he would leave this place in a hurry...”

– “Please! Chris wouldn't quit.”

– “That's not what I meant... He would be rushing to the video store to get his hands on those movies!”

■ ■ ■

Sunday early morning — in the kitchen

  Guy worked hard in the kitchen. Ryan felt sorry for him staying “behind the scene”, as it was, and not participating to all the activities Lou, Chris, Austin and he organized around the Pleasure Dome... Little did he know that Guy was actually fine with the way they kept him slowly get used to his new life, and not having to deal with rude, capricious guests.

  Since Ryan had suggested that there was no need for him to get up so early, when he could enjoy sharing some quality time in bed with Lou, Guy accepted and thanked him with a hearty bear hug — feeling like he was the luckiest young man in the world.

  Then he thought about it. Maybe Ryan also needed some time alone?

  The sun wasn't up yet, and the blond cook was already cutting apples for the many, many pies he would bake. He had left the door open. The garden was fresh with morning dew, and almost silent with distant birds chirping in the trees.

  He thought he had just heard someone coming to the door.

– “Hello, Ryan.”

– “Hello?”

  He turned around. It was Hunter, smiling at him like a tom cat.

– “Of course, always ready to grab a bite at the forbidden fruit...”

  Ryan looked down at the knife and the apple in his hands. He put them down on the kitchen counter.

– “Do you want a cup of coffee?”

– “You know what's my cup of coffee, bad boy.”

  There was no way to talk to this guy. Ryan didn't insist.

  Hunter had come way too close to him already, and he was playing with the strings on his apron. 

– “What's that?”

– “What's... Oh?”

  Hunter was pointing at the big heart Hawk had drawn there.

– “It's nothing. A friend just made a joke.”

– “Some joke...” Hunter grinned. “Like you need this kind of visual aid to remember where a man's most important organs are. Besides, there's a pretty good chance that your heart is actually much bigger than this!”

  Ryan didn't answer. Hunter spotted the sharpie and took it in his hand.

– “Of course, your heart isn't what most guys will aim at.”

  As he kept the blond cook stepping back then leaning back against the counter, he started playfully writing letters on Ryan's apron.

“I ♥ COCK”

– “See you in the dining hall for breakfast. You know what we want...”

  When he was gone, it felt cold in the kitchen but the first beams of sun helped clear the air. There was a lot more work to be done. Today may be another long day...

  As it was, he felt lucky that Hunter had not lingered on. He didn't try to steal a kiss or go any further with him. He remembered how much worse it could get. He didn't want to remember.

  Ryan went to the mirror, in his bathroom. He let the water running for a moment to clean his face with both hands and cool down, then he came back to the kitchen. He took the sharpie on the counter, added a 2 in the middle and closed the C to turn it into an O. It read 

“I ♥2COOK”

and the young gay man felt fine with that statement.

■ ■ ■

Monday late afternoon — in Hawk's bedroom, in the lighthouse

  The first week in the double-barrel American Bear Week at the Pleasure Dome was already over, with days and nights passing like a blur around the pool, and guests slowly behaving like blobs around the buffet table.

  There was no doubt that these proud, large men were proudly growing larger by the day... Austin felt like a kitten next to such fat cats. Hawk was there for him, at least, to help him feel better — with long belly rubs in the morning, for starters.

  Spending the night in the arms of a caring boyfriend helped, but it was no longer enough to soothe the pain in this handsome black boy's belly, after such crazy days of relentless overeating... 

  Austin felt the need to take a nap after lunch — he also started to feel the need to go back to bed after breakfast. Hawk was secretly overjoyed with his boyfriend's new attitude.

– “You're such a growing boy, Austin!” He growled.

– “I feel like I'm going to burst...”

– “Do you want me to rub your belly again?”

– “Yes, please!”

– “What kind of massage oil would you like?”

– “Just not that last one... It did help me catch my breath, but it left me smelling like I had spent all day at the gym... It's really embarrassing, when you're sitting next to those guys.”

– “How is it embarrassing?”

– “They just kept teasing me, like I was a gym queen, secretly working out on the side to burn some of the calories I had consumed.”

– “That is so not you...”

– “I know!”

  Just then, Austin let out a deep, long belch.

– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP...”

– “Now, this is so totally you.”

  Hawk kept massaging his boyfriend's belly, lovingly.

– “You have been growing fatter, lately.”

– “With everything I've been eating, I should I think so...”

– “Are you getting along with your new friends?”

– “What friends?”

– “You American guests.”

– “Oh?” Austin thought about it. “Meh...”

– “They're not friendly with you?”

– “They're okay, I guess... We're only eating together. A lot. It's not like we have so much in common.”

– “I don't know. A common taste for tasty foods?”

– “Big deal. If you don't enjoy tasty food, how could you be friends with anyone in the world?”

– “I see...”

  Austin was slowly cooling down. His belly didn't feel so full.

– “Of course, you have friends who care about you.”

– “I guess... I am really lucky.”

– “And good friends who know what's best for you.”

– “What do you mean?”

  Hawk reached for the picnic basket Ryan had prepared for them. Austin could hardly believe his eyes... He didn't know how much his boyfriend had to insist so that their friendly blond cook would cook these treats, on top of all the food that was meant for their guests.

– “No way...”

– “All the way, Austin. This is all for you.”

– “I couldn't possibly eat all this, and go back to lunch.”

– “Have you ever considered skipping lunch?”

– “Skipping a meal? No way!”

– “There you go, then...”

  Austin grabbed a furious bite at the cookie Hawk held up to his mouth, with a smile. He looked straight at his boyfriend with a defiant stare.

– “Feed me, Hawk!”

– “Good boy... Have another meatball sandwich.”

■ ■ ■

Wednesday morning — in the coffee corner

  Guy was arranging the table cloth Ryan had just ironed, taking care of the silverware, the candles and the name tags, setting all the tables for lunch while all their guests were busy outside, by the pool or in the spa. He wouldn't be disturbed.

  Chris was coming down the stairs. Still dressed as the head waiter in a first-class restaurant and four-stars hotel, he looked strapping and fresh like a male model. There was that glimmer in his eye, too, that betrayed how he could hardly wait for the sun to go down and he would slip into a much more revealing Playboy bunny suit.

– “Have you seen Ryan?”

– “He must be somewhere near...”

– “Acting like a dumb Southern Belle, no doubt!” Chris smiled.

– “I just saw him.” Lou joined them. “He's still at the gym.”

– “Then he's acting like a Southern Dumbbell...”

  Lou and Guy exchanged a knowing look, then they asked Chris.

– “Were you looking for Ryan for something in particular?”

– “Not really. Just wondering, since you girls weren't in the kitchen.”

– “How do you like this American Bear Week?”

– “It's almost over, I know...”

– “I know I will let out a sigh of relief when it's over.”

  Chris took a good look at Guy.

– “You're right. It's not fair that you don't get to enjoy the action.”

– “I'm not sure that I would enjoy it so much, to be honest.”

– “You may not want to be at the center of attention, but we shouldn't keep you locked inside the kitchen.”

– “What I meant is... I don't wish for that kind of attention. At least, not from strangers, and definitely not from guys who think they can rub your butt because they've slipped a few lousy dollars into your waistband.”

– “I see.” Chris nodded. “Of course, it's not for everyone.”

  Lou stepped into the conversation.

– “You can't deny that there is something off about this Bear Week...”

  Chris looked at his friends with his eyes wide opened.

– “Something off? I guess Ryan and I keep our tops off, but...”

– “Seriously, the Canadian bears and studs who spent a few days with us at the Pleasure Dome were a bit rough around the edges, for sure, but they were still polite, respectful... You know, decent.”

– “These are big boys, reporters and columnists from the United States. What did you expect?”

  Guy shrugged. It had to be the American answer to everything...

  As Chris was going out to the swimming pool, where a group of lazy, large men had started gathering to enjoy the sun and fresh air, Lou saw Ryan come out of the gym, dressed in the same waiter's clothes as Chris and looking just so clean and fresh as his friend — but somehow both nervous and responding to the guys who kept teasing him as they came back from the sauna. It almost looked like he was flirting with them, or they were flirting with him.

