When the alarm went off at 6 o’clock, the sun was barely lighting up the sky outside my bedroom window. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and padded naked to the bathroom, my morning hardon leading the way. Still half asleep, I stood outside the shower waiting for the water to run hot. When I stepped in, the powerful water jets attacked my body and the fragrant Bvlgari shower gel assaulted my nose, both working in tandem to wake me up. Eventually I was alert enough to function.
I brushed my teeth, shaved my face, deodorized my pits, and sun screened my whole body. Then I got dressed in my “work” clothes, laughing to myself. I came to Hawaii all alone, hoping for a relaxing, get-away-from-it-all vacation, and now I had a budding new relationship with a wonderful guy and a new “job” cleaning pools. Not that I was complaining; any day working with Sam was a going to be a great day.
I put a change of clothes and my brown top siders in my beach bag, just in case we stayed in the city for the evening. I thought maybe I might need something nicer than a t-shirt for dinner. Always be prepared. I then headed to the kitchen for my usual fruit and granola breakfast. After eating, I washed and dried the dirty dishes and spent a few more minutes getting everything in the gourmet kitchen put back in its place from last night’s dinner. I grabbed some cold water bottles from the fridge, stashed a generous supply of sunscreen in my bag, and stuck my shades on top of my head. Out the door with five minutes to spare.
The drive down to Honolulu was pleasant enough. Traffic wasn’t too bad and I had no trouble following Sam’s detailed directions to the Paradise Pools office/warehouse complex near the airport. I could see several large passenger planes in the clear blue sky out over the ocean lined up for landing. It looked like five or six other businesses occupied various suites within the same building.
I pulled into the parking area next to three white trucks like the one Sam usually drove. He was leaning up against one, his arms crossed in front, waiting for me with a big smile. I couldn’t help but notice his bulging biceps in his tight t-shirt, and remembered how it felt to be held in those big, strong arms. Hoped that happened again today.
I parked the car, put the top up, swung my beach bag over my shoulder, and locked up. Sam was looking me over as I walked up to him. I think I was blushing.
“Looking good this morning, Jack. Nice uniform. But I think you’re missing something.” He reached through the window of his truck and pulled out a Paradise Pools white t-shirt for me. “Here, put this on. Let’s see how it looks.”
“You want me to change right here in the parking lot?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’ve seen you without your shirt before, Jack. I promise I’ll behave.” More blushing on my part. I’m sure I was red all over as I quickly shed my own t-shirt and slipped on my new white work shirt. Sam might have made a tiny gasp when I had my shirt over my head, but I couldn’t be sure. The new shirt fit a little snug across the shoulders, but wasn’t too tight anywhere else. Sam whistled when I pulled it down.
“Damn, Jack. You fill that out nice enough, don’t ya.” The smart ass was back, complete with goofy grin. I decided I liked this side of Sam a lot, the playful side that didn’t take things too seriously. He made me feel like a kid, instead of an adult with the weight of the world on my shoulders. I was looking forward to a fun day with him.
“Thanks, Sam. You look pretty good yourself, ya know.”
“Thanks. Now come on, let’s get loaded up and on the road.” He motioned for me to follow him into the large open garage area next to the trucks. From what I could see, the interior space was filled primarily with racks and racks of pool chemicals and other supplies. Together we dragged half a dozen heavy, fifty pound buckets of chlorine powder tablets to Sam’s truck. Sam could carry one in each hand. I struggled to carry only one in two hands. Lifting it up and over the tailgate of the truck earned me a slightly pulled muscle in my back. Not a great beginning. Maybe I needed to work out? Perish the thought.
We gathered a few more odds and ends, including about a hundred feet of plastic tubing like the kind that was used on the robot cleaner back at the house. Sam looked at a clipboard hanging on a nail near the entrance, confirmed his assignments for the day, and we were off.
We had the windows down and some music playing in the background. It felt so good to just be hanging out with Sam, riding along, not talking – just being together. He was visibly happy – he couldn’t stop smiling. Then I started, and pretty soon we were giggling, then laughing. His laugh gave me a hardon in two seconds flat! I had it so bad for him. This was going to be a long – and very hard – day for me.
Our first stop was west of the airport on Ewa Beach Road. The house was not huge, but sat on prime beachfront property. The driveway curved in off the street after Sam got the gate open with a security code. We drove past a grove of tall, swaying palm trees on our right and parked in front of the two car garage. The pool was immediately to our left behind a low decorative safety fence. Just behind the pool was a large bath house painted to match the main dwelling, complete with his and hers toilets and showers. The control room for the pool pumps was at one end of this building.
The pool itself was nothing special, just a rectangle maybe half the size of the one at the house where I was staying. It looked very dirty to me, like maybe it hadn’t been taken care of in a while.
I heard Sam whistle softly. “Oh man, would you look at that?” said Sam. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. I know Tommy said this was a first time call out, but damn, it looks like they haven’t touched it for a month or more.” He squatted down next to the pool and looked at the water with his intense eyes, studying the situation. Meanwhile, I studied Sam’s taut, stretched thigh muscles, wishing his shorts weren’t in the way so I could see even more of his sexy legs. Don’t mind me, I’m just the libidinous free labor.
“Okay, Jack. Let’s get busy. I’m gonna check the pH and chlorine levels, which can’t be good. Can you get one of those buckets of chlorine tablets out of the truck and bring it to the control room? We’ll start with that. Oh, and there should be a bag of pool shock in the truck as well. We’ll need that, too. But be careful, Jack. I don’t want you to get electrocuted.” His cheeky grin was playfully mocking me.
“Very funny, smart ass. You just wait. I’ll shock you, right when you least expect it.” We were both laughing as I turned towards the truck and he headed for the control room at the far end of the building on the other side of the pool.
While Sam was busy with his little test strips and doing the easy stuff, I wrestled one of those extremely heavy buckets of chlorine all the way from the truck to the pool side. I had actually dropped it off the back of the truck, but thankfully the driveway was made of small decorative gravel instead of concrete, so the plastic didn’t crack. That would have been bad. Sam would have teased me mercilessly. As it was, I needed to get him back for that electrocution crack.
Using all my remaining strength I quietly carried that bucket into the control room. Sam’s back was to the door, his attention on his little experiments. I dropped the bucket with a thud on the floor right behind him. He jumped half a foot, twisting in the air, the beaker of water he was testing flying out of his hands. The water landed on him, the glass beaker thankfully flew straight into my hands.
“What the hell?” Sam yelled.
“Get a shock there, Sam?” I asked, my own goofy grin plastered across my face. He had water all down the front on his t-shirt and a little on the crotch of his shorts. One of his nipples was very noticeable in the wet shirt. Very hot! “Did you lose this?” I asked, as I handed him back his glass beaker.
“You dork, that scared the shit out of me.” He tried to sound mad, but he was smiling. Then he gave up and we burst out laughing.
“Told ya I’d get ya back.” I said.
“And you did, too. Look at me. I’m a mess.”
“It’ll dry. Besides, you look sexy in a wet t-shirt.”
“Oh…you think I look sexy, do you, Jack?” Now his smile grew even bigger, his eyes dancing with excitement, teasing me again.
“Not even a little bit, you jerk.” But I was nodding my head yes as I said it. We burst out laughing again. At this rate this pool would have an inch of algae growing in it before we ever even got started.
