Ch 33 Johnny Law

Spencer drove.  Chad was in the passenger seat with a printout of directions.  The backseat of the car was full of supplies for the picnic.

“You’re wife does know you’re going to the beach with a bunch of gay guys right?”

“She encouraged it,” Chad replied.

“Who’s this guy you told me about?”

“His name is Aden.  He’s a bar-back and sometimes a shot-boy like me.  He’s nice.”

“Firm ass?”

Chad raised an eyebrow.

“I’m just asking.  You said he had a nice body.”

“I just meant it’s weird he doesn’t like to take his shirt off is all.”

Spencer nodded but kept a serious face.

“Do you think I’m gay?”

“Bisexual,” Spencer said.

Chad sighed before looking away out the window.  His body tensed.

“Hey look, I’m sorry,” Spencer said.  “I was just kidding you.  It’s really none of my business.”

“I know.  It’s just that I used to get that sometimes, especially from the other guys on the force.  They said I was light in my loafers and they used to joke about the way I sat.”

“I’m sorry, really,” Spencer replied.

Chad let out a nervous laugh before turning up the volume of the stereo.  They drove the rest of the way barely speaking to each other except about directions.  When they got to the lake they found that parking was easy and that several men were all ready there.  The picnic was larger than either of them had believed it would be.  Spencer suddenly felt bad for his friend even though didn’t seem bothered.

“Before we unpack maybe we should go say hello.  Make sure we’re at the right place,” Spencer said.

“Okay,” Chad replied.

They walked from the car to the group.  It was mostly made of men, but there were a few women though they seemed to easily fit into a pairs.  Most of the men were shirtless, several of them had tattoos, most all of them were hairless and muscled.  As Spencer and Chad approached they began to get looks as if they were trespassers and for a moment they looked to each other, but then Chad caught sight of someone and called out his name, Ron, who broke from the crowd and made his way to them.

He was handsome and effeminate, with a mischievous grin.  He introduced himself to Spencer, then moved to Chad and took hold of his arm.  It was a familiar touch that didn’t bother Chad though Spencer felt uncomfortable for his friend.

“I see you guys are wearing swim trunks but I don’t see any towels.  Will we be going into the water today?”

“If you are,” Chad said.

“Oh honey, I don’t know if I have the stamina for it.  I haven’t eaten a thing all day to keep up my form so I look good shirtless.”

“Well, I’ll only go in if you do,” Chad said.

Spencer thought for a moment he was the one being challenged but then thought about Ron as he held onto Chad’s elbow.

“Always talking me into things,” Ron said.  “I will if you will.  How about your friend?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Spencer said.

“For a straight boy Chad here is quite a hit down at the bar.  We’re trying to get him to be a dancer at the Unicorn,” Ron said.  “We even have a stage name for him.”

“What is it?” Spencer asked.

“Johnny Law,” Ron answered.

Spencer let out a little laugh and looked to Chad who blushed and smiled.  He felt compelled to add to the joke even though he felt bad for his friend.  He tried to ignore the impulse and think of something else but it was right there on his tongue.  He had thought about it so clearly that it just needed to be said.

“Either that or Night Stick,” Spencer added.

Ron and Chad both laughed.

“You’re a funny one.  Look, I know you’re a stranger here but I can introduce you to some of the boys.  Do you like them rough or like them nice?”

“Actually, I was going to introduce him to Aden.  I thought they’d get along.”

Ron looked to Spencer, from head to toe, then back up.  He had a judgmental face and Spencer felt like a cut of beef that was being evaluated by a butcher.  It wasn’t an unfamiliar evaluation, one that he had done many, many times, but there in front of Chad, at the lake, and with so many strangers, it felt awkward.

“Too bad you didn’t think about me,” Ron said.

“That’s because I want you all to myself,” Chad said.

“Oh, you’re a terrible flirt.  You straight boys always leading us on like that, but it does make me feel good.”  Ron let go of Chad’s arm, moved to usher them towards the crowd.  “Aden and some of the boys from the bar are on the other side of this meat market.”

They followed after him through the crowd.  Spencer looked around at the other guys.  He noted a few with chains around their necks and piercings.  If Aden was a bust then there were still others.  The crowd thinned as they got closer to the beach.  There were only a few men and a woman in the water who seemed to be there just to swim.

“I don’t see him,” Chad said.

Spencer felt defeated for a moment.  There was no treasure at the end of the trail.  He thought about going back for a beer when Ron made a noise.

“There he is in the water.  Yoo-hoo Aden, over here,” he called out.

Spencer looked to Ron, then looked out into the lake where he saw a head just above the water.  The man was handsome, if only by his head, which began to move closer.  Spencer watched as broad shoulders, muscled arms, flat pectorals, a defined abdomen, a narrow waist, a small swimsuit, a swimmer’s brief, strong thighs, and finally two bare feet emerged from the water.  For someone who is supposed to be shy he doesn’t seem to swim in much, he thought.

“Come here Aden we want you to meet someone,” Ron said.

Spencer felt as if his own body fell to the ground and he was just a head floating there, a head and a heart.  Aden got closer.  Spencer felt his body as if it were slowly rebuilding itself until he had to accept that it was the same, familiar form it had always been, and not one he felt comfortable showing, but he held out his hand anyway, and Aden took it. 

Despite having been swimming it was remarkably firm and warm.  Spencer felt the hairs on his arm and the back of his neck raise up.  It felt as if a current had traveled through his body.

“I’m Aden.”

When Spencer didn’t speak Chad spoke up for him.

“This is Spencer.  He’s not normally this quiet,” he said.