  Of course, Hunter was there. 

  While Guy and Lou may question Ryan's attitude, there was no doubt in their mind that this particular guest was leading the others like the alpha male in a pack of wolves.

  Back in the kitchen, they felt like they could talk about it.

– “Is it just me, or is everything getting worse by the day?”

– “I couldn't agree more. Ryan doesn't need to flirt like this.”

– “He's not flirting. They are! Well, in a way...”

– “If this is the way they flirt...”

– “Yes, Lou?”

  Guy looked deep into his boyfriend's eyes.

– “You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?”

– “I guess I am. Ryan must have done something for that guy.”

– “Something like porn?”

– “Maybe... Okay, yes! maybe porn.”

  They had to hold on to that thought. Ryan almost made them jump as he swiftly stepped into the kitchen to take two platters of appetizers for their hungry guests.

– “Hello, guys!”

– “Huh... Hello, Ryan.”

– “Ryan?” Guy insisted. “Is everything okay?”

– “Of course! never better.”

  He was already rushing to wait tables again, leaving them startled.

– “Okay, this is not okay!”

  Standing by the kitchen door, they could hear Hunter welcoming Ryan back to the dining hall with his leering, sneering friends.

– “Easy sleazy...”

  Guy closed the door, blushing and furious. Just like Lou, he wished that he had not heard this.

  Ryan had left a box on the kitchen counter. There was a note on top. In any other situation, Lou and Guy wouldn't even consider touching it, but they were both angry for some reason — and the handwritten note was just signed “H”. There was no need for them to play Sherlock Holmes.

– “What now?”

  Lou opened the box. The note said “Wear this!” — and that was it.

  The package had been delivered with their morning mail. It came from some special shop in New York City... There was some tacky, thin leather jacket and some kind of thong, both covered with gold sequins.

– “Lou...”

– “Yes, Guy?”

– “Honestly? I wouldn't be caught dead wearing something like this.”

– “I bet Ryan wouldn't wear something like this either...”

– “Wake up and read the note, Lou! That's what this Hunter guy wants.”

  Guy sounded angry again.

– “Why do I feel like this is even worse than porn?”

– “Because it is. Ryan doesn't want this.”

  Lou let out a deep sigh.

– “Okay, I really don't like such... sequins of events.”

■ ■ ■

Sunday early morning — in the kitchen

  It was the last day of the American Bear Week at the Pleasure Dome.

  Chris couldn't sleep. He had survived the turmoil, somehow, and he felt quite good about it. Austin had also enjoyed himself so much, as most of his time was spent among their guests — eating and drinking until he almost fell into a food coma. He was only worried about his friends. Ryan had to be really tired again, after two weeks of hard work in and out of the kitchen... He was still waiting tables, entertaining their guests and tending to their needs like a real professional, but he also responded to their flirting comments with a strangely loose attitude. Chris could play along, just the same, but he was quicker-witted. As it was now, it looked like his dumb blond friend was no longer having fun.

– “It must be that gold, leather speedo thing they asked him to wear... I've told him. It's way too tight for him, but he wouldn't listen.”

  Chris was also worried about Lou and Guy. Of course, they wanted Guy to stay backstage — but it didn't make sense that he should turn into the invisible man. There was no need for them to act so secretive. It looked like they were plotting something, and he couldn't figure out what it was or why... It made him smile, eventually.

– “Maybe that's how they will get over their Honeymoon phase?”

  Guy couldn't sleep either, and he wouldn't stay lying in bed — tossing and turning wasn't good for Lou, who needed his eight hours of sleep.

– “Good morning, handsome...”

– “Good morning, Lou.” He kissed him. “Go back to sleep.”

– “I haven't even reached it yet.”

– “You couldn't sleep?”

– “I keep thinking about last night...”

– “The way they made Chris and Ryan dance on the buffet table?”

– “Don't mention it... I was trying to forget about the whole thing.”

  Lou playfully buried his head into the pillows. Guy went downstairs.

  It was very early... Ryan was still in the garden, as he expected to find him. Guy knew what he had to do. He opened the door of the cold room, looking for vegetables to peel and cut.

  He didn't want to disturb Ryan. It may be a pleasant surprise for him to find the younger cook already awake and ready to help. The door to the cold room was almost closed when Guy heard someone stepping into the kitchen — from the main hall, not from the garden.

  Guy took a look in there, hidden as he was.

  Just as expected, or as he just dreaded to expect, it was Hunter... How did that guy get to wake up so early, after such another shameless night of pure gluttony, loud music and lust?

“Say what you want about the porn industry...” Guy thought. “They must grow some tough skin!”

  Hunter had spotted Ryan in the garden and he waved at him, but the blond cook was already on his way back to work in the kitchen anyway. Guy saw his friend almost frown when he saw who was waiting for him there, with that all too familiar predatory smile.

– “Good morning, Gold.”

– “Come on...” Ryan looked away. “Don't call me like that.”

– “After last night? You deserve it. Now maybe more than ever.”

– “You know I don't like that name.”

– “I know.”

  Guy could tell that Hunter didn't care — or he would use it on purpose, like any playground bully, just to tease him even more.

– “It will be over tonight. Then I'll be out of your hair...”

  Hunter chuckled wickedly as he mentioned Ryan's long hair.

  Guy felt quite uncomfortable, standing behind the door. He didn't want to leave his friend in this situation, but he was still curious to learn how this guy held such power over him... Just as he was backing off a bit, he heard Ryan suddenly cry out and slap Hunter.

– “Don't... touch... my hair...”

  Ryan sounded hoarse, and furious. Guy didn't expect this.

  He pressed his face to the door crack, in a rush, to see the fat man get up. He heard him groan angrily, then laugh as he rubbed his cheek.

– “Fuck me, Gold! You always knew how to throw a punch...”

– “And don't call me Gold.”

  Hunter wouldn't back down, not after such a slap in the face.

  

– “Bad move, bad boy... You'll pay for this, tonight.”

– “Pay?” Ryan almost growled. “How do you expect me to pay?”

– “You already know how. That is, if you know what's good for you.”

  Much to Guy's surprise, Ryan lowered his voice.

– “You didn't tell anyone...”

– “Not yet. Now I'm really tempted to tell your friends.”

– “Well... don't.”

– “Okay, I won't. But you will do as I say, tonight.”

– “What do you have in mind?”

– “Nothing you don't have in your dirty mind, Gold.”

  Ryan let out a deep, rather desperate sigh.

– “You want me to wear it again? It's really tight, you know.”

– “I know, it's too tight for you. It wasn't meant to be tight, but...”

– “It's hurting me.”

– “I bet it is. That's the way I like it.”

– “You really haven't changed...”

  As he was listening to them, Guy tried to make sense out of it.

  If Ryan had worked with Hunter in the past, their business relationship was rocky, at best! Even the porn industry didn't require that their stars or anyone in the crew should suffer — or did it? He couldn't tell...

– “You asked me to wear this, and I'm wearing it. What's wrong?”

– “Nothing's wrong. This feels... just right.”

  Hunter came closer to Ryan, holding his face in his hand. 

– “Tonight's the night. You're going to flirt with me, at our table, like the good little soldier you are... Right? Everyone will see you begging to do me like I would be doing you a favor.”

  Ryan looked frozen again, as he tried to look away.

– “...Okay...”

– “What's that?”

– “I'll play along.”

– “Good boy...”

– “I've told you... Don't touch my hair like that.”

  Hunter kept playing with Ryan's long hair, and the back of his head.

– “What, am I hurting you? Does it still hurt?”

– “It does, and you know it does...”

– “I had a hunch that it would hurt. It always did, and it always will.”

– “Leave me alone...” Ryan whispered.

– “See you later, Gold.” Hunter grinned again.

  Guy didn't know what to do. He couldn't just rush out of the cold room and into the kitchen, even as he felt the urge to hug his friend... He had to wait for Ryan to leave. 