We finally managed to pull ourselves together. I got the bag of pool shock out of the truck. I think it was concentrated chlorine powder and some other chemicals, but what did I know? I set it on the floor next to the chlorine bucket, and watched as Sam opened up tubes and filters and cleaned out some really gross looking gunk, throwing it in a black plastic trash bag, which he asked me to hold open for him. It smelled as bad as it looked.
That job done, he started adding chlorine tablets to the automatic dispenser. He explained to me how it would keep a steady supply of chlorine running into the pool, maximizing the inflow when the sun was down. Then he added the full bag of shock to the system, setting a timer on a separate dispensing mechanism. He made a note of the date and time on a chart on the wall inside the control room.
“Okay, Jack. That’s all for in here. Now we need to clean the pool itself. Think you remember how to use the skimmer?”
“Yeah, I think so. That’s the big pole with the net on the end, right?”
“Yep. I’ll get you started. Then while you use the skimmer, I’ll run the handheld sweeper. They don’t have a robotic vacuum here. Too bad. As dirty as that water is, they could have it run 24/7. Oh well.”
We went out to the pool, me with the skimmer, and Sam carrying what looked like one of those flat, Swiffer floor sweepers with a vacuum hose connection on the top. We put those things down and went back and hauled out the vacuum hose, which Sam connected to the top of the sweeper pad, and I connected the other end to the vacuum pump in the control room. Sam yelled for me to turn it on, and I flipped the switch. It fired right up and I could hear dirty water surging through the hose.
Back out at the pool, Sam had dropped the sweeper to the bottom, its long pole sticking up like a periscope. I extended the skimmer pole out to its full length and moved toward the one end of the pool. Sam walked up behind me and reached around to grab the skimmer, his hands next to my hands.
“Now remember, Jack. Use this kind of movement and keep your hands spread wide so it stays balanced to save your back muscles.” We practiced moving the skimmer across the surface of the water. I felt Sam draw in a little closer to me, his breath on my neck and his hips grazing my ass. The gentle movements together were sensual and erotic, and if I wasn’t mistaken, Sam had something hard in his shorts to match my own tumescent member.
There was a moment when we both realized what was happening, and Sam quickly disengaged, and I could tell he was a little flustered. I was worried he would be mad at himself for letting things get too serious. Of course, I had no idea what to do about it, so I said nothing. But I did smile at him, letting him know I was fine and okay with things. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled sheepishly back at me. Nothing more was said. We got to work.
And it was tough work, too. That pool was disgusting. Three times Sam had to empty the wet, gross gunk from the vacuum canister into another black plastic bag, with me holding it open trying not to look at or smell the nasty concoction being dumped into it. We were at it for nearly two hours with only a quick water break in the middle when Sam finally declared the job was done. The pool looked brand new compared to when we arrived.
We cleaned up the equipment using a spray hose and packed it all away in the control room where it belonged. Sam checked the chlorine levels one more time – they were spot on where they needed to be. He checked his phone for a number and made a call, apparently leaving a message for the owners telling them what we had done and reminding them to not swim until the evening, to give the chemicals enough time to do their thing. We hauled our tired bodies back to the truck, where we sat, catching our breath and relaxing for a few minutes.
“Jack, thanks for your help. That was a nasty job. I’m sure you didn’t count on this kind of a day. Me either, actually. But Tommy will be thrilled – another happy new customer. I hope they call him when they get home and let him know.”
“It was okay, Sam. I’m glad to help. Mostly I’m just glad to spend the day with you. I’d probably do just about anything, really.”
“Sorry about earlier, Jack. I got a little…carried away. You do things to me…and I was losing control there for a minute.” He was blushing. I loved it.
“Sam, please don’t apologize. I love it that you get excited being near me. You weren’t the only one feeling it. I’m glad you had the strength to pull away, though, cuz I know I didn’t.” I would not have known what to do with him, but I certainly would have let him do whatever he wanted to me, most likely. But I didn’t tell him that.
“Thanks, Jack. I appreciate it. Whadda ya say we get some lunch? I’m hungry after that workout.”
“Sounds great to me.”
“Cool. I was thinking we drive over closer to our next stop. There’s a Subway near there. You okay with sandwiches?”
“Sure, Sam. Sounds good to me. Where are we going, anyway?”
“We have two pools to service over on Kahala Avenue. It’s where the really rich folks live. It’s by Diamond Head. You probably drove right past it the other day. It’ll take a while to get there, maybe 45 minutes or so. You okay to wait that long to eat?”
“Yep. I’ll be fine. Lead the way.” I settled back into my seat in the truck, and enjoyed the sunshine and beautiful scenery as we slowly made our way back to the main highway – H1. Then it was like any other interstate expressway – multiple lanes of concrete, broken up by overpasses and exits. I could see parts of Pearl Harbor in the distance, and the mountains off to the left.
When there was nothing good to look at outside the truck, I amused myself with stealing glances at Sam. God, he was a sexy man! I loved everything about him – the shape of him, the size of him, the smell of him. How he carried himself, how he acted, even just the sound of his voice turned me on. I could hardly believe I was sitting there next to him. I wondered if he felt the same things about me.
He caught me looking at him, and grinned. I think he may have been trying to secretly look at me, too.
“What’re you looking at, Jack?”
“Just admiring the sexy scenery, Sam.” He chuckled.
“Ugh…you’re killing me today!” He was grinning as he reached down and adjusted himself with the hand that wasn’t on the steering wheel. I could have done it for him if he’d just asked. Geez, I am such a perv!
“Seriously…I can’t believe this is happening. What are the odds that you come for a vacation and I happen to be cleaning your pool and we click like this? Amazing! I’m beyond glad I found you, Jack.”
“I’m glad you found me, too, Sam. I was beginning to believe that it would never happen, and I was destined to live a lonely life with just my hand for company.” He actually blushed. I probably did, too. But I didn’t care.
“Can I tell you something?” asked Sam, a serious look painting his face.
“Anything, Sam,” I replied.
He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I have never felt the way I feel about you, Jack. It goes beyond just thinking about you constantly, and wanting to be near you. I catch myself wondering how you are feeling. Is he alright? Is he happy? Is there something I can do for him to make his vacation better? I don’t want to keep bringing him up, but I never, ever felt these things with Jeremy. Sorry – he’s my only reference for this kind of thing. I just…I never knew it could be like this.”
He turned to look at me and saw the happy tears gently running down my face. I just smiled at him through the mist and tried to swallow the lump in my throat.
“Oh, Jack. I didn’t mean to upset you. Shit, I always say too much. Just forget I said all that.” He was so sweet when he was embarrassed.
“Sam,” I croaked softly. “Please don’t ever stop saying things like that to me. Please. I’ve waited my whole life for someone to care about me like you seem to. I…I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you.” I had to stop because talking was too hard through the tears. To be honest, they were starting to annoy me.
Then Sam did an incredible thing – he reached out with his right hand and grabbed my left and held on. My heart started pounding in my chest. From such a simple thing like holding my hand?
“Jack, I know this is all happening super fast – for both of us. I think we are both more than a little surprised we found each other. I just hope you understand my feelings for you are not just about sex. I like it when we flirt a little, and fuck if you don’t get me hot and bothered all the time, but I…I don’t know how to say it…I think I want…I don’t know…more. I want more with you than just sex. Do you think that could ever happen, Jack?”