  He saw the blond cook stand by the sink, wash his hands and take a knife, then slowly put it back. Ryan turned to the counter, looked around, held on to the edge of the counter with a firm but nervous grip, as if he was about to lose his balance — then Guy saw him cry in silence.

■ ■ ■

Sunday evening — at the bar, by the dining hall

  The whole day felt like an avalanche of food going in slow motion, from breakfast to lunch, then all the guests had to take a long nap so they could dress up and be ready for their last dinner at the Pleasure Dome.

  Chris jokingly offered to let everyone go shirtless to what would usually be considered a fancy dinner party — if they all agreed to be weighed in, before they would leave the hotel. 

  It was received with cheers and a round of applause... Considering how the men around the swimming pool had grown steadily bigger, rounder and definitely fatter over the last two weeks, the only thing they could wear now would be the bathrobes they were given at the hotel's spa.

  Lou agreed with him about the need for a clothing business on the side.

– “We could open a tailor workshop.”

– “Make that an emporium. We have to think big!” 

– “Low-cut clothes at low prices for our growing customers...”

– “Something like that.”

– “How about The All-rounder Cut?” Austin suggested.

  Chris and Austin talked about it.

  Lou was worried about Guy, who looked more like a “rough cut” at this point. He didn't know why his boyfriend had crawled back to bed, in the morning, so soon after getting up to go to work — kissing him without a word and hugging him so tight, when he was freezing cold...

– “Hey!” Lou protested. “When did you get turned into a snowman?”

– “Sorry...” Guy mumbled. “It's a cold and cruel world, out there.”

– “It's okay, big bear. You can stay in bed with me.”

– “I wish we could hibernate together...”

– “Just you and me?”

– “That's right.”

– “When this Bear Week is over, maybe we will?”

– “We should...”

  Guy spent the whole day working in the kitchen, silent, following Ryan's recipes and his cooking advice — but also following him like a ghost.

  When the sun went down, and it was time for the final big dinner party, Ryan left his apron hanging by the pantry, took a quick shower and came back from his bedroom wearing his white sneakers and gym socks, with his leather briefs and light jacket all shiny with gold sequins.

  Chris didn't seem to mind that their suits no longer matched... Having one waiter wear white and the other wear gold in the same dining hall wasn't so bad — and it was actually easier for their guests to spot them and call them. Chris also felt like he could forget about the bunny ears... After a few hours waiting tables, that headband got a bit uncomfortable.

  It was a brilliant party. Silver white and gold looked just appropriate, as the waiters poured bottles and bottles of champagne on the tall pyramid of crystal flute glasses.

  There was so much food that the buffets disappeared under its mass. The guests at the Pleasure Dome were sitting in a valley, surrounded by impressive, neatly lit mountains of rich food...

  Austin wasn't the only big boy in the room who felt like a hiker about to face the ultimate climbing challenge of his life.

  Lou was busy mixing cocktails for some time — until all the appetizers were gone, and it was time to pile everyone's plates high with large cuts of roasted meat and more.

  His job at the bar was done, at least for now. He could take a break... Lou went to the kitchen, keeping himself out of the spotlights.

– “These guys really put on a show with how much they chow down!”

– “Yeah...” Guy growled. “I think it's time for a showdown.”

– “What kind of showdown?”

– “Think open season in reverse. This Bear is going after a Hunter...”

– “I see... He's only eating like everyone else, right now.”

– “Of course.”

  Guy looked around. They were alone... He could tell Lou what he had in mind. When he came back to stand behind the bar, Lou's friends might have noticed how pale he looked — more than usual, with his naturally delicate complexion. He moved so swiftly, and the guests were always so loud that he felt discrete like a cat.

  It was hard to tell, at first sight, that Hunter behaved any worse than the other big-bellied gluttons sitting next to him... As long as there was food in front of them, they were only busy eating. Lou had to commend those guys for their enduring appetite!

  When Ryan came back to their table, however, Lou noticed the change in their attitude. Guy was right. They weren't just rude, or demanding, in such a way that they could later claim “What did you expect?” Lou saw those guys harassing their waiter, for the sheer pleasure of baiting him.

– “Guy wasn't kidding about this...”

  Someone had to do something about it.

  Chris and Ryan kept bringing more food, but it was time for desserts. As a matter of fact, more than a few guys in the dining hall had already reached their limit, and they only grabbed a few bites of pies, cakes and pastries before they excused themselves. Their waiters had to help them stand up, and walk them to their bedrooms upstairs.

  It was almost midnight. As the bartender, Lou was there for last calls but there were only a few orders tonight. All the guests were stuffed full, with their bellies round and wobbling like huge water balloons...

  Chris found himself with only one guest still bravely sitting at the table, but it was his cousin. Austin couldn't feel prouder for standing his ground longer than everyone else around him — assuming that Ryan's half of the room didn't count, for some reason.

– “Good job, Austin! How are you doing with those pastries?”

– “I am so... BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP... stuffed!”

– “Hey, this is no hollow victory.” Chris gently patted his full stomach.

  It only caused Austin to let out another loud belch.

– “It's really getting late... You don't mind if I take a break.”

– “It's okay, I'm good. I don't think I can eat much more than this.”

– “I'll bring you two more plates, so you have something to do while I take a quick shower. I'll be back in no time.”

– “Hmmmph... Okay, you do that.”

  There were only a few guests left, sitting and eating in Ryan's corner, when Chris was gone. They didn't even notice, lazily eating and drinking as they were... Only a few of them kept calling for their waiter to bring more plates of sweets from the buffet.

– “What are you going for, exactly?” One journalist asked Hunter, as he cleaned his plate of chocolate cupcakes and salted butter toffee treats.

– “Just follow my lead. Everything will be hunky dory.”

– “I'm not sure...” Another guy mumbled between large mouthfuls of ice-cream and cookies.

– “You guys handle the door, I'll handle this hunk.”

  Hunter had spent the whole evening eating remarkably less than he had during the previous days, since the beginning of that American Bear Week. The guys around him didn't comment on it — they didn't notice, or they didn't care. He also kept them entertained, in a way, as they saw him play around Ryan...

  Their silent, smiling blond waiter looked particularly “playful” tonight.

– “Hmmmph... Seriously, Hunter? You have him in your crosshairs.”

– “I know.”

– “If you don't hunt him down, I will...”

– “I'll shoot you down if you dare to come any closer to him.”

– “Okay... He's all yours.”

– “He is. And boy! he is thirsty...”

  Lou saw the light from the kitchen, as the door was opened. Guy joined him at the bar. He looked ready to take action. 

– “Where's Chris?”

– “Over there...”

  Chris was coming back from the spa. He had put on a comfortable red sweatshirt, and he was ready to turn in soon. It was getting quite late.

  Quick as a tiger, Guy almost pounced on him to tell him what he had seen and ask him what they should do now. Chris was stunned.

– “Are you sure?”

  Guy held him by the shoulders, and told him bluntly.

– “He made Ryan cry.”

  Chris went pale. He couldn't even picture it, but he understood.

  Lou was asked to make Gin Fizz cocktails for the last brave guests still awake and ready to party at this hour. Hunter was almost roaring as he told Ryan to serve him a tall drink. 

– “You know what? You drink first, then I'll drink to your health.”

  Ryan held the glass in his hand, but he looked reluctant to drink.

– “Come on, Southern boy! Bottoms up! You know how it goes.”

– “I don't...”

  Standing by the door, in the shadow, Chris saw Hunter throw his drink in his waiter's face. Ryan put his own drink on the table. Guy had to hold him back, but they were both tempted to throw punches now. Lou could tell, and he decided to step forward. He was secretly pleased that he was wearing his platform shoes — just so he could to stand up against those big-bellied bullies for a second.

  It made him wish that he had spent his teenage years growing taller, stronger, larger and rounder, like a sumō wrestler, now more than ever... Then he could really defend his friends!

  Hunter sat back with a grin.