Oh. My. God! He did want the same things I did! I started trembling and then shaking, then I was silently crying all over again. I couldn’t help it. I was so embarrassed, and I couldn’t speak, so I did the only thing I could think of: I started nodding my head up and down, trying to tell him, “Yes! Yes! Yes! I want all that, too.”
He glanced over at me, probably worried that I hadn’t responded. He saw me looking at him, tears streaming down my face and my head bobbing up and down. He broke into a huge smile, his own beautiful blue eyes tearing up immediately. He squeezed my hand tighter and we just held on, riding the wave of overwhelming emotions together.
Just then we came to the exit for Waialae Drive. Sam changed lanes and we got off the freeway. Waialae runs underneath the H1 highway, and we followed it for a few blocks, then turned onto Kilauea Avenue just past a shopping mall. At the next major cross street, Sam pulled into a Subway restaurant parking lot and parked under a large shade tree. He still had not let go of my hand. I hoped he never did.
Sam turned to me, drying his eyes as best he could with his left hand. “Jack, do you really mean it? Do you think there’s something here between us?”
My own waterworks had finally stopped. “I think so, Sam. I hope so. I mean…I don’t know. This is all so totally new to me. I just know I have wanted more with you than I have ever wanted before. Ever. I…feel things for you…things I don’t have words for. I know I want you as my friend forever, but I want more, too. And yes, it goes way beyond sex for me, too, Sam.”
He just looked at me, smiling, and shaking his head in wonder. There was no doubt we had just crossed a line of some kind. We both knew it. I was nervous and scared, but I knew there was no way I was turning back now. Sam’s deep blue eyes somehow captured mine, drawing me in, and we locked together. He looked deep into my soul – that’s the only way I can describe it – his focus intense and unrelenting. Then, like I had seen him do so many times now, he nodded once and by his beautiful smile I knew he had chosen to not turn back either.
I wanted to do something to somehow mark this incredible moment, but I was still too scared to kiss him. I wanted to, but it didn’t seem right. I chose instead to hold his one large hand in both of mine, like I was never letting go. He immediately did the same, and we sat there holding hands tightly, still looking into each other’s eyes, neither one wanting to break the spell between us. At some point a sense of peace came over me, a knowing that we were doing the right thing, for both of us. Just don’t screw this up, Jack, whatever you do.
Nature called. “Sam, I really don’t want this moment to end, but I gotta pee.” He laughed, and we got out of the truck and headed into the restaurant. Sam walked half a step behind me and again had his hand floating near the small of my back. My protector was guarding me again.
We took turns using the bathroom, then got in line. Sam was standing close to me, and I think unconsciously touching me in little ways with his body. I was hyper aware of him and loving it. When it was our turn, I got a six-inch turkey on white with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers. A little mayo and Sriracha sauce and I was set. Sam got a steak and cheese sub with the same fixings, with the addition of pickles. He skipped the Sriracha sauce in favor of barbeque sauce instead.
We took our sandwiches, chips and drinks and sat across from each other in a booth near the back. We didn’t talk much as we ate, but we kept looking at each other. Our eyes would meet, and instead of looking away, we would hold our gaze for a few seconds. It was sexy in some bizarre way. I know my dick started getting hard.
At some point I slipped my right foot out of my flip flops and found one of his feet under the table. I rested my foot on top of his, and he didn’t move his foot away. He looked at me with amusement and kept eating, as did I. Every so often I would rub my foot across the top of his, and he would look up at me and smile. After a few minutes of this, the frequency increased, and pretty soon I was moving my foot across his continuously, in slow, soft motions. Sam looked into my eyes and his expression turned serious and intense.
I continued what I was doing – not that I really knew what that was – and watched him across the table. His eyes held mine. His breathing got noticeably more shallow and rapid, almost panting. He whispered, “Jack, just so you know…you’re stirring up a fire that I may not be able to put out.”
I stopped immediately. The last thing I wanted to do was make him uncomfortable or push things too far. “Sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just having a little fun with you.”
He reached across the table and put a hand on mine, resting it there softly. “It’s cool, Jack,” said Sam, smiling as his breathing returned to normal. “I liked it – a lot.” He gave me that smart ass grin of his and sat back, taking his hand with him. Every touch from this guy leaves me desperate for the next one!
We finished our lunch and stepped back out into the sun. Sam pulled his shades down over his eyes and looked at me. My knees instantly felt weak. He was so hot looking! He smiled a huge smile, I blushed and smiled back, and we were off to the next stop.
Our next pool was night and day different from the last. First of all, it was three times the size, with crystal clear water lapping up against the mosaic-tiled edge of the pool. The designs were intricate and rich in color and contrast as blues swirled with reds. The bottom of the pool was also done in tiny mosaic tiles, the predominant image a large calligraphy-inspired letter “M” done in shiny gold against a dark navy background. Stunning.
The pool’s beauty matched the house that sat alongside it. Sam was right – this is where the really rich folks lived. We were at the west end of Kahala Avenue, and in addition to the amazing pool, the house sat right on the oceanfront with its own private beach. I could see an elaborate deck and outdoor entertainment area just off the back of the enormous house. Some rather expensive looking European vehicles sat in the driveway under the shade of countless swaying palm trees. Sam’s truck looked a little pathetic in this picture.
“So, Jack. This one should be easy. All we need to do is check the pH and chlorine levels and make sure everything is running the way it should. Ready to learn how to do the testing?”
“Sure, Sam. You’re the pool master. I’m here to do your bidding.”
He smiled. “Oh yeah? What if I asked you to take off all your clothes and jump naked in the pool. Would you do it?” Smart ass was back.
“Sure. Should I have the skimmer in my hands or the sweeper?” I replied, my own sexy smirk matching his. We both knew he was teasing. It was fun.
He laughed. “Come on, you goof. Let’s get this done.”
I followed Sam to the pool control room. It was bigger and had a lot more pumps, filters and things than any of the other pools I had seen – all two of them. Sam pulled test strips out of his pocket and handed them to me. He extracted some water from the system into a glass jar for the purpose and instructed me to hold a test strip in the water for a few seconds. I then pulled it out and we waited until the colors stopped changing.
“Good. See the color chart, Jack? The pH is exactly between 7.4 and 7.6. That’s perfect. The chlorine levels look like 2.1 parts per million. We want that somewhere between 1 and 3, so we are spot on. I’ll check the pumps and filters, and we are out of here.”
Sam opened up the filters and thankfully only one of them had any real gunk in it. He pulled it out and threw it in a sealable trash can there in the control room. I was glad he didn’t ask me to do it…I didn’t want to throw up on him. That stuff was so gross.
After making an entry on the chart on the wall, we locked up the control room and walked back to the truck, Sam touching my back lightly with his hand. I loved it when he did that.
We turned right out of the driveway onto Kahala and continued east. Maybe a quarter mile down the road, Sam pulled into the entrance to an estate and stopped at the closed gate. Instead of putting in a code, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
“Hi. This is Sam with Paradise Pools. We’re here for a check and clean on your pool and spa. We’re at the gate.” There was no acknowledgement of him or what he said, just the click of a phone hanging up and the sound of the gate reluctantly opening. Sam closed his phone and tossed it on the seat between us. He seemed tense and slightly upset, something I had never seen in him before. Interesting.
We drove slowly through the gate and followed the drive up towards the entrance to the house. We were met with a sour faced lady dressed to the nines in a designer dress and covered in jewelry, all of which I am sure was real. It was 2:30 in the afternoon.