– “You can't help being a bad boy, can you?”

  Ryan didn't answer, but it wasn't lost on Lou that he clenched his fists.

– “Okay, this is what you're going to do... The next guy who enters this dining hall, no matter who it is, be it your best friend or you best friend's boyfriend, you kiss him in front of everyone here!”

– “A kiss?”

– “Make it a show for us! Tongue and all... A real, good one.”

  Lou had already spotted Guy and Chris by the door.

– “You guys should be more careful with what you wish for...”

  Chris stepped forward — as a matter of fact, he went straight to Ryan, like a tracer bullet, pushing him away from the table and against the bar. He grabbed his blond friend by the waist and kissed him. Hard.

  There was no way to tell how dizzy, hazed or confused Ryan was, right now, with everything happening around him all at once... He responded with such a deep and passionate kiss that Lou felt proud for his friends. 

– “Huh... Guys?”

  Chris and Ryan kept it going, almost growling, like wild beasts in heat during mating season... Lou started wondering about it. Were they just teaching a lesson to those jerks, or ignoring them altogether? Was there something else that they should tell their friends?

– “Guys...” Austin managed to make them snap out of it, from where he was sitting — almost nonchalant about the whole display of homosexual, healthy masculinity. “Get a room! And switch off the smoke detectors.”

  Lou couldn't agree more.

– “Okay, this party's over. The bar's closed. You guys go to bed...”

  The fat American men who sat around Hunter obviously agreed to sleep on it, and act as if they hadn't seen a thing, when they would wake up in the morning. Guy only put a mighty big paw on Hunter's shoulder.

– “You're not going anywhere... This night isn't over for you.”

■ ■ ■

Sunday night — in the laundry room, down the hall

  It only took a few minutes for Guy and Hawk to turn the empty space in the hotel's laundry room into some sort of interrogation room. Hunter was forced to sit down, with his ankles strapped to the chair's legs and a long, large rope around his chest, holding him under the armpits. Backed against the wall, he was further trapped by the table they brought to his chest, almost raised up to the level of his shoulders... Cool and collected, the captive man rested his forearms on the table as he saw them put a large plate in front of him. 

– “Wow, guys... Way to make me feel like your guest of honor!”

– “You've been playing this shame game long enough.”

– “Oh, well... Okay, fair enough.”

  Austin had called Hawk over the phone, asking him to join them.

  He couldn't get himself to walk all the way up to the lighthouse anyway. As it turned out, their plans to spend the night together had changed...

  Guy rubbed Hunter's belly with both hands.

– “I could punch you in the gut, but there's room for more...”

  Chris and Austin brought massive amounts of leftovers. They put the platters on the table, right within Hunter's reach.

– “What is this, a party of one?”

– “More like... Chow and Tell.”

– “Okay!” Hunter started eating right away.

  Of course, he couldn't tell them so much, with his mouth full — with a deep growl, Hawk stepped forward and started feeding him much faster, on purpose. When he let him catch his breath, Hunter was ready to talk.

– “That's a good pig... Let's hear something from you now!”

– “What do you guys want to know?”

– “First things first. When did you meet Ryan?”

  Hunter took a look at the five men surrounding him. They were serious.

– “About nine, ten years ago...”

– “What kind of shady business did you do together?”

  Guy's question sounded a bit strange. It made Hunter chuckle.

– “Shady business? You could say that again, but... Fuck me! I wish we had found some shade in the desert, back then.”

– “In the desert?”

– “What were you guys shooting in the desert?”

– “What do you think? We were at war!”

  The boys shared a puzzled look. Hawk was the first one to react.

– “Nine years ago, in the desert... Were you boys in Iraq?”

– “Kuwait first, then Iraq. All the way up along the Gulf.”

– “You and Ryan were in the US Army?”

– “Well, duh...”

  There was a long moment of silence. 

– “Ryan was a soldier during Operation Desert Storm.”

– “Desert Shield, Desert Storm... Same desert.”

  Chris stepped forward to ask him.

– “Wasn't Ryan too young to fight in the Gulf War?”

– “Oh! he claimed to be twenty-one.” Hunter munched on a few slices of pies. “Anyone in the Corp could tell that he was barely eighteen. Greener than pastures in Spring after a light rain... He was the kind of soldier you only get to picture in your dreams, hotter than the desert at noon. Young dirty blonde, dumb, prim and proper, full of cum to the brim!”

– “What were you doing, then?”

– “I was the major in his battalion.”

  It felt like such a simple explanation, but Chris was still puzzled. Austin didn't fully understand either. Guy and Lou could forget about their initial theory, pointing the finger at the porn industry, but they didn't feel any better for it... Only Hawk managed to stay calm and ask questions.

– “What happened then?”

– “What usually happens during a war... Hmmmph... Shit happens.”

– “What did you do?”

– “What soldiers do in the desert, really... You get the picture. Hmmmph hmmmph... It's not a pretty picture, I can tell you that.”

– “What did Ryan do?”

– “He was lost, and terrorized out of his mind. He followed... Hmmmph... Orders and stuff. When he was shirtless, by the end of the day, he made the whole place look hotter than Hell! Then we made it worse than Hell for him. Even as a private, he didn't get a moment of peace, or privacy.”

– “Tell us about it. All of it! I don't give a fuck about the desert.”

  Even Hawk was losing his patience... Austin saw how his boyfriend kept slowly rubbing his hands together. Someone was about to get slapped in the face, so hard that he may leave the room with a few teeth left on the table, like a tip for his devoted waiters.

– “You want the truth?” Hunter looked up.

– “We want the truth!”

– “The whole truth?” He suddenly shouted. “You can't handle the truth!”

  Then he started laughing like a maniac, restrained as he was.

– “What's so funny about it?” Austin had to ask.

– “You guys can't imagine how much I've been wishing to say this line out loud, just like this. Oh! man... Oh! fuck, that was perfect.”

  Hawk let out another ominous growl. He was ready to pounce on him.

– “Okay, Jackass Nicholson! You're in for it, big time.”

– “What now?”

– “Listen, you squishy little pipsqueak! You're going to eat what we feed you, answer our questions and tell us the whole story, or I will push the next burgers so far down your throat, I'll stretch out your jaws with my elbow... Now eat, pig! Eat!”

  Lou and Chris nodded at each other. They had to bring more food from the kitchen. A lot more food... 

– “Where's Ryan?”

– “In the kitchen, I guess.”

– “He shouldn't be left alone... I'll go see him now.”

– “And I'll ask Guy to cook more burgers and hot dogs. Simple stuff.”

– “Yes... Keep it simple.”

  Chris was right. Ryan stood by the sink, washing the dishes with a two-thousand-yard stare... His friends came to hug him from both sides, and Lou suggested that he should go to sleep in his bedroom, or at least get some rest. Chris whispered to him.

– “I'll come by to see you later.”

  There were still mountains of food on the kitchen counters, after Ryan had taken it all back from the buffets, leaving the dining hall clean... It was a messy mass of all kinds of desserts — in other words, according to Chris and Lou, perfect for a pig!

  Back in their “interrogation room”, they were pleased to find Guy and Hawk working on the most appropriate pace to keep Hunter eating, and the most effective intimidating methods and keep him talking... Austin was only there with more questions about his best friend.

– “What was he like, back then?”

– “Hmmmph... Oh! he really put the “Ho” in Gung-Ho...”

– “Seriously.”

– “I mean it... He was always meant to be cannon fodder, you know, but what could we do with such a perfect specimen of wank fodder? Right? Hmmmph... I mean, can you blame us? You guys know what I mean!”

– “Yeah...” Hawk nodded in a sinister manner. “We do.”

  Guy remembered what Hunter had called Ryan when he was alone with him, in the kitchen — or so he thought.

– “What did you call him?”

– “It wasn't just me. Everyone called him Gold...”

– “Gold?”

– “That's right. Private First Class Gold. Hmmmph... That was him.”

– “Why Gold?”

– “Just because... Hmmmph...” Hunter mumbled between mouthfuls.