“You can’t park there. What’s the matter with you?” she complained, as Sam stepped out of the truck.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Richardson. I didn’t realize. I’ll be glad to move the truck. Where would you like me to park it?”
She scowled at him like he was an insect or something. “Park it back by the gate. And off to the side, in case my friend Betsy needs to get through later. God, I thought you people knew better than to pull up to a customer’s front door.”
“I’ll move it right away, ma’am,” Sam said politely. He motioned for me stay where I was, standing on the edge of the driveway and out of the way. I wouldn’t move for all the money in the world. This woman scared the crap out of me. Unfortunately, as Sam slowly reversed the truck and moved back toward the entrance, she turned her attention to me.
“Who are you? You a new worker? I’ve never seen you here before.”
“My name is Jack, ma’am. And yes, I’m new.”
“Well listen Jack, or whatever your real name is, you stay with Sam and don’t let me catch you anywhere but working on the pool. You got that?” I nodded, too scared to speak again.
We stood there in stony silence while she waited for Sam to make the trek back up to the house on foot. When he arrived, she had a mental list ready for him.
“Sam. Here’s what you’re going to do today. The spa is not heating up properly. It’s supposed to be over 100 degrees at the top setting. It didn’t even get warm last night when Mayor Carlisle and his wife Judy were over. Also, the cleaning machine that you said should run in the pool at night? It’s broken. It needs to be fixed. The pool is quite dirty, and I have 40 guests coming tonight for a party. You simply have to get it perfect again.”
“Mrs. Richardson, do you know if anything happened to the robot cleaner that it wouldn’t be working? We just installed it last week,” asked Sam.
“How should I know? That’s not my problem. I think one of the kids might have stepped on it or dropped it or I don’t know. Just replace it already and get a move on – I need you and your filthy truck out of here before the caterers arrive. I can’t believe you’re this late already.” She was clearly not a happy camper. I have seldom encountered someone with such a disdain for people who were trying to help them.
I saw Sam swallow hard and mentally brace himself before saying, “Well, I’m very sorry Mrs. Richardson, but I don’t have a replacement model for the robot on the truck with me. If you remember, we special ordered your model from the mainland. It will take two weeks to get another one in.”
“You mean to tell me you don’t keep a spare on your truck at all times? What’s the matter with you people? Have you no brains? Can’t you think past the next party or drug rave or whatever it is your kind do? I don’t care what you have to do, that pool had better be clean before you leave, or Uncle Thomas will be hearing from me this very night!” She was practically screaming at Sam, and he was doing his best to maintain his composure, but I could see it slipping at the edges.
Clearly having no more time for the likes of us, Mrs. Richardson huffed in disgust, turned on her four inch designer heels, and stomped back into the house, slamming the front door loud enough the neighbors had to have heard it. I just stared at Sam, my mouth hanging open, a stunned look on my face.
“What just happened, Sam?” I asked carefully.
“That…was a stuck up rich bitch who thinks she’s better than us because she has money. Come on. We better get busy before she comes back and starts yelling some more and I lose my cool and get fired.” He was very upset, and it made me mad that someone, anyone, would talk to my Sam with so much disrespect. I followed Sam down a sidewalk through the thick tropical vegetation and around to the back of the house.
The pool was enormous! It had an irregular shape with no straight edges, only curves of various dimensions. It the middle of the large pool was an island, maybe ten feet by ten feet or so, again with all curved edges, and covered in gorgeous tropical vegetation and small palm trees. It was beautiful. There was an eight foot tall mountain-like structure sculpted in the middle of the island, and a waterfall that flowed from the top of it into a little stream which then emptied back into the pool. Beyond the flat grassy area behind the pool I could see the rolling ocean waves crashing on the private beach.
In addition to the pool, there was a 12-person spa set into the concrete decking that surrounded everything and connected the pool area to the main wooden deck off the house. The pool control room was in one end of a very large outbuilding, which of course matched the main house in architecture and elevation. I guessed it also housed bathrooms and shower facilities for guests. Sam had the door open to the control room and was pacing the floor, steaming mad. I kept silent and waited for instructions.
“God, I can’t stand that woman. Ugh! What does she expect us to do? Do you see that, Jack?” He was pointing to a large, plastic cleaning robot, not unlike the one at the house I was staying at, only much larger and circular in shape. And it was seriously damaged – the outer plastic case was shattered, leaving a huge hole in the hull of the thing. It didn’t look fixable to me.
“Clearly one of her brats or a guest fell on it or dropped something on it. There’s no way to fix it. I’ve got to call Tommy and see what he wants me to do,” he said, reaching for his phone.
The conversation with Tommy was heated and Sam was clearly frustrated. I don’t think Tommy was mad at Sam. I think they both were upset with the client. But what were they to do? Sam calmed down finally and listened to Tommy’s instructions, at one point looking at me and nodding. I think I just got included in the plans. A few seconds later, Sam hung up.
“Okay. The robot’s a no go. Tommy’s gonna order a new one today, but it’ll take two weeks to get it, at least. So…now we get to clean that humongous pool by hand. You up for it?” he asked.
“Sam, I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Just tell me how and I’ll do it.”
“Thanks, Jack. But you may not be my friend anymore after we’re through. We better get started. Grab the skimmers over there and I’ll get these brushes and poles. Then we have to figure out how we’re gonna do this.” I didn’t know what to make of his last comment, but I followed him out to the pool with all the equipment we could carry. Sam attached telescoping poles to each of the 18” brushes, while I fully extended the poles attached to the skimmers. The problem was immediately obvious.
“Sam, uh…how do we reach the whole pool with these? It’s too big,” I asked.
“Yeah. I know. So we have to go into the water and do it the really hard way. You didn’t bring a swimsuit, did you?” I shook my head no. It had never occurred to me.
“No problem. Me either. Tell you what, let’s do this. I’m gonna go commando in my cargo shorts. That way my underwear stays dry and maybe I can dry the shorts afterwards in their changing room. I think they have a spin dryer and hand dryers in there. You willing to do the same?”
“Sure. Let’s do this.” So we both went to the changing room for guys. There were two divided “stalls” with curtains. Sam took one, I took the other. Again I missed out on seeing him naked, but given the current mood and the job facing us, it was probably for the best. Sam came out at the same time as me, both of us holding our underwear and grinning like fools. It was kind of funny. He looked incredibly hot, his cargo shorts resting low on his waist.
Sam pretended he was going to snap my ass with his underwear like you would with a wet towel. I pretended it hurt. Then told him to do it again. It was silly and stupid, but it broke the somber mood from before and when we both shed our shirts and went into the pool to start scrubbing it, Sam was noticeably more relaxed. That made me feel better, too.
Sam showed me how to use the brush to scrub the sides and the bottom. The pool actually looked very clean until we started scrubbing it. Then all kinds of gunk started floating to the surface. Sam explained that the robot did the scrubbing and then vacuumed up the mess at the same time. We would be doing the vacuuming after we scrubbed it all first.
As we worked, Sam kept looking over at me and smiling, and I stole quick looks at him, too. He had an incredibly sexy chest, the dense brown hair dripping with water was turning me on. Being commando in wet shorts left nothing to the imagination. Thankfully the water was deep enough to hide my hardon for now.
“Jack, I’m sorry for getting so upset earlier. I really need to learn to keep my cool with people like her. I play right into their game. It’s stupid, I know.”
“Sam, she was pretty rude and disrespectful. Is she always like this?”