– “Like... Golden Boy?” Hawk ventured a guess.

– “Oh, sure! and which one of the Golden Girls are you again?”

  Hunter smirked again... He could tell that Guy and Hawk were new at this. Big burly bears as they may be, they would have to put some time and effort into their “good cop, bad cop” dynamic duo.

– “Did you call him Gold just because he has blond hair?”

– “Because he was... And he still is. Gold. Pure gold, plain and simple.”

– “Gold...”

– “That's right. Hmmmph hmmmph...” Hunter devoured. “And I feel like he's only gone downhill, since he was thrown out of the Army... I found him fatter and also dumber than ever!”

  Austin remembered Hunter's comment, when he had first seen Ryan.

– “Ryan's not even fat!”

– “Hmmmph... You should have seen him, when he was your age.”

– “I bet...” Chris nodded. “He was ripped.”

– “Like a slutty gymnast. Hmmmph hmmmph... Like a crossfitter.”

– “Did you starve him or force him to train twenty-four seven?”

– “Maybe both? I don't remember. Hmmmph... but his abs went from a six-pack to an eight-pack in a matter of weeks. He looked okay.”

– “But he couldn't be okay...”

– “Hmmmph... And we couldn't care less.”

  Hunter grunted when he was done with that large plate, with so many slices of cakes and pies. He reminded them how Ryan was “just another US Army grunt”, licking his fingers as he obviously enjoyed telling them what made him so special to a handful of commanding officers who had an eye for it... They had spotted this private as soon as he was deployed in Kuwait, and they had quickly turned this desert inferno into his private Hell. Being at war was one thing — being kept under peer pressure like that was a whole different world of trouble...

– “Were you guys on drugs or what?”

– “Of course! Most of our officers were drugged to their eyeballs.”

– “Were you?”

– “Sometimes... Your friend wasn't. There was really no need for it.”

– “Why?”

– “First things first, he wouldn't touch the stuff. He didn't even drink.”

– “And you didn't force him.”

– “We kept him active, and sweating. That's for sure. And stressed... Of course, adrenalin is the most powerful drug you can get in your system!”

  They felt reluctant to ask further questions, but it was too late.

  Ryan's tasks as a soldier were mind-numbingly boring, and physically demanding — carrying heavy bags, boxes and pieces of equipment, all day, loading and unloading trucks, training with the others, attending his meetings in the evening, checking on weapons and so on.

  He didn't get to rest after hours or go to movie nights out the camp.

  At this point, they really didn't want to know what Hunter was only too eager to share... It was only a matter of circumstances that kept Ryan relatively safe, back then. Having about two dozen officers constantly on his back was a hassle, but it also created such a toxic and competitive environment between them that this Private First Class sometimes ended up alone, waiting for one of those men to join him in the shower or in his tent. Between promises and threats, Ryan was left in chaotic uncertainty.

  One easy way out, in such a predicament, would be to disappoint those bullies, at least not meet their lusty requirements... Chris thought about it, as he was listening closely. Be bad at this, just nip it in the bud — but, no surprise there, Ryan largely exceeded their expectations.

  There was that wicked glint in Hunter's eyes again.

– “More juice than we could ever get to squeeze...”

  Every new detail Hunter told them about Ryan's past as a soldier raised more red flags than a military parade in front of the Kremlin.

– “You guys raped him?”

– “It wasn't that bad... A few of us trapped him. That's all.”

– “Well... You can't spell “trapped” with R, A, P, E and D...”

  Chris had heard enough.

– “I'll get more food from the kitchen...” He whispered to Lou. “You can go next, keep it going and see how Guy is doing.”

– “Okay, I will.”

– “Someone has to deal with Ryan too.”

  Lou took a good look at him.

– “Deal with... What, unfinished business?”

– “We'll see about that.”

– “Okay. Take this.”

  On one of his latest trips to Seoul and Tokyo, Lou had brought back a few cell phones of the most recent generation. They could exchange text messages to keep in touch during the night.

  Hawk turned to him, as Chris was about to leave the room.

– “All hands on deck, right?” He reminded him. “All hands on deck.”

– “Hey! if I play my cards right...”

■ ■ ■

Sunday late into the night — in Ryan's bedroom

  Chris didn't expect to find his friend sleeping in his bed. Ryan was still in the kitchen with Guy. They were cooking together, and he was almost done with the dirty dishes. The room looked so quiet, anyone in his right mind could tell that something wasn't quite right.

  Guy agreed to bring two more trays of food to Lou and the team. Chris wrapped an arm around Ryan's shoulders and led him to his bedroom.

  He had to think about what he should do next, just as he felt the need to do such things with his friend that he may regret later... It was just impossible to stand so close to Ryan, and not hug him like a teddy bear.

  Chris managed to resist the urge to kiss him... He was there to talk to him, first, and hopefully get him to talk too.

– “You're a soldier.”

– “I was a soldier.”

– “Still...”

– “It's been years and years. I'm no soldier anymore.”

– “It's a part of who you are.”

– “Okay. You want to see me wearing combat fatigues now?” Ryan asked rather bitterly.

– “No. I think you've had enough combat fatigue, as it is...”

  A thought crossed his mind. Chris changed his tone.

– “Get naked.”

  Sensitive as he was, Ryan couldn't ignore how cold, almost harsh, Chris sounded at that very moment. He was only wearing a light T-shirt under his apron, no socks and no boxers underneath his jeans now...

  In a matter of minutes, he was standing naked and at attention in front of his friend, just as he was told — anxious, obviously, but magnificent.

“Okay.” Chris thought. “That's a... mighty full deck of assets.”

  He gulped down and barked at him, like a drill instructor.

– “Get down on all four, and give me a hundred push-ups.”

  Again, Ryan did as he was told. He didn't even say a word.

  Chris hated himself for behaving like this — but he knew what was at stakes. He could go easy on his friend, take the easy way out of this, but that would be wrong... It wasn't too difficult for him to picture this dumb blond young man as a soldier, but it was still hard in some other way. 

  He wasn't interested in what Ryan may have to say about that guy they were interrogating in the laundry room.

“Major Hunter Harden...” He thought. “Major hard-on, seriously?”

  Ryan stood up again. Chris had asked him to keep count with his push-ups, but he was done. Of course, he was really good at this kind of work-out. He was also used to walking around his friends with little clothes on. This wouldn't be their first rodeo either... There was something missing, according to Chris.

  He came to talk to him so close as he could, still military style.

– “I want to see them.”

– “See what?”

– “You know what I mean.”

  They exchanged a look. Chris wouldn't back down.

– “Show me where you keep them.”

– “In my desk...” Ryan didn't look down either. “Top drawer.”

– “Top drawer, of course.”

  Chris followed him. Ryan reluctantly opened a cardboard box — there were a few papers there, a few pictures, and smaller boxes. Chris didn't know what all those badges, medals and insignia meant... Then he found precisely what he was looking for.

– “Put these on.”

– “Huh... Chris?”

– “I want to see you wearing them.”

  He was holding Ryan's Army dog tags and ball chain in his hands... It read: “Hewdge, Ryan P”. There was his ID number from the Department of Defense. Blood type: “O positive”. Religion: “Catholic”.

– “There you go...”

  Chris gently closed the chain behind his neck, but he knew that he was forcing this on his friend. It was tough. Ryan looked quite uncomfortable.

– “Give me another hundred push-ups.”

  This would prevent eye contact between them for a few minutes. Chris took a look at the boxes, and the medals he found in there... He wasn't familiar with ranks or distinctions in the Army, but he had seen enough movies to know a thing or two about a few of these.

– “Wait... They gave you a Purple Heart?”

– “They gave me so many purple nurples for it...” Ryan sighed.

– “I'm serious.”

– “I know. They were serious about it too, but they also gave them away like candy on Halloween, at some point...”

  When he was done with that second set of push-ups, Ryan was a bit out of breath, and sweating profusely. His heart may be racing, however, not from such efforts but for the memories that this kind of late-night training brought back.