“Always has been to me, but I’m kind of used to it. I put up with rich kids at school for years. I learned if I see a kid with designer clothes and a fancy car, move in the opposite direction. I couldn’t stand them. They were always so superior.” He was getting animated again, and not in a good way.
“Sam, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to stir it up again.”
“Sorry, Jack. Ugh! It just brings back bad memories. My sister and I went to private schools in Connecticut where I grew up. My parents sacrificed heavily to pay for just the tuition. There was nothing left over for expensive clothes or activities. But the local public high school was gang and drug infested, if you could believe the evening news. Anyway, Kat got through it okay. She’s tough. She’ll just tell ‘em to fuck off and take no prisoners. Me, I’m not like that. I’d rather get along with people or avoid them, not confront them.
“Grammar school and junior high were okay. I played some sports so I was pretty well accepted and didn’t get much razzing for not having the best clothes or sports equipment or whatever. I don’t think the guys at that age paid much attention. But high school was a nightmare.
“I somehow got pegged as a “have not” and was targeted for a lot of crap for what I wore, what I drove, even how I talked. I mean, shit Jack, I grew up with most of those guys, and we all talked the same, ya know? Just because their daddies had more money than mine, I was somehow a loser? So what if I didn’t have 20 pair of jeans in my closet. You can only wear one at a time, and soap and water are cheap. And I was proud of my used car – I paid for it myself with money I earned cutting grass in the summer and shoveling snow during winter breaks for six years while half those assholes sat in the ski lodge at Aspen drinking spiked hot chocolate and figuring out how to steal their mothers’ Valium.
“That’s the other thing. It seemed like the more money a kid’s family had, the more screwed up they were. Most of the really rich kids were head cases or drug addicts or worse. No self-respect. I’m glad my father made me work for things. It makes me feel good about myself. I see someone like Mrs. Richardson, and I see her look down her nose at people with less than she has, and I wonder if her nasty attitude is because deep down she knows the people she looks down on have more real character inside them than her piles of money could ever buy. She knows she doesn’t have it, so she puts them down as a way to not feel bad about herself.
“I guess that’s what gets me so fired up about it. If you have money, great. Good for you. Hopefully you worked for it, or you work now to take care of it, your family and your responsibilities. But if it was just handed down to you and you are loaded with wealth but have no character, I have no use for you.
“My dad taught me that. He saw I was struggling one time with having to shovel a neighbor family’s driveway after a really big snowfall. The kids who lived there were always nasty to me, and instead of helping shovel their own flippin’ driveway, their parents had to pay me. Sure they could afford it, but why wouldn’t the kids just do it for the sake of doing it? Anyway, I was griping about having to go over there, despite the $100 I would make, which was a lot of money to me then, so he stopped me and asked what was wrong. I told him I always felt like the biggest loser around people who had tons of money and made fun of me for having to work.
“You know what he told me? He said, ‘You win with character, Sam. Character always wins out over money. A man with character and little money is always worth more than a man with little character and lots of money. And a man with both can change the world.’
“I’ve never forgotten that. So when someone like Mrs. Richardson spouts off like today, I try to remind myself we win today by doing the right thing and cleaning this pool as perfectly as we possibly can with a good attitude. She may have all the money in the world, but we’ve got what she can’t buy.”
The whole time he had been talking, Sam was also vigorously scrubbing the dirty pool bottom with his brush. I was nearly out of breath trying to keep up with him – his manic cleaning and his passionate words. My arms were aching, as was my heart. I hated the idea anyone would mistreat Sam, especially over something stupid like money. It wasn’t his fault his family had what they had. And I was so proud of him for working hard and buying his own car. I remembered my own pride in paying off my car not that long ago. Sure, it was an old, used relic compared to the shiny new rides in the showroom. But I bought it all on my own, by my own sweat and tears, so to speak. It mattered.
But I was also suddenly very worried. Sam clearly had issues with people who had a lot of money. And little did he know he was waist deep in the pool with one of them. Not that I would ever treat him like Mrs. Richardson, of course. But what if, when he found out I had money, he changed his opinion of me, or started to question my character? Clearly character was very important to Sam. It was to me, too. Was mine good enough for Sam? How could I know? How could he? I could feel some of my new found confidence slipping away.
Sam and I didn’t have dissimilar backgrounds, or so it seemed. If anything, he probably had more than I did growing up. I certainly didn’t go to private schools. And I never had a car in high school, either. My new found wealth was none of my doing, and my insecurities with how to handle it had been languishing in the background as I focused on more immediate concerns – which lately was mostly Sam. The money was being taken care of by people I trusted. There wasn’t anything I could really do about it – except spend it, I guess. I was still anticipating opportunities to do good with it, and I was sure once I was back in Denver and working with Larry and Todd I would hopefully start to figure out what to do.
After listening to Sam, and realizing I agreed with him and his father that money with no character was a bad combination, I was more determined than ever to never be like a Mrs. Richardson. I didn’t want to act like her, all judgmental and ignorant towards people who didn’t have as big of a bank account as she did. Barely six weeks ago, I had nearly nothing in my pocket. Now I had more money than I could spend in six lifetimes. Did it change me? Was I a different person now? I hoped not.
I remembered what Sharon had told me about money being an amplifier of what’s already in a person. If I were a good person, with good character, then the money would enable me to do more good. Change the world, even, like Sam’s dad had said. I knew Sam had great character – it was obvious, especially after seeing how he handled himself today. I was proud to be working alongside him, cleaning the pool. I felt like a better man just standing next to him.
If things worked out between Sam and I, and our relationship became something more…permanent…as I hoped, we could change the world – together. But would he be okay with using money he hadn’t earned himself? To me, the money was just money. It wasn’t really me, per se, just a tool for me to use. For Sam, it sounded like what money he had was a part of him, and I guess I understood that. In a way, it was true, because he had given his time and effort and determination to earn his money – he exchanged part of his life to have those funds. In that moment I understood that the value of a dollar is not always a dollar. It might be more, it might be less, depending on how much of yourself you gave up for it.
I had been silent, thinking about all Sam had been saying. He stopped pushing his brush suddenly, and turned to me, leaning on his pole. “You’re awfully quiet, Jack. Did I say something to upset you?” He had a very concerned countenance. His caring heart for me was so evident on his face.
“No, Sam. Not at all. I was just thinking about what you said. Well, about what your father taught you about money and character. I was just wondering about my own character, and whether or not I am…I don’t know…one of the good guys? I know I would never even think of treating you like Mrs. Richardson…or those fools in your school. I don’t know, Sam. I guess I just want to be…good enough for you. You deserve the best…and I…just want to be that for you.” I was looking at him, earnestly hoping he saw in me a man of good character, worthy to be his friend.
Sam surprised me by not saying a word. Instead he dropped his pole and walked over to me, pushing through the waist deep water. He didn’t stop until he had me in his arms, and I was wrapped up in the security blanket that was Sam. He held me tightly, not caring who might see us. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his heart beating. It was a powerful sound.
“Jack,” he whispered. “I’ve known you were a good guy almost from the day I met you. I don’t know how I knew, but I knew. I promise you, if I didn’t know you were a man of great character already, we wouldn’t be together today. I made a mistake with Jeremy. There were signs I ignored. But with you…well, I just know. You’re the real deal, Jack.”
I leaned back a little so I could see his face, but not so far as to break the embrace. “I appreciate that, Sam. I do. But how can you be so certain, when I don’t even know myself? I see you working so hard today, doing the right thing, and your character is on display. It’s obvious. What have I done to show you mine? I’m not fishing for a compliment, Sam. I really need to know.”
“How about the fact that you asked me if I needed help cleaning the pool at your house? Or when you asked me to dinner and encouraged me about my future? Then you came with me and spent the day at the beach, which was huge to me. Or…how about the fact you would trust me with your secret, despite how scared you were? Jack, you’ve spent hours with me cleaning dirty pools with a great attitude, and for no money. Nobody does that without great character, Jack. Nobody!”
I smiled at him, feeling better. “Well, Sam…that’s just cuz I’ve got the hots for you.” We both blushed and chuckled.
“You are such a dork!” said Sam, as he hugged me tighter, then let go. “Come on, little man, let’s get this job done. I’ve had enough pools for one day.”
“You’re the boss, big guy.”
We doubled our efforts and finished scrubbing the pool bottom and sides. My arms were sore, but my heart felt much better. Sam was good for my soul, no doubt about it.
Sam manned the sweeper while I did my thing with the skimmer. I was getting better at it, moving faster across the water with no back strain. Together we managed to get the pool looking pristine, the water sparkling in the sun. Sam turned on the massive spa to check the temperature readings. While the bubbling water heated up, we cleaned and put away all the equipment. I tested the pH and chlorine levels – they were perfect – while Sam refilled the chlorine tablet dispenser and cleared the pumps of any gunk. There was very little, thankfully. After checking the spa water temperature – it was now a perfect 104 degrees – Sam turned it off and called the job finished.
We dragged ourselves to the changing rooms. With no hesitation, Sam went into a “stall” and came out one minute later in just his boxer briefs. I nearly fainted. They were dark blue, fit snuggly to his body, and I could see the outline of his cock clearly resting across the front. He wasn’t hard, but there was plenty in there.
He smiled at me, his hands on his waist. “Well, come on, Jack. I’m not gonna be the only one standing around in his underwear.” His sexy grin made me laugh. I jumped into the “stall” and came out in my black boxer briefs. I don’t think I filled them out quite as much as Sam did, but he still whistled at me.
“Damn, Jack. You’re killing me. You are seriously killing me. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.” He turned away from me, I think to hide his growing hardon? I thought about teasing him and trying to make him show me, but it didn’t feel right. I didn’t want to disrespect him, and somehow doing that to him would do so. I don’t know how I knew it, I just did.
The Richardsons had everything you could ever need in a bathhouse. No surprise there. We took turns running our wet cargo shorts through the spin dryer, which got most of the water out. Then we held them under the high velocity hand dryers and the shorts dried out completely in no time. As I slipped mine on I stole a glance at Sam’s crotch. He was definitely bigger than me. I smiled to myself. I guess my pet name of “big guy” was spot on.
Sufficiently put back together, we made sure nothing was out of place in the bathroom, and stepped outside, only to be immediately confronted by Mrs. Richardson. She had changed into an even more elegant dark blue evening dress, her jewelry dripping with diamonds and sapphires. She was beautiful, on the outside. Her insides were frozen, blackened stone. It was sad, really.
“Is the pool clean, Sam? Did you fix the robot? You should have been out of here an hour ago, you know.” She practically barked at us. Sam just smiled and took it in stride. I hoped my face didn’t show the disgust I felt towards her.
“Yes, Mrs. Richardson, the pool is very clean and ready to be used. The spa is registering a perfect 104 degrees. The robot unfortunately is not fixable. We have ordered you a new one and it should be here in about two weeks. Until then we will be out to clean the pool manually, no additional charge. If there’s nothing else you need, we’ll get out of your way.” He practically bowed to her, it was so precious.
“Hmpf. Fine. I still think you should have had a spare robot in your truck. Short sighted if you ask me. I’ll be sure to tell Uncle Thomas exactly what I think about that when I see him at the next meeting.” Without a thank you or goodbye, she turned and stomped off.
“You’re welcome,” I whispered, lest she hear me. Sam snorted, not so quietly, but she was slamming the door at the same time, so she didn’t hear him.
“Glad that’s over. Come on, let’s get out of here,” said Sam. He didn’t need to tell me twice. As beautiful as the house and grounds were, there was no peace there. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to grow up in a house with so much unprovoked animosity always simmering just below the surface.
It was now almost 6 o’clock, and traffic around there had picked up considerably. Sam weaved in and out of it like a pro and we were quickly on the H1 headed back towards the airport. The light in the sky was dimming as the sun began to set in the west.
“Sam, I have a question. Why did Mrs. Richardson keep referring to Tommy as Uncle Thomas?”
Sam smiled. “Not Tommy. His dad – Thomas, senior. In Hawaii, people sometimes call one another by “Uncle” or “Aunty” instead of Mr. or Mrs. as a term of respect, especially for your elders. Mr. Barlow would be Uncle Thomas to Mrs. Richardson. I think she knows him from one of the many business clubs he belongs to. That’s how he networks and builds the pool business. He is a very smart guy. Tommy is learning from one of the best.”
“Makes sense, I guess. It’s different, calling someone “uncle” that you aren’t related to. But then I’m not Hawaiian.”
“Yeah. Tommy explained it to me. He called my dad “uncle” once when he answered the phone back when we were in college. Freaked my dad out. He had no idea who this kid was who was calling him “uncle”. But now I get it. When I see Mr. Barlow on occasion, I call him “Uncle Thomas”. You should too, if you ever meet him. He would be honored by it.”
“So would you ever call Mrs. Richardson ‘aunty’?” I asked facetiously.
“Hell no! That’s a term of respect. I have no respect for that woman. I will do a good job for her, because it’s the right thing to do. And I won’t be rude to her, no matter how nasty she is to me. We beat her with character, remember? But I won’t pretend to respect her. But enough of that woman. Whadda ya want to do tonight? Any ideas?”
I didn’t really care, as long as it was with Sam. “I really have no idea, Sam. I guess we should eat something, maybe?”
“You wanna change first or just go as we are?” asked Sam.
“Whatever you think. I have jeans and a nicer shirt and shoes. But I’m cool just keepin’ it low key. We could do pizza again.”
“Perfect. Let’s do it.” We enjoyed one another’s company in relative silence, listening to music and relaxing after a long day’s work. My muscles were a little sore – I was going to be hurting tomorrow, I feared. Being a pool boy took a lot out of you.
Twenty minutes later we were parked near the pizza restaurant where I had told Sam I was gay. It seemed like a lifetime ago. In a way it was. I was starting to think of that night as a “rebirth”, the night I became the real me. The gay me. It made me smile now, instead of nauseous like before. Progress.
Sam locked his truck and we walked down the crowded sidewalk towards the hopping pizza joint, his hand never straying far from my back. It was so comforting to know it was there. We stepped inside past a noisy crowd of half-drunk guys who were just leaving. One of them accidentally bumped into me and stumbled. I reached out instinctively to steady him, and he shouted at me, “Get your hands off me, faggot!” The guy closest to him seemed horrified he said it, and mouthed the word “Sorry” to me and gently pushed his inebriated buddy to the sidewalk.
Sam had closed ranks and was now physically separating me from the rest of the guys as they filed past. Thankfully nothing else was said, and we made it inside to the hostess stand without further verbal assault.