  Chris could tell — standing at attention in the middle of the room, Ryan looked more vulnerable than his friend had ever seen him... While most men would feel that way, just from being stripped of all their clothes and underwear, it was different for him. 

  There was such distress in his eyes that Chris couldn't resist any longer. He hugged him as he meant to do it from the moment they had entered this bedroom, like the most comfortable teddy bear, and Ryan responded with a kiss that felt both gentle and irrepressible, tender and passionate.

– “Go take a quick, cold shower. I'll join you in a minute.”

– “Okay...”

  Chris only had a moment to text Lou.

                                                            Chris, 1:19AM

                                      How did Ryan get a Purple Heart?...

             Lou, 1:20AM

        Red-blooded boy + Blue balls?

                                                            Chris, 1:20AM

                                      No way... Find out when and where, 

                                      how and why: Hunter should know.

             Lou, 1:21AM

        I'm on it. He'll tell us, I'll tell you.

  Ryan was in the shower. Chris took off his sweatshirt.

– “This is going to be a long night...” He sighed, with a smile.

■ ■ ■

Monday early morning — in the laundry room, down the hall

  Hunter was stuffed — Guy had escorted him to the toilets then brought him back to be strapped on his feeding chair again. He was ready to eat some more, and tell them even more...

  Lou cut to the chase, working on what Chris had just texted him.

– “What do you remember about Ryan being awarded a Purple Heart?”

– “I remember it... So what?” Hunter shrugged.

  Hawk growled again.

– “Don't play with us, you dickhead... The President of the United States doesn't reward you for selling cookies!”

– “It depends on who's President, who's the fallen dumbass in the story, who's in charge of dealing with the Press and... Okay, Private First Class Gold deserved his Purple Heart.”

  Austin didn't understand.

– “How do you get a Purple Heart?”

– “You have to get killed, or be seriously wounded.”

– “I don't remember seeing wounds on Ryan...”

  Hunter looked up and turned a bit to face him.

– “It's not like you boys have seen him naked.”

– “Well...”

  Lou and Guy, Austin and Hawk shared a look... They were pretty sure that they had seen as much of their blond friend's skin as they could see, and definitely more than they should wish to see — then they would know, somehow, if Ryan had been wounded in his boxer shorts.

  Hunter chuckled at their embarrassment.

– “Why do you think Gold let his hair grow so long?”

  Hawk looked up. The others may be a bit behind, but he understood.

– “Head wound?”

– “Of course... We were in operation somewhere, and the idiot couldn't keep his helmet in the right position, as he was wiping his eyes. It was one of those scorching hot days. Everyone was sweating a lot. We were suffocating in those uniforms. Anyway, I guess the back of his head was exposed and a bullet graced his skin right along his hair line. Long range shot, if you ask me... It was only a flesh wound, but there was a lot of blood and it left a pretty long scar. We're talking six, seven stitches.”

  Austin was speechless — and he wasn't alone.

– “He was back on tracks after a few days. Hmmmph...”

  Hunter devoured a few more pieces of fried chicken.

– “Oh! but we all joked about it for months... I mean, that was a close shave! One inch to the side, and that bullet would have just blown his head off like a watermelon. The colonel kept telling us that it wouldn't do any more damage, anyway, because there was nothing in that skull to be blown away! No brain drain there, that's for sure... Ha ha!”

  The men standing around him weren't laughing.

– “I guess he's been hiding it pretty well...” Hunter concluded.

  Lou texted Chris again.

             Lou, 2:16AM

        How are you holding up?

                                                            Chris, 2:16AM

                                      What do you think I'm doing down here? 

             Lou, 2:16AM

        Saving our Private Ryan?

                                                            Chris, 2:16AM

                                      Ha... Ha... Ha... Don't even mention it.

             Lou, 2:16AM

        I bet Ryan hated that movie...

                                                            Chris, 2:17AM

                                      I wouldn't even dare to ask!

  Hawk and Guy were feeding Hunter again, which seemed to just delight him... There was no doubt that this former Army officer loved a tall drink and a large plate of fatty food!

  Lou only felt like he didn't deserve Ryan's crispy grits and fritters.

  Austin asked a question that his friends had not considered.

– “When did Ryan leave the Army?”

– “A few years later. He must have turned twenty-two, by then...” Hunter mumbled. “That really didn't make him much of a young adult. He was just the same as he had always been. And it's not like he actually left.”

– “What do you mean? He didn't leave the Army?”

– “Nope. Hmmmph hmmmph... He was kicked out.”

– “Kicked out...”

  Hawk's voice sounded particularly dark.

– “What happened?”

– “Only the worst thing that could happen... Gold fell in love.”

  Lou and Guy looked at each other, while Austin came closer to Hawk.

  Hunter didn't mind telling them how, after one or two years in Kuwait, Ryan had met some new recruit, joining his unit. The two young soldiers felt an immediate connection... Their friendly camaraderie quickly turned into such an irresistible attraction for each other that they really couldn't keep it a secret, no matter how hard they tried to be discrete.

  Not when there were officers keeping an eye on them like hawks...

– “We had all come to some sort of truce, you know... Now, this new guy would try to steal our Gold? He was going to steal our Private First Class Gold! No way we would let it happen. Then we called him Steel.”

– “Gold... and Steel...”

– “That's right.”

  Hawk shook his head.

“Oh, well...” He thought. “These jerks may have called him Rusty. Things can always get worse when you let idiots take charge.”

  Lou and Guy asked questions now.

– “What did you guys do?”

– “Hmmmph hmmmph... Oh, what didn't we do to keep them separated? They found a way to get back together, no matter what... They weren't just inseparable. They worked like the perfect tactical team together, so the commanding officer changed his mind about them. He sent them on all the most special missions he could think of... In the end, there is only one way for lovers to be separated. It must be what he had in mind.”

– “That young man, Ryan's partner... got killed?”

– “Yes...” Hunter grunted again. “Another long range shot.”

– “Only he wasn't so lucky.” Hawk sadly commented.

– “I guess. It was one of those occasions, you know, when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time... That's when Gold got wounded too.”

  Austin, Hawk and their friends listened to this with wide eyes, as they visualized the scene, at that precise moment. This changed everything.

– “It was also his downfall, you know... With that young man Steel out of the picture, everything could have gone back to the way it was. Business as usual, but... No! he had to start complaining about it.”

– “What did he complain about?”

– “I don't remember, exactly. Defending his friend's memory, I guess? Or bringing his body back home, to be buried at his parents' home town... Something along those lines. He could have asked for it nicely.”

  Hawk was really boiling inside, now... Austin didn't expect this from his boyfriend, but it made him feel a bit better as he saw him defend Ryan, for once. It was a welcome change.

– “That's when the others decided that they had enough with him. Proof that you can have too much of the most delicious things in life... I don't remember who set the trap, but it was well-organized. We knew where and when we could catch our Private First Class Gold in the act. Pictures and everything. All the best, most exciting stuff. Talk about Gold Rush!”

– “You guys trapped him like this?”

– “Easiest operation ever. Hmmmph... Of course, he's a pretty easy guy.”

  Austin asked the questions, keeping Hawk in a tender hug.

– “What did you do then?”

– “We court-martialed him. What did you expect? Hmmmph hmmmph... He was accused of lewd conduct in the men's restroom, sexual assault, indecent and unnatural acts, the whole nine yards... Your friend did his best to defend himself. If you could call that a defense.”

– “What did Ryan do?”

– “He made a fool of himself. Hmmmph hmmmph... Big surprise.”

– “How so?”

– “Anyone with a brain would have denied the whole thing... Pictures? Testimonies? Who cares? You can always come up to an agreement.”

– “An agreement...”

– “Sure! It's not like we were holding a grudge against him. He was hot.”

  Hawk stepped forward, towering over their sitting captive so much that even a large man like Hunter disappeared in his shadow.

– “You kicked him out of the Army for being “indecent”, just because he was honest about who he was and whom he felt attracted to, while you were taking advantage of everything he was, and everything he had to offer, and you didn't even have the decency to be honest about it...”