“You okay, Jack?” Sam whispered. I nodded my head and smiled weakly. I wanted to just forget it happened. I suppose I would have to get used to name calling from time to time if I was going to be out as a gay man. The thing is, I wasn’t sure the guy really knew I was gay. I think he just said it because he was drunk. If that was the case, I could overlook it. I guess I needed to overlook it, regardless. We beat them with superior character, right?
Sam and I were led to a booth and our waitress arrived, introducing herself as Abby. She was cute, and clearly enamored with Sam from the get go. She’d better watch herself. Sam was mine now, and I was not above an old fashioned cat fight if it came down to it. She couldn’t have weighed more than 90 pounds, so I liked my chances. I smiled sweetly at her as Abby took our drink orders and left us with the menus.
“Down boy. You look like you’re ready to slam her to the ground, Jack. What gives?” asked Sam, smiling.
“Sorry, Sam. I got a little territorial for a second. I’ve never felt like this about a guy…and well…you’re mine. She can’t have you.” It sounded silly coming out of my mouth, but I didn’t know how else to say how I felt.
Sam was loving it. His blue eyes were dancing in the light of the restaurant, and he was staring at me like he gets when he’s serious. But this was more amused than intense. “So Jack, I’m yours, huh? You sure you still want me after all the mess I dragged you through today?” Our hands were on the table and I could tell he wanted to hold my hand, but it was too public for such a display. Bummer.
“Yes, I’m sure. As sure as I’ve ever been about anything. Today has been great…and eye opening. I was…really proud of you, Sam…the way you handled the situation with Mrs. Richardson. I could never have done that.” He visibly swelled with pride.
“Don’t count yourself short, Jack. You were great today. I threw a lot at you and you didn’t miss a beat. And I really appreciate the help. Tommy told me to tell you thanks, too, especially for you being there at the last place. It was way too big a job for one guy alone. After today, I’m sure he’d give you a job and pay you, too, if you wanted it.”
“Naw, I just want to hang out with you, Sam. Even if we do it standing waist deep cleaning somebody’s nasty dirty pool, it works for me. Shall we get the same pizza as last time?” I could see Abby approaching and I didn’t want her lingering, trying to flirt with Sam. Sam nodded his agreement and sat back in his seat.
Abby came up to the table and practically turned her back to me to drool on Sam. I spoke sweetly to the back of her head. “Excuse me, Abby. We would like to order an extra-large house special. And we seem to have not received our drinks. I’m sure those are on the way and will be here quickly, correct?”
She turned, a little reluctantly I think, and smiled apologetically. “Yes. I’ll get this order in right away and your drinks will be here shortly.” She trotted off, knowing she was beaten. Sam was smiling from ear to ear at me, thoroughly amused at my jealous behavior.
“Sorry, Sam. You’ll have to come back without me sometime to give her another chance. I’m sure she’d take you up on it.”
“Fat chance, Jack, and you know it. There’s only person in this place I want, and that’s you.” I smiled at him, mouthing a silent thank you. Even though I was trying to be a little playful, the truth was I still had some insecurities to work through. I knew Sam felt pretty strongly about me, and those feelings were mutual. But there was still a tiny part of me which feared another guy could swoop in and take him away from me. I mean, he was gorgeous. He could have any guy he wanted.
“Jack…where’d you go there? You zoned out on me.”
“Sorry, Sam. I was thinking things I shouldn’t be.”
“Like what?”
“Well…I don’t know…I…I can’t help wondering, why me? I mean, you could have any guy you wanted. But you say you want me. Not that I’m not thrilled. I am…don’t get the wrong idea. I just don’t understand why, I guess. Ugh! Sam…just ignore me. I don’t mean to be so needy.” I was screwing this up by talking too much.
“Jack. Look at me.” Sam raised a hand off the table and slowly and deliberately put it under the table. I got the hint and followed suit, finding his hand waiting for mine halfway. He grabbed on and held me tightly. I looked back at his eyes, and we locked in. “Jack, you are not too needy for me. I get how you feel. I have those same thoughts sometimes, too. We just met, and suddenly we have all these feelings and emotions and desires. It can get confusing and scary. That’s why we agreed to try and go slow, so our brains can catch up to our dicks. I don’t want just any guy, Jack. I have waited a long, long time for you. I can’t tell you exactly why you’re the guy. It’s a lot of things and none of those things. It’s just you. I want you, Jack. From the first day I met you, I knew you were special. I had no idea if you were gay, but I sure hoped you were. And then we sat here in this restaurant and you told me you were gay and…I could have cried, I was so happy.”
I laughed. “I did plenty of crying for both of us that night.”
“And here we are, Jack. Just a few days later, and I don’t know what all is going to happen in the future, but for now, I couldn’t be happier with the guy sitting across from me. Besides, you like the same pizza as me, so you can’t be all bad.” His sexy grin was making my dick hard again.
“Thanks, Sam. You’re not so bad yourself.” With that, our pizza arrived, followed by our drinks, delivered with a smile by two people who were not Abby. I guess she was busy elsewhere. Pity.
Sam and I dug into the pizza. I think we were both hungrier than we thought. The pizza disappeared in short order. The whole time we ate we communicated with our eyes. It was more than flirtatious. There was some kind of deeper connection being made. I finally sat back, twisting in the booth, totally stuffed.
“Ugh! I ate too much,” I said.
“Me, too,” said Sam. “Let’s pay the bill and go for a walk.” I nodded in agreement. That sounded wonderful to me. The bill came and we split it down the middle. I figured out a 20% tip for Abby. I took her man away, the least I could do was give her a decent tip for her troubles.
After using the restroom, we made our way through the busy restaurant to the street. People were milling around everywhere. We started walking, Sam taking up his usual position slightly behind me, hand at my back. It was perfect.
We walked slowly together down the street, ambling along, watching other people and not talking, just being together. It was relaxing. I saw several couples holding hands as they walked. I wished Sam and I could do the same, but I knew it wasn’t a good idea. Besides, I was happy with his hand near my back. It made me feel safe.
We eventually sat down on a bench in a little park area along the street. We were not directly under a street light, and we were out of the direct path of people walking by. Sam had his right hand resting on the bench beside his thigh. I gently rested my hand on his. He looked at me in a sideways glance and smiled. He liked it, I could tell. I did too. I felt like I was being naughty, and it made me super horny.
We sat there in silence for I don’t know how long. Everything needing to be said was happening now through the touch of our hands. How many ways can two people communicate? The crowds started to thin out as the hour got later. I knew I would eventually have to go back to the house, and Sam back to his apartment. It made me a little sad, but I was okay with it. It was the right thing for now. What mattered most is Sam and I knew we both wanted more than sex. This knowledge reassured me that I could do it – be in this relationship and see where it would lead.
Eventually we got up and walked together back to Sam’s truck. Once inside the cab, we both reached for each other’s hand and they collided, hurting our knuckles. We were suddenly laughing and rubbing the backs of our hands. Then we settled in for the short drive back to the shop, holding hands, enjoying the connection once again.
Sam pulled up next to my car, and we got out. He handed me my beach bag as I unlocked the car, and I threw it in the backseat. I turned to say goodbye and he stepped up and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around him this time, and held on tight, my face buried in his chest, smelling him and wishing I could stay in his big strong arms forever. He had them wrapped now around my shoulders. I felt so safe in his embrace.
Sam leaned back and I did the same. We stood there, just looking into each other’s eyes. I could feel a wave of new feelings rushing up inside me, like adrenaline, only better. Sam was a couple of inches taller than me, and as he bent down, he gently put a hand under my chin, tilting it up towards his face.