  Hunter looked up. 

– “What are you talking about? I'm not a fag! We were having fun.”

  The men standing around him wouldn't answer this.

  Lou texted to Chris immediately.

             Lou, 3:32AM

        Bad news...

                                                            Chris, 3:32AM

                                      Old news... Spill it.

             Lou, 3:32AM

        Ryan was kicked out of the Army.

                                                            Chris, 3:33AM

                                      I had it pretty much figured out.

             Lou, 3:33AM

        We're talking dishonorable discharge.

                                                            Chris, 3:33AM

                                      WTF?

             Lou, 3:34AM

        I know...

                                                            Chris, 3:34AM

                                      Disciplinary action, or...

             Lou, 3:35AM

        You guessed it. Homophobe hunt.

                                                            Chris, 3:38AM

                                      Keep feeding Hunter until he bursts.

■ ■ ■

Monday early morning — in Ryan's bedroom

  Chris had never spent such a rough night of passion with anyone.

  He only had himself to blame — he had asked for it.

  Forcing Ryan to wear his dog tags, and get back into the mindset of a young soldier lost in the desert, felt like a cruel move on his part. He had been honest about it, at least. Blunt, but honest. He wanted to have sex with that soldier... What he truly wanted, from the depths of his heart, was to comfort that young, bullied and confused soldier, but he couldn't ask for such a thing. It couldnt be done.

  He didn't have to. It felt like Ryan saw right through him.

– “You want it raw...” Chris remembered him whispering to his ear, like a volcano determined to drown his entire world under an ocean of blazing hot lava. “You want it raw like war.”

  There was something actually dangerous about Ryan, more mysterious than addictive... Chris could only imagine what kind of wild urban jungle tiger this blond bad boy must have been, as a teenager. 

  It was just impossible to draw the line between perfect sex and pure, selfless love in the arms of a man like him... That was enough to make Chris want to cry, but Ryan was also there to keep him comfortable just as he kept him on the razor's edge.

  There was no such thing as “strict military sex”, even when Chris had insisted about it and Ryan honestly thought that he was only answering his friend's demands. They just couldn't help themselves...

  Only between rounds, Chris would act like a drill instructor again.

– “Okay, Private. Give me another hundred push-ups...”

  Every wall and every door in the bedroom, in the bathroom and in the shower, still resonated with their physical contact, their complicity, their energy with such a specific presence. 

  When the sun began to shine, they agreed to get some rest in bed.

  Chris was playing with his blond friend's long hair. Running his fingers through those golden locks, he gently worked his way up to the back of Ryan's head. Then he could feel it... There had to be a scar somewhere, which he had never noticed before. The former soldier didn't protest.

– “Does it still hurt?” 

– “If you promise not to mention it ever again, it doesn't.”

  Ryan hugged him tight, and kissed him. Chris could hardly breathe.

– “You didn't want us to know about it?”

– “I didn't want anyone to know about it.”

– “What happened to you, back then, you know... That's nothing to feel ashamed of.”

– “I couldn't find a job, when I came back home. I couldn't make a living in the United States...”

– “Who wants to live in the United States? You're in the right place now. You have friends here who care for you, who will defend you, and who wouldn't let you leave.”

– “I guess we've both found our happy place?”

  Chris rested his head on top of Ryan's chest, then he let his hand play over that rich welcome mat of blond fur that looked more appealing and more precious than gold, in this morning light.

– “Oh! I know I have found mine...”

■ ■ ■

Monday morning — in the lobby, at the Pleasure Dome

  Guy was serving coffee and hot chocolate to his friends. 

– “Ryan's a veteran...”

– “We always knew he's a trooper.”

  They were too tired to have a real conversation, but they couldn't keep their thoughts to themselves.

– “And, seriously... Gold?”

– “What about it?”

– “What kind of nickname is that?”

– “That's one way to describe Ryan, I guess?”

– “I guess... All that glitters isn't glitter?”

  It was time for their American guests to leave. There was only a light breakfast prepared in the dining hall, but they all looked like they would sleep all the way back to their home towns like big, bloated pythons...

  Austin could see how much these men struggled to put their clothes back on, after their final weigh-ins at the gym. Guy and Lou were there to help, as much as they could — but it was now on top of their to-do list to stock shirts, T-shirts and pants in the larger end of the larger plus size spectrum of the big boy's section... They could create and sell a few models, with the Pleasure Dome's logo printed in the front, and open a workshop to deal with eventual adjustments. Lou had to think about it.

  When their guests were ready to leave, and Guy or Hawk carried their suitcases to the taxi, Austin also gave them their guns back, still locked in the lockers in the hotel's cloakroom. Then they could say good-bye.

  He had spent quite a few days and night among them, sitting next to them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but he couldn't remember anyone's name... They were just too busy eating, of course. Now that he thought about it, eating was the only thing they were interested in. 

  Austin remembered telling them about his background, his job at the Pleasure Dome, his friends, his boyfriend... He had mentioned Hawk, but not by name. He had shared a lot with those guys, about his wishes and his challenges, his likes and dislikes, his ideas and his ideal goal. Now he couldn't remember anyone of them taking notes during his interviews.

  He asked one of the guys who had been sitting by his side all the time.

– “Austin, bear cub... I had no intention of writing an article about you. I had a hunch that there wasn't much to be told. Then we've spent a few evenings together, eating a lot, drinking even more... We've had a good time. Now that we know you a bit better, I understand that I was right. There's nothing interesting about you and your friends, at least not for our readers. I mean... We have higher standards than this.”

  Austin let him go, and turned to another journalist.

– “How about you?”

– “Don't listen to him, he's a bitch... You're a good kid, and your friends are mostly okay. You'll be fine... I only wish for you to grow as a person, just as you grow your belly bigger, rounder and fatter.”

  Naturally, Hunter was the last guest to leave their hotel. 

  He had spent most of the day sleeping in his bed, snoring like a fat pig after he had passed out in their interrogation room. Guy and Hawk may have gone a bit rough on him, and he didn't remember being carried back to his bedroom, but he couldn't really complain about the way they had treated him... As a matter of fact, he had enjoyed every minute of it, in his own twisted way.

  There was no way that they would let him see Ryan again, of course.

  As they saw Hunter walk down the stairs, Lou and Guy felt the urge to wipe that grin off his face. 

– “So, it's time to say good-bye?”

– “Good-bye. Don't come back.”

– “This isn't over, you know...”

– “It's over.”

– “How about our initial deal? I still have an article to write.”

– “Do as you please. No article, no deal.”

– “That's just the thing. I could write some article about you boys!”

– “As if you had anything to say about us...”

– “I'll make it interesting.”

  Lou was getting tired of being threatened by such self-entitled jerks... Standing by his side, Guy knew how it felt. Hunter couldn't imagine what they had stood up against, from the very beginning, and how they were ready to keep fighting to the very end.

– “You can go back to your pig pen, pal. Write whatever you like in your article. Good or bad, it doesn't matter... When the people you know see you coming back from this trip, they will take one look at your belly and conclude that the people at the Pleasure Dome know what they're doing. You can try and weasel your way out of the numbers. That's a pretty noticeable thirty pounds you've gained there, which makes you quite the chunky ground hog! The whole story will be told in your body language.”

– “What if I tell everyone how you've been force-feeding me?”

– “What if they ask you to prove it?” Hawk growled. “I don't remember forcing you, or you resisting so much... You've been stuffing yourself like a happy, greedy hog!”

– “Why not?” Lou shrugged. “Truth is always the best policy.”

– “How much more positive could we ask you to get when you tell your readers about the Pleasure Dome? We may get special requests for this kind of treatment!”

– “Oh, well...” Hunter eventually looked down.

– “Now you can say good-bye. And consider yourself lucky.”

■ ■ ■

Thursday morning — in the coffee corner, by the dining hall

  Chris and Lou took a closer look at the reviews.

– “There you go...”