And then…he kissed me.
It was the gentlest of kisses, soft as a warm breeze. I didn’t move, just let his lips glide across mine. I was suddenly aware of a tingling feeling everywhere in my body, all the way to my toes. Then something else kicked in and I started to kiss him back. Gently at first, exploring the feeling of his lips on mine, mentally cataloging sensations to process later. The intensity increased, and I involuntarily opened my lips a tiny bit, unaware I had done it. I felt Sam’s tongue tentatively run across my lower lip, testing, probing, hoping. It was pure electricity. I opened my mouth fully and his tongue met mine, each one eager to know the other. This continued until we needed to breathe. We reluctantly broke our lip lock, panting, our hearts racing. I think I was even sweating a bit. We rested our foreheads together, refusing to fully separate as we slowly regained our composure.
I was afraid to speak, my thoughts a complete jumble. Sam was making incoherent little noises. They sounded sexy to me, not that I needed any more stimulation. My dick was harder than it had ever been, and I was pretty sure I could actually feel precum leaking out of it. There would be no hiding my engorged state.
Finally Sam found his voice.
“Jack…oh, Jack…I…I can’t believe how you make me feel. I…oh, man…Jack, I am so…” I shut him up by kissing him again. I couldn’t help it. My lips had been apart from his long enough. Our tongues were immediately wrestling to dominate each other, alternately invading and retreating, adding to the sensations running through me again. I had no idea kissing was going to be so overwhelming to my senses.
Sam pulled me tighter into him, and I could feel his hard cock rubbing against mine. No doubt of his state, either. We were gently grinding our crotches together as our mouths matched the movements. Just as I was about to put my hands on his ass, Sam suddenly broke off the kiss and stepped back from me, ending the embrace. We were both gasping for breath. I was dizzy and my knees felt weak.
“Jack,” he gasped. “I’m sorry. I have to stop…I can’t…oh, man…Jack, I knew you did incredible things to me, but…damn, Jack…fuck, you’re amazing. I…I’ve never felt all…from just a kiss. Oh my god, Jack. You can kiss!”
I was still trying to catch my own breath, the wonderful sensations all over my body totally foreign to me. I had no words to describe anything at that moment. Until Sam spoke, I had not realized I had been harboring real fears that I would not be able to kiss a guy and have him like it. Apparently Sam really liked my kisses! The relief was another overwhelming wave moving through me. I finally fell back against the car, hoping it would support me and my knees wouldn’t fail.
Sam looked at me and he suddenly got concerned and was right there in an instant. “Are you okay, Jack? Talk to me.” I nodded my head yes, but I still couldn’t speak. He pulled me into a hug and then the dam broke. My face was plastered to his chest, the tears soaking his Paradise Pools t-shirt. I was so embarrassed that I kept doing this to him. He had to think I was the biggest lunatic on the planet. But I was happy. Happier than I ever dreamed I could be. With every ounce of inner strength I pulled myself together and stepped back from him.
“Sam…never in a million years…I just never would have believed…Sam, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. For doing that…for kissing me. And for what you said…and for being you…and for, oh, god, Sam. You are so fucking hot! Look at me. I’m a mess!” The front of my shorts had a huge wet spot where the precum had leaked through my underwear and my shorts. Sam smiled at me, then his cheeky grin popped out, but before he could say something, I pointed at his crotch. He had a matching spot on his shorts, too. He blushed, and then we both broke out in hysterical laughter. We laughed so hard we fell on the pavement and rolled around holding our sides. It was crazy!
Finally spent, we calmed down enough to help one another to our feet. We kept our distance a little bit, knowing now we both had a very short fuse. The physical desire we shared for one another was palpable between us. I could feel my cock firming up.
“Okay, Jack. We better call it a night. You okay to drive home?”
“Yeah, I think so. Oh, man. What a day, Sam,” I said, smiling at him in the dark. I was pretty sure I had my wits about me again.
“Yeah, didn’t expect all this. But it was a good day, wasn’t it, Jack?”
“The best day of my life, Sam. The very best!”
“Call me, Jack, the second you get home. Cause, you know…” He was my lovable smart ass again, teasing me.
“I certainly do know. And yes, I promise I’ll call you. Be safe, Sam.”
“You too, Jack.” I wanted to hug him again. But I didn’t trust myself. I don’t think he did either. So I got in my car, waved to him, and drove away.
My cell phone started ringing just as I was shutting the front door at the house. Perfect timing. “Hey, Sam. I just came through the door. You home, too?”
“Yep. Safe and sound. And horny as hell. Jack, I’m not kidding. I can’t stop thinking about our kiss. Where did you learn to do that?”
I laughed. “Sam, I have never kissed anyone until you tonight. You started kissing me and I nearly panicked and ran. I was so scared I wouldn’t do it right.”
Now he was laughing. “No way, Jack. Are you serious? You could give lessons on kissing. On second, thought, don’t! Save them all for me. I probably won’t survive them, but what a way to go!”
“Sam, you’re just saying that. Besides, it took two to kiss, and you really had me goin’. My dick was so hard I thought it would break. I still have a huge mess to clean up as it is.”
“Me too. That’s never happened before to me, just from kissing. Seriously, Jack. You’ve got everything I could ever want in a guy. And then some. So hot. So fucking hot!”
“Thanks, Sam. Be careful, this could all go to my slightly screwed up head, and then you’ll have a real mess on your hands.”
“I just want you to know how I feel, Jack. I want to be upfront with you from the beginning. Nothing hidden between us. I have it so bad for you, and after tonight, it’s gonna be a lot harder to keep my hands off of you. But remember what I said earlier today…before the hand holding and the kissing and…all of it. I want more with you than just sex. I…well…I just want more. Can we have that, Jack?”
“Yes, Sam, we can. I mean, I have no experience with these things…but it feels like we already have more going on…I mean, I feel things, Sam…and…well, yeah, we can have more, Sam. I want that very much.”
“You’re the best, Jack. I’m so glad you came to Hawaii. I can’t imagine now not knowing you and having you in my life. Where in the world did you come from?”
I chuckled. “Chicago, Sam. Chicago. You know I’m just a guy, right? A guy who is equally as glad you found me. I have been waiting a very long time, too. And for someone who wanted more than sex. I needed it to be like this, Sam. I need you to want me for more than sex, and I believe you do. It means everything to me.” I stopped before I said too much. My feelings were fast outracing my head and my mouth.
“I do, Jack. I really do. I should probably let you get some sleep. Can I call you tomorrow morning?”
“Of course. You have a busy day?” We had never gotten around to talking about tomorrow, and I sadly realized I may not see him.
“Don’t know yet. But I know it’s going to include you somehow. Not sure when, yet. I’ll talk to you in the morning and we can make a plan, okay?”
“Yeah. For sure. Call me. Good night, big guy.”
“Night, little man.” He hung up.
I dragged myself to the bathroom, stripped off the mess, and climbed into a hot shower. The jets spraying me all over brought all the sensations from earlier back to the surface and I jacked off thinking about Sam and my amazing first kiss and if he was doing the same thing I was right now. In less than a minute I was spraying the walls of the shower with cum, more than I had ever seen fly out of me. As I came down off my orgasmic high, my legs buckled and I slid down the wall, uninjured. I was exhausted. I barely got myself dried off and out of the bathroom. I was asleep before I finished falling into the bed.