        The Washington Host

        Beautiful resort by the ocean, fresh air, excellent food. My

        lungs have never felt so clean. My stomach's never felt so

        full... I loved every minute of this “American Bear Week”!

             The Boston Glob Magazine 

             If those boys at the Pleasure Dome tell you, on a dare, 

            “No charges, all expenses paid” if you get to put on less

             than fifteen pounds in fifteen days, go for it... You'll be

             happy to pay full price, after two weeks of indulging and 

             enjoying yourself so much! I can't wait to come back.

        The New Porker 

        Set on a charming stretch of coast in Canada, this is the

        perfect place for you to leave your boring job behind, get 

        rid of all your stress, eat your fill and say goodbye to your

        old, pesky tight pairs of pants. All pleasure, no regrets...

             Fillin' Philly Mag' 

             I have never eaten so well, so much, or so loud! It was

             just so perfect, and it went so fast, you had to be there.

             Staying at the Pleasure Dome made reconsider my job, 

             as culinary critic and enthusiastic gourmet... Call me an 

             overeater? I have just gained 24 pounds, and I love my

             job now more than ever. Love it! This is the Life for me.

        Fatter knows best 

        The buffet at the Pleasure Dome puts all the all-you-can-eat

        restaurants you know to shame! Why do I feel like going back

        to Chicago is the same as being sent to a Weight Loss Camp?

            Flab Confidential

            I want to see this kind of business expand then spread to

            Los Angeles, and all over the United States, from Fat-Ass 

            Texas to Man-Boobs Montana. We need to be fed like this!

        Bulk up, America! 

        There's no gift shop at the Pleasure Dome, but I'm going home

        with 28 pounds worth of fond memories and tender “souvenirs”...

– “How much weight did those guys put on?”

– “They may brag about it, but they're not faking these numbers!”

  On average, their well-fed guests had just added another 26 pounds to their already portly frames... One guy had only gained 24 pounds, while another very greedy guest had put on a whopping 30 pounds.

  Of course, the whole team at the Pleasure Dome felt really proud when their CEO stood on the scales, a few days after the American Bear Week was over, showing his friends how it should be done. Austin had packed on no less than 22 pounds in the last two weeks. He looked handsomely chubby, with a much rounder gut.

– “Of course, he should be proud! That's his personal best.”

– “For now.”

– “That's right! He will beat those guys, some day.”

– “He could beat them with a meatball sandwich...”

■ ■ ■

Thursday evening — in the garden

  Austin's weight gain made Hawk feel like the luckiest bear in the forest. The two of them spent a few wild nights in bed, at the lighthouse, then they both had to go back to work... As they slowly walked down the road to the Pleasure Dome, holding hands, humming some pop song together, Hawk spotted Ryan taking the laundry off the line.

– “You go join your friends at the dinner table... I need to have a word with your cook.”

– “A word?” Austin raised an eyebrow.

– “You know me. I'm a man of few words.”

– “Okay...”

  Hawk waved at Ryan — who waved back at him, as he put the laundry basket down on the terrace. The blond young man was always so quiet. He looked lean but healthy, certainly less stressed than he had been for a few days. And he deserved to take a short break.

– “Hey...”

– “Good evening, Hawk.”

– “It does feel like a good evening. So, Ryan? I wanted to tell you...”

– “Yes?”

– “You've done a pretty good job, recently. I mean, a really good job.”

– “Well... Thank you, I guess?”

– “No, thank you.”

– “Okay. You're welcome...”

– “Austin's been growing so much bigger, and fatter. It takes a big boy's appetite to get such impressive results, but it takes loads and loads of all the best foods a big boy can eat.”

– “That's true.”

– “I know I've been pushing for it too.”

– “Well... Yes, you have.”

– “There's something you should know.”

– “Okay...”

  Ryan looked up to better listen to him. Hawk cleared his throat.

– “I was waiting for the right time... I didn't want to jinx it.”

– “Jinx what?”

– “I've been talking with my parents over the phone, recently. I've called my brothers, my sisters, my cousins... We'll have a special family reunion soon. You see, I want Austin to meet my family, around Thanksgiving.”

– “You want to introduce Austin to your family?”

– “Yes.”

– “As your... boyfriend?”

– “No!” Hawk protested. “Not just as my boyfriend... You don't know my family. I want to do this right, and be fully honest about it. I want them to get to know Austin as he is, as my fat boyfriend!”

  There was a moment of silence. Ryan was truly moved by this.

– “Did you want to wait for Austin to be like... “fat enough” to meet your family, or did you need him to train and get ready to eat a lot?”

  Hawk patted the blond cook's shoulder, with a smile.

– “You don't understand much about anything, but you get this...”

■ ■ ■

Friday early morning — in Ryan's bedroom

  Chris didn't just keep an eye on Ryan, during the day. He couldn't care less if Lou, Guy or Austin commented on the fact that he kept coming back to spend the night with their dumb blond friend. He was still quite careful about it. Chris usually waited for Ryan to be alone in the kitchen, late at night, and he left by sunrise. 

  Besides, the big boys at the Pleasure Dome were just so busy, minding their own business in their boyfriend's bedrooms, and they didn't notice him going up or down the stairs like a runaway teenager.

  Or they didn't care any more than he did... Chris chose to believe that he had just outsmarted his friends, for that midnight rush of adrenalin and the way Ryan kept their little games secret, so romantic as the most passionate love affairs he remembered from the novels he used to read as a student.

  Then, if he had to be perfectly honest with himself, the pursuit of great sex was what motivated most of what he had ever done in his life... Sex with Ryan wasn't just the best sex Chris had ever had, but the best thing life had to offer for someone like him.

  For that reason alone, he wished to keep it a secret.

  Ryan wasn't just “the best lover”, according to Chris... There was some mysterious quality about him that made all comparison feel irrelevant. He didn't understand — maybe there wasn't anything about this delicious dumb blond teddy bear that required an explanation.

  As his bedroom was slowly bathed in sunlight, he knew he had to go. There was no question about it either. Chris felt Ryan holding him back, however, in that loving embrace he had kept him against his furry chest for almost an hour by now.

– “Please, stay in bed with me...”

– “Don't be silly, Ryan. I have to go back to my own bed.”

– “It's still early. You can stay.”

– “You won't get much sleep if I do...” Chris teased him a bit.

– “I won't get back to sleep if you don't.”

  Then, on a dare, Ryan suddenly made him roll over on his back, kissed him on the lips and kept him captive with his arms around his friend's shoulders. Chris couldn't get up and out of bed if he had been left alone. His legs felt weak again.

  He held on to his friend's dog tags, playfully, as they were dangling and softly clinking before his eyes. Chris kept them in the back pocket of his jeans now. He kept bringing them back to Ryan's bedroom. The blond soldier put them on when he asked him to wear them. He didn't mind... Chris could tell that it was still painful, for the memories it brought back to the surface, but it also helped him heal. 

  Sometimes, he felt like he was given the keys to his friend's heart — or his past. He couldn't tell. He didn't want to ask. 

  Ryan's eyes were shining like precious stones, emerald and sapphire. He wasn't crying, but that gentle smile on his face was enough to make Chris moan or purr, like a kitten... With those early morning sunbeams, the blond hair that graced his forehead also looked rich and mysterious, like a rain of gold.

– “You know what? I actually like your hair like this.”

– “No, you don't.” Ryan placed a soft kiss on his friend's lips. “You've told me time and again that they're too long, and messy, and tangled... And it makes me look...”

  Chris stopped him right there, with another kiss.

– “It makes you look like a bad boy... A sexy bad boy.”

– “Okay...”

– “As a matter of fact, I would like you to let your hair grow longer.”

– “How much longer?”

– “As long as you'll feel comfortable with...”

  Ryan looked deep into his friend's eyes.

– “I don't know, it would get really messy... Wouldn't it bother you?”

  Chris rested his head on his friend's shoulder, nestled against his chest in a tight and tender embrace.

– “Things are about to get messy around the Pleasure Dome.”

■ ■ ■